Veggie Cheap Eat: Creations Cafe

Creations cafe, located on 400 Main St in Wakefield, is a small cafe that serves healthy and affordable lunch options in a casual relaxed setting. With wraps, smoothies, salads, soups there are plenty of great eats for vegetarians. I went to Creations Cafe for lunch yesterday and ordered their Main Street salad ($4.95) made with romaine lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and feta cheese. Instead of the usual Greek dressing, (generally made with anchovies), the salad was served with a garlic balsamic vinaigrette. To my surprise the portion size of the salad was quite large and the large wooden bowl the salad was served in was a nice touch.

Other vegetarian options include a garlic hummus wrap, miso noodle soup bowl and an eggplant balsamic panini. Customers at Creations cafe can also enjoy free wireless Internet. Service is very friendly and the owner always greets you with a smile. The place is quite cozy with just 5 or 6 tables, but you will generally not have a problem finding a seat. Definitely worth checking out if you are looking for a healthy affordable lunch in the Wakefield area.

Veggie Deal at Vee Vee's

Vee Vee's in Jamaica Plain is offering a great vegetarian deal. On Sundays and Tuesdays they are offering an appetizer and an entree for $19. Their menu features vegetarian entrees such as buttersquash enchiladas served with salsa verde, black beans, jack cheese, and ricotta dumplings with herbed spaghetti squash, tomato sauce and shaved fennel.

Here is the information from their website:

Sunday & Tuesday Night Prix Fixe:

$19 vegetarian or $24 non-vegetarian

Select any appetizer from our regular menu*, then choose your entree. The price is determined by your entree selection.

Special prix fixe for dining in only.

*lobster sausage appetizer an additional $4

Upstairs on the Square

It is great to see so many upscale restaurants in Boston offering vegetarian options. Gone are the days where dining at high end establishments meant steamed vegetables and lettuce for vegetarians. Restaurants all over Boston are offering vegetarian tasting menus that cater to the vegetarian palate.

I was delighted when Upstairs on the Square invited me to try their Vegetarian Tasting menu. The tasting menu consisted of five and seven courses at first I thought the meal would be heavy and overwhelming, but instead it was light and delicious. The vegetarian tasting menu is served in the Soiree room and consists of a 5 ($55) or 7($70) course meal with additional wine parings for $32, $45.

The ambiance of Upstairs on the Square is a delightful experience all on its own. As a guest at Upstairs on the Square your eyes will feast on the pink colored walls,the mirrored glass ceilings, and the beautiful bay windows that overlook Harvard Square. As many patrons will say, you really do feel like you are dining in Alice in Wonderland.

The evening started with a glass of 2007 Kung Fu Girl Riesling, a cool crisp white wine that evoked mild sweet flavors of apple, pear and lime. This was one of the best Rieslings I have ever had. The first course was the Roasted Baby Beets served with a strong, but delicious, horseradish panna cotta and drizzled in passion fruit sauce. The passion fruit sauce was simple but added a nice sweet citrus flavor to the dish.

The Potage of Jerusalem Artichokes, a smooth creamy soup topped with crunchy sorrel and chive oil. This was my favorite course and I was amazed that this dish was thickened without cream but with the base of a sunflower. Embedded in the soup were tiny fried black trumpet mushrooms which added to its texture. The Ravioli of Pierre Robert Cheese was draped in lovage butter and finely chopped green apples. It was tasty but a bit too pungent and salty for my liking.

Following the Warm Artichokes and Haricots Verts, was the Harvest Vegetables and Tiny Ricotta Gnocchi. Instead of the usual cream sauce, the Gnocchi was served in a flavorful cardamom wine broth with shitake mushrooms and mint.

The meal ended with a decadent dessert which had adorable presentation and was a miniature tasting all on its own. The dessert consisted of a small cup of almond hot chocolate, topped with marshmallow fluff, a tiny chocolate almond cake and two pieces of dark almond chocolate.

The service at Upstairs on the Square was exemplary and our waitress went over every dish in detail. Overall Upstairs on the Square was a luxurious experience and the vegetable tasting menu was perfect, not too heavy but enough to make you want to come back for more.