2009 Boston Vegetarian Food Festival

Its that time of the year again, the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival is taking place this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. I went last year, and had a great experience. Check out my previous post for more details!


The Boston Vegetarian Society proudly presents
The 14th Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival
Now Expanded to Two Days!
Saturday, October 31, 2009, 10 AM - 6 PM
and
Sunday, November 1, 2009, 10 AM - 4 PM

Reggie Lewis Athletic Center
1350 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts
Subway stop across the street

Jam’N Java

It can be difficult to find a good vegetarian soup that is truly vegetarian. Soups at restaurants always seem to be made in a chicken or beef broth which can be truly frustrating for vegetarian soup lovers like me.

I was pleasantly surprised, that while walking through Arlington Center, I stumbled upon Jam’N Java. With a name like Jam’n Java one would think it was just a coffee shop but they have a good size menu with soups, sandwiches, salads and desserts. 

For about $7 I had their vegetable soup with a half hummus vegetable sandwich, both dishes were completely vegan. I really enjoyed their vegetable soup, it was a a nice light, thin, tomato based soup made with green beans, mushrooms and zucchini. The half hummus sandwich was  served on a wheat bread, with carrots, spinach, onions, and tomatoes. It was pretty standard but complimented the sandwich well. 

There is a free wireless access and plenty of indoor seating as well as a few tables outside.

Jam’N’ Java is a nice place for a light healthy lunch, although there was only one vegetable soup, it was good enough for me .

Myers & Chang

It was Saturday night and I was in the mood for something trendy and Asian. I had spent my Saturday lazing around, and was looking forward to dining somewhere fun and lively. I did some research and found some great reviews on Myers & Chang in the South End, it was just what I was in the mood for.

I loved the upbeat atmosphere of Myers & Chang. Its cozy and small,  but it has this retro diner feel to it. We were able to find a table near the window, and were seated without a wait. There was a separate vegetarian menu and the service was wonderful. Our waitress was patient with all of my standard vegetarian friendly questions and offered some great suggestions. 

The evening started with an Asian Mojito ($9) made with junmai ginjo sake, fresh mint syrup, and lime. It was a nice refreshing treat, one of the best Mojitos I have had in a long time.

For dinner, I ordered the red Kuri Squash soup (9), a thick creamy pureed soup.  I was a bit disappointed with dish, as it was very bland and it could have used a few spices. In addition to lacking flavor, for $9 I was surprised it was served in such a small bowl.

For my main entree, I had the rainbow tofu ($10) made with peppers dressed in a hot bean paste.  The vegetables tasted barbecued and the sauce had a tasty smokey flavor to it.

The dishes are smaller and pricier than most Asian restaurants and a point worth noting is the dishes are made to order so they come out as soon as they are ready. This took a bit of getting used to as my entree came out before my soup.

Overall I enjoyed my night out at Myers and Chang and definitely think it is worth another visit.

Gulu Gulu Cafe

 

With October just around the corner, Salem MA, is one of the most popular places to visit for some good Halloween fun. Gulu Gulu cafe is located on Essex St in Salem MA and is a cute cafe that has a lot of good vegetarian friendly options.  In addition to great food and drinks, the restaurant, depending on the night, features live music that makes for a fun night out. 

I found myself at Gulu Gulu Cafe and I had their Lyon Vegetarian panini ($8), also available as a wrap.  This is a delicious grilled Panini made with provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, tomatoes and artichokes.  The panini is also served with chips and a side salad.  It was perfect for the fall weather, the cheese melted in my mouth. In additon to the Lyon Vegetarian panini, I had a cup of the Hungry Mushroom soup, $(3), a lightly creamed soup filled with fresh mushrooms. I liked the fact the soup was not too heavy like most mushroom soups that are available.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and what I consider to be the perfect vegetarian comfort food ( hot soup, and a warm Panini) for the fall weather.  The staff is friendly and the ambiance is  reminiscent of a European style cafe with couches, paintings and wooden tables. Other vegetarian items include a variety of , crepes,wraps, salads and grape leaves.  The free wireless internet and the outdoor patio are nice touches.

Parking is on the street and the prices are same for lunch or dinner. I wish they had a half soup and sandwich option as the I could not finish my panini.  However if you find yourself in the Salem MA area, Gulu Gulu Cafe is nice place to relax and unwind with some good food.

Veggie Cheap Eat: Ten Tables

Restaurant week maybe over, but there are still plenty of places to get a delicious 3,4 and 5 course meal.  Ten Tables, located in Centre Street in Jamaica Plain, serves new age American food in a cozy romantic setting. There is also a new location in Harvard Square that has opened in the past month.

I was very excited that I finally made it to to Ten Tables. With a four  courses for only $28, Ten Tables offers the most affordable vegetarian tasting menu in the Boston area.

My first course was a creamy roasted garlic soup that was outstanding. The soup was rich and creamy and evoked flavors of roasted garlic. It was so delicious that I could have licked the bowl clean.

The second course was a Greek salad dressed in a lemon balsamic dressing. The feta in the salad was fresh and soft, contributing to the creamy texture of the salad. The lemon balsamic was light and was a nice change from the standard Greek dressing ( which sometimes contains anchovies).

The third course, the main dish was a cavatelli pasta dish with roasted pine nuts and vegetables. The pasta tasted fresh and homemade and different than the usual spaghetti or penne.

The fourth course, the dessert, consisted of puffed pastries stuffed with banana ice cream topped with chocolate sauce. The dessert was not too heavy but enough to satisfy a sweet tooth like mine.

Overall I enjoyed my experience at Ten Tables and I look forward to my next visit. The food was splendid and quite affordable. My dining companion ordered the regular tasting menu for $40 but in hindsight would have gone with the vegetarian tasting menu.

Since there is only 10 tables in the Jamaica Plain location, it can be tough to get a reservation. I enjoyed my time at Ten Tables and look forward to my next visit.

The Vegetarian's Guide to Dining in Boston is in the news

The Vegetarian's Guide to Dining in Boston was featured in the Wakefield Observer. Check out the link for more details.


The Wakefield Observer also featured a story on the Bollywood Dance classes I teach in the Boston area.

Veggie Cheap Eat: Vegetarian Friendly Happy Hour at Noir

Noir is located in the Charles Hotel in Harvard square and is a cozy but trendy bar that has an affordable happy hour with great vegetarian options. The happy hour is offered Monday through Thursday, from 5-9pm.

In the Boston area, it can be difficult to find happy hours that cater to vegetarians. Most places just serve the standard nachos or mozzarella sticks. Noir has a "5-4-3-2-1-0" happy hour menu, which means flatbreads for $5, $4 for sandwiches, $3 for snacks, $2 for salads, $1 for sweets, and $0 for nuts. Its a great deal, but you have to come during happy hour to get these savings.

The best option for vegetarians is the grilled flat bread with roasted tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, arugula and grilled eggplant. To compliment your flatbread try the frisee salad made with feta cheese, shaved fennel served in a blood orange vinaigrette.

Check out their menu, for more veggie cheap eats.

Vegetarian Pre Fixe Menus on Valentines Day

It can be difficult to find places that have good vegetarian options on Valentines day. Many restaurants have special Valentines Day menus but fail to offer any vegetarian dishes. Here is a list of restaurants in Boston with great vegetarian options on Valentines Day.


Sel De Terre: Sel De Terre is a French restaurant with three restaurants in the Boston area. Their Long Wharf restaurant located on 255 State Street in Boston is offering a six course Vegetarian menu for for $85. Entrees include dishes such as truffled artichoke soup, mushroom roulade with white asparagus, fried quail eggs tarragon and glacage.


Hamersley's Bistro: Located in the South End, Hamersley's Bistro is offering a four course menu for $110 and includes at least one vegetarian option in every course. The main course is a mushroom wellington with winter vegetables and a sherry mushroom essence.

Craigie on Main: Craigie on Main, formerly Craig Street Bistro, with a new location on 853 Main Street, will offer a five course pre fixed menu with vegetarian options for $150.

Top of the Hub: Top of the Hub in Boston will be offering a four course vegetarian pre fixed menu for $250. The price does seem a little steep, but with the best views in Boston, it is one of the most romantic places.

Tamarind Bay: If you looking for something ethnic for Valentines Day, Tamarind Bay is offering a four course menu with vegetarian options including wine for $75. Known for great Indian food, Tamarind Bay is located in Harvard Square.

Elephant Walk: A French Cambodian fusion restaurant, Elephant Walk is one of my favorite restaurants. Although Elephant Walk does not have special pre-fixed menu for Valentines Day, they have many different vegetarian options on their regular menu as well as a 4 course pre fixed menu that is offered all year long with vegetarian options for only $33.95. Def my pick for best value and food.

If all else fails, plan a special romantic vegetarian dinner,it may mean more and you can kiss the chef:-)

Vegan Valentine's Day

Looking for a Vegetarian Valentine's Day and don't want to break the bank? Chef Didi Emmons is preparing a special Vegan Valentine's dinner at the Haley House Bakery for only $30. Check out the menu from the BVS website.

BVS Love-Infused Globe-Roaming Invigorating Vegan Valentine's Dinner

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED to info@BostonVeg.org


6:45 PM - Arrive, check in/pay, socialize
7:00 PM - Dinner

No animal ingredients

* Thai Salad of Pomegranate Love Nuts, Peanuts, Crispy Tofu with Minty Dressing Swaddled by Buttercup Lettuce

* Free-Form Pasta Layered with Roasted Butternut Squash, Chard, Ground Seitan Tomato Sauce, and Olive-You Tapanade

* with Onion Foccacia

* Good 'Ole Banana Cream Pie with Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

* Iced Love Potent #9, a Ruby Red Multi-Berry Iced Tea

$30 includes service!! Organic Beer or Wine Extra.


Never hesitate to arrive on your own to a BVS event, even a Valentine's Dinner!

PAYMENT: Pay on site as you arrive. $30 each in cash (exact change please) or check (made out to Haley House). NO CREDIT CARDS.


LOCATION:

Haley House Bakery Cafe
2139 Washington St.
Dudley Square, Boston

The Cafe is set back in a parking lot, opposite the Hamill Gallery. It is 1.5 blocks from the intersection of Washington St. and Melnea Cass Blvd.

Free parking lot on site. Silver Line stops 1.5 blocks away at Melnea Cass Blvd.

Veggie Cheap Eat: Spring Rolls at Porter Square Book Store

Where can you go to get delicious, yet affordable Vietnamese spring rolls in the Boston area? A Chinese restaurant? A Vietnamese restaurant? The answer is in the Porter Square book store located in Cambridge MA on 25 White street. Inside the book store, lies a small cafe called Cafe Zing that serves these yummy soft spring rolls. Catered from a place called Indochine, these soft spring rolls are made with lettuce, tofu, mint, carrots and vermicelli noodles and are served with a sweet and tangy peanut sauce. For around $5 you can have three of these delicious rolls which makes for a perfect light lunch or a nice veggie snack. Call ahead or get to the cafe before the evening, these rolls are very popular and tend to sell out early in the day.

In addition to these addictive spring rolls, Cafe Zing also sells coffee, tea, and gluten free desserts. Their gluten free toffee almond cookie is quite tasty. Seating is limited and service is friendly. Definitely a nice place to come for quick veggie bite.

Veggie Cheap Eat: Shanghai Cafe in NYC

It can be difficult to find good vegetarian options in Chinatown. After a long day of shopping in Soho, Chinatown was the closest place to grab a bite. My carnivore friend insisted that we venture into Chinatown for dinner. I was a bit hesitant because I’ll admit I am a bit skeptical of the true vegetarianess of Chinese food in Chinatown. Except for Penang in Boston, my limited experiences with Chinese food in Chinatown have not always been the best. Since we were hungry, we did not want to travel too far to have dinner so we went to a restaurant called Shanghai Café.
Shanghai café located on 100 Mott St between Canal and Hester St serves Shanghainese food in a casual relaxed setting.

The ambiance, with its fluorescent lighting and eighties décor, differs from the standard Chinese restaurants in Chinatown. The meal started out with a complimentary green tea. I ordered the Black Mushroom Noodles with soup for $3.50 and the Vegetable pan fried Noodles for $6.25. For only $3.50, the Black Mushroom Noodles is quite large and is a meal on its own. The soup was tasty; I loved the thick dark mushrooms in the flavorful vegetable broth. The noodles however were plentiful but a bit too thick for my liking. The waitress ensured me that the broth was vegetarian, but as always double check. The pan fried noodles with vegetables were made with a thick sweet flavorful soy sauce. I am generally not a fan of crunchy noodles but I really did enjoy the taste of this dish.

Overall I enjoyed myself at Shanghai café. The service here is a bit slow and some of the servers are friendlier than others. My experience at Shanghai café was positive and I will now keep an open mind about trying restaurants in Chinatown. The food was good, and for the price you really can’t complain. I know there is a vegan restaurant in Chinatown Boston, called My Thai Vegan Café but I have not had a chance to try it yet. Do you know any other Chinese restaurants in Boston that have good vegetarian options?