Glaswegian Dining Humour

Spotted in Glasgow recently:

Keeping it classy on Woodlands Road

Living the dream at the airport

New pub Sparkle Horse has a strict policy.

And one for the saddos who didnae pull.
(Translation: find a compatible partner to "entertain" at home for the rest of the evening.)

Cafe Andaluz

2, Cresswell Lane, Glasgow, G12 8AA
Map
http://www.cafeandaluz.com

Restaurant type:

Spanish Tapas

Cafe Andaluz from the outside

Service:

Outstanding

Ambiance:

Thoughtfully, tastefully decorated to produce a rich, warm, subterranean Alhambra.

Vegan choice:

Cafe Andaluz from the outside

Somewhat limited given that one needs to order a few tapas to make a meal. Dishes that are vegan, or can be altered (without too much violence) to be so, are: Patatas Bravas, Pimientos de Padron, Ensalada Marroqui, Tostada de Champinones, Ensalada Andaluza, Ensalada Sevillana, and Berenjenas Rellenas de Pimientos

Review:

Set in the cosmopolitan West End of Glasgow, down one of its most charming cobbled lanes, Cafe Andaluz looks inviting from the outside. The tasteful tiles, benches, and lighting outside hold promise. Descending the spiral staircase, one enters a little piece of Southern Spain. A warm, vibrant scene awaits. Dark wood, red walls and subtle lighting, tasteful accessories and, usually, the hubbub of the many customers gathered to taste the tapas.

The inside of Cafe Andaluz

I have been to this restaurant twice now, both times with large groups of people with disparate dietary needs and other proclivities. On both occasions the waiters were patient, knowledgeable, and directed the communal sharing of food, sorting out special diets and special orders with aplomb. They were knowledgeable about the food and very attentive without crowding. One had the sense of a plate spinner keeping many plates rotating while making it look effortless.

Patatas Bravas

I sampled four dishes from the menu. The Patatas Bravas - fried potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce (without the non-vegan alioli) - were delicious. The sauce was piquant - with a good kick of spice. The potatoes would have benefited from being crispier on the outside.

Ensalada Sevillana

The Ensalada Sevillana is a salad of roasted beetroot, green beans, oranges and croutons (the goat's cheese was omitted). It looked beautiful on the plate with the oranges sitting atop  the purple beets with a sprinkling of croutons and herbs. There were pleasant elements to this. Oranges like other acidic fruit in a salad can be fabulous and are underused. (A new favourite of mine in a salad, is strawberries, which a good friend of mine recently made me appreciate.) The green beans were crunchy but had taken on the purple of the beetroot and looked rather dull. The beetroot did not inspire. I like beetroot enormously. I'm not quite sure what the problem was, but perhaps it might have been over cooked. The croutons, I'm afraid were very poor. They were far too oily and I could only eat a few. If it were executed better, this salad could have been a winner. But, sadly, it was somewhat disappointing.

Ensalada Andaluza

The Ensalada Andaluza contained asparagus tips, artichoke, sunblushed tomatoes, and lettuce, in what was called a "sweet hinamin" dressing. Google reveals nothing about what "himanin" may refer to! I was assured the dressing was vegan by the waiter and what came seemed to be a not very too sweet tahini dressing. This dish was the highlight of the meal. The vegetables were cooked to perfection. They blended together with the tomatoes and lettuce to produce tasty and interesting, fresh mouthfuls. The quantity of dressing was just right. It was slightly creamy, but not overly so, just enough to add substance to the whole without drowning out any of the flavours. I highly recommend this dish.

Ensalada Marroqui

Finally, I had the Ensalada Marroqui. Roast sweet potato, parsnip, and chickpeas, mixed with  parsley and corriander, were topped with a tahini dressing. I liked the sound of this dish enormously. Each of the individual ingredients appealed, as I thought, would their combination. However, I was rather disappointed. The sweet potato, parsnip and chickpeas formed a very dense base. The flavours of these vegetables didn't sing out. Like the beetroot, I would question whether they were roasted too long.  The tahini dressing was rather thick and cloying and it needed lifting with lemon juice or other acidic streak to cut through the denseness of the sesame. With more careful preparation, however, this dish could, I believe could be rather good.

Overall, Cafe Andaluz has a wonderful atmosphere, great staff, and a small selection of vegan tapas. The food is not bad, however, the execution of some of the dishes requires attention.

Interior of Cafe Andaluz

Interior of Cafe Andaluz

Vegetarian menu

Additional menu items

Chicago O'Hare Airport

Bessie Coleman Drive , Chicago, IL
Map
www.ohare-airport.org

Restaurant type:

Various take-away outlets, particularly, and as reviewed here, Cibo Express Gourmet Markets and Argo Tea in Terminal 3

Service:

Good

Ambiance:

Soul Gourmet Grilled Southwest Tofu Wrap

Typical airport style!

Vegan choice:

Excellent for an airport. O'Hare is a major hub for American Airlines who do not serve vegan meals on any flights - one can't even order a special vegan meal in advance even on major international flights - therefore being able to buy vegan food in the airport is essential.

Soul Gourmet Grilled Southwest Tofu Wrap

Review:

Located between the G and H gates in the terminal 3 building is a branch of Cibo Express Gourmet Markets and a branch of Argo Tea.

Cibo is a delicatessen selling fruit, crisps, snacks, and has a long refrigerated cabinet selling sandwiches and a wide variety of edible goods. Vegan goods are widely advertised and there is, surprisingly and pleasingly, a large section of the refrigerated cabinet dedicated to a wide selection of vegan sandwiches, wraps, ready meals and desserts. I bought two wraps by Soul Gourmet: the Grilled Southwest Tofu Wrap and the Vegan Buffalo Tofu Wrap. The former consisted of a sun-dried tomato tortilla-like bread stuffed with a filling of rice, beans, corn, peppers and rather small pieces of tofu, in  spicy sauce. The filling was rather too moist and had made the tortilla too moist. I didn't particularly enjoy the taste. The ingredients didn't combine well together and  the pieces of tofu were too small. It was bland, despite the spicy heat of the sauce.

Soul Gourmet Vegan Buffalo Tofu Wrap

In contrast, the Vegan Buffalo Tofu Wrap was truly delicious. The spinach tortilla bread was stuffed with large substantial and hearty pieces of tofu covered in a spicy tomato sauce together with some spinach. This was right up my street: the tofu was firm, with a thin solid outer layer and a not too moist, ever so slighty softer, centre. The sauce didn't make the bread or the filling soggy, and it was tasty and tangy. I'd buy this sandwich frequently for lunch if it were available to me.

Soul Gourmet Vegan Buffalo Tofu Wrap

I also bought the gluten and soy free Soul Gourmet Vegan Macaroni and Cheese. Obtaining a vegan cheesy product without soy is rare. It was made with almond milk and nutritional yeast. (The latter is available in most health food stores. Somewhat unappetisingly, it looks like goldfish food flakes, however, it has a delicious cheesy, slightly nutty, taste and melts into soups, stews and milk. It is a complete protein and good source of B-complex vitamins.) Cibo does not have heating facilities, so I ate the macaroni cheese cold. It was somewhat pleasant. The sauce tasted much as it would if one had made it with soy, perhaps slightly creamier. The seasoning was fine, perhaps a little bland, and the noodles al dente. Macaroni cheese is often a dish that sticks to your ribs, particularly when made with a vegan white sauce with nutritional yeast, and this one was no exception - a little on the stodgy side. One might find this forgivable in comfort food, but the dish was also exceptionally oily, and although the oil was olive oil, it was still too much for my palate. I suspect that heated up and stirred up, the dish would have been better.

Soul Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese

Another offering on sale was the Soul Gourmet Vegan Cheese Cake. Again, this was pleasant. The biscuit base was not as crisp and firm as one would like, although it had a good biscuity taste. The top layer was made with tofu and was a little bland. I would have preferred something more tart with a bitter lemon twist. It was topped off with a large strawberry in sweet strawberry sauce. The whole thing was juvenile and too sweet. it reminded me of something that might have been served on a good day at school dinners. I would have preferred a sophisticated, grown-up product.

Soul Gourmet Macaroni and Cheese

Argo Tea is one of a chain of outlets (approximately, at the time of writing just under fifty) offering mainly fancy tea drinks, but also some coffee, soft drinks and a small range of food and snacks. Teas range from pure green and white tea to flavoured teas, and flamboyant concoctions, such as red tea with raspberry and white chocolate. I had some plain green tea, which was passable and not too bitter. I would have appreciated different grades and types of green teas being on offer, rather than the unusual "signature drinks". However drinking green tea out of a take-away plastic cup is far from ideal and I would have liked to have had the chance to taste the from china or porcelain. The vegan products on the food menu are Medetaranian Vegetables and Brown Rice, and Green Tea and Poppy Seed Muffins. These items are clearly marked on the menu as being vegan, which I appreciated.

Soul Gourmet Vegan Cheese Cake

I tried an item for sale at the time which was not listed on the menu: an oatmeal and raisin cookie. This was delightful. It was moist and chewy and contained a good number of succulent raisins. The level of cinnamon was just right and while the sweetness level was a tad too high, it wasn't bad considering the level of sweetness in many such American products. I'd buy this again.

As noted above, there were many other vegan dishes I could have tried at O'Hare. Overall the vegan choice was excellent - far greater than any airport I've ever been in before - and the quality a little better than one would expect from take-away food. The standout-item amongst those I tried was the Soul Gourmet Vegan Buffalo Tofu Wrap from Cibo, which I highly recommend.

Other airports please take note! Vegans are often left scrabbling about for crisps and nuts at many airports. Please provide a selection of vegan food. After all, non-vegans can eat vegan food too, and vegan food is edible by many people who follow special diets - people of the sort that one might expect to find rather a lot of passing through an international travel hub.

Argo Tea container

Argo Tea Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

Nile Ethiopian Cuisine

2130 Magazine St, Garden District, New Orleans, LA
Map

 

 

Restaurant type:

Ethiopian

The Yetsom Beyaynetu - vegetarian combo

Service:

Acceptable

Ambiance:

A pleasant airy space with modern, if a little sparse, decoration. The large wall mural is somewhat eclectic. The restaurant is set in the beautiful Garden District on Magazine Street with its Antique shops and boutiques.

The inside of the restaurant

Vegan choice:

Limited, but the vegetarian platter offers all the choice one would wish on one plate.

 

Review:

I adore Ethiopian food. I like it more than most people. I try to eat in every Ethiopian restaurant I come across. I seek them out in every new town. I have eaten in approximately 25 Ethiopian restaurants. This was one of my favourites in terms of the quality of the food.

When I arrived, at lunchtime, the restaurant was very quiet and so there was little atmosphere. Nonetheless, the space was bright and airy, and pleasant for the day time. The only downside was the rather poor mural that dominates one wall. I imagine that in the evening, with a crowd, the place might have a slightly better ambiance.

The vegetarian/vegan options on the menu

The vegan options were precisely three. Not much one might think, however, I have seldom been in an Ethiopian restaurant where I wanted anything but the vegetable combo dish (yetsom beyaynetu). That was on the menu and that is what I had. It was delicious: red lentils in a berbere sauce (miser wot), yellow split pea stew (kik alicha), some greens, a potato and carrot dish, a red potato and beet dish, and a dry brown lentil concoction, served on injera bread. The miser wot was hot contained many levels of spice. The kik alicha, always my favourite, was mild, creamy and subtly tasty. The two potato dishes were fabulous: creamy, melt-in-the-mouth vegetables in a light sauce. Even the greens and salad, always my least favourite, were tasty and beautifully dressed. The injera, a deliciously sour crumpet bread, was light and as moreish as ever. The injera was not in short supply and our reserve dish of it was topped up frequently and without extra charge. The quality of the food was excellent. I rate it the third best Ethiopian restaurant that I have been in, third only to Addis Red Sea in Boston and Fekerte's in Canberra.

The outside of the restaurant

The menu

The vegetarian combo with the injera

Carmo

527 Julia Street (between Camp and Magazine), Warehouse District, New Orleans, LA
Map
http://cafecarmo.com/ 

 

Restaurant type:

informal tropical cafe with many vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. Eco-friendly and sustainable ethic. Eclectic mix of African, South American, and Asian influences.

The Acarajé main course

Service:

adequate

Ambiance:

stripped-back, exposed brick, re-purposed and re-finished furniture, kitchen open to restaurant

Vegan choice:

Excellent. Most of the dishes were vegan or had vegan alternatives that involved replacing a non-vegan ingredient with a vegan one (e.g. replacing ham with vegan ham) not just leaving things out. Thought was given to the vegan meals to make sure that they were nutritionally balanced. The menu contained a substantial salad selection, sandwiches, a handful of main courses plus a couple of extra specials, and a few baked goods. Unusual fruit juices and cocktails are a feature.

The Acarajé main course

Review:

In many ways this restaurant knows what it is doing, and is doing it very well. Based in the trendy warehouse district it offers a pared-back look, with undisguised, re-cycled furniture, exposed brick, high ceilings and the kitchen open to one of the two main dining rooms. It has a utilitarian, functional aesthetic. Matching this, is the stated eco-friendly, sustainable ethic behind the food, which is also sensitive to vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free needs and desires. In addition, the restaurant has an inventive, varied and interesting menu. Yet given all these positive and attractive features, the food doesn't quite live up to what one might hope that a place like this might deliver. That's not to say the food is not good. It is. It is just does not quite live up to the high expectations the other features the restaurant has to offer set for it.

I tried three of the salads. The Carmo salad contained rice, pineapple, avocado, nuts, raisins, cucumber, green pepper, vegan ham tossed with citrus mango vinaigrette. It was perhaps a little sweet, but otherwise tasty and varied. The Broken Noodle salad contained rice noodles with tofu, peanuts, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber, peas, mushrooms, cabbage, cilantro, peppers and scallions, tossed with citrus ginger chili vinaigrette. This was a little disappointing. It was a bit light on the noodles, tofu and peanuts and contained too many bean sprouts. The dressing was not substantial enough for the salad and existed in a puddle at the bottom of the dish. The Esmeralda Salad was delicious. The base was quinoa, and it also contained black beans, corn, peppers, pumpkin seeds and cilantro. The coconut chili lime vinaigrette was absolutely delicious. Its sweet and sour balance was just right, and the quinoa held the dressing very well.

I ordered the Acarajé main course. It consisted of three black-eyed pea fritters stuffed with vatapá (spicy cashew peanut paste), served with salsa fresca, hot sauce and salad. The fritters were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside and fairly substantial. One of my companions thought that the fritters were much too dry and tough on the outside. I disagreed but they would have been better if slightly lighter. The cashew paste was tasty and thick without being cloying. The salad and salsa were fresh and a good accompaniment. Other main courses were not presented in as beautiful a fashion as this dish, and the presentation of some of the specials requires some attention.

I tried two of the cocktails on offer. The Cajulia was a mix of cashew fruit juice with lemon and vodka. It was beautifully bitter with the  right level of alcohol in it. The L'Entrepot was a tea-infused rum concoction with lime, mint, agave and soda water. It was high in alcohol and had an interesting intense many-layered spiced taste. The wine list was short but, nontheless, contained a variety of good quaffable wines. I wish that I had tried some of the fruit juices listed on the blackboards but not on the menus, and would have done if they had been brought to my attention when first ordering.

Overall the restaurant has an exciting, original menu of fair-quality fusion cuisine. It is well worth a visit.

Dreamy Weenies

740 North Rampart Street, French Quarter, New Orleans, LA
Map

 

 

 

 

Restaurant type:

This is a fast food joint serving only hot-dogs in buns and fries. Meat (including kosher and halal options) and vegetarian and vegan options are on the menu.

Inside the restaurant

Service:

The staff were exceptionally friendly and suitably attentive. They were exceptionally knowledgeable about what veganism was, the vegan options available, and offered information about how it was cooked (separately from the non-vegan dishes).

Ambiance:

An attractive, old school fast food joint playing cool jazz, NOLA-style, on the edge of the French Quarter, across the road from Louis Armstrong park.

Garden district hot-dog with vegan mayo and ketchup, roasted garlic and waffle fries

Vegan choice:

It was very good. There are three different vegan sausages on offer, and many topings including vegan mayo and vegan cheese, not to mention hummus, roast garlic, avocado, and particular local specialities such as beans and rice, and chilli and Creole mix. There were also fries of various kinds available. Only the wholewheat bun was vegan and they sometimes run out.

Vegan preparation:

The vegan food is cooked separately from the rest.

Garden district hot-dog with vegan mayo and ketchup

Review:

The restaurant serves excellent fast food in an appropriately atmosphere: a knowingly old-school jazz diner, with New Orleans attitude. I tried both the kielbasa (an eastern European style sausage) with the chilli and Creole mix and vegan cheese and the garden district sausage with ketchup, vegan mayo, cheese and roast garlic. The sausages were meaty, hearty, and flavoursome, with the spices in the mix singing out despite the generous toppings. I suspect that they were wholesome too. The third kind of vegan sausage on offer were falafel, which I didn't try. The toppings were delicious and the whole lot came in a whole wheat bun. The seasoned waffle fries were crisp and exceptionally tasty, but the other waffle fries and sweet potatoes fries were good too. I don't think that vegan fast food could come much better than this!

This man looks as jolly as the staff turned out to be.

Louis Armstrong park entrance right outside

Welcome

Dear Reader,

Welcome to this blog about vegan dining and eating. I'll mostly blog about vegan dining experiences in restaurants of all sorts: vegan, vegetarian and non-vegetarian. I travel to disparate places frequently and luckily get the chance to try out many different places to eat. However, I'll also review interesting products and recipes from time to time. I  hope that some of my vegan friends will guest blog occasionally too.

The first few reviews come from New Orleans. I was told it might be tough to be vegan here. I beg to differ. At least for five days it was rather good as the first reviews in this blog will attest to.

Best wishes,
Discerning Vegan