A Dose of Dosa

Who: VN Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria + VN Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: A dinner of dosa
Where: Udupi Palace, San Francisco, Calif.
When: August 9, 2008
Why: Do you really need much of a reason to eat great veg Indian food?

The Scoop: Here's a little insight about how things work here at VegNews: we talk almost constantly about food. Any time of day, any type of food, so long as we're either imagining some ultra-awesome menu or recalling some of our most-favorite meals, we're happy. Since our editorial director, Aurelia, has spent a significant amount of time traveling in India, we can always count on her to regale us with tales of dosa, idly, and other South Indian favorites. Having heard about the utter wonder that is dosa since day one, I've been dying to try it. Enter Udupi Palace.

The San Francisco location of this authentic chain opened in June, and Lisa—also a newbie to the world of dosa—and I finally had time to go. With expectations high, we set out for the Mission District on a bustling Saturday night. Udupi Palace's interior is warm and inviting, and the place was abuzz with diners who all had huge plates of food in front of them. Once seated, it took us maybe all of 10 seconds to select the masala dosa and savory tomato uthappam from the menu. Our orders came on two silver trays, complete with a selection of coconut chutney and sambar. Incredibly, everything lived up to our expectations. The dosa was crispy and light, and the potatoes inside were like someone had taken the best mashed potatoes ever and jazzed them up with Indian spices. We died.

After completely stuffing ourselves (did I mention that the servings were huge?), Lisa got a cup of coffee to help everything digest. She was so taken with the chicory-blend flavor that she asked the manager where she could buy it, and he graciously gave her a bag to take home. As if the generosity of the servings weren't enough, the coffee was certainly an unexpected bonus. From here on out you'll be able to find Lisa and me at our weekly meetings that begin, "Hi, my name is Elizabeth and I'm a dosa addict."

Fun up the Waziema!

Who: VN's Editorial Director Aurelia d'Andrea + Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: Dinner and dancing
Where: Club Waziema and The Transfer in San Francisco
When: August 8, 2008
Why: Well, because it's fun

The Scoop: Having already been on an exciting not-for-tourists tour of San Francisco, when Aurelia suggested we head to her neighborhood and try an Ethiopian restaurant/dive bar known to locals for its all-you-can-eat vegan special, I was in. Now, I have to be honest—my past experiences with injera, the traditional Ethiopian flat bread, have bordered on traumatic, but with the promise of East African beer, a Midwestern-American jukebox, and Aurelia’s good company, I took a gamble knowing the night would have to be at least twice as fun as it was … traumatic.

Sitting deep in Club Wazeima’s unlikely dark, musty, wood-paneled bar setting, we waited for our food long enough to get a couple drinks in, thus inhibiting my squeamishness. We tore into the pizza-sized flat bread laden with homemade split lentils and peas, savory vegetable stew, rich mushrooms, collard greens and—coulda been the beer—but I swear there wasn’t a hint of the wet, too-tangy, deflated whoopie-cushion experience I recalled. Instead, this injera was soft, fluffy and mild—the perfect vehicle for the somehow-buttery, robust sauces. Whether or not we actually had room for seconds, we happily obliged as the chef came around with ladles of lentils.

From the NoPa neighborhood, it’s just a quick jaunt to the The Transfer nightclub in lower Castro where we met up with Aurelia's DJ friends including Anthony Lymon. The co-owner of Ginger Rubio Salon by day, I was pumped to meet him since his veg-friendly business space is the site of the upcoming VegNews-hosted Vegan A-Go-G0 Book Bash (Sarah Kramer's new cookbook). Anthony turned out to be very sweet and fun, and while dancing to new wave mixes sipping I-can't-believe-it's-vegan mixed drinks like Tanqueray tonics, twisted vodka sodas, and Malibu orange-crans, we came up with very original dance moves. (See below for one highly technical example, which I've dubbed, "Oh no, it's the cops!")

Russian Spies

Who: Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria + Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: Dinner date
Where: The Usual Suspects Café in San Francisco, Calif.
When: July 17, 2008
Why: To check out the Russian revolution in North Beach

The Scoop: Abuzz since it opened its doors in May of this year, The Usual Suspects filled the retro-veg-diner void the tummies of hungry SF vegetarians have long been grumbling for. Yelpers, bloggers, and other members of the local vegeratti flocked to the deco, rockabilly-styled hot spot, churning out glowing reviews of their pasta, burgers, wraps, and pizzas. But as word that there had been a sudden chef and menu change, many fickle fans abandoned their new favorite watering hole on less-than-reasonable grounds. Sure, ordering borscht from a hand-written menu and eating it next to a jukebox is all a little strange (after all, the American '50s and Russia don't exactly jive), but the restaurant's identity is still in development. What've they already got down pat? Welcoming service, and a now-vegan menu updated daily according to what's freshest at the market—and it's all prepared from scratch by recent Russian immigrants. People, it's authentic vegan Russian food! From the land of fur and kasha!

On this particular evening, we enjoyed their amazing, creamy-garlic Eggplant Rolls (seriously, order 18 of them), filling and savory mushroom and potato Vareniks, followed by gooey chocolate blintzes. Made fresh with wholesome, rich ingredients, we left feeling sated, spoiled, and suspicious about what this unusual spot has in store for us next ...

There's Something About Ubuntu

Who: Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough + her parents
What: Lunch in the heart of wine country
Where: Ubuntu Restaurant & Yoga Studio, Napa
When: May 17, 2008
Why: When in Napa ...

The Scoop: Like anyone, I love being visited by friends and family, particularly when they pick up and fly across the continent just to dote on their emigrant daughter. But hosting my very conservative, very old-world, very epicurean parents presented a new challenge: The visitors I’m used to expect little more than a floor to crash, cheap vegan food, a walking tour-guide—maybe a little toothpaste. My folks, however, had already visited San Francisco several times, would need to stay in a “proper bed” at a hotel, and would prefer to eat at high-end restaurants serving up slow-roasted body parts. Having lured them into the city’s finest vegan establishments—just to watch them poke cautiously at their cashew cream shitakes—I decided we needed to escape the city for the beautiful Napa valley, and try our gastronomic luck at the new, award-winning vegetarian dining and yoga establishment, Ubuntu. Named for the South African philosophy of reciprocal affirmation and community, the restaurant has earned myriad accolades and honors, including Food & Wine’s coveted Best New Chef of 2008 award. After cascading the breathtaking peaks and valleys of NorCal wine-country in our bronze rental car, we enjoyed an inventive yet simple spread of just-ripe marinated olives, crisp chickpea fries, and puréed mushroom and wilted kale-pesto pizzas—all incorporating the fruits of Ubuntu’s nearby organic garden. My parents were impressed. I dare say this was one of most exciting and satisfying meals I’ve ever had, and I’ll be going back again soon—you know, just to be sure. (Look for a full review of Ubuntu in the Sept+Oct Food Issue of VegNews.)

Here's a shot of my dessert: a beet-rhubarb-juice and candied kumquat Creamsicle Float that can only be described as both shocking and delightful:

Magical Madeleine Bistro

Who: VN Senior Editor Elizabeth Castoria + Editorial Assistant Lisa Mickleborough
What: Pre-flight dinner
Where: Madeleine Bistro, Tarzana, Calif.
When: May 10, 2008
Why: How could we be in LA and not go?

The Scoop: As you've already read, Lisa and I enjoyed quite the event at WorldFest. After a day full of talking with people, checking out other exhibitors, and, of course, playing with puppies, we were famished. Was it fate that WorldFest was held in Encino—mere minutes away from Madeleine Bistro? Whether our dinner there was pre-destined or not, we knew there was nowhere else we'd rather go.

Since we had to keep an eye on the clock—missing our late-night flight back to SF was not an option—we decided we'd order just one entrée each and forgo all the incredibly tempting appetizers, first courses, and desserts. When we walked in and met Molly Anderson—who owns the restaurant with her husband and executive chef, David (whom you may remember from a little something called the 2007 Veggie Awards)—our plans took a turn for the delicious. Molly graciously did a bit of extra ordering for us. The first thing to arrive at the table? Doughnuts!

With such an auspicious beginning, it was hard to imagine what would come next. To our utter delight, plates arrived bearing the creamiest mac 'n' cheese either of us had ever tasted. Next? Very yummy mushroom potstickers, and Madeleine Bistro's signature appetizer, the beet tartare, which comes served on a disc of homemade vegan cheese (see above!). Are you sitting down, already? Because there's more: While we were still revelling in the appetizers, Molly came to the table with a burger and said, "You have to try the Bigger Maque." It was, literally, a vegan Big Mac. We died. Then, the entrées arrived. We died again, but rallied enough to thoroughly enjoy chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and rich, delicious gravy, and tofu scallops atop a bed of green beans and shiitake mushrooms. So that was it, right? Well, no, actually. But what kind of dessert could follow a meal like that? Oh, I think the chocolate soufflé that came next did a fine job. No joke: vegan chocolate soufflé. It was like eating a little cloud of heavenly chocolate cake batter. See its majesty below, in a photo that in no way does it justice. And, as though we hadn't been spoiled enough, there was also cannoli. You read that right. Cannoli.

It was absolutely worth it to run from the security checkpoint all the way to the farthest possible gate at LAX to have the opportunity to spend time with Molly and enjoy what was, without exaggeration, the best meal either of us had ever ever eaten.

A Picture's Worth A Pretty Penny

Who: VN Editors Jennifer Pickens, Aurelia d’Andrea, Elizabeth Castoria, and Lisa Mickleborough + Oakland’s artsy-fartsy glitterati
What: Blackbird Photograpy Gallery Show & Website Launch Party
Where: Pretty Penny, Oakland, Calif.
When: April 4, 2008
Why: To support local vegan artists

The Scoop: We here at VegNews like ourselves some art, especially local vegan art. But, truth be told, our favorite art of all is the kind made by local, vegan artists who happen to be VN Senior Editors, like Ms. Jennifer Pickens. Jen, along with her partner Tiffany Black, established Blackbird Photography in 2001 when they met while studying photography in college. While initially compelled to photograph companion animals, they’ve since expanded their portfolio to include portraits, weddings, photojournalism, and print editorial.

Having traveled to all seven continents, Jen has brought a seasoned and sensitive eye to a body of work described as “timeless,” “emotional,” and “quiet.” Sound like a lot of shameless plugging? Maybe. But we went to check her work out for ourselves. Arriving at Pretty Penny vintage clothing store’s charming Oakland location, we squeezed past hipsters clutching bright old-lady purses and sporting ill-fitting cowboy shirts and stood, agape, as we took in Jen and Tiffany’s (digital of course, not gelatin-procured!) collection. Displayed in an assortment of unique frames hung their best pieces, including candid shots at awkward family gatherings and haunting, Hitchcock-like bird stills. We truly were surprised by their beautiful work. We could have stood around all night being impressed—but we were also there to schmooze! As VN editors, it was our solemn duty to chat with other attendees, fanny about amidst fantastic, one-of-a-kind frocks, sip some wine, and toast Jen and her continued success. You can find her work on Pretty Penny’s walls for at least a couple more weeks, but you better act fast because, by the time we’d departed, a number of pieces had been slapped with a big ol’ “SOLD!”