Tuesday Night Fine-Dining at Millennium

Who: VegNews Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack

What: A VIP dinner with vegan personal chef Rebecca Dienner 

Where: Millennium in San Francisco, Calif.

When: October 4th, 2011

Why: To get the inside scoop on the delicious fall dishes at one of the city's best vegan restaurants.

The Scoop: The first autumn rains of San Francisco touched down this week, meaning that my comfort-seeking winter appetite will soon kick into full effect. I've already started longing for warm, hearty meals instead of the delicate salads that I subsist on for most of the summer in order to stay cool. Thankfully, one of the best vegan restaurants in the country is just a couple of neighborhoods away, and I'm also fortunate enough  to have a couple of friends who work there, holding all of the secrets to the menu's top picks. On a nonchalant Tuesday evening, my dear friend Rebecca—a vegan chef herself—and I frolicked to Millennium for a taste of the finer things in life.

 This is not hokey gnocchi.

We were daunted by the overwhelming appeal of nearly every single thing on the appetizer menu—oscillating between the heirloom tomato and melon salad, the black bean torte with caramelized plantains, and the coriander seed-crusted oyster mushrooms—but my friend Justin, who has worked at Millennium for several years, offered us some real talk by immediately recommending the gnocchi. Not just any gnocchi; this was the Seared Potato Gnocchi with vanilla-braised lobster mushrooms, grilled oyster mushrooms, saffron-lemon cashew cream, sweet pepperonata, and fried sage. It was love at first bite; this rich dish wowed us with its nuanced but harmonious reworking of the pillowy potato pasta. If only I could replicate it for holiday meals to come! Sadly, I am still a Tofurky-baking culinary amateur. We were also treated to the Roasted Fig Bruschetta, which perfectly balanced both sides of our palates with its synthesis of sweet smoked-onion marmalade, macadamia nut cheese, and radicchio-cherry tomato salad. 

Choosing a cocktail also proved difficult, since Millennium's cocktail program is world-class and ridiculously inventive. Ever wet your whistle with a libation flavored by muddled tarragon, heirloom tomatoes, or basil vodka? I opted for the Happy Boy—a concoction of gin, lemon verbena, watermelon, beet purée, and lime juice—which proved refreshing, potent, and totally unique. I am a beet person, but initially even I was skeptical of the root vegetable's inclusion. But one sip, and I was sold. And tipsy.

My artichoke jungle shortly before being scarfed.

Now for the main event. As a mushroom freak—of the non-psychedelic variety—I immediately gravitated towards the Roasted Artichoke, stuffed with a portobello, pecan, and eggplant-piccadillo filling, all resting atop creamy porcini mushroom-toasted farro risotto. Come one, come all, my precious fungi. If I see the word "porcini" in a dish I barely care what else is in it; my destiny is clear. Rebecca was also charmed by her choice: the Heirloom Tomato Coconut Masala, with a butterball potato-chickpea cake, mint chutney, and pickled cabbage. 

After about half an hour of recovery/digestion/sparkling wine time, we were ready for our sweet finale. Upon being presented with dessert menus, we were immediately sent us into a tailspin of indecision. Finally, we pulled our server closer. "What should we really get? We can handle it. Be honest with us," we implored her. The Molten Chocolate Rum Cake had caught our eye, but she caught us off guard with some restaurant philosophy. "Chocolate is always a good choice, but that's the thing—it's always a good choice. Some things, you can't get anywhere," she spoke to us cryptically before nudging towards the Vanilla-Pear Tart. We abided by her suggestion and were far from disappointed. The slightly salty walnut-pecan crust of this delectable dessert gorgeously complemented its syrupy medallions of perfectly in-season pear. 

 The tart that stole our hearts.

 Bellies full, curiosity satiated, and many thank-yous distributed, we wandered back out into the evening's drizzle. Autumn's harvest flavors are as warm and rich as the colors of its leaves, and Millennium was the perfect place to immerse ourselves in them. With the guiding light of its knowledgeable staff, we had the chance to experience the best tastes of the season. 

Farmer’s Market and Studio Visit

Who: VegNews Editorial Assistant Hilary Pollack

What: The farmers' market, a friend’s recording studio, and a fancy dinner

Where: Palo Alto and neighboring Menlo Park, CA

When: Sunday, August 14th, 2011

Why: To try as many of the vegan treats in my suburban hometown as possible!

The Scoop: Because San Francisco is so jam-packed with amazing eateries and adventures on the daily, I sometimes forget that a mere 40 minutes away, my hometown of Palo Alto has its own repertoire of suburban awesomeness waiting to be tapped into. This Sunday, I had to drop by my parents’ house to say hello and pick up my new Matt & Nat bag (!), and I decided to make a day of it by hitting a few pit stops around town for vegan goodies.

I started with some quick Singapore-style noodles at vegan Chinese restaurant Garden Fresh off of University Ave., and then headed to the Palo Alto Farmers' Market, where I was dying to find and try a RawDaddy's cone. I had read about these heavenly creations on Yelp and a couple of other websites, but had yet to see one in three dimensions. Take the handheld convenience of an ice cream cone and then remix it with unexpected savory flavors and a raw food twist, and you will find yourself greedily devouring a Moroccan Squash Cone or in my case, a Forest and Earth Mushroom Polenta Cone:

Jumping Jehoshaphat, I’m pretty sure that I could have single-handedly packed away about a dozen of these things, but I still had other plans for satisfying my ever-voracious appetite. The VNHQ is kale-obsessed, so I had to drop by this adorable mother-daughter kale operation for a few samples. Rachel Phelps, the founder of Krunchy Kale and Mighty Mouth Foods, and her daughter Sonnet were kind enough to let me try several flavors of their homemade kale snacks, all of which were heavily nosh-worthy while still light and airy.

I was also happy to see Oakland’s Scream Sorbet vending away their delicious non-dairy frozen goods, as well as a slew of other veg-friendly vendors.

After the farmers' market, I decided to pay a visit to Jack (of all trades) Shirley, a friend of mine who makes his own vegan ice cream at The Atomic Garden, the recording studio where he lives and works. Jack is a longtime fixture of the Bay Area music scene, and has done recording and sound engineering for dozens of bands like Rocky Votolato, Dominant Legs, and Broadway Calls. He has been vegetarian for umpteen years, but a couple of years ago, was having trouble going vegan due to his raging obsession with ice cream. Consequently, he started making his own cashew-based creations, and now he is a total expert at the operation and is happily living la vida dairy-free.

We threw together some coffee ice cream and he let me in on his top-secret list of upcoming flavor experiments, including root beer, piña colada, jelly doughnut, French toast, and candy cane.  I nominate myself to taste-test.

To round off my day of suburban decadence, I dined with my sister at the Flea St. Café, an upscale restaurant in Menlo Park. Our server seemed well-versed in accommodating vegan diets, and at his recommendation I started with an heirloom tomato and Alberta peach salad with a pecan basil pesto. The fruit was perfectly ripe and succulent, and the simple but flavorful pesto really made the dish. For my main course, I went with the Summer Vegetarian Tasting (the parenthetical vegan version on their menu), a gorgeous medley of fresh vegetables including Chioggia beets, chanterelle mushrooms, tiny haricots verts, and marinated eggplant. Behold:

This awesome entrée was the perfect finale for my mini-tour. A day in the ‘burbs truly revived my faith that the city isn’t the only place where veg options abound.