A Bit of Southern Comfort

Who: VegNews Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig, the rest of the VN Crew, plus a special guest

What: The annual Southern Comfort dinner

Where: Millennium Restaurant, San Francisco, Calif.

When: Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Why: We just can't get enough fried, comforting food.

The Scoop: For those who are familiar with Millennium, their annual Southern Comfort night is something to look forward to all year long. It's also the one time in the year when the restaurant may be a little more casual than usual—plaid and mullets are in abundance, as is the beer. So we at the VNHQ were very excited when VegNews Publishers Joseph Connelly and Colleen Holland invited all of us to this special dinner. We were also extremely thrilled to have a special guest join us—former VegNews Editorial Assistant and VN Contributor Melissa Feineman, who is now living in the SF Bay Area once again!  Delicious food and friends—what more could you ask for?

 Lyndsay and Elizabeth having a good time

Shortly after our arrival, we were served a big bucket of a variety of beer, including such classics as Pabst Blue Ribbon (my personal favorite), Schlitz, Olympia, and Miller High Life. Then came the bread—homemade biscuits, oat-molasses bread, and jalapeño-scallion cornbread to be exact—served with an amazing smoky pecan spread. And that was just the beginning of the appetizers! We were then served Becca's Chili Fries with papadzul, Danielle's Deep Fried Kosher Dill Pickles, and Black-eyed Pea Chow Chow. This was our idea of heaven, but then we were given the third part of the appetizers, which blew our minds—a shredded cabbage and watercress salad with strawberries, spiced almonds, tempeh bacon, and poppy-seed dressing.

 The amazing appetizer—chili cheese fries,  fried pickles, and black-eyed peas

Did I mention that those were just the appetizers? The choice of entrées was up next, and boy was it a hard decision to make! Here were our choices (see if you can decide): a Steamed Beer and Kraut Brat with your choice of toppings, including but not limited to cheese sauce, chili, and pickled mushrooms; Tammy Fae Gomez's Midwest Tamale Pie; Jersey Diner-Style Ketchup-Glazed Meatloaf, served with mushroom-bourbon gravy, and sour-cream-and-chive smashed potatoes; Alice's Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich, with cilanto-red cabbage slaw, mayonnaise, Yucatan Diablo Sauce, and a French bread roll. It was a very tough decision, to say the least, but the chicken sandwich was the big winner, and the meatloaf was a close second.

Two entrées in one—the meatloaf and the popular buttermilk fried chicken

Straight from the ice cream sandwich bar—delicious!

We were completely stuffed, but you can't attend Southern Comfort night without fitting in the dessert. And this was no ordinary dessert, but Anne's Ice Cream Sandwich Bar! First, we had a choice of Oatmeal Raisin or Chocolate cookies, but most of us picked one of each. Then we had to choose two fillings to be mixed with the vanilla ice cream, including chocolate-covered pretzels, sprinkles, chocolate chips, brownies, Newman O's, chocolate-peanut butter rice crispy treats, pralines, and rice mellow. Finally, we were able to go crazy with the toppings, which included maraschino cherries, fudge sauce, caramel sauce, strawberry-chipotle sauce, and vanilla bean cream. The decadence nearly killed us, and it took us a little while, but we were finally able to stand up and say our goodbyes. Our satisfaction had hit 100 percent—that is until this morning when the waiting began once again for this amazing dinner! To check out more photos, just go to our Facebook photo gallery.

The Best Day Ever

Lyndsay poses with her "Backstabber" vegan turkey sandwich.
It will be completely devoured in about .2 seconds.

Who: VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig + VN Editorial Assistant Melissa Feineman

What: Super-scrumptious sandwiches and so-good-it-should-be-illegal ice cream

When: Sunday, April 12, 2009, from here on out known as "The Best Day Ever"

Where: Ike's Place and MaggieMudd, San Francisco

Why: To see just how much utter deliciousness could be fit into one day. The short answer? A lot. For the long answer, see below.

The Scoop: Pop quiz: Can a sandwich change your life? If you answered yes, chances are you have already experienced the joy and wonder that is Ike's. If you answered no, you poor dear, then you must drop whatever you are doing and arrange a trip there as soon as is humanly possible. If you fall into the latter camp, perhaps you are thinking "What's the big deal? It's a flippin' sandwich for cryin' out loud." But that, my friend, is where you'd be wrong.

Let's start with the options, of which there are many. No matter what your dietary leanings, from dedicated omnivore to e"vegan"gelist, we're pretty sure you'll find something to please your palate. On the vegan side of things, not only are there vegan meatballs (more on those bad boys later), turkey, and cheese, but also a substantial range of vegetable-only delights.

Having perused the menu online ahead of time (which I recommend doing just before going. Too far ahead of time and you might find yourself gnawing on your hand, mousepad, or anything else that happens to be lying around just to stave off the hunger pangs), I already knew what I wanted, which was the "Not So Sloppy Ike." This is a vegan meatball sandwich with barbecue sauce and cheese. Lyndsay went for the "Backstabber," a vegan turkey sandwich with marinated artichoke hearts, garlic and herb sauce, and soy cheese.

We had been warned ahead of time that the lines can be long and the wait torturous, but lady luck was most certainly smiling upon us since we were eating no more than 15 minutes after we arrived. Ike himself (dressed up in his Easter Sunday finest), hand-delivered the sandwiches to our table, and after that, well ... I can't really tell you too much of what happened after that because I was so focused on my sandwich that the rest of the world just seemed to fade away. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what made it so incredibly, mind-bogglingly delicious. Was it the tangy sweetness of the barbecue sauce? Maybe. The satisfying bite of the "meatballs"? Perhaps. The mingling of complementary textures from crisp to saucy? Quite possibly. I've said it before and I'll say it again–this sandwich will change your life.

Now, any normal person might stop at this point and think, "Hey, I've just had the best sandwich of my life. I think I'm ready to go out on a high note and call it quits for the day." This type of thinking, though, will get you nowhere, and luckily Lyndsay and I were on the same page here. It was a beautiful San Francisco day. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping. The only possible move that made any sort of sense was for us to head up to MaggieMudd for a vegan-ice-cream blowout.

As a small side note here, if you ever intend to recreate "The Best Day Ever," which I highly recommend that you do, I would also suggest that you walk from Ike's to MaggieMudd. This journey takes about an hour if you don't stop anywhere along the way, and it provides you with just about enough time to make room in your stomach for ice cream.

Is there anything better than vegan mint chocolate cookie ice cream on a beautiful day?
No, I don't think there is.

MaggieMudd, like Ike's, is a place of diversity, so you can find everything from dairy to soy to coconut-milk-based ice creams. There is also an unbelievable selection of sundaes and blended drinks. Lyndsay opted for a Maggie Muddy Fudgy Sundae (just try saying that three times fast!) with "Death Squad" and "Chocolate Mint Cookie" flavors. I went for a cup with "Mint Cookie Swirl" and "ChocoRaspberry Cookie." Since mint chocolate is, as far as I'm concerned, the be-all and end-all of ice-cream flavors, I was really surprised to see two different mint-chocolate combos on the menu. The one I ordered was mint-flavored ice cream with swirls of chocolate and cookie pieces, while Lyndsay's choice was a chocolate ice cream with mint flavor and cookie pieces. The only apparent difference was that mine was green and slightly mintier in flavor, but both were excellent.

Just as Nelly Furtado sings, "All good things come to an end," and so, too, did "The Best Day Ever." It was mind-blowingly amazing, and I can't wait to do it again!

A Goofy Day at Disneyland

Who: VN Editorial Director Aurelia d'Andrea, VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig, VN Editorial Assistant Melissa Feineman + VN Editor- at-Large Jennifer Pickens
What: Disneyland!
When: March 5, 2009
Where: Anaheim, Calif.
Why: A day of fun before Expo West weekend

The Scoop: Each year the VegNews crew heads down to Expo West, and we always wish we had allowed an extra day in the OC for Disneyland, since it's right next door to the Anaheim Convention Center. So, this year, we did it! Now, it's no secret that the VN gang is tons of fun, so spending a day together at Disneyland was guaranteed to be a blast. And it was.

We walked to the park from our hotel and arrived bright 'n' early as the gates opened. Excitement overcame us, and Aurelia and I gleefully screamed and ran straight for Space Mountain, only to discover the ride was closed. Disney "cast members" assured us that it would open soon, but we needed a fun fix fast, so we hopped on the nearest ride with no line. Since we still couldn't scale the final frontier, we headed to our second favorite mountain, the Matterhorn. Sorry, closed for refurbishing. Oh no! As this was Lindsay's first trip to Disneyland, we'd promised to take her to all of the best rides. If we didn't get on a high-speed rolly-coaster soon, we were going to leave a trail of shredded mouse ears in our wake. Luckily, we were able to salve our wounds with a giant dose of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Veg eating at Disneyland has become much easier than it used to be when I worked there in college. (Go ahead, get all of the laughter out of your system, I'll wait.) These days, The Happiest Place on Earth offers grilled-vegetable sandwiches and veggie burgers in Tomorrowland, which is where we headed for lunch. Melissa opted out of this meal because she wanted to try the vegetarian gumbo in New Orleans Square. The rest of us indulged in burgers and fries before running off to take in a few more rides. And, hurray! Space Mountain was finally open.

After a few hours of running ourselves ragged, we were happy to sit and rest our feet while Melissa enjoyed (and shared) her vegetarian gumbo. It's a hearty meal of veggies in a tomato base, served in a sourdough bread bowl which Melissa and Lyndsay thought was pretty flavorful and filling, with a nice, spicy kick.

Melissa and Lyndsay tuck into the gumbo at New Orleans Square

Finally satisfied that we were able to ride everything we wanted, we rushed back to our hotel to get ready for an amazing vegan dinner by chef Art Eggertsen, courtesy of the folks at ProBar. More about that in another post. With the exception of the Matterhorn closure, it really was The Happiest Place on Earth for a day. Thanks, Disneyland!

Lucky Lunch-goers

Stacy makes a not-so-subtle effort to conceal her height as we pose in front of Lucky Creation.

Who: VN associate publisher Colleen Holland + VN Office Manager Lyndsay Orwig + VN Editorial Assistants Stacy Blondin + Melissa Feineman

What: A leisurely lunch

When: Saturday, February 28, 2009

Where: Lucky Creation in Chinatown

Why: To find out if the hype could be believed

A lot of talk goes down at the VNHQ. Sure, much of it is related to work and other serious matters, but, as it turns out, food is both our line of work and a serious matter, so it should come as no surprise that a lot of the talk is food-related. If someone has discovered a hot new restaurant, a charming café, or a can't-live-without-it comestible, chances are good that everyone in the office will be hearing about it in due course of time (which, more often than not, is the next morning). Of course, having constant access to all this highly valuable and expertly culled information is an honor, but one that comes with a certain sense of responsibility. If you, for example, hear one day that there is a tiny hole-in-the-wall establishment selling the best Chinese fare this side of the Pacific, you feel bound to investigate. After all, this is not just about you–this is about keeping the vegans of San Francisco (and beyond) well-informed.

So it came to pass that Colleen, our associate publisher and long-time San Franciscan, let us know about her favorite Chinese place, Lucky Creation, deep in the heart of Chinatown. A lot of words get thrown around the VNHQ, but let's just say that when we hear "my favorite restaurant in the City," we know Colleen's not joking.

We came from all corners of the city, but somehow managed to make it at our agreed time. The rumbling sound that nearly drowned out all conversation was not a distant thunderstorm, but in fact, our stomachs. However, since Colleen was clearly the expert, we put our menus down and let her take charge with the ordering. Here's what she chose: Pot Stickers, Won Ton Soup, Sautéed Black Mushrooms with Chinese Greens, Meatless Diced Almond Chicken, and Braised Eggplant with Bean Sauce in a Clay Pot, all served with a side of steamed rice.

Just some of the tasty morsels we devoured in record time.
(Clockwise, from left: Pot stickers, Sautéed black mushrooms with Chinese greens,
and diced meatless almond chicken.)

Within a few minutes of ordering, our table was chock-full of delightful dishes, and our only dilemma was deciding which deserved seconds and thirds. My favorites were the pot stickers (they had a nice, crispy texture on the inside) and the eggplant in a clay pot, since it was gooey, sweet, and oh-so-satisfying. However, if you asked my dining companions the same question, I doubt you'd get the same answer. Funny how everyone's tastes can be so different, yet we pretty much universally agreed the meal was a smashing success.

So is Lucky Creation the best Chinese food in The City? The only way to find out is to continue our intrepid journalism and sample many, many more restaurants along the way. We'll keep you posted.

Japantown Supermarket Sweep

Vegetarian inari pockets–one of the many treasures to be found in Japantown

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Melissa Feineman
What: Scoping out the (veg) selection at Japantown's supermarkets
When: Monday, February 16, 2009
Where: Nijiya and Super Mira
Why: So I can whip up some super-scrumptious katei ryori (Japanese home-style cookin') any time I please

For those of you raised on a steady diet of US-style veggie sushi, you may have been, like I was, lulled into a false sense of security, thinking that Japan is a veg-friendly travel destination, and that every corner sushi shop serves up fish-free fare. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth, and even in dishes that appear to contain only vegetables, fish stock is–more often than not–lurking in there somewhere.

However, if you're willing to expand your culinary horizons (without expanding your waistline, I must add–you gotta love the lightness of Japanese cuisine), there is all kinds of veg-friendly fare available in Japanese supermarkets. FYI, I went to Nijiya and Super Mira in San Francisco's Japantown, but you should be able to find the ingredients mentioned here in any Japanese market worth their soy sauce.

Here is my proposed plan of action to make the most out of your shopping experience.

Step 1: Acquire a snack. It's no good shopping on an empty stomach. I can highly recommend the vegetarian inari pockets at Super Mira (pictured above). Sweet tofu on the outside, scrumptious rice with lotus root, carrot, and green beans on the inside, served with some pickled ginger on the side. You can't help but say oishii!! (Delicious!!)

Step 2: Stock up on staples. As I mentioned earlier, fish stock is one of the main components of Japanese cuisine, but it doesn't have to be. Kelp, or kombu, stock is also readily available, and you can throw it in almost anything–from miso soup to soymilk stew–to add subtle flavor.

Choose kelp stocks (I recommend the green package second from the right, since it's MSG-free) as the base of any soup or simmered dish

Step 3: Spend some time in the tofu aisle, admiring the myriad manifestations of this versatile victual (and on that note, keep your eyes peeled for tantalizing tofu trivia and serving suggestions here soon).

Step 4: Head to the produce section, where you'll find all sorts of possibly unfamiliar, but definitely tasty items such as lotus root, burdock root, and daikon radish. Lotus root adds a crisp crunch to stir-fries, and the earthy flavor of burdock root is a great addition to miso soup. Daikon is one of the most adaptable ingredients around, and is just as yummy munched-on raw with dip as it is slowly simmered into a soup.

Now that your grocery-basket is full, it's time to head home and cook yourself up something special. Let us know how it goes, and if you have any questions about what to do with any unfamiliar ingredients!

Stateside Sake Sampling

My petite tasting cup lookin' pretty

Who: VN Editorial Assistant Melissa Feineman
What: Sophisticated boozing, aka sake tasting
When: Saturday, February 14, 2009
Where: Takara Sake Tasting Room and Museum in Berkeley
Why: Because there just aren't enough opportunities to say "sake to me" in daily life

The Scoop: For those of you who don't know, I've been suffering from an acute case of JWS (Japan Withdrawal Syndrome). Symptoms include constantly talking about Japan, traveling all over the Bay Area to procure rare Japanese products (separate post to follow), and generally trying to adjust to life on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. In an effort to rouse my spirit (and make me feel more "at home"), a friend invited me to a sake sampling at Takara Sake Tasting Room and Museum, producers of the Sho Chiku Bai line of sake.

After watching an informative video about the sake-making process and touring the Sake Museum (aka getting the cultural bits out of the way so we could guzzle our fill guilt-free), we sidled up to the Tasting Room and made our selection. Takara offers seven different courses to suit your fancy, including a course "for those who prefer white wine" and one "for sake connoisseurs." Being the certified sweet-tooth that I am, I opted for the "Sweet Variety Course," which included two types of nigori unfiltered sake, one lychee-flavored sake, two types of plum wine, and one plum sake.

After the first few sips of sake, I almost forgot I wasn't in Japan!

Since I can sometimes find the flavor of sake to be overpowering, I was very happy with my selection, appreciating the nigori sake for its lighter and sweeter qualities. I was surprised by the hints of coconut and honeydew in the Nigori Silky Mild and Nigori Crème de Sake, respectively. Who would have thought that rice+enzymes=tropical cocktail?

In Japan (here we go again!), one of favorite drinks was umeshu, a sweet wine-like alcohol made from a Japanese plum, so I was very happy to see that there were three such drinks on my tasting menu. They were all superb, but for me, the standout was the Koshu Plum with its alluring fragrance and cherry-almond taste.

Some of our fellow patrons were complaining about the $5 tasting fee and the long line (to be fair, we did have to wait for about 15 minutes before we were served), but it was just the shot in the arm–or, come to think of it, just the shot–I needed. I left feeling refreshed and with a slightly rosier outlook on life in general.

Since we happened to be a mere 10 blocks away from Fellini, we stopped by afterwards for some vegan pizza and other goodies. It was Valentine's Day, and in addition to super-attentive service, we also received single red roses, a small–but significant–detail we enjoyed. All in all, our trans-bay trip was a success, and instead of feeling homesick, it left me feeling excited about all the adventures I have ahead of me in my new hometown.