Dining Out: Vedge

Over the weekend, we went to visit a close friend. We had a nice, relaxing day visiting, taking a bike ride, & heading into Philly to dine at Vedge. Vedge is a highly renowned vegan restaurant that we've been wanting to try. It took awhile to find a Sat. night reservation, because it's a popular restaurant.

The chefs take vegetables & make them appeal to vegans, vegetarians, omnivores & carnivores alike. After dining there, I have to agree. We were very impressed with the various preparations of our food. All without any animal foods!

The menu is a little intimidating, so we did ask the waiter a lot of questions. He was very informative & didn't seem to mind at all. The atmosphere was relaxed & comfortable, but yet special, so I think it's a great place to go for either a fun night out or to celebrate. We left feeling very well fed, but not stuffed like I sometimes do after eating out. I'd love to go back in the fall, because they have a side menu that highlights seasonal veggies.

Me:

• Grilled Cocozelle Zucchini spicy mushroom XO sauce, cilantro
• Brussels Sprouts shaved & grilled, smoked mustard
• salt roasted gold beets, avocado, smoked tofu, rye, capers, creamy cucumber
• chocolate mint ice cream

La:

• Brussels Sprouts shaved & grilled, smoked mustard
• wood grilled sweet potato paté, grain mustard, jerk cashews, toast
• braciole: smoked eggplant & cauliflower, italian salsa verde, cured olive
• white chocolate ice cream with coffee salt

Bup:

• Nebrodini Mushrooms as "fazzoletti", basil, olive oil
• saffron cauliflower soup, fennel pollen, green olive persillade
• spicy grilled tofu, gochujang, edamame, smoked miso, yuba cracklin
• Chocolate Über Chunk pretzel-peanut crust, malt custard, stout ice cream

Great Sage & Family Time

We spent part of the past weekend visiting the Bup's aunt. We try to go a few times a year, so you might remember some of the past posts about our visits. Last time we were there, we had Tapas & Thai. It's always fun to visit & an adventure trying new foods. 

As usual, we made a stop at Trader Joe's. My favorite new finds this time were the Pumpkin Greek Yogurt & the Roasted Coconut Chips. After shopping, we headed to dinner at Great Sage Organic Green Cuisine. We dined there once before, almost 2 years ago, & I think they've increased their selection since then. I got an email with their specials, which inspired us to try it again. It was busy, which was great to see!

We started with some appetizers. I got the Autumn Apples & Baby Spinach side salad, which came topped with "roasted apples, tempeh bacon, toasted peanuts & butternut squash, tossed in a smoky maple vinaigrette & topped with crispy onions." It was delicious! I was almost wishing I had ordered the large as my meal, but when the rest of the food came, I was glad I'd ordered other items, too.

The Bup ordered the Fireside Orchard, a yummy drink of hot organic apple cider mixed with peach-mango rum. It was so good! I want to try to recreate it at home.

The three of us shared the Vietnamese Spring Rolls, which were stuffed with "raw carrot, cabbage, scallion, sesame, peppers, cashews, cilantro and herbs." They were served with a sweet & spicy chili sauce & a rich peanut sauce. I could eat that peanut sauce by itself! The spiralized beets on the side were good, too. I put some on my salad.

For our main courses, we all tried something new. The Bup got the Roasted Vegetable Bolognaise,

Roasted butternut squash, eggplant and spinach in a robust herbed red
	wine tomato sauce tossed with rigatoni and topped with cashew 'cheese'
	and fresh basil. (Gluten-free option)

which was "roasted butternut squash, eggplant & spinach in a robust herbed red wine tomato sauce tossed with rigatoni & topped with cashew 'cheese' & fresh basil." The flavors in this were amazing!

I ordered the special that sparked our interest in the first place. It was Sweet Potato Gnocci in roasted garlic-pepper sauce topped with grilled vegtables. The gnocci was super creamy & paired so well with the sauce & roasted veggies. It was delicious!

Connie got the Green Lentil & Pumpkin Buger, a "pumpkin seed crusted vegetable burger made with green lentils, pumpkin, quinoa, green cabbage, caramelized onion, carrot and spices." It was "topped with tempeh bacon, micro mustard greens & roasted garlic aioli, & served on a toasted Kaiser roll with roasted sweet potato fries." She requested that they leave off the aioli, & when they brought it out, it was still on the burger. They took it back & made her a new one, but it was unfortunate that we had our meals & she was waiting. We all wound up finishing about the same time, but it was still frustrating.

For dessert, the Bup & I split the Four Layer Chocolate Cake, "a towering slice of moist chocolate cake with fluffy chocolate frosting, topped with rich, dark chocolate ganache." It wasn't quite what I expected, as the frosting wasn't fluffy at all, but it was sooooo chocolatey, just how we like it. :-)

The next morning, the Bup & I took a walk around the lake near Connie's house. The sun was still coming up & the air was crisp.

We went almost 4 miles & I was thankful for the cool air once we got moving!

By the time we finished, it was a gorgeous sunny day.  

After our walk, we showered & went to breakfast at the local diner.

I had blueberry pancakes, the Bup had a vegetable omelet, & Connie had a mushroom omelet. The servings were generous & the service was excellent. Our waitress even made me a half coffee-half hot cocoa mix!

We spent the day playing with the kitties & working on fixing the lights around the house.

The cats were super helpful!

We had dinner at an Asian restaurant near Connie's house. I had the tofu & vegetable soup with spring rolls. The bowl of soup was huge & filling, & the broth was perfectly seasoned.

After dinner, we packed up the car, said our goodbyes, & headed home. Great weekend! Thanks to Connie for the wonderful time.

3J's Coffee

Our favorite way to spend Saturday mornings is with a bike ride to the farmer's market, then to 3J's Coffee for breakfast, & then out on a 10-14 mile bike ride. It's a great way to start the weekend!

We really enjoy going to 3J's. I can't believe I haven't blogged about it before. Their food is delicious & we always find something new to try. For awhile, they had an Almond Coconut flavored coffee that was fantastic. Then they switched to Whoopie Pie flavored, which we bought a bag of to enjoy at home. It smells like you're brewing a whoopie pie!

The Bup's favorites include the Vegetable Breakfast Pizza above & the Very Veggie Omelet. He's less adventurous with flavored coffee than I am, so he gets the house blend coffee. It's strong & fragrant - just what he loves.

I've tried something new every time we've gone. This trip, I had the Haitian French Toast, which was a French baguette dipped in orange & cinnamon, topped with orange marmalade. The orange flavor really stood out. It was pretty sweet (I didn't need to add any syrup!), but delicious! This time, I tried the Pumpkin Chai Tea instead of my usual ice coffee. It was perfectly spiced for this fall weather we're having.

Past breakfasts I've had include the Baked Oatmeal, Buttermilk Pancakes with the Fresh Fruit Bowl (you get tons of fruit!), & the Fruit Parfait. I also had one of their French toast specials that included Macadamia Nut topping. Yum!

Part of what we love is that the owners always recognize us & come over to say hi. They even know that we ride our bikes there! Little touches like that keep us coming back even more than we might otherwise.

We went for dinner one Friday night, also, & enjoyed some of the live music. It was a relaxed atmosphere & we had fun. I do like their breakfasts better than the dinner, but breakfast is my favorite meal, so I'm biased! If you have a chance, I highly recommend trying 3J's.

Lunch at Prana Juice Bar & The Namaste Cafe

We headed up to the cabin on Friday for the long weekend. Since we were in no rush, we decided to stop in Bloomsburg, PA for a late lunch/early dinner. I looked online for interesting places to eat & found Prana Juice Bar & The Namaste Cafe. I was very excited to try it since they specialize in vegan & vegetarian foods.

As we walked up the stairs, we looked at their gardens. They have so much growing there!

Inside, everything was cozy & quaint. The room we ate in was decorated with painted flowers & vines. It felt very welcoming.

It looked like it might have once been a wine tasting room. The windows had grapes in the stained glass!

I loved their welcome sign: "Welcome to Prana. Here we support local organic farmers for a more sustainable future. Join the movement...Enjoy the moment!"

I got the Apple Almond Dijon salad. It had apples, cranberries, raw almonds, Dijon tempeh, mixed greens, sliced carrots, red onion & sunflower sprouts with almond Dijon dressing. On the side was a hearty piece of warmed whole grain bread. It was delicious! The tempeh was done to perfection.

It was a family run restaurant, & when the one boy came home, he headed into the kitchen for a snack. I was so excited because it was the first time I've ever heard someone (besides Bup & I) say, "Mmm! Can I eat some of this tempeh?" :-)

The Bup got the Bella Beautiful Sandwich. It was a marinated portabello mushrooms cooked & layered with roasted red peppers, spinach, & sauteed red onion with raw pine nuts on a sprouted grain bun. On the side were some grapes. We were a little surprised that wasn't bigger, especially compared to the size of my salad. He said it was a delicious sandwich, though! 

On the side, we split the Toasted Feta Spinach Bites: locally made Feta cheese with a hint of pepper spice & lemon, roasted to perfection in a warm spinach tortilla. Since his meal was smaller, I let him have the majority. I really liked the fresh lemon flavor with the spinach & feta.

We loved the food & the atmosphere of Prana. Next time we're passing through, we want to stop & try some of their other options!

Dinner at Highlands Grill

We continuted the Bup's birthday celebration on Monday night. He got a coupon from Hershey's SweetMail for a free entree at any of the Hershey restaurants. When Highlands Grill first opened, I was still a concierge, so we got the chance to go to the pre-opening & experience it. We both really enjoyed it & have been wanting to go back ever since. The restaurant is set on the grounds of the Hershey Links golf course, so the dining overlooks the golf course & in the distance you can see The Hotel Hershey. We ate outside since it was such a nice evening.

To start, we had beer! I got the Sam Adams seasonal, which is the Fall variety already. Time's flying! The birthday boy got Yuengling Porter (on tap - he was happy).

I was so excited to see that they had a Strawberry Spinach salad on their menu! It came with a light vinaigrette, thinly sliced almonds, & blue cheese crumbles. I thought it was a little pricey, but they did give me a decent sized portion.

The Bup had his usual favorite - Caesar Salad. It had thinly sliced parmesan cheese & brioche croutons on it.

My main dish was the Vegetable Flatbread, with roasted tomatoes, broccoli, caramelized onions, baby spinach, red sauce & fresh mozerella. The crust was nicely crisped & I loved the broccoli on top. Plus, I had enough that I brought some home for lunch the next day.

For his dinner, the Bup had the Grilled Portabella Mushroom sandwich. It was a brioche roll stuffed with roasted veggies, provolone cheese, herb aioli, & the mushroom cap. I had a taste & it was delicious!

I was hesitant about getting dessert because every time I order chocolate cake at a restaurant, I'm disappointed. We decided to go for it anyway & split an order of the Flourless Chocolate Cake with layers of cake & chocolate buttercream, topped with dark chocolate ganache. It sounded so good, but just wasn't chocolatey! I wasn't impressed. I need to always remember this & not get the chocolate cake when we're out.

Overall, it was a great evening & we enjoyed being there. I got a text from my mom part way through dinner that their van was making weird noises, so they might need us to pick them up. Thankfully, they made it home safely! We walked up later to drop off some things & say hi, which made for a nice end to a relaxing evening.

Umami Umami Japanese

After a long day in the car last Thursday, we were happy to arrive in the Willow Grove area, just north of Philadelphia. The last 2 hours of the drive up from North Carolina were the worst because of rush hour traffic near the city. I did some research during the drive for restaurants close to our hotel & Umami Umami Modern Japanese Cuisine popped out at me.

We started with beer, a great ending to a long drive. I got Shock Top Lemon Shandy, a Belgian-style wheat beer with spices & with natural lemonade flavor added. It's their seasonal beer. I liked the freshness of the lemon flavor & it was light & refreshing for a hot day. We sat on the deck since we'd been cooped up in the car all day.

They had a Japanese beer featured on their placemats called Sapporo. It was a light wheat beer. I liked the special glass it was served in!

The Bup liked it & it went well with his meal. He's usually a dark beer guy, so this was a bit of a change for him.

Our meals both came with a starter salad topped with a ginger dressing. It was very thick, almost like a spread instead of dressing. The ginger flavor was light (thank goodness, after my Go Green juice!) & the waitress told us there was no mayo in it.

I ordered the Teriyaki pan-seared tofu with seasoned vegetables & rice. The waitress told us that they soak fruits & veggies in soy sauce to give it flavor & then they smoke it. There was so much more flavor than the super sweet kinds that are usually sold in stores. The tofu was creamy & flavorful. Buried underneath it was broccoli, zucchini, carrots, & sugar peas.

For the Bup's dinner, he had the Bibimbap (love the name!). It is a Korean dish & bibimbap means “mixed meal.” The huge bowl had rice topped with assorted sauteed vegetables, tofu, a fried egg and

gochujang (the spicy sauce on the side). He loved it!

We didn't get dessert, but with our check they gave us each half an orange, drizzled with a light syrup. It was the perfect way to end the meal! I wish more restaurants did that.

They had several other menu options that I wish we could have tasted, but since it's not nearby, I doubt we'll be back anytime soon. I'm glad we found somewhere healthy & delicious while we were there!