Jen "girl fart" I.'s Profile

Ok Plant Organic.  I don't get your palate.  You win in the coffee and pastry department in my book.  Don't stop making vegan cupcakes or cookies but man, the 5-Spice Tempeh is just way too salty.

From my experiences here the only things worth the cost are the pastries and their famous plant burger.  

STAY AWAY FROM THE ENTREES.  The Green Curry, The Udon, the cold Soba and the Tempeh are either horribly over seasoned or under seasoned.  The Curry and the Tempeh were super salty and had no other flavor but acid and salt.  The Udon and the Soba were the opposite and were super bland.

We waited about 45 minutes for a table but this was understandable as we were a party of 6 on a Saturday night.  Yes seating is tight.  The place is not large.  

This should not deter you from eating their pizza though.  I noticed they do take out.  If I lived in Portland this would be dangerous news as I'd have to accept my new pizza addiction and take on a triathlon workout regimen to maintain my weight.

We ordered 2 whole pizzas, 1 of each vegan options and a bottle of wine.  I was worried this wouldn't be enough food.

I was wrong.  It was just enough.  The tomatoes and veggies on the more traditional pizza were amazing as well as the creamy faux ricotta.  

But the corn and cashew cream pizza?  With the smoked tomato?  

INSANITY IN MY MOUTH.

I had never had anything like it before. The smoked tomato was amazing.  The combination of the sweet, salty and smokey all together really made me question my reality as I knew it.  

Don't let the weirdness of corn on pizza stop you from getting this.  It's too good to pass up.

i'll start this review the same way i started my review for vita cafe.

i was in town for a day and a 1/2 and i was at back to eden twice.

i made everyone go back the next morning so i could get my second dose of chocolate mint soft serve - unadorned, no toppings, as is, simply delicious.

sf is severely lacking in vegan soft serve.  for the # of hippies in the bay area this is a shame!  portland has completely taken over as vegan haven of the world.

i also sampled a friend's coconut cream pie and the peanut butter fudge.

the pie was rich and creamy.  i never think twice about coconut cream pie.  usually, if it doesn't have chocolate on it, i'm not into it but this pie was perfect and now i wished i had a 4th stomach to fit pie into while my other 3 stomachs worked on the soft serve, the vegan chicken and waffles i had for breakfast and the homemade vegan sausage i had consumed earlier in the day.

the peanut butter fudge was just ok though.  super super sweet.  not as creamy or peanut buttery as i'd like.

peanut buttery is a word.  

i can't wait to come back and stuff my face again.

i was only in town for 1 and a 1/2 days and i came here twice.

that says something.

friday night we choose vita cafe since we had a toddler and a baby in tow.  it's kid friendly and vegan friendly so a majority of of my party of 6-7 people were accommodated.  i was awash with so many vegan choices that my brain exploded and ended up ordering the italian pasta.

which was excellent.  the pasta itself, it's definitely from the box but the combo of red pepper flakes, tomato, garlic, breadcrumbs, kale and this delicious delicious vegan sausage made the dish filling.  after a long drive, this hit the spot.

i also sneaked some of the dr's spicy fries and some of the thick cut bread that came with his tomato soup and both were tasty.  the tomato soup was just meh.

we came back for pre dinner appetizers the next day as we were wandering and shopping in the area and i was anticipating an hour wait at dove vi vi for dinner later on that evening.

we ordered the buffalo things, the fried tempeh sticks and i got a side of the vegan mac n' cheese.

my favorite was the buffalo things.  the buffalo sauce and the fried on the outside of the tofu was just right.  the fried tempeh was indulgent but not greasy but i thought the peanut sauce lacked flavor.   the vegan mac n cheese was just ok.  nutritional yeast to the rescue!  i'm glad they have nooch on hand for moments like their not so cheesy mac n' cheese.

the dr. said the reuban was a close second in the running for best vegan reuben he's ever had.

Jada is amazing in a way I have a hard time putting into words and that says something as I'm as wordy as one can get.

I saw her upon recommendations from teachers and classmates at the SF School of Massage and I walked in with very little knowledge of how the session would go or even what abdominal massage would entail.  

I didn't give Jada any background on why I was there or what was bothering me.  She gave me a brief overview of how the session would go and started me face down on the massage table (this is fully clothed, no oils or lubricants used).  

She stumbled upon my tight hips but dug even deeper (not literally) and talked me through a conversation with my hips asking what they were holding on to.

There was very little pressure, very little effort, no real western (sweedish) feeling of massage but I walked off of her table feeling freedom in my hips that I definitely did not walk in with.  My gait was different.  My quads were oddly sore.  

The only way i could describe it that made sense was I felt like I had just had an good but intense therapy session without all the talking.

I made another appointment to see Jada in December and think I'll be seeing her monthly if i can afford it as part of my theraputic body/mind tune up.

Thank you a million times over for making a vegan burrito option.

I ventured out today in the search of another tofu bahn mi (can't stop eating them since Friday) and ended up turning the wrong way down Bush St  (was heading to Happy Donut although everything within my b being is against getting savory food at a place that sells donuts) and stumbled upon the CUN truck with less than 2 people in line.

EXCELLENT.

I've walked by before and there was always a line 15 people deep and a whole slew of business people waiting for their lunches off to the side so I've always passed it by since I was never quite sure what was vegan and what wasn't.   When I stepped up to the truck today I saw they had denoted what was vegetarian and what was vegan and my empty stomach noted an audiible "HOOORAY!"

I've realized from my first Off The Grid experience that being 3 apples that food truck order windows are at least 3 feet above your head.

Tip:  Yelling your order helps when you are short.

HELLA VEGAN BURRITO PLEASE.

Also, the tip jar is really high up so I threw my dollar up in the air and crossed my fingers.

Nothing but net.  The crowd went wild.

Tip to Food Truckers: Lower the tip jar somehow?  I can't always make 3 pointers.

I waited no more than 5 minutes (go early, 11:30 or so to beat the lunch crowd) and was handed a small paper bag with a short squat foil wrapped burrito.

I managed to eat it at my desk with minimal damage.  I lost some stray rice down my shirt but that happens often.  I usually don't realize until i stand up and do the "Shake-The-Food-Out-Of-My-Bra" dance.  

The burrito, in my assumption, was a mixture of their deconstructed samosa rolled up with some rice and various chutneys.  All of it was great.  The little crunchy samosa wrapping pieces I found inside were like gold.

i want to stalk you so i can consume your tofu bahn mi's everday of my life!  

i've never been really interested in the bahn mi thing.  i just didn't get it.  it could be my love of rice and noodles that always had me feeling like, "SANDWICH?  WHY WOULD YOU WANT A SANDWICH WHEN THERE ARE NOODLES OR FRIED RICE?!  SANDWICHES ARE FOR LOSERS."

Man.  I was put to shame.

We ventured to off the grid fort mason on friday night for my friend's bday and we wandered and i happily consumed dumplings and veggie pancit and kettle corn but nothing compared to the tofu bahn mi the dr. got from little green cyclo.  he wasn't feeling the grease fest that some of the trucks felt like while i was all but pouring the stuff down my throat.  

the sandwich, without the mayo or aioli is vegan so he got it dry.  and thank god because i'm one of those rare people who really enjoy dry sandwiches (read:  insane fear of condiments).

the bread was crusty, warm, delicious and slightly sweet?  I've gotten 2 other bahn mi's from other places since friday and the bread is what sets lil green cyclo apart in my minds eye.

i fell in love with a sandwich and it's quite a feat for me to admit that.  i'm awaiting to be beaten with day old baguettes for telling them their choices were dumb for all of these years now that i see the light.

i've never really understood the bahn mi craze.

unti this past friday where I stole bites from my boyfriend's sandwich from little green cycle at off the grid fort mason.

i've had 2 since Friday and my veggie combo from les croissants does not disappoint.  

for $5 you get a crusty baguette full of crunchy sweet & sour veggies, veggie ham, thinly sliced tofu and if you want it, mayo.  The vegan in me abstained.  

this is the cheapest and most filling lunch i've found in the fidi.  5+ stars!!

5 stars for the Cilantro Cucumber Lime and the Watermelon Mint I had this past weekend.

You guys would rock the ferry building crowds during Farmers Markets.  Just something to think about.

Thanks for the instant refreshing treat on an unusually sunny day in SF!

hey vegetarians, your options are on the last page of the menu.  unfortunately none of the soups are veggie friendly.

i like that this place is empty most of the time.  the sports on the flat screen is a bit distracting but it does seem like the kind of place where one can dine solo and watch whatever sports is in season.

i went here with classmates on our lunch break on a cold overcast saturday and the place was practically empty.  while all of our dishes came out at different times, all the food was piping hot and smelled delicious.

the tofu curry vegetables looked tempting but i got the tofu and green beans rice plate. i don't know what type of magic they put in the sauce that's garlicky and delicious but i ended up having dreams about that dish.  

the whole vietnamese sandwich thing i don't get.  it could be because i'm not one for pickled veggies or mayo and when being faced with asian food i want mine with a heaping scoop of rice or noodles.

preferably booth since i'm a carb whore.

come here and get the tofu and green beans rice plate.  $8.  walk away with a full belly.  caution:  nap inducing.