A Month of Grub

So...what's new at Daily Grub this month you may be wondering???  Well I'm so glad you asked.  

If you're not familiar with Daily Grub, it's the only vegan restaurant in Omaha and I am a regular there.  Seriously amazing food for a really great price.  Plus they've added dinner on Monday nights...start your week with Meatless Monday.

Here is just a sample of what they've offered this month...

Croquettes topped with Hummus and a Tomato + Cucumber Salad

 Quesadilla filled with Roasted Vegetables, Ancho Cashew Nut Cream + Black Bean Puree

My absolute favorite - the Ancho Cashew Cream Sope with Pinto Beans, Pears, Red Onion + Avocado Crema

Vegan Waffles with Powdered Sugar and Strawberries

Fall Harvest Burger - Nut based patty, Mustard, Greens, Sauteed Apples with a side of Mashed Potatoes

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

 And what is better than this...a list of local growers.  Awesome.

Mark's Bistro

Mark's Bistro is a great little restaurant in Dundee, an Omaha neighborhood.  Their vegetarian selections include Vegetable Empanadas, a Vegetable Tostada, Spinach, Paneer and Pasta + a Tempeh Reuben.  They also make a carrot 'bacon' that's used on Molly's Favorite Flatbread and the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich.

If you're vegan, the Bruschetta, Hummus, Sweet Potato, Beet and Spinach Salad and Ponzu Salad with Tofu are great options + many dishes can be made without cheese and/or with tofu. 

The Bread Spread Trio is great for sharing and comes with a fresh baguette.  I stick to the hummus, since not everything included is vegan.  (I'm still waiting to hear about the veg status of the Sundried Tomato Pesto).

The Ponzu Salad with Tofu has incredible flavors...tofu coated in a ponzu glaze, mixed greens, cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, onions, sesame vinaigrette, topped with wasabi peas and peanuts.

My favorite part about Mark's is their outdoor patio.  Perfect for sipping iced tea on a Saturday afternoon.

M's Pub

M's Pub is a really charming restaurant in Omaha's Old Market.  They have several vegetarian options on their menu, including a Carrot Dog.  They marinate and grill a large carrot and serve it on a hot dog bun with stone ground mustard and sauerkraut.  I love the inventiveness of this dish, but it's a bit too sweet for me as an entree, however, some of my veggie friends absolutely love it.  Their Thai Chicken Salad can be ordered without chicken, leaving soba noodles, crisp greens, julienne vegetables and soy nuts in a creamy peanut dressing.  They also offer Black Bean Cakes,  Falafel and several Veggie Sandwiches. 

I really love their Lahvosh...the Vegetarian Lahvosh is made up of hummus, spinach, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, red peppers, olives, scallions + Havarti cheese on an Armenian cracker (order sans cheese if you're vegan).  

My favorite part about M's is that they have a different Vegetarian Special every week, in addition to their regular menu, and they're always really flavorful and amazing. 

Naked Smoothie with Coconut Water

I love Naked smoothies, especially when traveling.  They help me mentally negate all of the processed foods I sometimes eat when there's nothing healthy around.  On a recent trip to Seattle, I chose this Naked smoothie with coconut water over coffee to wake me up in the morning.  The coconut water mellows it out and gives it tons of electrolytes.  I love having juice for breakfast - I always eat better the rest of the day!

McFosters Brunch

I've written about McFoster's before, as it is only one of two vegetarian restaurants in Omaha, but their brunch deserves a post of its own.  Brunch options for a vegan at a typical restaurant include....hmmm...toast.  Sadly, I dread going to breakfast or brunch with friends and family because I know their options are endless and mine will simply be toast.  

At McFoster's, you can actually look forward to Sunday brunch.  

My favorite is the Vegan Tofu Rancheros - scrambled tofu, red beans, rice, soy cheese, onions, peppers and tomatoes atop blue corn tortillas.  With a fresh squeezed carrot and orange juice, it's the ultimate balance of fresh + filling.

My husband goes for the BLT with tempeh bacon and a side of hashbrowns.

Guacamole in the Midwest

Jason's Deli is a typical lunch spot.  They've got soups, salads, sandwiches, the norm.  But there is one thing that sets them apart from the rest...The Garden Sandwich.  Organic field greens, cucumbers, red and yellow bell peppers, Asiago, balsamic vinaigrette, pico de gallo + GUACAMOLE!  What a great idea...guacamole on a sandwich.  Why didn't I think of that?  It adds so much flavor and a lovely creaminess.  Now maybe Jason's didn't exactly invent this concept, but it's the first guacamole sandwich I've ever encountered and I'm smitten.  (I order my sandwich sans Asiago).

Milio's is another sandwich shop in the Midwest that offers this versatile condiment on their veggie sandwich.

The Accomac Inn in Wrightsville, PA

For Labor Day weekend, my husband and I made a trip to Pennsylvania to visit his family.   We had dinner at a really charming restaurant on the water (the Susquehanna River to be exact).  It was our first visit to the Accomac Inn, and with all of their veg options, it will be a recurring spot on our PA visits.  

To start, we were given a Watermelon soup with herb infused oil.  So refreshing and the most beautiful color.

This Stuffed Pepper atop Black Bean Salad was a special that evening and absolutely delicious.  (It does contain feta cheese, which wasn't in the description, but I was able to easily navigate around it).

Their vegetarian entree options include a House-Made Sauteed Potato Gnocchi, Mushroom Risotto, Flatbread Pizza, Tian of Summer Vegetables, Tomato and Tarragon Risotto and Baby Artichokes + Baby Beets, just to name a few.  Their chef is happy to accommodate vegans upon request, just speak up!

In the summer, you can sit outside on their screened in porch and enjoy the views, and in winter you can enjoy their charming ambiance indoors with a roaring fire.

PF Chang's

I'm generally not a fan of chain restaurants, but sometimes they're unavoidable.  If you happen to be in a sea of chain restaurants and have to pick one, hopefully there's a PF Changs nearby.  They have a great vegetarian section with at least six different entrees along with clearly marked veg appetizers and sides.

The Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps are a veg version of their Chicken Lettuce Wraps and consist of sauteed tofu, puff glass noodles and iceberg lettuce cups.  They're great to share and no one will miss the chicken.

The Vegetable Dumplings are perfectly crisp and great for dipping. 

The Coconut Curry Vegetables is by far my favorite dish.  The vegetables are accompanied by crispy silken tofu, peanuts and brown rice.  The sauce is a slightly sweet, mild curry with coconut milk, which makes it incredibly creamy and a beautiful mustard color.

French Meadow in the Milwaukee Airport

During my travels this weekend, I had a layover in Milwaukee.  In the C terminal, there's a deli called French Meadow that has a vegan Mediterranean Wrap and a vegan Black Bean Chili.  The wrap is filled with grilled and marinated tofu, olives, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce and sprouts.  I wasn't 100% sure if the dressing that comes with the salad was vegan, so I steered clear.  However, I'm sure you could request a side of Balsamic that would go well with the wrap and the salad.  Unfortunately, they were out of the chili when I arrived.  

I was so thrilled to see that more and more places are labeling their selections as vegan, especially in airports, which are notorious for unhealthy food.

Terri

Before leaving New York, I had to stop by Terri on 23rd Street.  I'd never been, but have heard amazing things about their Buffalo Chicken Sandwich.  Unfortunately, the only time I could get there was after I had eaten dinner.  Luckily, they had a Vegan Apple Cinnamon Donut and Strawberry Mint Lemonade that made for the perfect pre-flight breakfast the next morning.