Last year, Team NOLA Eats raised $905 for the NO/AIDS Task Force for their annual fundraiser walk. Today, Daniele writes about another annual event we like to promote, Dining Out For Life. Check out her list of vegetarian-friendly establishments that will be participating. –Leslie

When I am not prowling the New Orleans dining scene for delicious [...]]]>

Last year, Team NOLA Eats raised $905 for the NO/AIDS Task Force for their annual fundraiser walk. Today, Daniele writes about another annual event we like to promote, Dining Out For Life. Check out her list of vegetarian-friendly establishments that will be participating. –Leslie

When I am not prowling the New Orleans dining scene for delicious vegetarian food, I am working at my day job at one of the city’s HIV clinics. So I’m especially happy to write about today’s topic because it involves two of my passions: eating and helping people.

On Thursday, July 15th restaurants through out the New Orleans area will be participating in the Dining Out for Life fund raiser. Getting involved is easy: Just enjoy a meal at a participating restaurant on July 15th and 25% of the proceeds will be donated to the NO/AIDS Task Force. NO/AIDS provides a wide range of support services for people living with and affected by HIV in the New Orleans area.

Did you know that New Orleans has the third highest AIDS case-rate out of all the major metropolitan areas in the country? There are a lot of people in our city who need our support!

The list of participating restaurants (http://www.diningoutforlife.com/neworleans/participating) includes a wide range of cuisines and prices, so I’m sure you’ll be able to find something you like!

And since I am your vegetarian correspondent, I’ll point you to a few of my favorites on the list that have tasty meat-free options:

13

Adolfo’s

Eat New Orleans

The Green Goddess

Julie’s Little India Kitchen at Schiro’s

Mona Lisa

Nirvana

Slim Goodies

Dining ain’t easy when it comes to being a vegetarian in New Orleans. Daniele, NOLA-Eats.com vegetarian correspondent, shares a positive experience with us at one of our city’s most famous restaurants. -Leslie

As a vegetarian in New Orleans (and I suspect the same is true of most cities), it is very difficult to find a fine [...]]]>

Dining ain’t easy when it comes to being a vegetarian in New Orleans. Daniele, NOLA-Eats.com vegetarian correspondent, shares a positive experience with us at one of our city’s most famous restaurants. -Leslie

As a vegetarian in New Orleans (and I suspect the same is true of most cities), it is very difficult to find a fine dining experience that measures up to the experience a meat-eater would have at the same place. Too often my dining companions are enjoying interesting, well-executed meals while I am at the same table staring at a plate full of limp, steamed vegetables with a balsamic reduction thrown on them as an afterthought. Such an experience is sure to make me a one-time customer. If a well-trained kitchen staff at a reputable establishment can’t be bothered to make a veggie dish that is on par with the rest of their offerings, then I can’t be bothered to give them anymore of my hard-earned money.

Okay, enough of my crabbiness. I actually do have something positive (and tasty!) to share with you with regard to fine dining in NOLA: brunch at Brennan’s. Perhaps it is cliché and it’s certainly not cutting-edge. But you know what else I can say about brunch at Brennan’s? It is vegetarian-friendly and it is delicious.

If you are a regular reader of my columns, you know I am a great lover of brunch. So when my boyfriend asked where I’d like to go for my birthday dinner, I told him I’d rather have brunch at Brennan’s. This is how it went down:

I got the prix fixe menu which included an appetizer, a main, and a dessert. A three-course brunch, don’t you love it?

I started things off with strawberries in sweet cream. It was basically like eating strawberry shortcake without the shortcake. Wonderful.

For my main dish I got eggs sardou: poached eggs on artichoke bottoms in a bed of creamed spinach topped with hollandaise sauce. This is perhaps my idea of the perfect brunch dish because it incorporates my favorite way to prepare eggs with two of my favorite vegetables.

As if I wasn’t stuffed enough from all that I still had a dessert to eat. I opted for the Crepes Fitzgerald, since Alex was getting Bananas Foster. The crepes were filled with cream cheese and topped with marinated, flambéed strawberries. These were also great and actually lighter than I expected them to be.

See? My story has a happy ending – I had a great experience at a New Orleans culinary institution and didn’t have to contend with one bland vegetable.

Do you ever get in a rut at the restaurants [...]]]>

Today, Daniele brings us a reminder that even I need to consider once in a while. It’s just too easy to fall back on your edible favorites. Daniele shares with us a new favorite she discovers when she takes a pass on an old favorite. -Leslie

Do you ever get in a rut at the restaurants you frequent? I do. To defend myself a little, sometimes I get in these ruts because the restaurants I am frequenting only have one or two vegetarian options. But other times I get into ruts at restaurants that have plenty of options and I have no excuse. Such is the case with Juan’s Flying Burrito. I was in a Juan’s taco salad rut for a long time. On one hand, it’s not such a bad thing. Juan’s makes a fine taco salad. They have lots of delicious house-made dressings to put on said taco salad. Salad is good for you.

There is a certain degree of comfort in staying in one’s food rut. Eating the same thing is familiar. You know you’ll like what you order. You don’t have to spend extra time agonizing over the menu trying to make a decision. But after a while that comfort can turn in to monotony. And why would I spend my hard-earned money on a monotonous dining experience?

So on my most recent visit to Juan’s I made the conscious decision to branch out and get something besides a taco salad. While I was at it, I chose to try something I’d never had before: the sweet and green quesadilla. And boy was I glad I did! Yum! The quesadilla had sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, and green peppers in it, held together by just the right amount of cheese. Sweet and savory goodness.

The next time you find yourself about to order the same old thing at one of your usual restaurants, take a minute to give the menu a second look. You could find a new favorite dish. And if it doesn’t work out, you can always go back to the tried and true next time you visit.

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Surrey’s is truly a destination for breakfast and brunch foods. [...]]]> When conversation turns to brunch, I immediately think of Surrey’s. I have it in my mind that it’s very popular with locals, but you wouldn’t believe how many people I’ve talked with that are not familiar with it. This, my friends, is my ode to Surrey’s.

Surrey’s is truly a destination for breakfast and brunch foods. While known for their freshly squeezed juices, shots of wheat grass and vegan/vegetarian dishes, you can also indulge in one of my favorite selections, the Bananas Foster French Toast. Tucked away inside the butter-laden bread pieces is cream cheese and bananas. The BFFT is the arch nemesis of wheat grass, and it will rock your world.

It’s sweet. It’s chewy. It’s rich. Look at those crispy little bits on the edges! Why eat pancakes when this dish can satisfy so many breakfast cravings?

Speaking of wheat grass, this is what a $9 beverage combo looks like. Pricey? Yes. Quite possibly the most delicious glass of O.J. you will ever sip? Oh, yes.

Perhaps you’re in the mood for something green, but in a solid state. Here’s the Spinach Cheese Melt with Grilled Chicken. If meat isn’t your thing, add tofu, instead. My favorite meatless dishes are the Vegan Avocado Mash and Creamy Black Beans. Those two sides alone make for a delicious and filling meal.

Now, there are a few tips I want to give you if you haven’t visited Surrey’s. First, they are only open until 3:00 pm. Boo! Hiss! Food this good should be available any time I want it. But, too bad. Secondly, while they close at two, for the love of all that is good in this world, do yourself a favor and do not walk in that door at 2:40. You are probably pushing your luck at 2:30. Service can be a little bristly, which I attribute to the table-flipping mentality that is prevalent here. You see, Surrey’s is tiny. In order for the servers to make money, they’ve got to get you in and roll your ass out. So, if you don’t want major attitude, be mindful of the clock. Lastly, don’t forget to bring cash, because plastic is not accepted. If you forget, there is an ATM on the premises.

Now, go out there, eat at Surrey’s and conquer your morning (or afternoon)!

I feel like I write an inordinate amount about brunch on here. There’s a reason for that. Brunch is my favorite meal to eat out. I am always excited to try new places for brunch and revisit [...]]]>

In today’s post by vegetarian correspondent Daniele Farrisi, a nod to an accommodating Mid-City restaurant. -Leslie

I feel like I write an inordinate amount about brunch on here. There’s a reason for that. Brunch is my favorite meal to eat out. I am always excited to try new places for brunch and revisit old favorites. I had been relying mostly on neighborhood stand-bys for the past couple months, but once spring finally came to New Orleans, I got the itch to travel… all the way to Mid-City.

I have a lot of love for the Mid-City neighborhood. I used to live there before the levee failures forced me to seek shelter on higher ground. I try to get back for a visit every now and then and eat some delicious food while I am there. The Ruby Slipper Café is a newer addition to the neighborhood. It’s been open for over a year (maybe even closer to two?), but I just made my first visit there a few weeks ago.

I think one of the reasons that brunch is my favorite meal to eat out is because it is generally much easier to find vegetarian items on a brunch menu than a dinner menu. Ruby Slipper certainly has ample veggie selections to choose from, however, I was specifically craving poached eggs. The Eggs Blackstone dish caught my eye as I scanned the menu: poached eggs… tomatoes…. biscuit (this was looking good) … hollandaise sauce (yes, please!)… bacon. Bacon?! Nooooooo!

Seeing bacon on the list of ingredients was certainly an unwelcome blow, but I was determined to get some poached eggs. So I asked our server if I could get the Eggs Blackstone without bacon. He happily obliged and even agreed to give the withheld bacon to my pork-product aficionado boyfriend. That’s what I call a win/win situation. As the waiter set my plate in front of me, he pointed out that the kitchen gave me some fruit salad on the side to replace the bacon. Little extras like that go above and beyond just accommodating my special requests. They show me that vegetarians are valued customers at The Ruby Slipper Café. And I would much rather spend my money at an establishment that values my patronage rather than one that merely tolerates my existence.

And let that be a lesson, if all that stands between you and a delicious meal is some unwanted animal product, just ask your server if it can be omitted. You might be pleasantly surprised.

So, I had the idea a few weeks ago to do a vegetarian guide to Jazz Fest, but OffBeat Magazine has beaten me to it! They have a special section just for Jazz [...]]]>

Yes, you can eat vegetarian at Jazz Fest! Daniele shares her favorites and a helpful iPhone app to find even more. -Leslie

So, I had the idea a few weeks ago to do a vegetarian guide to Jazz Fest, but OffBeat Magazine has beaten me to it! They have a special section just for Jazz Fest food on their new iPhone app (available now for free in the AppStore). In addition to information about music events around town, the OffBeat app has all sorts of useful Jazz Fest information like maps and schedules. And did I mention it is free? If you plan to head out to the Fest this week and/or next, you should really go download this app right now. Come back and read the rest of this post while it’s installing.

Okay, about the food: You can view the Jazz Fest food selections by category, including a vegetarian category. How easy is that? All of the veggie options the Fest has to offer at your finger tips! The app also lets you know the general location for each food vendor so you are not wandering for hours in search of your veggie red beans and rice.

I have to say I am pretty impressed with the amount and variety of the vegetarian dishes that will be available this year. It seems to run the gamut from traditional local fare to international offerings one doesn’t usually associate with “New Orleans Jazz and Heritage” (seaweed salad from Ninja, anyone?).

Here are my favorites that I’ve enjoyed during Jazz Fests past:

• Jama-jama and fried plantains from Bennachin (Congo Square)

• Vegetarian muffaletta from DiMartino’s (Food Area I)

• Falafel and hummus from Mona’s (Food Area II)

• Fry bread* from the United Houma Nation (Folk Area)

*Fry bread is not included in the app’s vegetarian category, which makes me think it might be fried in animal fat. You might want to check with the vendor before eating it

Wash it all down with a giant cup of rose-mint tea found at various locations throughout the Fairgrounds. And don’t forget to leave room for a mango freeze for dessert!

For such a long time, I was jealous of all of my friends living in areas that had access to CSAs. What is a CSA? CSA stands [...]]]>

Are you curious about what farmer’s markets have to offer? Daniele shares her haul from Hollygrove Market and Farm with the rest of the class. -Leslie

For such a long time, I was jealous of all of my friends living in areas that had access to CSAs. What is a CSA? CSA stands for community supported agriculture. CSA members support local farmers by buying a share of the harvest. Each week during the growing season, members get a box of produce (and sometimes other farm products like eggs). I like fruits and veggies and I definitely support the idea of buying food from local sources, so the whole CSA concept was very exciting to me. Except that every time I went looking for a CSA in the New Orleans area, I couldn’t find one!

But then came the Hollygrove Market and Farm (located in the Hollygrove neighborhood, imagine that) offering their own style of CSA. And I must say, I think it’s better than those CSAs I spent such a long time being jealous of. Instead of buying a membership share for the whole growing season, the boxes at the Hollygrove Market and Farm are sold individually every week. I’ve heard from my out-of-town friends that the traditional CSA model of purchasing a whole season’s worth of food can get overwhelming. Having the option to buy a box only on the week’s I know I can use it helps me cut down on wasted food languishing in the bottom of my fridge. And as if that weren’t enough, the nice people at Hollygrove Market and Farm post what’s going to be in the week’s box on their website a few days before it is available to help you decide if you want one or not. They’ll even send it to you in their e-mail newsletter!

Of course, this being New Orleans, you gotta have a little lagniappe. Hollygrove Market and Farm delivers with a “lagniappe table” where you can buy extra fruits and veggies in addition to what’s available in the weekly share. But the lagniappe doesn’t stop there! They’ve also got dairy products, baked goods, and eggs from their on-site chickens (even some meat for you carnivores).

Head on out to Hollygrove Market and Farm on Tuesday or Saturday to buy a box of fresh local produce. And if you can’t make it over to the main location, there are satellite deliveries to Loyola University and Tulane Medical School. Also, a satellite market has recently started at St. Anna’s church on Esplanade Avenue where you can pick up a box or get a few lagniappe items on Saturdays from Noon to 4:00 PM.

Now that Lent us upon us, I know that some of you are cutting back on the meat, especially on Fridays. One of our NOLA Eats friends (Hi, Emmy!) is taking this time [...]]]>

Looking for a fresh take on a crunchy salad? Look no further than Daniele’s Kale Salad recipe, made with locally-grown greens. -Leslie

Now that Lent us upon us, I know that some of you are cutting back on the meat, especially on Fridays. One of our NOLA Eats friends (Hi, Emmy!) is taking this time to learn new ways to cook veggies without relying on pork products for seasoning. She asked me to share my recipe for kale salad. I picked up a bunch of kale from the Hollygrove Market and Farm this past Saturday, so now we have the perfect opportunity to do so.

Back in October, for the NOLA Eats fall pot-luck, I made a kale and blue cheese salad that was inspired by a salad I’d had at Satsuma Café. I suspect I’m not the only one who had never tried (or even thought to try) eating raw kale. I figured it would be too bitter to eat without cooking. As it turns out, raw kale isn’t bitter at all! It’s got a strong flavor, sort of a cross between broccoli and cabbage.

Shortly after Satsuma Café taught me that kale is a good food to eat raw, I came upon a Martha Stewart recipe for kale slaw. I thought the idea was brilliant, but didn’t really like the particulars of the recipe, so I decided to come up with my own.

And so, I give you my recipe for kale salad with buttermilk-blue cheese dressing and walnuts. This recipe is by no means exact. I am the sort of cook that just throws things together as I go, so please feel free to improvise to suit your own tastes.

Daniele’s Kale Salad

In a separate container, make the dressing by combining:

1.5 c buttermilk

1/4 c mayo

1/3 c crumbled bleu cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Buzz the dressing with an immersion blender (or your mixing implement of choice) until it’s well mixed, but some of the cheese chunks still remain.

Wash the kale and remove the tough stalks. Chop it up into roughly bite-size pieces and put it in a big bowl. Toss the kale with enough dressing to coat well (you probably won’t need all of it). Handy Tip: Make certain that the kale is dry before tossing with the dressing. Wet greens will dilute your dressing and will cause it not to adhere as well. Stick it in the fridge for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop. Toss in some chopped walnuts just before serving. Et voilà! Veggies without pig!

As anyone who has spent time in New Orleans can tell you, good things can turn up in unexpected places here. So I was pleased, but not exactly surprised, [...]]]>

It’s veggie time, guys and gals! Daniele brings us a new post about a not-so-known provider of Indian cuisine tucked away in the Faubourg Marigny. Enjoy! -Leslie

As anyone who has spent time in New Orleans can tell you, good things can turn up in unexpected places here. So I was pleased, but not exactly surprised, when a neighborhood joint in the Marigny started serving Indian food a few years ago. You may already know Schiro’s for one of the other services provided there: po’boy shop, bar, convenience store, laundromat, guest house. With a list that long, it’s fair to worry that adding yet another activity might just be setting oneself up for mediocrity. That certainly isn’t the case here.

On one side of Schiro’s menu you’ll find the standard (not very veggie-friendly) po’boy shop fare. But flip the menu over and… Score! The menu for Julie’s Little India Kitchen… with vegetarian options! Two of my favorite Indian dishes are on the menu: samosas and saag paneer. The samosas are what I am most impressed by. They are super tasty and great to share with a friend as a starter. The saag paneer is more mildly flavored than others I’ve had, which allows the creamy texture and flavor of the paneer to come through. It comes with the standard basmati rice, papadam and naan to make a nice, filling meal.

I’ll concede that it’s not the most amazing Indian food I’ve ever had, but it definitely hits the spot when I get a craving for it. What I really appreciate about this set-up at Schiro’s is how seamlessly a po’boy shop and an Indian restaurant exist together in the same space. It’s the perfect place to go when you are craving ethic food, but your dining companions are wary of stretching their culinary bounds beyond cheese fries. And if you’ve got friends like that, be sure to give them a bite of your samosa so they know what they’re missing out on!

I don’t get uptown very often, but I when I found out that Ninja on [...]]]>

As a non-vegetarian person, I have been witness to about a million eye-rolls from vegetarians whenever sushi is mentioned. Thanks to Daniele’s great post about one Japanese restaurant’s vegetarian menu, perhaps one day we can all dine in peace and harmony.

I don’t get uptown very often, but I when I found out that Ninja on Oak Street had a special vegetarian menu I knew I had to make a special trip to go check it out.

My boyfriend and I went there for a late dinner on Friday night. The friendly staff seated us promptly and handed us menus. I eagerly flipped through to find the vegetarian section… but it wasn’t there! Did they discontinue the special menu? Had I hallucinated the pages of vegetarian options that I saw on the website? I asked our server, who quickly brought over a copy of the vegetarian menu. I was relieved, but also perturbed. The only reason that I asked for a veggie menu was because I knew they had one. If I had just walked in off the street I would have thought Ninja was just another Japanese restaurant with a paltry amount of vegetarian options.

After we ordered, the sushi chef presented us with a little starter of cucumber salad in a mayonnaise sauce. I was about ¾ of the way done with it before I realized that the stupid thing had fish in it. Super. I thought about pitching a fit, but I am not really the fit-pitching type. And my tolerance for accidental meat contact has increased exponentially since I moved to New Orleans. Sad, but true.

Okay, so I wasn’t off to such a good start at Ninja. But things began looking up once the food came. I split a tempura appetizer with my dining companion and got two sushi rolls for myself: the shiitake and the tempura sweet potato. The shiitake roll was okay. As it turns out, I am not that big of a fan of rolls that have the Japanese mayo in them. The tempura sweet potato was great! Once I had it in front of me, I grew a little skeptical about how well sweet potato would work in the context of the rest of a sushi roll. You know: rice, seaweed, soy sauce, pickled ginger. As it turns out sweet potato goes amazingly well with these things. Who knew?!

Now that I have learned two important things about Ninja (ask for a veggie menu; don’t eat the cucumber salad) I think my next meal there will go much more smoothly than my first.