I have a confession, I.am.a.foodie, albeit a vegan one. Even before I was vegan I had a passion for delicious food. I’m constantly thinking about it, planning for it, and have a real penchant for top-notch food. I’d like to tell you that food love making mostly takes place in my own kitchen, which it does a large percentage of the time, but let’s not kid ourselves. I like to have a meal prepared for me sometimes and I’ve grown to learn that’s not going to take place in my house, um hum (you know who you are). Fortunately, I live in a city that has a plethora of really very good restaurants. The key is of course having one that I can eat vegan, which can still be challenging in Dallas but is slowly getting better.
Another issue I encounter eating out, besides where can I eat “healthy” vegan, is the food has to be better than what I can prepare myself. I mean who wants to get out of their “home” attire (aka work out clothes), shower before 8pm, actually style their hair, to go spend money on some crappy food. Not this chick! So I’ve got my options narrowed down, not because I’m such a great cook (I’m very humble), but because there’s just not that many top-notch food places that I can eat healthy vegan and still feel ok about the time, trouble, and money I’ve spent. Ok, ok…I hear y’all, eating out is also a “social” experience and I agree, but I want my socializing to consist of really good vegan food. Call me crazy.
This all led me to change the name of “blog” on my website menu to “Vegan Dish” (work with me here). “Dishing” to me is anything and everything that I want to say good, bad, or be completely indifferent about. It is a forum for sharing with all the best intentions. Therefore, at least once a week I will “dish” about a local restaurant and their ability to dish out a great vegan meal. Let’s start with last night. Since I was in the OC I could not think of anywhere better to eat vegan and to start writing about than the obvious, Spiral Diner.
Cheesy Spinach Dip
Spiral Diner is the only 100% vegan restaurant in Dallas (I know, right?). Once a month Spiral offers a Blue Plate Special and this months special had to be had, Eggplant Puttanesca. A bowl of perfectly cooked noodles with fresh chopped tomato, basil, and three large pieces of baked crusted eggplant. To.die.for. It was a simple, straightforward dish that allowed the flavors and textures to blend evenly together in a way that remained light but satisfying.
Eggplant Puttanesca
Of course no visit to Spiral would be complete without having their desserts and dessert we had. So many choices but we decided on the Peach Ginger Pie, a la mode thank you. Stop.the.press…for real, this was by far one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. The crust was soft but crusty, and oh so much flavor, perfect! Though not in season the peaches tasted fresh and the ginger gave it a zing that without may have been flat. I’ve grown to love ginger lately and I find more and more all the possibilities with using it in many kinds of recipes.
Peach Ginger Pie
Who said being vegan was boring. You only have a couple of days to run straight to Spiral to grab their February specials. I can’t guarantee that the peach ginger pie is still there. In fact, I may run right over to ensure I get the last piece.