Lovin' Lake Tahoe

I love mountain towns but Tahoe is more like a mountain city! With booming casinos, a ginormous lake for a multitude of water activities, and scenic views to die for, one could spend many happy days here. I must say that all of that stuff is great and the mountainous feeding frenzy is just as satisfying!

We stayed at the super cute Zephyr Cove Lodge in South Lake Tahoe. The weather was phenomenal so we had our morning meal the the lodge's restaurant. Sitting on the patio that overlooks the lake was quite nice as was the brisk mountain air. And the food wasn't half bad either!! I had some hearty oatmeal with a nice bowl of fruit as well as some fresh squeezed oj while Dan had his own concoction of breakfast heaven ; ) The lodge is typical Tahoe, look into the Zephyr Cove Lodge for your next jaunt up the mountain.

We hung out and drove shore side through South Tahoe, stopping for photos and assorted tourist stuff. We wandered into the Naked Fish as a light lunch sounded nice. I was going to go for my usual veggie roll but the names on the maki list made me giggle so I ordered the Fun Guy and Shitake Happens rolls! They were quite good as was the delish miso and tofu soup. Dan's not much of a sushi guy and they had some nicely portioned cooked meals for him ; ) I highly recommend the Naked Fish for good, light, healthy food and a few laughs ; )

Now, after an afternoon of running around in the thin mountain air, I had an appetite something fierce. And what better way to fill my empty tummy then with some carby Italian!! And Tep's hit the spot like you wouldn't believe. First of all, I loved the small town Italian restaurant feel of it. It felt a bit time warpish but it was oh so comforting. From the chilled salad plates at the salad bar to the red checkered table cloths and dim lighting, I was 6 years old again. And I was way impressed with their attentiveness to little old vegan me ; ) They had some real yummy salad bar ingredients and were quick to tell me that the soup was beef based (sad but glad they were knowledgeable and concerned) and my gnocchi with veggies in an eggplant marinara could have fed a small army. And fed them happily cause it was sooooo yummy ; ) Ok, so I don't want to overhype it because it's definitely not gourmet, but Tep's Villa Roma put a little birdhouse in my soul ; )

Again, our time here was short lived but I love it up here and will report from Lake Tahoe once again!!

Tasty Carson City

Carson City, Nevada is cute, quaint and a great little slice of the Old West. Surprisingly enough, every place we went to was exactly that however, very contemporary in their lovely veggie options!

What I love most about road trips is eating at mom and pop diners. It's the taste of Americana we miss out on in a big city and always a nice experience. We happened to find Mom & Pop's Diner in Downtown Carson City when we rolled in at breakfast time. They had diner staples which made Dan very happy but they also had some nice options for me. Diners are usually tough, greasy spoons where I order toast and some OJ but here at Mom & Pop's, I had a real meal!! I got a piping hot rice bowl that was stacked with delicious veggies with my choice of house sauces. I'm a whip so I went for the Texas BBQ but they had all kinds of spicy options ; ) Check them out at Mom & Pop's online ; )

We strolled around downtown and I emptied my wallet at various Christmas gift shops (I'm a sucker for holiday decor!!). Before I knew it, I was hungry so we checked out The Firkin & Fox. It was awesome! Located under an old hotel (apparently it's hanuted), this "new" old westy saloony grill had a great atmosphere along with funny slogans involving their funny name ; ) Again, you would think a bar would have limited healthy options but I had a bunch! They had veggie burgers and veggie stir fry but i opted for wrapping up a salad. They make wraps of any of the salads on the menu and it was extra yummers!! It was "Firkin" yummers! Check out their "Firkin" menu at the Firkin & Fox!

We walked some more and checked out Carson Cities historic sites and decided on one last bite before we headed up the mountain. I was in the mood for Italiano so we dined at B'Sghetti's ; ) I wasn't in the mood for pasta so I went for their big and tasty grilled veggie sandwich with a huge side of dipping marinara. I added a side salad and was good for the night! Dan ordered his usual Italian favorite, bruschetta, and I had a few nibbles - very good! They've got some of my faves on their menu, see if they have yours at B'Sghetti's!!

I love old west towns, especially when they've combined it with some new ideas like healthy eating. We were told that Virginia City would be something we would dig since we loved Carson City so maybe we'll head up there on our next trip but stop back in Carson City for some good eats!!

Reno Restaurant Action

We zipped through the biggest little city in the world but made some time for a few meals. After being in the desert for a week, any hot meal would have sufficed but it was great the Reno delivered some delectable ones to boot!!

We opted for Harrah's to rest our weary heads. It was a great option as our room was super comfy and the next morning we had a slew of yummy breakfasty options. Of course I had my usual vacation soy latte at the in house Starbucks and then we strolled on over to the Carvings Buffet. They had all kinds of stuff to choose from and I went nuts at the salad bar and the Asian bar (yummy veggie sushi). The hotel had a bunch more restaurants and you can find out more at Harrah's.

Since we stayed in downtown for some lovely recycled casino air and priceless people watching, it wasn't to hard to find the closeby Pneumatic Diner. It's super trendy and arsty and very reminiscent of where we had just come from ; ) They had all kinds of veggie options, many of which could be veganized! I had a nice, hot, soy latte (appropriate in 100 degree weather) and a veggie burger with the veggie works that hit the spot! Make sure you save a few bucks before you through it all away on red and head over to the Pneumatic Diner located at 501 West 1st Street, at Ralston Street,775-786-8888; Ext 106.

For our last meal in the big little city, we sat down at The 4th Street Bistro. I loved the idea that they purchase a majority of their organic ingredients from local farmers and markets. It is a cute place with a lot of heart. Their fresh menu was fun to peruse and their entrees were a delight to consume!! I had a lovely quinoa and veggie ragout along with a just as lovely glass of local cabernet. Again, don't lose your hard earned moola on craps, save it for 4th Street Bistro!

Our time in Reno was short but we do head up there at least once a year. I look forward to stuffing my big little mouth there again soon!!

"Sayonara" San Franciso!

Ok, so normally ice cream isn't a healthy option but I can't visit the bay area without a quick trip to Maggie Mudd. It's a small ice cream shop with a big menu that makes ice cream lovers of any age, and any diet, do cartwheels in the street! They have soy, coconut and rice cream options as well as traditional moo ice cream ; ) I went nuts and broke my diet by having a loaded soy cream sundae with hot vegan fudge, a mountain of vegan whipped cream and sprinkles!! They make all kinds of frozen delicacies, even vegan ice cream cake!! Break your diet without to much guilt at Maggie Mudd!!

Stepping out on the town on our last night in town, we strolled into Impala. It was a way cool bar/lounge and when I sip wine, I get the munchies ; ) Lucky for me Impala had some buck guacamole and crazy good veggie tacos!! I really liked the vibe and I loved that I didn't have to wait till last call to convince everyone to go eat at 2 am!!

Breakfast, when done right, can be the bomb! We stopped in to Ananda Fuara on our last day and I was stoked to have a well done tofu scramble that I added some veggie sausage, guac and black beans to while Dan was still able to eat his usual morning meal ; ). They serve breakfast through dinner and I would love to come back to try something else when I return. I couldn't wait so I took some veggie raviolis to eat later that night, heehee! Find out more at Ananda Fuara.

After our last few stops in town, we wanted to grab something quick before we hit the road. 'Wichcraft caught my eye cause I'm a sucker for innovative names, logos, packaging and all around eye candy ; ) It was a smart stop for the opposite dietary duo as Dan got a meaty cheesy sandwich while I got a chickpea, peppers,olives and general off the hook, party in your mouth ingredients bewtween 2 slices of ridiculously awesome bread. I dig these easy and healthy sandwicheries popping up in big cities and so will you!! Let 'Wichcraft cast a spell on your tummy!

Now I'm gonna sew my mouth shut until our next trip out of town!!

Seconds In San Fran ; )

Spending time in this city, you can't help but want to try every place you see. Luckily, most places are way veggie friendly so the only thing you have to worry about is fitting into your britches when you head home!

One place I never miss is Millenium. It is a famous vegetarian gourmet spot and rightfully so. Pricing is not for the faint of heart but the time, effort and creativity that goes into devising the seasonal menu here is worth every penny. The ambiance is classy art deco and the food is to die for. I own all of their cookbooks and hand over my wallet willingly for one of the best meals ever ; ) This time around I had a 5 course meal that filled me up with vegan happiness as it included tasty bread with hummus, salad, appetizer, entree and dessert. I should have jogged all the way back to LA! Salivate at Millenium.

You can't go to the city without stopping into a brew house with some friends. The 21st Amendment is a great option for just that type of outing. Tons of beers, near the Giants Stadium, fun vibe and food for all. While everyone pounded brewskis, I went to town on a cheeseless Portabello Mushroom Napoleon and a stacked veggie burger with avocado, mushrooms and onions. As you can imagine, I walked back to our hotel ; ) Twice!!! Look them up at the 21st Amendment.

Trying to not overdo it again, we had lunch the next day at Asquew Grill. A fun place full of skewered treats! I opted for the tofu stick that came with veggies and i swapped my mashed potatoes for citrus cous cous on the side. Super yummers!! With everything for greenies to omnis, Asqew Grill has it all from skewered salads to sides of fresh veggies ; )

Dinner that evening was at the swanky Paragon. They pride themselves on using locally grown foods and are as organic as possible. Every dish is a work of art and they are more then happy to accommodate vegans. I kept it light with a field green salad and an incredible quinoa entree that I had them prepare without their truffle butter. For a great meal, day or night, check out Paragon.

Stay tuned cause there's one more bay city installment comin' up!

Serving It Up San Francisco Style

I could go on for months with the plethora of veggie yumminess that San Francisco has to offer. With breathtaking views of world famous bridges, mountains and buildings, San Francisco is a great place to visit as well as to treat your tastebuds!

There is no shortage of places to dine in SF, and no shortage of options for a gal like me. I've been up to this city by the bay many times and this time I found a new place. Weird Fish is a rockin' cool eatery in an unassuming part of town. Their menu is creative and caters to carnivores and veggies alike serving up sandwiches, tacos, salads, soups and brunchy items. Their vegan options are killer, I had a ton of food starting with pancakes for me and my man to share and then their vegan chorizo tacos. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and the lines to get in go around the block so make sure you plan ahead so you can enjoy the ridiculously delish Weird Fish!!

For veggie friendly Thai, Tom Yum named itself appropriately ; ) They've got a super veggie friendly menu and I highly recommend their veggie samosas - very Tom Yum!!! The chef is wonderful about veganizing anything on the menu as well as keeping things healthy by steaming and avoiding any allergy inducing ingredients. Located in the marina area, find out more at Tom Yum.

Keeping eclectic on this trip, I stopped into Naan -N- Curry for some Indian grub. They have 3 locations and combine Pakistani and Indian and it is scrum-didly-uptious!! I went for a healthy dose of chana masala and split some veggie pakora with my honey. You can find them all over town and on their website.

I was happy to find a tasty meal at what seemed to be a meaty place that Dan wanted to try. Town's End Restaurant & Bakery is located in the Embarcadero district and i am happy to report it was yumalicious!! I ordered a veggie ruben (hold the cheese)and it was quite good! I salivated over their dinner menu where a mushroom risotto called my name ; ) I'll make it for dinner next time but you can go there any time of the day online at Town's End.

As you can imagine, I'm not done with San Francisco so I'll see you here again next week!!