"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!!

OH, San Luis Obispo ; )

San Luis Obispo is a sweet town half way between LA and San Fran and is super close to the famed Hearst Castle. I dig the sleepiness of it as well as the great old mission architecture. It's a nice place to relax, take in the calm coast and possibly a tour of the castle in San Simeon as well as to get your grub on!

Every time I pass through SLO, I dine at Big Sky Cafe. It's a southwestern with asian flair style health joint and I dig it! I normally get a steaming bowl of their killer veggie chili but this time I got their bean burger with a side of my fave, sweet potato fries. There is something for everyone here and it is delicious. Info for Big Sky Cafe can be found online ; )

For a swell dinner, we like Vieni Vai trattoria. It's an authentic Italian eatery and I really enjoy their choices for veggies ; ) My boy and I split their yummy bruschetta and a big green salad and then I go for a hefty helping of the basil and tomato gnocchi. Prrrrr!! Vieni Vai serves lunch and dinner and is worth a try!

If you're with a bunch of non-veggies who have a hankerin' for some carcass but you still need to eat, Firestone Grill is a popluar pit stop. It's always packed and people drive from LA just to eat here. I was none to excited that I may have ot suck it up and eat fries but they had a really tasty veggie burger and they assured me it was made on a different grill ; ) Yay!! I loaded it with onions, mushrooms and avocado and it was super yum ; ) To appease everyone you may be traveling with, step into Firestone Grill located at 1001 Higuera St Ste A, San Luis Obispo, CA 9340,
(805) 783-1001.

For a drink and a good meal, Corner View is a great choice. They serve brunch, lunch and dinner and everything is hearty and fresh. I love their salad selection as well as great veggie appetizers, sandwiches and dinners. I like their veggie penne with a crispy salad ; ) Peruse Corner View's menu online.

So if you are on your way to see the crazy Hearst Castle or just stopping in for a relaxing weekend, San Luis Obispo doesn't disappoint the hungry ; )

Braving Black Rock City

It's labor day weekend and how will you be saying goodbye to summer 2008? Well, there is this thing called Burning Man that we go to this time each year. It's this week long event out on a dry lake bed in Nevada which for that week is called Black Rock City. For those in the know, it is a phenomenon that is hard to describe and in fact, words can't do it justice. For a week, more then 50,000 people create their own city and live it up sans usual creature comforts like running water, electricity and money. You must be self sufficient, self reliant and properly prepared. Yeah, so how does the healthy voyager survive? I'll tell ya!

For any of you who are thinking of going or plan to go in the future, here is what you need to know to stay healthy and happy in this other wordly, harsh climate:

• Bring an drink tons of water and electrolyte replacer beverages like gatorade
• SPF it up because shade is hard to come by
• Buy your food for the length of your stay just before you arrive. The closest big city is Reno so I always stock up there. Fresh fruit, luna bars, easy sandwich making materials like soy cheese, tofurky, peanut butter & jelly as well as trail mix are great food stuffs as once you are out there, cooking and preparing stuff can get in the way of your fun. Easy yet nutritious options are key to keeping nourished and full. Stay away from over processed foods like chips and junk food as it these foods leech the water out of your system and drag your body down. If you do have a generator and can plug in a toaster oven, mini pizzas made on english muffins or bagels are a nice treat ; )
  
• Bring petty cash to buy ice (ice and coffee is the only thing money can buy in BRC). Ice will keep your food fresh and your makeup from melting (I learned the hard way my first year!)
• Bring layers! It's hot as Hades during the day and cold as can be at night. Of course make sure you are looking snazzy (see above) but be smart. No one wants to get sick out there cause the drive out takes forever!
• I'm sure I'm the minority here, but I make sure I get sleep. It is a non stop party but it is easy to achieve exhaustion from being an energizer bunny and constant exposure to the sun. I'm not saying I get a full 8 hours each night, but definitely budget your time wisely and take care of yourself as it will not be pretty on the drive home.
  
• Baby wipes are essential in keeping "fresh" as are personal fans and misters. My boy and I carry a little lunch box everywhere out on the playa to ensure we always have a refreshing drink and a snack ; )
• Zip lock bags are great to store any electronics, clean clothing and valuables. Keeping playa dust off of your belongings makes things much easier when you get back to the real world.
• Bring fun and creative stuff to give, barter and/or contribute to your fellow burners.
  
• Party smart!! Just cause there are no rules doesn't mean there aren't any consequences!!

If I don't see you out on the playa this weekend, maybe I'll see you at the burn next year!!!! Otherwise have a safe and healthy labor day!!!!

Yes Sir, I Ate In Big Sur!!

Driving down the coast, we didn't anticipate a stop in beautiful Big Sur. However, due to a blazing wildfire we were forced to turn around and go back through it so we stopped in for some essentials. The small town on the scenic 1 highway is tiny and cute and surprisingly offered up some grub for this traveler who was blown off course!

We rolled into the Fernwood Resort for some roadtripping supplies and ended up staying for din din. The resort was an adorable cabin like place tucked into the trees and had a nicely stocked convenience store with a baby sized deli. They had soy milk for coffees and a fridge full of vegan goodies like a bbq tofu wrap, veggie hummus wrap and vegan staples like tofurky and the like. They've got a camping area, cabins and a proper motel and I promise you won't starve! If you are driving up the Cali coast, make sure you look up Fernwood.

Next to the resort, we ate at the Redwood Grill. Again, I was surprised at my options ; ) They had the Carolyn's salad which was a no brainer for me to order along with a pretty good veggie pasta. They had a veggie burger available and other salads but I was way happy with my choices ; ) Check them out online at the Redwood Grill site.

The next day on our way out, we dined at the Big Sur River Inn and it was awesome! I had a great tofu salad and split some sweet potato fries with my honey before we hit the road. Their dinner menu looked just as nice and I look forward to passing through again. Big Sur River Inn is a hit off the 1!

This stretch of the famed Pacific Coast Highway is breathtaking and even if you are only driving through for a photo op, make sure you drive through hungry!