Nellie's Sports Bar, DC

If you aren't from DC, it is likely that you think that I'm going to tell you that I went to a regular sports bar. Um, no -- I actually wouldn't be caught dead in one. And that's not because I don't think they could have good food. I'm just not a big sports fan. But, when a friend of mine invited me to Nellie's Sports Bar to eat before we went to a show across the street at Town Danceboutique, I thought, "why not?" Nellie's is actually a gay sports bar that has become an iconic landmark in the U Street Corridor, DC's new gayborhood.

So, not knowing what to expect, I walked in and began trying to locate my group of friends. That's when I realized that this place is pretty big. With 3 distinct bars and a rooftop deck, I was worried it might take a while to find them, but I actually located them pretty quickly in the main dining area.  As soon as I sat down, the waiter asked if I wanted a drink. I told him that I realize this is a low-key bar-type atmosphere, but asked if I could get a Cosmo with Grey Goose anyway. He said that would be no problem. Yay! I was in the mood for a sweet cocktail.

I had called earlier in the week to inquire as to whether or not they had any vegan options and the guy that answered was not sure, but he gave me the impression that they'd be very accommodating. I mean, I wasn't expecting much as they have a fairly simple menu of appetizers, salads, and sandwiches, but I wanted something. So, when the waiter came back with my drink, quite quickly I might add, I asked him a bunch of questions. He came back with a Manager who was incredibly nice who was able to answer all of my questions. They said that out of the appetizers, the salsa, black bean dip, guacamole, hummus, and edamame was vegan. The veggie burger was vegan, but the bun was not. The salads could be modified to be made vegan. And the veggie burrito was vegan sans the cheese. So, I placed an order. At this point, I was loving the vibe.

They don't really market themselves as a gay bar, but rather a neighborhood bar so there were just a bunch of random people in there having dinner and drinks. There was a huge television set on the wall and pictures of sports teams with sports flags hanging on the wall opposite of us.

When they brought all of our food out, I was pleasantly surprised. The salads were huge and loaded with a variety of fresh vegetables. My plate was also much nicer than I had expected. I had ordered a vegetable burrito sans the cheese and it came with fresh pico de gallo, black beans, chips, and fried plantains. The burrito was also loaded with fresh ingredients including spinach, red and green peppers, onions, and fresh avocado. It was delicious. The black beans and plantains were great too.

Oh, and the Cosmo I ordered was not only mixed well, it was super strong as well, as were all the drinks, I might add.

The Manager came over and asked me how it was and I told him it was great.  The food and drinks were great. The atmosphere was fun and low-key. And the staff were all really nice.  I'm going to add this place to my list of favorite local hang-out spots.  As I was walking out, I noticed a statement on the side of the building: "Are you Nellie enough?" Yes, I think I am.

Nellie's Sports Bar
900 U Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 332-NELL (6355)

Vegan Chorizo Paella

Paella has always been that dish that I avoided at the Spanish restaurants. I mean what could be so exciting about a rice-based dish with vegetables (which is how the vegan version is made)? Typically, a paella includes white rice, green vegetables, meat, beans, and seasoning. But, there are many variations -- some have seafood while others don't. I decided to make a paella using a vegan chicken (Gardein) and vegan sausage crumbles (Upton's Naturals) to make a slightly spicy, delicious paella that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

The real star of this dish is the Upton's Naturals Chorizo Seitan, which is a spicy wheat-based seitan made with garlic, guajillo peppers, oregano, sea salt, onion, cumin, and black pepper. It was so good that I felt I could have eaten it straight from the box.

So if you are interested in trying a vegan paella, try this one. It is super easy and simple to make.

Vegan Chorizo Paella
Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of Gardein Chick'n Scallopini (1 bag has 4 pieces) cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• Cooking spray or olive oil for cooking
• 1 box Upton's Naturals Chorizo Seitan, crumbled
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1/2 cups arborio rice
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 15.5-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pinch saffron threads
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 lemon, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. In a bowl, toss the Gardein with the olive oil, paprika, and oregano. Put cooking spray or a bit of olive oil in the pan, then add the Gardein mixture. Cook, stirring regularly, until heated through - about 5 minutes. Remove Gardein mixture from the pan and set aside.

Add the chorizo seitan, onion, red bell pepper, and garlic to the pan. Cook until the seitan has browned and vegetables have softened - about 5 minutes. Add the rice, stock, tomatoes, crushed red pepper, and saffron. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook, stirring regularly until most liquid is absorbed and rice is soft - about 15 minutes.

Stir in the Gardein mixture and peas and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Roti, DC

Roti Mediterranean Grill was founded about four years ago by two investors looking to create a healthy Mediterranean fast casual concept in Chicago. Today, they have locations throughout Illinois and also in Virginia, DC, Maryland, and New York. They've been in DC for about a year and a half, but I had never heard of them until now. Their marketing company contacted me to see if I would be interested in a complimentary meal and I happily obliged.

The Roti located at 13th and F Streets looks like your typical downtown cafe with inside and outside seating. My friend and I met the Manager, Glen, and he walked us through the menu. It is a very simple concept and the menu is very easy to understand, which I really appreciate. You basically choose a sandwich, rice plate, or salad. Next, you choose falafel or roasted vegetables (vegan options). Then, you choose your toppings, sides, and sauces.

I figured it would be easy to choose because there often aren't many vegan choices at this type of restaurant. Boy, was I wrong. There were TONS of vegan options. In fact, most of the menu is vegan! And the sides look incredibly fresh. I was so excited.

So, I ordered a sandwich with the wheat laffa -- a flatbread. Based on Glen's recommendation, I chose the falafel over the roasted veggies. I know--I don't normally go for something that is deep-fried, but I wanted the full experience so I made an exception just this one time. Next, I chose my sauce. The S'hug and Tahini are vegan. I went with the spicy S'hug.  Then for the sides, he told me I could have as many as I wanted in the wrap. Wow! And for no additional cost! So, I loaded it with hummus, tomato and cucumber salad, sumac onions, mixed greens, and kalamata olives. 

The wrap was pretty big and I immediately felt gluttonous when I bit in, but it was so darned good. This was a great wrap. The falafel, although fried in vegetable shortening, was not overly oily and was seasoned just right. The tomato and cucumber salad was made with ripe tomatoes and fresh parsley. The sumac onions were tangy and fresh. And the olives were just perfect. Best of all, was that S'hug sauce that really was spicy!  Oh, and the hummus was super creamy and delicious.

I also ordered sides of the vegetables, which were good, but a bit too oily, and the Israeli couscous with scallions and currants. I loved the couscous.

In fact, the only sides and toppings that weren't vegan were the eggplant and feta cheese. You can find a full list of their vegan friendly options under the Nutrition - Allergen Information section on their website. My friend ordered a huge plate of sides including the cabbage. Her meal looked amazing.

The best part is that the sandwich is only $7 and the unlimited salad plate is only $8. I don't think you can beat this price for high quality, quick food anywhere else in DC. I mean the falafel is 100% organic, though I don't know about any of the other sides; almost everything including the bread is made in house; and the sides are made with 100% olive oil.  They say it is food that loves you back. Well, I love this food. And I now have a new favorite quick lunch spot downtown.

Roti (7 locations in DC)
1311 F Street
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 499-4145

Seaport Oil & Vinegars, San Diego

While in San Diego, I stopped by the little village of Seaport. This was a touristy town with your typical tourist stores selling shell necklaces and t-shirts. In the midst of all the junk, however, I discovered an olive oil shop and you know I love my olive oil.

Seaport Oil and Vinegars is a small store right on the water selling olive oil, vinegars, and sea salts. Their selection is limited due to their size, but they have a pretty good selection. It is set up the same way most olive oil shops are set up so they allow you to taste all of the oils and vinegars before buying.

They offer flavored, fused, and infused olive oils in flavors like blood orange, harissa, and chipotle. One particular stand-out was the cilantro and roasted onion EVOO, which was particularly tasty.

The balsamic vinegars included both white and dark with flavors like cranberry pear white, blackberry ginger dark, and jalapeno white. I decided to buy a bottle of the jalapeno white balsamic because I  thought it would be great for a spicy salad dressing.

As I went up to pay for it, I was a bit shocked at the price. The 375ml bottle was priced at $22.99 whereas in most other olive oil shops, you'd pay around $17.99 for the same bottle. I guess because they are selling mostly to tourists, they can charge whatever they want. And I really liked the flavor so I bought it anyway.

If you don't have any olive oil shops near you and you find yourself in San Diego, this is a great way to try some premium olive oils and vinegars and perhaps take a bottle home. Just remember to check your bag before boarding.

Seaport Oil & Vinegars
809 Harbor Drive, Suite G
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 232-6096

Gardein - Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n

At the rate at which Gardein is introducing new items on the market, it is unlikely that I'll ever try them all. This small company certainly has expanded its product line immensely over the past few years since it first introduced the best vegan faux meat products anyone had ever had. On this occasion, I decided to try the Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n.

This particular product is frozen so I just sauteed it in a frying pan over medium-high heat until browned on all sides.  I removed the Gardein from the heat, then sauteed red pepper and broccoli until cooked through. Then I cooked all of the ingredients together in the sauce.

The result was a good vegan chicken dish with broccoli and red peppers, but it wasn't really mandarin orange crispy chicken. Unfortunately, the little chicken nuggets never really got crispy. They stayed pretty soft. And the orange taste was so slight that I wouldn't even have identified it as such if the product hadn't been called "orange chicken."

So, I liked it just fine, but it wasn't what I expected. My meal never quite looked like the meal on the front of the package. 

Sticky Rice, DC

Back when H Street NE was still nothing but the Dollar General and boarded up storefronts, Sticky Rice emerged, bringing new life to this almost-forgotten land. Fast forward to several years later and Sticky Rice is still going strong. In fact, they have since expanded -- taking over the space next door as well.

My friend and I returned to this cute little Asian joint to find it renewed and still full of life. It had been two years since I had last been here and I just wanted to kick myself for having waited so long to come back. The biggest improvement is that they now allow reservations, which greatly improves the experience of dining at Sticky Rice. A few years ago, you'd show up to this trendy, hipster joint and wait at least an hour to be seated at one of their few tables. Now, they take reservations and have many more tables available.

So, when we showed up at 7, we were promptly seated. Very nice. My friend ordered some warm sake, which he liked very much, and I ordered a lemon drop martini made with one of my favorite vodkas, Hangar One.  Perfectly sweet.

We started with their signature appetizer -- the tater tots. Yep, they brought this one back. But, we tried the sweet potato version. Loved them! And their vegan-mayonnaise based sauce!

This place has a lot of character -- bright red walls surround a bustling restaurant complete with bars on both floors. On the top floor, an exposed brick wall with a rectangular cutout separates what used to be two distinctly different restaurants now merged into one. On the walls, you find several televisions showing movies or whatever they feel like playing at the time. The crowd was a mixed bag from a table full of cops who abruptly ran off to a call to the hipster youth that occupy H Street NE now. It is a place that anyone could call home.

The menu offers plenty for vegans and vegetarians alike with all items clearly marked as vegan, vegetarian, or vegan option. Under the sushi rolls, there are several unique options like The Hot Hippy which consists of spicy marinated tofu with scallions, peanuts, cucumbers, and carrots, and the Santa Fe, which is tempura fried sweet potato with agave jalapeno and sesame seeds. I'm trying one of those next time. This time I went with my old favorite, the Garden Balls. The vegan eel sauce really makes these rolls. I know what you are thinking -- what is a vegan eel? I don't know, but the sauce is vegan and it's good. Rice, red pepper, shiitake mushrooms, and cilantro fill the tempura fried inara pocket. This creates a deliciously crunchy outside and a yummy inside that is drizzled with a tasty eel sauce.

For my entree, I had trouble choosing between The Dirty Vegan (I mean who wouldn't want to order that?!) and the Mock Chicken Szechuan. Again, I went with my old favorite -- the Mock Chicken Szechuan. You get to choose your noodles or rice -- soba buckwheat, vermicelli, udon or just rice.  I chose soba. When they brought it out, I was quickly reminded of just how big this meal was. It was enough food for 3 meals. The oily soba noodles are topped with julienned carrots, onions, green and red peppers, beans sprouts, pineapple chunks, and mock chicken all dredged in a sweet sauce. The mock chicken is the best part -- thin, dense, round nuggets of TVP-like mock chicken are fried to perfection. I added sriracha to create a spicy sweet concoction.

I left thinking that I need to come back here more often. The food was good, not spectacular, but solid; the service was great; and the prices were right at about $10 per entree. I love the laid-back fun atmosphere as well. Sticky Rice - I'm glad you haven't changed. Where else can you get a bucket of tater tots, vegan eel sauce, and dirty vegan noodle dishes all under one roof? Nowhere else.

Sticky Rice
1224 H Street NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 397-7655

Hilary's Eat Well - New Hemp & Greens Burger

When Hilary's Eat Well first went to market, I was one of the first ones to receive samples of their veggie and adzuki bean burgers.  I wrote about them here as I was so excited that such healthy, great-tasting burgers were soon-to-be widely available.  So when they told me they had a new burger on the market made with hemp and greens, I nearly rejoiced.

Made with pure ingredients including millet, dark leafy greens like arugula and dandelion greens, hemp seeds, parsley, and thyme, this burger has the same great taste as the other flavors with greens and hemp mixed in. The Hilary's burgers all have a crusty outside and a chewy inside, which makes for a great texture.  And they don't taste like meat -- they taste like veggies made into a veggie burger and those are my favorite veggie burgers of all.

I also like that you can prepare them many different ways including in a toaster!  They offer instructions on grilling, oven, and pan preparation as well. I prepared each patty in my grill pan on the stovetop and served it on a whole wheat bun with vegan mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and jalapenos.

All of Hilary's burgers are certified gluten-free and vegan and Non-GMO Project Verified. The new Hemp & Greens burger is available in health food stores nationwide as well as Whole Foods.  They come in packages of two and retail for $3.99.  Now, I'm going to have another burger paired with a fresh gazpacho. Yum!

Full Disclosure: Although the products were provided to me for free to review, that in no way influences my veracious opinion.