Thursday, November 19, 2009

Medellin's Herbario Worth the Trip

Herbario
Carrera 43D 10-30
Medellin, Colombia
+57.4.311.2537
www.elherbario.com

Colombia was the last place I expected to find one of the better vegetarian meals I've had. South America is traditionally known for its beef, not its ways with produce. But Herbario in Medellin proved to be a phenomenal restaurant that offered a varied menu, primarily focused on chicken, fish and beef, but with a few vegetarian gems.
Among the starters, goat cheese served with apple and merlot-soaked pear (above) was light and flavorful. The cheese had a smooth and creamy texture that perfectly complemented the pear. A medley of mushrooms covered in gruyere (below) with pesto and fresh herbed goat cheese was a hearty appetizer that had the texture of a savory stuffing. The sharp and cool herbed goat cheese provided a nice contrast.
Tofu (below) with sweet red pepper, tomato and potatoes in a mild bean sauce was an incredible combination of flavors.
Mushroom risotto (below) in mushroom sauce with crispy fried cheese was rich and savory. While one would expect a mushroom overload, the dish was mild and well-balanced, with the sauce coming across as a mild mole.
The restaurant is warm and comfortable and the staff is very friendly and attentive. There is an adjoining shop to purchase a variety of restaurant-prepared sauces. There is also a full bar and wine list. Entrees are about US $13 and appetizers are about $7.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Los Angeles' Cru Offers World Tour of Raw Foods

Cru
1521 Griffith Park Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323.667.1551
www.crusilverlake.com

This vegan, (mostly) raw foods restaurant in Los Angeles' trendy Silver Lake offers a varied and eclectic menu that takes inspiration from cuisines from around the world. Offerings range from Asian noodle bowls to curried squash soup to ravioli and pizza.

Dinner began with spring rolls (above) wrapped in thinly sliced cucumbers and filled with sprouts, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms and avocado served with a sweet chili sauce. This could have used more avocado and mushroom and fewer greens. The sauce overcame the blandness and added some flavor, but, in general, this dish did nothing to dispel the stereotype weeds-and-seeds vegan fare.

The jicama ravioli (above) filled with cashew nut cheese and topped with pumpkin seed pesto had a good combination of bold flavors. It's understandably the restaurant's signature dish.


The spicy raw vegan chorizo tostada (above) was flavorful, but not overly innovative. The shell was difficult to cut and overly chewy. The chorizo had a nice texture and a zesty bite.

The desserts were among the standouts at Cru. The coconut chocolate pie (below) was light and fluffy, yet had the perfect chocolate flavor. The orange zest on top was a great accent.


The chocolate truffle cake (below) was like cutting into a candy bar. It was seriously rich, thick and firm. The flavor was pure chocolate. I would guess it had 75 to 80 percent dark chocolate, just a hint of bitterness coming on the finish.

Service is friendly and efficient, but you may need to ask for information about the dishes as it's unlikely to be offered otherwise.

Cru does not offer wine, but you can bring your own and there is no corkage fee.

The restaurant does not take reservations, except for parties of six or more, and it does fill up quickly. It opens for dinner at 5:30 p.m. daily, and by 6 p.m. there are people waiting. The restaurant is quite small - it seats about 20 - and there is no entry way separate from the restaurant. Those who chose to wait inside to be seated can be a distraction and can negatively impact the otherwise easy-going atmosphere.

Entrees run about $13-$15, with starters and desserts about $8.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Horizons Heats Up James Beard House With Vegan Dinner

Horizons
611 S. 7th Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.923.6117
www.horizonsphiladelphia.com

James Beard Foundation
167 W. 12th St.
New York, NY
212.627.1064
www.jamesbeard.org

No sooner did the notice from Vegetarian Times hit my Facebook page than I picked up the phone and made a reservation. For the first time in 23 years, the James Beard Foundation was having a vegan dinner – a vegan dinner prepared by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby of the highly acclaimed Horizons vegan restaurant in Pennsylvania at Beard’s Greenwich Village townhouse. This was an opportunity I couldn’t miss.



Beard’s townhouse was left to Reed College, but chefs such as Julia Child thought the place needed to be preserved for food events. So with help from folks like Wolfgang Puck, they put on fundraisers and managed to buy it and create the foundation. Now there are food events there about 250 days a year.

When I arrived, the place was already packed. Guests walk through the living room, into the kitchen and in the back to the atrium, where hors d’oeuvres and sparkling wine are served.Some of the wines for the evening (above).

Hors d'oeuvres included:
Oyster mushroom fritters with aguardiente creamed spinach Black olive blini with truffle cream, golden beet relish and seaweed caviar (above)

Edamame purée with crispy sushi rice, gochujang, daikon and nori dust

Grilled seitan with crispy tortillas, whipped avocado, cilantro and green olive relish

Dinner began with portobello carpaccio (above) with crispy capers, rosemary mustard and spaghetti squash latke. It was served with a 2007 Sella & Mosca La Cala Vermentino. The mushroom on this was sliced incredibly thin, giving it a very different texture. It was excellent.

The next course was saffron–cauliflower bisque with fennel confit crostini and oloroso sherry cream. It was served with a 2008 A to Z Pinot Gris from Pennsylvania, which was a very pleasant surprise. All of us at our table were completely taken with it.

The caramelized celery root ravioli with charred brussels sprouts, smoked royal trumpet mushrooms, and sage-grain mustard emulsion was the one dish that didn't quite work for me, although the brussels sprouts were very tasty and nicely cooked. This was served with Chaddsford Winery 2007 pinot "NoPinot" noir.Peppercorn-seared tofu (above) with creamed leek and truffled parsnip purée, salt-roasted golden beets, hazelnuts, and apple cider vinegar reduction was outstanding. I generally don't eat tofu, preferring vegetables instead of substitutions for animals, but this was so tasty and nicely flavored and had a wonderful rich texture. It was another of the standout dishes of the evening.

The heirloom pumpkin cheesecake with chestnut candy and quince jam was made with tofu and was so rich, smooth and creamy, I never would have known had I not been told.

Chef Landau mingled with guests after dinner, and it was truly a lot of fun to eat at the Beard house with so many mementos throughout the house.

There were likely 80-100 guests at dinner. Cost was $100 for members and $125 for non-members. I was told this was a bigger turnout than at most dinners. I was thrilled as this would seem to bode well for future vegan and vegetarian dinners at the Beard house.