Grasshopper and TJ Scallywaggles

I haven't had much time to post. That is partly because of more traveling for work. Most of my meals have been made up of leftovers. Sometimes I forget that I am just one and I don't cut the recipe in half. That means I may eat the same variations for a few days.

I did cook up some sauteed chard with pine nuts and garlic. When I was in Maine last weekend, a friend gave me some chard from her garden.

Tonight, I met my father for dinner in Boston at Grasshopper. Since I haven't cooked much, I brought along my camera to snap some photos of our dinner.

My dad ordered the Special Taro Nest. The bowl is edible and made from fried taro strips. Inside are veggies and various mock meats in a tasty sauce. It all sits on a bed of watercress. This was definitely one of my favorite dishes when I first visited Grasshopper.

I ordered my current addiction which is called Happy Family. It is asparagus, seitan, and tofu in a "spicy" (not very) chili basil sauce. Unfortunately I can't get enough of this, so I often fail to try a new dish because I go with my standby. Notice how big the portions are! I brought half of that and the brown rice home with me.

When we left, I walked with my dad back to his car and pointed out a relatively new vegan restaurant that is a few stores down from Grasshopper. It is called TJ Scallywaggles. It is vegan comfort food. You'll find subs, pizza, salads, calzones, gyros, pasta, smoothies, and dessert. The food is good and it is pretty safe places to bring your omni friends as they will recognize most items on the menu.

Vegandoc raved about TJ's cheese cake, so I figured I might get a slice to go. While my dad and I talked outside, the owner stepped out to say hi. After my dad left, I went in and ordered the cheese cake and got a chance to talk with the owner some more. What a nice guy! I'm always excited to talk with other veg*n folks. Though I love my omni friends, I often feel like we are on different wavelengths.

At any rate TJ's is owned by people who are very into social responsibility and creating a community. They want build a restaurant concept that can easily be duplicated and is enticing to both veg*ns and omnis while staying true to their ethical beliefs.

While I was there, a gentleman from a veg band stopped in. He had just returned from CA and was telling us about their van which they converted to run on bio-diesel.

Obviously the owners made a great impression on me and I'd like to encourage you to check this restaurant out if you are in the Boston area. Oh, and I agree with Heather...the cheese cake was wonderful.