Dining

Socially Just Dining: Bakersfield

Bakersfield in The Short North was a pleasant surprise for this Californian vegan on a hot summer’s day with their refreshing ensaladas “June” featuring that spicy, cruciferous, green known as arugula, complimented with juicy oranges, tangy jalapeno, and omega-rich pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds) with a cumin lime dressing (and avocados- my addition). Since they fry the tostada shells in the same oil they cook the once sentient, tortured and unnecessarily killed animal’s carcass in, I opted for the veganized (no queso) rajas and huitlacoche soft tacos. A nice detail about their lemonade: it is freshly-squeezed, as opposed to the nasty, “fountain-drink”, GMO, high-fructose corn syrup, chemical concoction many restaurants still serve.

Tasting Tatohead's

 

 


 

Tatoheads public house is the latest bar to open up on the South Side of Columbus. It's located east of Hungarian village at 1297 Parsons Ave. The bar was previously known as Hal and Al's, but has adopted the Tatoheads moniker after it was purchased by Dan McCarthy, owner of the popular Tatoheads food truck. Tatoheads public house takes the style of a restaurant pub, going a different direction from Hal and Al's, which boasted a huge selection of draft beers and entirely vegan food.

 

I managed to stop by during the premier of their new dining menu for a quick afternoon meal with my family. Tatoheads is in the process of transforming itself into the vision of its new owner but at this point still has a dimly lit indy rock bar. The music playing was a nice selection of alternative rock from the 90s on. They have a half-off draft happy hour from 4-8pm. We tasted the Bodhi brew from Columbus Brewing Company and a Dragon Milk for under $10.

 

Socially Just Dining: Los Potosinos Mexican Food Truck

 

 

Los Potosinos is a food truck located on Long Street just East of the Lincoln Theater that I was lured to by a colleague with the guarantee of being “the real authentic Mexican food deal”- the street cred being the owner is from Texas near the Mexican border. Since I’m a California stray who landed in the Midwest (as if being vegan wasn’t enough) I’m pretty discerning on what really qualifies as authentic Mexican food and one of the ways I rate this particular genre of cuisine is on their beans and rice.

 

Those two ingredients are staples of the health conscious vegan demographic, and quite interestingly, are also largely staples for the rest of the “poorest” peoples of the world (smashing the myth that vegan food is expensive- organic non-GMO beans and rice are still considerably cheaper than comparable animal products, pound for pound). The good news is; they passed on my opinion of authentic flavor.

 

Socially Just Dining: Lashish the Greek

Lashish the Greek is probably one of the friendliest, small, local restaurants I’ve had the pleasure to dine in. The owner, Mo, is one of the reasons I enjoy eating there, as well as the fact that the food is delicious, affordable, convenient and supports the local community/economy. Greek food is often a staple for the vegan, and it can also be ideal for those who have gluten allergies with the many bean and rice based dishes. Instead of the typical pita, Mo will serve lots of cucumbers for dipping in the hummus or baba ghanoush. It would be fan-freaking-tastic to see more restaurants introducing a local, abundant, succulent weed technically known as portulaca oleracea to their menus. Purslane (common name), is frequently served on menus in Greece, and more importantly, purslane has a robust, nutrient dense, including protein profile and powerful omega-fatty acid content for a plant we’ve foolishly deemed worthy of weed killer in this country.

Socially Just Dining: Nicola

If you are a connoisseur Italian food, Nicola brings the taste of authentic trattoria locally, and they happily accommodate veganizing their delicious offerings upon request. There is an abundance of fresh, organic, premium produce to work with on the menu that can meet the needs of vegans, gluten­free and other allergies people may need to negotiate. I’ll be very interested to see what kinds of creative vegan desserts they develop. They can also provide a creative opportunity for a group (up to 80 people), such as a special event wine and dinner pairing, or speaker platforms and film screenings. I’m looking forward to organizing a Vegan meet­up with them as they were quite enthusiastic about accommodating our rapidly growing community. Restaurants that are interested in serving vegans may want to discover the amazing nut (walnut, almond, or macadamia), legume (cashews) or seed (coconut) based cheeses and/or creams that can be created.

Socially Just Dining: Cafe Brioso

Café Brioso has the best pesto on a sandwich I’ve ever had. I think what makes this pesto so unique is that they use pecans. When I am downtown and in the mood for a simple soup and sandwich combo, this is one of my favorite stops. Everything on their menu is made fresh daily, from scratch, including their Foccocia (however, that is not vegan because it has dairy in it). There are a few exceptions to their house “made from scratch” products lines; their delicious and moist artisan wheat and sourdough sandwich breads are organic and locally sourced from Dan the baker. The wheat bread contains honey and the sourdough is currently the only vegan bread option. They typically offer at least one vegan soup and often a vegan fresh fruit salad can be found. Their coffee is roasted on site and can be enhanced with a vegan milk option; I’m fond of their Ohio Maple Latte with soy milk. Warning- the downtown meter readers are predatory, so don’t park at the 30 minute meters in front of the restaurant if you plan to hold a meeting or are inclined to be distracted when running into people you haven’t seen in a while, you will get a $45 ticket. Cafe Brioso is located at 14 E Gay St. Columbus.

Socially Just Dining: The Crest Gastropub

If you are looking for some “paleo-vegan” comfort food (yes, Paleovegans exist!), the Crest Gastropub on Indianola has some of the best variety of vegan and gluten-free fare found in a non-vegan restaurant (although they don’t have a house-made decadent vegan dessert option, yet). The fall harvest squash casserole really hits the spot on a cold winter evening. Beyond delicious food, the Crest Gastropub has made considerable efforts to vanguard the way of socially just businesses; from community focused, on-site gardening or locally sourced produce for better nutrition and less oil consumption, and other sustainability practices such as re-salvaged and deconstructed architectural materials, reusing, recycling or composting what they can. Their water conservation and pollution prevention strategies include the installation of rain barrels. They source heirloom vegetables to help preserve their viability continues after centuries of cultivation.

Socially Just Dining: Amul India

Amul India definitely has the exotic tandoori spices they claim and really know how to use them. I have been extremely squeamish of certain families of squash my entire life (which can be an interesting challenge to negotiate when adding that limiting factor of deciding to take a stand that violence towards sentient individuals is not “food” in American culture, where most people have never heard the word “ahimsa,” which is the Jain concept that is at the heart of vegan ethics). I just don’t like the general texture or taste of: eggplant, zucchini or yellow squash typically served American style. I’ve found that the Indian, Ethiopian and Mediterranean cultures have mastered these squash preparations, transforming them so dramatically that I now embrace (what I had long detested) with anticipation and mouthwatering delight. Whatever preparations Amul India does to the Bhartha (eggplant) is downright amazing! Instant savory vegan crack! My server was happy to verify and ensure there were no animal products (ghee/clarified butter, cream) added to any of the food pictured below Aloo Choley (chick peas and potatoes) or Aloo Gobi (potatoes and cauliflower).
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