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Category: Food (page 21 of 30)

Sufi’s

Sufi’s is one of those places where the decor is lovely, the ambience is great, the food is nice… but the lighting is too dark to take good pictures. Not that big a deal, right?

Can’t seem to be able to write much today, so I’ll say it in bullet points!
  • Fabulous, I repeat, fabulous pita breads. So soft that they are like the Indian naans, flecked with black sesame seeds, I could make a meal of these. Actually, I did so the next day! Now that I think about it, these were made of white flour and there’s a probability that egg was incorporated into the dough. Not sure, though.
  • Not many vegetarian items on the menu. A couple of visits and I would have sampled every vegetarian dish served.
  • I think all the appetizers contain eggplant. So if that is your hated vegetable, you will probably need to skip to the entrees.
  • How could I forget the platter of nuts-cheese-herbs-butter?!! You can see it above. Along with the pita breads, they bring you a small plate containing walnuts, rounds of feta cheese, a couple of slabs of butter, fresh basil (and another herb that I couldn’t identify). I suppose you load the bread with these tidbits. Very very very nice.
  • Our appetizers’ order got a little messed up, I think. Or so I thought. Anyway, we got Hummus, Mast Kheyar and the Sufi’s Special. P thought that the hummus was strictly okay – I thought it was pretty nice. Sufi’s Special featured spicy sautéed eggplant, onion, garlic, and chick peas in a spicy tomato sauce. It was nice, although a little spicy for my palate, and tasted much like the Indian baingan bharta. Mast Kheyar is a dish of beaten yogurt with chopped cucumber and herbs. Raita, anyone?
  • Our server got us a bowl of smooth beaten yogurt. We didn’t order it and so I don’t know where that came from.
  • For the entrees, I got a bowl of Ash Joe soup and P got a platter of Vegetable Kabobs. P adored the soup; it contains barley, lentils and red beans, topped with herbs, chopped mint (didn’t get that flavor, though), caramelized onions (YUM!) and whey. P liked it so much that he started thinking about how we could recreate it at home.
  • The Vegetable Kabobs featured seasonal vegetables (zucchini, squash, peppers, mushrooms, onions), marinated and cooked over an open flame. That was a nice dish, all the vegetables retaining their crunch, dark grill marks along side. The basmati rice was very nicely done too.
  • There was no dessert menu but tons of options! Wish I remembered some of them… anyway, I think we ordered rose-flavored Persian ice cream. It came with chopped pistachios and other nuts, reminded me of the Kaju Draksh flavor from Natural’s Ice creams.

Would I go to Sufi’s again? Possibly, yes. For the awesome nut-herb platter. The fabulously soft and pillowy pita breads. To sample the desserts, yes!

 

A Fabulous Looking Slice of Pizza

Pizza from dinner a few nights back. The base was made of organic whole wheat and it came from Harry’s Farmers Market, Marietta. A packet of 2 pizza bases costs $4.99, if I remember correctly. For the first time, I made a pizza sauce with tomato paste, fresh basil, thyme and freshly ground black pepper. Toppings included red, yellow and orange bell peppers, sliced onions and shredded vegetarian organic mozzarella cheese.

Verdict? The pizza looked fabulous! As far as taste goes, the sauce was a little too sour. I think I should have added some sugar to cut the tartness. Tomato having such a dominant flavor, I couldn’t do much else… 🙁

Crepes and Coffee at Cork and Bean Wine Bar and Coffee House

It was a mellow Sunday morning. En route to Atlanta, we stopped at Cork & Bean Wine Bar & Coffee House in Bryson City, North Carolina, for breakfast. Actually, we had been there the evening before and had decided to stop by the next morning. How I loved that place! Actually, all of us did. Wood-paneled walls, cozy chairs and tables, high ceilings, display cases with organic baked goods, teas, coffees, crepes on the menu.

A very casual and laid back cafe with a hip (hippy?) vibe.   The evening before, we got some muffins, coffee and tea, and settled into those comfortable chairs (left). I could have fallen asleep in them, they were that comfy! The other tables were occupied, people were chatting, eating crepes, drinking coffee, reading. We didn’t stay long that day, decided to return for breakfast the next day.

Next morning, we came back, just a few minutes after the place opened. Crepes with Nutella and bananas, Cappuccino, Latte, an Everything bagel with cream cheese. P got another order of crepes with spinach and avocado that came with a side of balsamic vinegar dressing.

Disclosure: Yes, crepes contain eggs. Would you believe this is the first time I am eating them? So maybe I am not best qualified to comment on them?

Anyhow, these crepes were incredibly light and airy. Bananas and Nutella are a fabulous combination. P’s crepe contained baby spinach leaves and avocado slices. I would have preferred the spinach to be lightly sauteed instead. Some sun dried tomato slices and olives would have been great additions too. Oh, I forgot to mention, the crepe contained shredded beets too. The red stains on the plate reminded me.

I didn’t sample the bagel. I am sure it was pretty good. The Latte was good; S mentioned that her Cappuccino was fairly okay.

The glasses were made of renewable and compostable materials – always makes me happy to see that!

I felt so utterly relaxed that morning, nestled in those comfy chairs, greedily drinking the sunshine streaming in through the huge windows, relishing the sense of quiet and calm permeating the space… A memorable morning it was. On our way out, we bought a muffin (it contained eggs) with carrot, apple, nuts and a host of other delicious ingredients. Yummy.  

Cork & Bean Wine Bar & Coffee House
16 Everett Street
Bryson City, NC 28713
828.488.1934
www.brysoncitycorkandbean.com

A Vegetarian in Cherokee Nation

Technically, we were not in Cherokee Nation but we were fairly close… maybe a mile out? The last weekend saw a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. We stayed at a hotel in Cherokee and drove out to the National Park on Saturday. Fabulous weather (cool and warm, no better combination, really!), sparse crowds, winding trails, and an interesting chat with one of the park officials (he showed us some extraordinary photographs he had taken at Midway Islands; a well traveled person with some amazing stories to share)… we were off to a rocking weekend.

Around lunch time, we got out of the park to look for a place to eat lunch. Drove around, checked out menus for various restaurants and fast food joints but there was not a thing we could find at any place. Really, not a single vegetarian item… Wow. Finally we arrived at Marco Polo’s. Decided to take a chance and go see what they had to offer.

We were lucky.

A cheery place with loads of music paraphernalia strung up all over (vinyl records were actually stuck up on the ceiling), graffiti scrawled on the walls, blinking light signs, huge posters, message boards with funny messages… I am sure you get the funky message. The guy behind the counter was a jolly person with a demeanor mirroring the decor.

P ran into a gentleman dressed in the regalia of the Cherokee tribe. You can see them conversing in the far left of the picture (right). He carried a spear with a shiny steel tip, sharpened to perfection. He had feathers attached to his hair and clothes. It was quite a striking presence that he had. P and he spoke about the commonality between ancient Hindu customs and Native American practices. I didn’t hear much of it but I bet it was an interesting discussion.

P got a Veggie Sandwich and a Greek Salad. I got the Greek Vegetable Sandwich which was really P’s Greek Salad encased between two slices of bread. Lots of Feta cheese, Greek olives, red onions, shredded red cabbage, lettuce, cucumber slices, sprouts, Tzatziki sauce… Good stuff. I cannot recall much of what went into P’s sandwich but he picked a Mango-Pineapple Viniagrette that was simply lovely. Spicy and sweet in equal measure, it was a great complement to the sandwich filling (that I barely remember).

We were SO happy that we found a decent place to get a vegetarian meal without having to drive miles away. That, my dear friends, is a BIG relief especially when traveling.

Next up? How does Cork & Bean Wine Bar & Coffee House sound? I would rate this place as one of the sweetest and coziest breakfast places I have ever visited. Or a cafe. Or a hangout joint.

Marco Polo’s Sandwhiches & Treats
1655 Acquoni Road
Cherokee, NC 28719
828-497-1777