vegetarian

Foundation Grounds

by Stephanie on September 14, 2012

in American, Breakfast, Lunch

Whenever I go grocery shopping, I rarely buy bread. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I had a loaf of bread in my house! It’s been months.

Why, you ask? Well, it’s definitely not because I’m avoiding carbs. Me? On a diet? Hah – never! In fact, if I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, chances are good that bread would be near the top of my list.

So why don’t I buy bread? Well…what do people usually make with bread? Sandwiches.

I’m terrible at making sandwiches.

I don’t know why I struggle with this; it can’t be that hard to slap a few ingredients between two slices of bread, can it? Can it?!

Yes. It is. Aside from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (or biscoff and jelly…or cookie butter and jelly!), I’m useless when it comes to this. Believe it or not, there is definitely an art to making a sandwich. It’s all about getting the right proportion of ingredients and layering them in the perfect way to get a great meal. And I Just. Can’t. Do it.

So I leave it to the experts. Winking smile

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(source)

Welcome to Foundation Grounds!

This Maplewood coffee shop is known for much more than…well…coffee. It also has a great variety of pastries, smoothies, and sandwiches! Jackpot.

Foundation Grounds (or FoGro, as I like to call it) has a wide selection of sandwiches to choose from. I decided to go with The Lacy.

 

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This grilled sandwich consists of organic tomatoes, organic spinach, brie, basil pesto, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Yum-O! It’s served with your choice of side. You can choose from fresh fruit, a side salad, chips, or soup. I went with fruit. Who doesn’t love apples?

This sandwich was heavenly! It was obvious that the ingredients were super fresh. The tomato was super flavorful and tasted like it had just been picked from the garden. The spinach was crisp and tasty. And the brie and parmesan cheese? Creamy and amazing! I fell in love. This, my friends, is a sandwich. How does FoGro manage to make something so simple taste so decadent? I will never figure this out.

Prices at FoGro are super reasonable; my meal was less than $10. And the service? Fantastic. The people who work at this neighborhood spot love their jobs, and you can tell. It’s impossible to leave here without a smile on your face.

I highly recommend Foundation Grounds. Two huge thumbs up!

Oh, one more thing! You’re probably wondering who won the $100 giveaway. Well…I picked a winner! You’ll have to pay me a visit on Facebook to find out who it was. Winking smile

See you next week!

{ 1 comment }

Juice Me!

by Stephanie on March 25, 2011

in American, Dinner, Lunch, Vegetarian

Lame title, I know. By the time you’re reading this I’m crying like a baby celebrating because it’s my last day at my current job! I start a new position at a new company on April 4th. Celebration! Smile

Anyway…you’re here for the food, so it’s my job to deliver.

If you follow my column on Maplewood-Brentwood Patch (or if you follow me on Twitter!), you know that I’m doing a vegan challenge this month. Well, the month is almost to a close (thank GOD!). Oh, it was fun, but I sorely miss meat. Especially bacon.

During this month, I’ve tried to do most of the cooking myself (post coming soon!) instead of going out to eat.

But sometimes, you gotta throw the spatula down, grab the car keys, and head out to let someone else do the dirty work.

So I went to OR Juice and Smoothie.

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It’s a cute little place in Clayton (there’s also a Central West End location) nestled between a grocery store and a bikram yoga studio. Score.

The place itself is adorable. I wanted to take pictures, but then I saw this:

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Apparently, the owners are totally against cell phones — they feel the waves mess with the integrity of the food – so I was pretty sure they wouldn’t be happy with me snapping pictures all over the place. Hey, after getting yelled at once, I’m a lot more careful, okay? Smile

OR Juice and Smoothie has a ton of vegetarian and vegan selections, which made this girl happy.

I ordered the portabella wrap: sauteed portabella, onions, red bell peppers, yellow squash, fresh green leaf lettuce, brown rice, and house hummus.

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It was huge, and it was delicious. It was also messy, which explains why I didn’t get a better shot of the inside. Or I was so hungry that I didn’t want to bother with taking more than one shot. Pick the excuse that suits you best. Smile

I also ordered a yummy vegan smoothie:

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This flavor was Pure Tropical: strawberry, banana, and guava. It was delicious! Andy’s Sunny Monkey (in the background) was also tasty, and contained orange juice and banana. So refreshing!

My friend ordered this:

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The Vegan House Veggie Burger. I’m not exactly sure what was in it, but it was amazing. It was served with yummy gourmet chips. We both loved it.

Service at OR was interesting. The woman working the counter wasn’t the friendliest woman. She was very short with us when taking our orders. But you know what? I can overlook that, because the food was that good. And while it was pricey (I think the total for everything came to about $35?), the quality of the food was there. So I guess I’ll overlook that as well. Hey, it’s my blog – I’ll do what I want! Smile

Score time!

Food: 5 stars (out of five)

Ambiance: 3 stars

Service: 2 stars

Value: 2 stars

 

Even after this vegan month is over, I can see myself coming back to OR Juice and Smoothie again and again. Good, clean, healthy food. Who wouldn’t love that?

{ 4 comments }

Free Range Cookies!

by Stephanie on March 3, 2011

in American, Cookies, Dessert

Hello friends, and Happy March! Did February just zoom by for anyone else? While I’m a bit sad it’s over (after all, February is my birthday month!), I’m happy that spring starts this month. Bring on the warm weather!

Do you know what else starts this month? If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you already know. For everyone else, let me explain.

I’m kind of in love with a little talk show host named Oprah. You may have heard of her? Smile Last month, Oprah had a show on veganism; she and her staff of 378 went vegan for a week. The Oprah Vegan Challenge, if you will.

Anyway, the show piqued my interest. Don’t get me wrong, I love bacon. But I’m always up for a challenge, especially when it’s food related. I decided then and there that I would emulate Oprah’s Vegan Challenge, but instead of going vegan for just a week, I’d do it for the entire month of March.

We’ll see how it goes. I’m super excited; I think it will be a lot of fun! A lot of my diet is already vegan (or at least vegetarian), so this won’t be a huge jump. Oh, and Andy’s doing it, too. Smile

Want to read more about my vegan challenge? I’m documenting the entire event in my weekly column on Maplewood-Brentwood Patch. Check it out!

Okay, enough rambling. On to the food!

I went to a cute little bakery a few weeks ago. Free Range Cookies. It’s a gluten-free bakeshop in Ferguson, MO. It just so happens they have a lot of vegan goodies as well. Awesome!

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I love the neighborhood of Ferguson. It’s so walkable, with tons of neat little shops all around. I dig that sort of thing. And the shop itself is super cute! Lots of bright colors and tons of cookies, breads, and treats.

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When I walked in, Linda (the baker/owner) was busy at work preparing fresh goodies.

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She was nice enough to let me sample a few items. She let me sample some mint chocolate cookies, fresh out of the oven.

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This is what they looked like before they were dipped in chocolate. They were good. Perfectly crunchy and sweet.

And she gave me some Bacon Lip Balm! Oh yeah. Believe it.

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It’s vegan, yet it smells (and tastes) just like bacon! Amazing.

On to the cookies. All of them are gluten free, and many are vegan. I decided to try a few of the vegan varieties.

First up? Cranberry Oatmeal.

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These were delicious! Soft, chewy, and I loved the bits of cranberries in them. Bursting with flavor. And the cookies themselves? Huge!

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I also tried the Quinoa Cookies. These were my favorite, hands down.

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Again, huge cookies! And I loved how the tops looked like little crop circles. Alien cookies? Smile

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These were soft and nutty, with just the right amount of texture from the quinoa. And don’t let quinoa deter you from trying this masterpiece; you can’t taste it! Trust me on this one.

Finally, I tried the vegan mint chocolate cookies. The finished product was dipped in chocolate!

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These tasted just like Thin Mints (and Thin Mints aren’t vegan, by the way. Sadface!). I nearly cried tears of joy! These babies will change your life.

All in all, Free Range Cookies is amazing. These offerings don’t even scratch the surface; there are cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, bread, brownies, and much much more. I can’t wait to come back!

Score time!

Food: 5 stars (out of five)

Ambiance: 5 stars

Service: 5 stars

Value: 5 stars

The cookies are a bit on the expensive side, but they’re well worth the price for the quality. Until next time, amigos. Smile

So tell me: What’s your favorite kind of cookie?

{ 4 comments }

My Top 5 Restaurants of 2010!

by Stephanie on December 30, 2010

in Best Of

2010 has been such a great year for me and my little blog! It’s hard to believe that I started this baby only 10 months ago! I’ve had so much fun writing, taking pictures of, and eating delicious food! With so many amazing restaurants, it’s hard to pick just 5 favorites. But I’m going to try! Without further ado, here are my top 5 restaurants of 2010 (in no particular order):

 

Terrene

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Andy took me here for our 3 year anniversary in October. That was just a couple months ago, and I’m still dreaming about those scallops. They were like buttah, yall!

City Coffeehouse & Creperie

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I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve visited the Creperie this year. It’s probably one of my favorite breakfast/brunch places of all time. Their crepes never disappoint!

 

Sweet Art

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Sweet Art is hands down my favorite bakery in St. Louis. Aside from their delicious cupcakes (and vegan brownies!), they also make delicious vegetarian and vegan fare. You might remember my post where I waxed poetic about the joys of Sweet Art. Why haven’t they hired me as their social media representative? I’d do a great job, I bet! *hint hint*!

Tam Tam African Restaurant

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Tam Tam was my first foray into West African cuisine, and I guarantee it won’t be my last. Their ginger juice was so deliciously potent! Wowza! Such a friendly, down home atmosphere, too.

 

Milagro Modern Mexican

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Milagro Modern Mexican opened this year in Webster Groves, and I’ve been a fan from day one. Expertly prepared Mexican food with an upscale flair. And with their newly expanded menu, there’s enough to keep me coming back again and again. Oh, and a little birdie told me that their horchata martini is to die for! I guess I better go back and find out for myself.

Jeff Ruby’s

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And now for the bonus selection: Jeff Ruby’s! It’s too bad that Jeff Ruby’s is no longer here in St. Louis. Who could forget that gluttonous adventure my mom treated me and my sister to? Oh, it was grand. Rest in peace, Jeff Ruby’s (and if I ever visit Cincinnati, Louisville, or Belterra, I know where I’ll be headed!)

 

So there you have it. My top 5 (plus 1!) favorite restaurants I’ve dined at this year. What are your favorites? Have a safe and happy New Year! See you in 2011!

 

P.S. I’m sorry it took me so long to pick a winner for the Wendy’s contest! I picked one earlier this week, I just didn’t get a post up. Anyway, the winner is…*drumroll*

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Congrats, Mez! Email me your contact info and I’ll get the giftcard in the mail to you! Smile

{ 14 comments }

How sweet it is…

by Stephanie on August 29, 2010

in American, Breakfast, Cake, Cookies, Dessert, Lunch, Vegetarian

Have you ever visited a place that makes you so excited that part of you wants to tell everyone about it, yet at the same time, you want it remain your own little secret?

Well, that’s how I feel about Sweet Art. It’s a cute little bakeshop & art studio in the Shaw neighborhood of St. Louis, MO.

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I’ve been here before, but this is my first time blogging about it! Thanks to an awesome Groupon, I was able to eat lots of yummy food for next to nothing – and tell you all about it! Double win!

Before I get to the food, let’s talk about atmosphere. This little neighborhood shop is SO cute and inviting. It just feels like home, in a way. I snapped a few photos, but not nearly as many as I wanted to. I just started to feel weird after a while! One thing about food blogging – people tend to think you’re a little crazy when you start snapping photos willy-nilly!

 

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One little thing – I forgot to mention that Sweet Art is a vegetarian/vegan restaurant! As a former vegetarian, this didn’t bother me in the least; I may be a meat-eater now, but I’m not afraid of fake meat products! Food is food, right?

Honestly, though…Sweet Art does such a good job of preparing their food that you don’t even think about the fact that they’re meat free. Everything is THAT tasty!

Okay, enough of the blabber…let’s get on to the food, shall we?

I started with the ‘39th’. (Sweet Art names most of their sandwiches after St. Louis street names…cool, huh?) It is their BLT w/smart bacon (soy), organic mixed greens, tomatoes, and vegan house spread. I added avocado for an extra buck. It came with the choice of chips or organic fruit. Want to guess which one I went with?

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Mmm mmm MMM! The sandwich was delicious and HUGE! The ‘bacon’ was deliciously chewy, the organic greens were fresh, and the creamy avocado mixed with the vegan spread made my mouth SO happy. This was very tasty, and super filling – I could only eat half! Well, okay… maybe I was saving room for this…

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Why, hello there, yummy red velvet cupcake! You sure are looking mighty tasty there…

This was GOOD. I will say it once: Sweet Art has THE BEST cupcakes in St. Louis. Period. The cake was moist and light. The cream cheese frosting was rich and creamy. Red velvet is my fave cupcake flavor, and this one certainly didn’t let me down! Oh, it was so good!

Of course I couldn’t just stop there, now could I? I was stuffed, but I ordered a few goodies to go; a girl’s gotta eat dinner, right?

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The name of this spectacular wrap escapes me. I checked Sweet Art’s website, and it wasn’t on there, either! All I know is that is contains organic mixed greens, a wonderfully delicious spread, and faux chicken. Maybe a few more goodies. I don’t know. I’m useless! This was DELICIOUS, though!

And now, for the grand poobah of the event. The most exquisite, fantastic, rich, gooey, chocolate-y thing that will ever cross your lips…

 

*drumroll*

 

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Three words. Homemade. Vegan. BROWNIE. You can stick a fork in me, because I’m done, folks! How they managed to make this decadent brownie with no eggs, milk, or traditional chocolate will forever be a mystery to me. Dare I say that this is better than any brownie that I’ve ever tasted in my life?!!? Yep, I just went there. And for the naysayers, honestly, this tastes JUST like the real thing. It will blow your mind!

Okay, so now that I’m done waxing poetic about this wonderfulness that is Sweet Art (and I PROMISE you, the owners didn’t pay me to write this glowing review!) I can give you guys some scores (just in case you’re still confused about how I feel about this place).

Food: 5 stars (out of five)

Ambiance: 5 stars

Service: 5 stars

Value: 5 stars

Yep, this received the nearly impossible-to-get straight 5 stars from me! If you’re in St. Louis and you haven’t been to Sweet Art yet, what are you waiting for!?!? Hightail it here, NOW (and take me with you, please!). You can thank me later.

{ 11 comments }