Red Pepper Deli [Northville, MI]

My mom had a couple of Groupons to Red Pepper Deli, an organic raw vegan eatery in Northville, so this Saturday we ate (an enormous) lunch there. It was so delicious! 

*One main concept to remember is that for raw foodists, nothing can be heated above about 115 degrees Fahrenheit. It is believed that above this temperature the living enzymes in the food are killed making it more difficult for the body to digest.

Whenever I go out to eat with my mom there is one rule: you are not allowed to order what you can make at home. This narrows down the selection quite a bit because we both really enjoy cooking/un-cooking. It helps us to discover new types of food/flavor combos so we can happily scurry home and try to recreate on our own.

It is always such  pleasure eating at raw restaurants because of the thought and energy that goes into all of the food. For example, raw baking recipes usually uses a dehydrator and takes hours (sometimes days) to complete! Between the 3 sandwiches we tried (that's right, we ate 3 sandwiches between the 2 of us...) there were 3 different kinds of breads! Rye, house-made seed, and pizza bread. Needless to say, we stuffed our faces and also bought some house-made seed bread to go.

My mom refused to open-mouth smile because she

was afraid that she had spinach in her teeth haha

MOCK TUNA ON RYE- SUNFLOWER DILL PATE, TOMATO,

SPINACH and SPROUTS. The special of the day!

N.Y. SUN BURGER- MACADAMIA and CASHEW MOZZARELLA, CASHEW PESTO,

SUN-DRIED TOMATO SAUCE, TOMATO, ROMAINE and SPROUTS

GREENWICH- SEED CHEESE, SPINACH, CUCUMBER, AVOCADO and SPROUTS

We also had a side of house-made sauerkraut and a double shot of wheatgrass. All of it was delicious but we both agreed that we liked the mock tuna salad sandwich the best. It tasted unbelievably similar to traditional (i.e., full of meat, dairy, eggs...) tuna salad!

The Red Pepper Deli Hours: Monday - Wednesday 10:30 - 7:30, Thursday - Saturday 10:30 - 8:00, Sunday Closed.

Located at 116 West Main Street, Northville, MI. 48167 248-773-7671

The Chicago Diner

I'm currently in Chicago with Matt and Marcy staying with some friends that go to Columbia. The one place that Marcy and I wanted to visit was the Chicago Diner. Despite the semi-misleading name, they have been meat-free since '83, featuring diner-style vegetarian fare. Here's a little snippet from their menu:

"Meat free dining is a more sustainable, eco-conscious choice & promotes better health. Awareness of the inhumane conditions of factory farming & vivisection is growing. We support animal rights & care organizations & encourage choosing our vegan menu options. We are now featuring organic or hormone free dairy options, from local farms."

And a little more:

All vegetarian, Very vegan menu

Trans fat free, vegan bakery

Locally grown, select organic produce

Cane sugar & other natural sugars

Fair trade organic coffee

Waste oil donated for biodioesel use

Container recycling

Eco-friendly to-go containers & bags

Organic cotton t-shirts, Bamboo hats

Recycled paper for printing

Local & regional vegan craft beers

Bio-dynamic, sustainable wines

Chicago Soy Dairy Temptation Ice Cream

Daiya Vegan Cheese

Gluten free options

Cage free organic eggs

100% real maple syrup

Multipure water filtration

Gotta love it ;)

We had dinner here on Friday night and it was overwhelmingly amazing. Marcy and I split the Signature Salad and an Avocadonnaise Cheezeberger (quite the name, I know). Anyways just Marcy and I decided to return for lunch yesterday because they really know how to flip one heck of a vegan burger.

AVOCADONNAISE CHEEZEBURGER

The house seitan burger made with corn, peppers &

onions, topped with melted cheeze, lettuce, onion,

tomato & guacamole-Vegannaise sauce.

With a side of Mac n' Cheeze.

THE TITANIC BLT BURGER

A house made veggie patty with Upton’s seitan bacon,

lettuce, tomato & vegan BBQ-mayo, topped with

french fried onions on a multi-grain bun.

With a side of Mac n' Cheeze.

COOKIE DOUGH PEANUT BUTTER SHAKE
featuring Temptation frozen dessert by Chicago Soy Dairy.
I want to bathe in this. So friggin' amazing.

Marcy looking hungry and excited:

I just thought the name "Karmic Re-Alignment Sauce" was too funny...

Say Yes to Michigan!

Dear Michigan League,

When I walked into Beanster's Cafe to indulge my caffeine addiction, I found something that pleased me much much more, a sign advertising your sandwich specials for the week.

It is Celebrating Michigan Week, with two wonderful 'Say Yes to Michigan' sandwich options from an even more wonderful source, the state of Michigan!
Thank you for giving me an option to eat local outside of my own kitchen. I give you two thumbs (covered in butternut squash jam) up! Now let's talk about extending this celebration of our state way beyond the one-week time frame...

Love,
Sam

The Say Yes to Michigan Sandwich [Vegan Style]
Note: They're also offering a "carnivore" version.
Ingredients:

Directions:
Pay $5.00 at Beanster's Cafe at the Michigan League.
Make it a meal for an additional $1.50! This includes a pickle, chips, and a local apple slaw.

Vinology

At the beginning of this local food journey I had assumed that I would only be able to eat food that I had cooked for myself but low and behold, I am singing a new tune after the events of last night. To conclude Marcy's Birth Week, the Zatz family ventured to Ann Arbor and took Hadas, Marcy, and I out to Vinology.

After scoping out the menu online, I was very hopeful that I would be able to actually order a dish. Not only does their menu rotate seasonally, these wonderful words are printed at the bottom:

To support our environment and local economy, 

we focus on local and sustainable ingredients whenever possible. 

Participating farms in this menu include: 

Eat Local Eat Natural, Guernsey Dairy, Calder Dairy, Miller Amish Chicken Farms, 

Gunthorp Farms, Werp Farms, Mighty Good Coffee, Avalon Organic Bakery

Nevertheless, I called in to see the extent of local purchasing Vinology takes part in. I learned that about 90% of their produce is from local sources. I was directed towards Aaron, one of the chefs, to discuss just what that meant.

I ended up talking to Aaron both on the phone and at the restaurant. He helped me navigate the menu to see my vegan options but when he offered to make me something special, how could I say no? Considering I am a far from picky eater, he surprised me with this beautiful creation:

Photo Credit: M Ziggity

Rice pilaf with saffron, topped with huckleberries, micro greens, and thyme.
A salad of dandelion greens, carrots, cucumber, and heirloom tomatoes, tossed in a vinaigrette dressing.
Roasted zucchini and asparagus in a roasted red pepper sauce.
All of which was grown in Michigan (except the rice...)

Although this will obviously not be a typical dining out experience for me (Hello college student budget), it made me realize how accommodating people will be if you are open and honest about your lifestyle. I could have easily kept my mouth shut and ordered the veggies salad, the only dish on the menu that explicitly is from Werp Farm, but I'm glad that I didn't. Not only was Aaron more than willing to make me something special because of my dietary restrictions, he saw it as an exciting challenge!

All I can say is, don't be embarrassed about your personal goals or what you consider important, you'll be surprised to find how many people want to know more or actually share them!