frazer's

we first visited frazer's many, many months ago and were totally wowed by our entire experience. there's no explanation for why it's taken us so long to return, but we did one recent friday night, with a friend who wanted us to show him something different.

mission: 

frazer's

benton park

terrain: 

located near anheuser-busch, frazer's is a coolly decorated, intimate restaurant with an interesting layout. the entrance spits you right into a casual, modern lounge--perfect for an end-of-the-week rendezvous with some friends. an area to the right of the bar features a coffee table and some comfy couches and chairs, like you're sitting in a friend's living room. it would be very inviting if not for the fact that the patrons waiting to be seated are forced to encroach upon this space for lack of anywhere else to stand. the dining room entrance is the most striking feature: a large wave-like marble mosaic surrounds the opening and indicates the separation of lounge from restaurant. a room to the left features a nice bench all the way around, underneath a mural that feels oddly styled for this establishment, and is, frankly, pretty forgettable. but there's a nice fireplace, and the light fixtures are really neat.

personnel: 

we have to say, the first time we visited, the service was outstanding. our server was truly very nice and knowledgeable, genuinely concerned about our dining experience. we're inclined to use the word "gentleman." we mean that: he was very mild-mannered, careful, attentive. this time, with a different server, not so much. the words "sardonic" and "flippant" come to mind. he was wrong about a few ingredients in the dishes, we had to ask for the complimentary bread basket ten minutes after ordering, and when we voiced our dissatisfaction with a particular dish, he was unhelpful and, worse, unconcerned. and don't even get us started on the snarky hostess. so, even though we were seated feeling unwelcome and bothersome (to both the hostess and this particular server), we were completely ready to ignore it for the sake of our food, because on our last visit it was perfection. shitty service be damned, at least they're not making our meals! 

oh, boy....

rations: 

we started with--you guessed it--hummus, served with feta, kalamatas, and pumpkin seed flatbread. the hummus was pedestrian. and not ratso rizzo "i'm walkin' heah!" pedestrian; more like your grandma shuffling across the street pedestrian. the flavor really came only from the toppings, with a very minimal contribution from the flatbread. the pumpkin seeds don't come through at all, they're too fragile, too floury. it left us wanting more--but from schlafly.

next on the bill was the avocado salad, a lettuce-less affair of avocado, celery, red onion, tomato, and pecans dressed with a cumin seed vinaigrette. sadly, the celery dominated the other vegetables and the cumin seeds were ridiculously overpowering. this salad was seriously misbalanced, but as this is a housemade dressing, it could easily be different on another night. and you could always go the route of ramekin on the side. the pecans, when we got one, complemented the smoothness of the avocado nicely and helped balance the bite of the celery, but this was more disappointing and confusing overall. (did no one taste this dressing? or look at it?)

finally, for entrees we ordered two of the evening's specials: the stuffed poblano and the vegan curry. bad news first. the vegan curry was an absolute disgrace, and a slap in the face. we were told it was a coconut milk-based curry; we received a stir fry. we wish we were joking. we could pick up on some indian curry powder, but it lacked any heat and tasted like they used a generic chinese stir fry sauce. nothing to bring out the curry flavor or develop it at all. let's not forget the room-temperature white rice. after we asked our waiter to take it back, he returned it to us in even worse shape than before. the rice was even colder, and the vegetables were obviously scraped out of the bowl (leaving a messy, unsightly smear) and allegedly "re-fired." the curry powder was visibly caked onto the vegetables and sprinkled on the rice, in a vain, misguided attempt to produce more flavor. but enough about that one. if you're offered this dish, just say no, kids.
the poblano, on the other hand, was quite tasty and showed that some thought actually went into its creation. served over some black beans and stuffed with rice and cheese, the poblano pepper was cooked very well. the breading added some nice crunchy texture, as did the cabbage. we were happy enough with this one, though it was still a far cry from the exquisitely crafted, perfectly presented dishes we remembered frazer's for. sadly, what really made the poblano a failure was its temperature--it was lukewarm by the time it was brought to our table.

now, we know it sounds like we're being pretty hard on frazer's, but we want to stress that this was one experience and that it couldn't have been more opposite the first time we went. lois actually wrote the restaurant upon returning home after a car ride of venting and trying to figure it out. frazer himself replied, very sympathetic. we are absolutely going back because there's no reason why a restaurant with this reputation and potential would perform so pathetically. more to the point, this is a restaurant that is committed to providing ample vegetarian options and we'd really like to make this one of our staples. we are convinced it won't be like this next time, and we'll let you know about it in part two. maybe just don't go on a friday night when it's slammed.

assessment: 

incomplete

vegetarian-friendly score:
b+

square one brewery

the first time we visited square one, we were hungry for hummus and hoping for a new, interesting interpretation.  we were underwhelmed by it, but the rest of square one's food was good enough for us to keep them on our radar.  besides, the beer is top notch.

(note: please forgive the photo quality.  it was crazy dark, so flash was required, which explains the nuclear edamame spread below.)

mission: 

square one brewery and distillery

lafayette square

terrain: 

when we visited a year ago, smoking was still allowed in the bar area, but that, thankfully, has changed.  in any case, square one separates their dining room from the bar area with a hallway flanked by their brewing tanks.  really, it's quite cool, and unlike schlafly bottleworks, the smell of brewing beer doesn't smack you in the face.  on this night, since it was pretty quiet, we decided to sit in the bar for a change of pace.  the bar is nice if a bit too dim, but we figure this choice of lighting is preferable for the single folks looking for a more forgiving/flattering illusion.  just beware of the seinfeld two-face phenomenon, single folks.  beware.

personnel: 

our hostess was cool and set the mood for us.  since we reserved a table via opentable.com, she knew that we were vegetarians, and even though she didn't have to, she talked to us just a bit about the vegetarian burger on the menu this night.  after this preliminary lay of the land, our server took over and gave us a very thorough overview of the vegetarian options.  she wasn't sure if the veggie burger was made with match meat, but she did her best to convince us that the burger was worth ordering.

rations: 

we began our meal with the trio of spreads, which consists of spicy black bean dip, curried edamame, and "traditional" hummus.  the dips are served with a few toast points and a heap of tri-colored tortilla chips, and we generally favored the tortilla chips over the too-hard toast.  really, though, the all three spreads were top notch, delivering a complexity of flavor that were wholly unexpected.  with each bite of each spread, the flavor only intensified, as did the volume of our moaning.  our faithful readers know by now that we're very emotive eaters, and we usually gauge our experience by how much time is spent making noises.  for the first ten minutes of this meal, hardly a word was spoken.  nice.  our only complaint is that the spreads come out a bit too cold and are difficult to, uh, spread.  minor quibble, though, really.

after delighting in the spreads, we moved on to our two entrees: the veggie burger and the grilled polenta.  we were fortunate to spend a tuesday night with square one because tuesdays are always "build a burger tuesday."  there's a huge list of ingredients to choose from, including gourmet options like smoked tomatoes and wild mushrooms.  the veggie burger option is two bucks more than the meatburger, but we were just thankful to be able to partake in the fun.  our burger was quite good and had a texture similar to the veggie meatloaf at terrene--dense with grains and tvp, not too dry.  the cherry-sage mayo, though, is the key ingredient here.  you might not expect it, but somehow the cherry combined beautifully with the savory burger and nutty cheese.  the only thing we might do differently next time is go oldschool: burger, cheese, ketchup, mustard. (note: as of now, square one only offers the veggie burger on tuesday nights.)

the grilled polenta was only so-so, unfortunately.  it's a good looking dish, no doubt, and the bed of black beans was a nice change from the standard polenta presentation, but the sauce simply wasn't good enough elevate the the too-dry polenta.  the smoked tomatoes were virtually nonexistent, and we were displeased, too, with the not-so-generous helping of avocado (though we doubt more avocado could've saved the dish).  perhaps if the cheese had given us more flavor... perhaps not.  meh.  we particularly liked that it was grilled, since we almost always see it pan- or deep-fried, and the herbs in it definitely helped its flavor. to be sure, there's a lot of potential here, and we were grateful for the reimagining of the traditional presentation, but we'll need to see stronger sauce and better cheese before we'll consider ordering the polenta again.

for the most part, square one has done a nice job with its vegetarian options.  they haven't played it safe at all, which we love, and they've done some really good things with flavor.  they also have a number of interesting salads that we intend to explore in the future.  if they keep tweaking things and start to offer a few more veg-friendly entrees, they'll become a mainstay on the vegetarian foodie radar.

assessment: 

b+

vegetarian-friendly score:

b+

ice kitchen

we first tried ice kitchen over a year ago and had a pretty good meal.  honestly, the only thing that prevented us from going back was the out-of-the-way location, but the relative paucity of vegetarian options was also a deterrent.  after reviewing the menu recently, however, we decided to pull the trigger on a restaurant.com coupon for ice kitchen and give them one more try.  it's all for you, faithful readers.

all twelve of you. :)

mission:

ice kitchen

maryland heights

terrain:

ice kitchen is located a few miles north of 64 and 270, in a little plaza near fee fee lane (seriously).  there are a number of other little restaurants and a comedy club in the same plaza, so we suppose it's ideal for young business-types of the northwest side of the city to blow off some steam.  the decor is, for lack of a better word, swanky.  swathed in a variety cool blues, one could say that the place is "iced out" if one were so inclined.  there's a bar in the center of the restaurant that caters to the more boisterous crowd, and then there are series of dimly lit booths and tables for folks more interested in romance.  we opted for the latter cuz lois is nothing if not a misanthrope romantic.

personnel:

it should be noted that from the minute we were greeted at the door, the staff made us feel like v.i.p.s.  from the hostess to the waiter to the shift manager to random other staff not even connected to our service experience, we got nothing but warm smiles.  most important, our waiter did everything he could to make sure that everything ordered was strictly vegetarian.  truly fantastic service.

rations:

since the restaurant.com coupon required us to spend at least fifty bucks, we went to town.  now, ice kitchen is not so big baller that meals begin with an amuse bouche or anything, but they do insist on courses for the meal.  so, we began with the roasted corn chowder, and we knew instantly that nothing else we ordered would trump this opening.  ok, yeah, it's full of heavy cream and probably a tad too much sodium, but, like, whatever.  it tasted awesome!  the flavor was boldly intense without masking the sweetness of the corn, and the consistency was textbook "chowder."  ultimate comfort food.  much moaning.  much closing of eyes.  much furrowing of brow.

next up was the deconstructed greek salad, which consisted of field greens, kalamata olives, feta, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, spiced pita strips, and balsamic vinaigrette.  to this we added a portabella steak for extra oopmf, though ultimately big daddy mushroom failed to shine.  the salad was competent and everything (including the tomatoes!) was fresh.  we could have done without pita strips entirely, but otherwise the salad was solid.

it was good to have the salad if for no other reason than we were thankful to have some vibrant veg before the next course: the antipasto platter (sans meat) and assorted spreads.  based on a request of ours, the chef graciously agreed to combine the meatless antipasto platter with the spreads to form one behemoth of a party tray.  the antipasto platter: the cheese and bread weren't all that exciting, but we still managed to finish them off; the candied walnuts were yummy; the grapes were super plump and perfectly tart; and the olives provided the salty punctuation necessary to liven up the cheese.  the house-made spreads: the zesty eggplant puree was just that--zesty goodness; the tzatziki sauce was surprisingly flavorful; and the kalamata tapenade beautifully combined an olivey-zip with a butter/oil basenote.  really, all of it was good. 

by now, though, we were starting to feel the burn.  but nothing stands in the way of our recon!  so we dug in, unbuckled our belts, and made room for ice kitchen's vegetarian version of their wonton tacos.  ordinarily, their tacos come with carne asada, but the kitchen substituted the beef for extra taro root puree.  we're pleased to say that the result was quite good.  the napa cabbage slaw was bright and hearty, and the avocado-chili sauce was scrumptious if a touch too spineless.  unfortunately, the wonton shells were lackluster and didn't have the capacity to support the ingredients.  we can only imagine how quickly they'd succumb to the extra weight of the carne asada.

and still we weren't finished!  by now, we were leaning against each other for support, but we managed to give the final course a go.  we concluded with the vegetarian flatbread because, well, we figured we couldn't go wrong with veg, bread, and gooey cheese.  much to our chagrin, the flatbread was by far the lowlight of the evening.  the veg was scant at best, the cheese lacked any personality, and the balsamic reduction nearly obliterated all other ingredients.  worst of all, though, was the bread itself.  completely and utterly flavorless.  what a shame.  but, hell, we could barely take a sip of water at this point, so it was no great loss that we didn't want to finish the food.

overall, we left ice kitchen quite pleased.  it's tough to complain about great service, competent food, and vegetarian-friendly chef.  so we won't complain.  it's great to have a kitchen that's willing to help with dietary needs; we'd just like to see more vegetarian options on the permanent menu.  so, though there are other places closer to home that we prefer, there's no question that we'll be visiting ice kitchen again, even if it takes us another year to get there.

assessment: 

b+

vegetarian-friendly score:

b+

gokul

in the mood for some indian and curious to try a new place, we recently visited gokul. it's 100% vegetarian, and we've read some really good things about them. gokul offers a vegan buffet every other monday and we knew we had to see it for ourselves, but we couldn't wait. so, we figured we'd take advantage of our impatience and review the regular vegetarian fare.

mission:

gokul

maryland heights

terrain:

it's pretty no-frills, but they've brought some life into their small space with some bright paint and a few decorations here and there. the tables and chairs will time warp you back to a 1980s banquet hall where you may have attended a classmate's bar mitzvah, but really, they're not so bad. it's clean, and the tablecloths show you they're doing their best. very sparse, but comfortable enough.

personnel:

as it's a buffet, and we knew we could feel secure about the dishes being safely meat-free, there was very little interaction with staff. just a quick, maybe somewhat confused greeting (i guess we don't look like the usual patrons?), some water refills, the payment. again, very sparse, but comfortable enough.

rations:

first, we want to apologize for not having any photos for this one. it didn't feel right to take photos here and, frankly, the food just didn't merit documentation. that being said, we're sure we'll go back and try the vegan buffet if only because we've never been to one at an indian restaurant and we really admire the commitment.

the buffet is situated along one of the side walls; half is set up with the small snacks, condiments, and chutneys galore, and the other half with the rice, naan, and main courses. they have what you're used to ordering at other indian restaurants: paneer tikka masala (usually one of our favorites), saag paneer, various daals, &c.  as has been our experience with other buffets, we found the vegetables sorely lacking. pretty disappointing for a dedicated vegetarian restaurant--you would think this would be the one place that wouldn't skimp on the veg! we also questioned the freshness of the ingredients, which is a real drag. the masala rice had great taste but was unfortunately extraordinarily sticky and dense. even the sauces were nothing to get fired up about: the disproportionate amount of cream in some of them basically lobotomizes the spices, and the non-cream-based were just a little too oily. it was truly lackluster all around, and we're really sorry to say it because we really wanted to love this place.

again, we're not ready to write this one off. this could be a good option if you're in the area looking for indian on the go. other than that, there just isn't anything that would bring us back for this buffet. someday we'll try the vegan one, though we're not getting our hopes up. we understand a lot of people love this place and we really don't want to come down hard on them, but if we're honest in our evaluation, the food just isn't that good.

assessment:

b-

vegetarian-friendly score:

a- (despite being 100% vegetarian, the paucity of vegetables prevents it from getting an "a.")

cafe bistro

strange thing happened the other night: clark found himself eating dinner alone.  in a mall.  ouch, right?  surprisingly, it wasn't so bad.  not bad at all, really.  

mission:

cafe bistro | nordstrom | west county mall

west county

terrain:

cafe bistro is bright, spacious, and comfortable.  there's an emphasis here on sweeping lines and soft edges.  it's nice, too, that the kitchen is exposed for all to see.  we've always been fond of watching chefs prepare food and interact with each other.  for a mall cafe, it's really pretty good looking.

personnel: 

one orders at the front of the restaurant and then takes a seat in one of the many plush booths.  on this night--blustery, snowy, bleak--the patrons were few and the waitstaff were plenty.  clark's waiter was quentin, a guy genuinely concerned about his customers' well being.  clark and quentin exchanged some banter before the food arrived, during which time clark learned about quentin's kids and ex-wife.  one wonders how these conversations begin sometimes, and they're certainly not always comfortable places to be, but quentin's disarming disposition made this experience downright pleasant.  in any case, after clark explained the foodblog to quentin, the dutiful waiter made his way directly to the kitchen to inquire about some of clark's general food questions.  originally, the cashier told clark that nothing went in the fryer other than vegetables or cheese, but clark was dubious, and after quentin's digging, he revealed the truth: meat and vegetables are fried in the same oil.  bummer, yes, but we're grateful for clark's diligence.

rations: 

there are very few strictly vegetarian options at cafe bistro, but incredibly, the food was quite good.  clark began with an organic greens salad, which came dressed with bing cherries, marcona (!) almonds, roma tomatoes, a goat cheese fritter, and homemade champagne vinaigrette.  unfortunately, quentin didn't find out about the fryer until clark had wolfed down the fritter, but even without the fritter the salad would be far above average.  the greens were fresh and vibrant, the tomatoes were full of flavor, and the cherries were beautifully tart.  the marcona almonds were, as always, insanely good (they're clearly the cadillac of almonds), but it was the homemade dressing that really made this salad exceptional.

clark concluded with a wild mushroom brick oven pizza.  the flavor of the pizza was quite good, due in large part to the roasted fennel.  the cheese--combination of ricotta, gruyere, and mozzarella--was tasty indeed.  it's the ultimate comfort food, really, particularly on cold, lonely nights.  unfortunately, though, the crust was a bit undercooked around the edges, and the pizza was soggy toward the middle from the fennel.  still, the biggest disappointment was the relative flavorlessness of the mushrooms.  a better marinade was in order if those mushrooms are ever going to rise above the powerful cheesiness of this pizza. 

overall, though, these are minor quibbles with the pizza, and clark had no trouble polishing it off.  and, besides, the quality of the salad makes cafe bistro easily worth a return trip if a vegetarian finds herself stranded at west county.

assessment:
b

vegetarian-friendly score:

c

terrene

terrene was the first restaurant clark visited when he moved to st. louis.  the reason?  he researched best fries (can you say, "addict"?) in st. louis, and terrene was at the top of the list back in 2008.  to say the least, he was amazed, not only by the quality of the frites but also of the quality of the vegetarian selections.  it's been a love affair ever since.  the proof? it was the first place clark took lois after they met.

mission: 

terrene

central west end

terrain: 

terrene is separated neatly into three sections: the extraordinarily secluded and comfortable patio, the main dining room, and the bar.  the decor inside is fully modern, and says all it needs to about fine dining without being pretentious.  when we visit terrene, we almost always stay in the bar area, as that's the only place to capitalize on the happy hour menu, which is something all st. louis noshers should try (more on this later).  the menus are interesting, too, in that they're supported by rustic wooden boards and offer only twenty or so options, and there are brief explanations of terrene's philosophy.  the latter is a nice touch and gives patrons an idea of the care the kitchen takes when preparing these gorgeous dishes.

personnel: 

although our favorite bartender in the city left terrene a few months ago, we still get great service every time we visit.  and by "great" we mean "the very best."  there's no way to count the numerous times a server has gone out of his or her way to make sure our vegetarian needs are met, and there's never a time where we've been neglected in any way.  we don't mean to overstate things or be melodramatic, but it makes the experience so much more enjoyable when you know you'll be taken care of, doesn't it?

rations: 

terrene specializes in serving local ingredients, and their ever-changing menu reflects the produce of the season.  for those who haven't been there yet, every season is worth a trip to terrene, but make sure you visit at least once when they're serving tofu tacos.  they are, without question, the best tacos we've ever tasted, and that includes street vendors in mexico, san diego, and austin.  when we first had the tofu tacos (after a change in the guard for terrene's head chef), it was like we were reborn.  reborn in the church of pepitas and salsa verde.  just devastatingly good.  in any case, since it's winter, there are no tofu tacos on the menu, but there is a new addition to the appetizer section that is worthy of note: mushroom flatbread.  one of the standard apps at terrene is the veggie sausage flatbread, and it is truly scrumptious, but it was nice to have a change of pace with the mushroom flatbread.  it is served with local mushrooms, caramelized onions, goat cheese, and fennel pollen.  all of the ingredients were fresh, bold, and interesting, and the flatbread itself was insanely good.  it was a lovely combination of flaky outside and soft inside, and there was a wonderful flavor of buttery olive oil.  delicious.

we also obliged ourselves to the (heaping mound) of frites, as we always do.  there is simply no way for us to visit terrene without ordering the frites.  no way.  they are, in a word, perfect.  since they're frites, they're of course double-fried, which translates into perfectly cooked potatoes.  but it doesn't stop there: with a perfect sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper and a duo of dips (horseradish ketchup and white cheddar ale sauce), these frites become other-worldly.  have we mentioned that they're perfect?  there are few things we find ourselves craving throughout the week (the western addition at pi, pistachio gelato, arizona gunslinger's organic hot sauce), but these frites are almost always at the top of that list.  and, dear lords, just look at that serving!

on this evening, we concluded with the vegetarian meatloaf entree.  we hardly ever order the entree at terrene (primarily because of price), but tonight we felt like doing something different.  the loaf came on a bed of brussels sprouts and butternut squash, and it was topped with a vegetarian mushroom gravy.  though clark wanted more of the gravy because it was so friggin good, the meatloaf didn't really need anymore sauce.  the veggie meatloaves we've had in the past have erred on the side of too-dry, but this meatloaf was just right.  there was a beautiful caramelized crust surrounding an exceptionally moist.  (this is the one and only time we'll use this cringe-inducing word; it's simply the only one that fits in this instance.) the balance of sweet and savory was spot on.  we quite literally moaned through the entire dish.  lois paused once to utter this summation: "this is 'last meal' good."  nuff said.

no need for much summary here: just get thee to terrene, posthaste.

assessment:

a

vegetarian-friendly score:

a-

mojo tapas

close to tower grove park on grand boulevard, next to a great bookstore and around the corner from a coffeehouse we love, mojo is in a prime location. there are loads of restaurants further down the street, but we'll save some of those for coming entries. mojo tapas caught our attention--surprise--because of their hummus, but the rest of the menu looked interesting enough and we do like this area. so, despite our reservations about tapas, we wanted to give it a shot and we went with open minds one evening early this past week.

mission: 

mojo tapas restaurant and bar

tower grove

terrain: 

the inside is quite nice: they don't bother with fussy decorations but just let the furniture and woodwork speak for themselves. the colors are warm, as you would probably expect in a tapas place, and the simplicity of the decor puts the focus on the exposed brick, ceiling tiles, and accents like the pretty wine cabinets. the only problem with this kind of minimalism is that there's nothing to absorb noise, and as people tend to make a lot of it when they gather for drinks and chit chat, it can get pretty noisy pretty quickly. we chose an unfortunate night for dinner there, as there was a huge gathering of some neighborhood volunteer/networking group (we're not sure what that means, either). we were just happy to get out of there before the karaoke commenced.

personnel: 

we realized when we walked in that this crowd could be a bad sign for us, and having to stand around and wait for five minutes before any wait staff came near the host's station made us wonder if we should just get some pancakes at city diner and try again next time. finally someone came over and asked, "you wanna table?" as though we might just like to stand in the doorway all night. as we sort of expected, it took a few more minutes to meet our server, and she seemed a little unsure as to what to do with us--not because we're vegetarian, just in general. but she was very obliging, checking with the chef on certain vegetarian options, and coming up with a way for us to order the spinach salad without bacon (it's actually in the balsamic vinaigrette, if you can believe it, so he'd have to just whip up a little oil and vinegar). we decided against the salad, but the willingness to cooperate was nice, even if she seemed doubtful about it at first. we're sure the vibe is not always like this; surely the large event just put everything a little off.

rations: 

we started the meal with curried edamame hummus with lavash crackers. it was competent, but not something we'll remember. there just wasn't enough curry. it's still tasty and has great texture. we really like that they offer it, but this little plate just doesn't live up to its full potential. don't let the picture get you down too quickly: there's a little more hummus under the crackers. (but still not $6 worth.)
(as an aside, we want to mention that schlafly bottleworks used to have a curried edamame hummus, and there would be no comparison if they still had it. that stuff was killer, good enough to sometimes make us forego their hummus [which is our favorite, ever]. it was also served in a huuuge mound with their housemade curry crackers, all for the same price mojo lists theirs for. still, however much it breaks our hearts to say it, schlafly doesn't make it anymore and if you're curious, mojo does make a decent effort.)

next, we had a cup of the butternut squash soup garnished with spiced red wine reduction. it's not much to look at, but this was delicious! this little cup packed so much satisfying sweet-savory flavor and happy-making warm goodness that we rubbed it clean with our bread. we were sorry not to have ordered a bowl. if we go back, we would be delighted to have a bowl each.

for our final tapas, we got the roasted veggie cakes with smoked tomato aioli. if they look a little soggy in the picture, it's a fair representation, but this only detracted from them a little bit. they're soft without being mushy, dressed just right, and even if they are a tad soggy, we would still take that over too dry. i worried that it would be too like a veggie burger patty, but it really stands on its own. our server actually told us after the meal that this is her favorite menu item. we can see why.

finally, we finished off with a flatbread of exotic mushrooms, goat cheese, arugula, and truffle oil. it was a competent flatbread. dough not too thick or dry, not too thin or greasy--a nice sort of goldilocks balance. it really lacked in flavor where there wasn't any char, though, and a couple bites in we agreed that it'd have been nice to at least have some herbs in the crust. the mushrooms were lovely, really flavorful and cooked perfectly. there could have been more truffle oil, but we can't complain about fewer calories and less grease on our hands. there was enough for flavor, but a little more wouldn't hurt. the arugula was also a nice touch--lois is particularly gaga for arugula--and it offered a nice contrast in taste to the rest of the ingredients. we like that they didn't skimp on the green and that, most importantly, they weren't limp. still lively and delicious. 

while we did enjoy aspects of everything we had, we did think there was room for improvement on each dish. we know we're just not as into the tapas thing, but what we're really taking into consideration is the value for the money and attention to detail. mojo was definitely a better experience all-around than the other tapas restaurants we've visited, but there just aren't enough options for vegetarians for us to enthusiastically endorse it.

assessment:
b

vegetarian-friendly score:
b-

portabella

the first time we tasted potabella's food was at the taste of st. louis, where we had portabella's "kick ass fries."  they were good enough for us to book a dinner reservation not long after, but we had a little car mishap (good going, clark, where did that curb come from!?), so we weren't in the best spirits when we sat down for grub.  so, finally, months later, after a super cautious drive through clayton, we sat down to lunch at portabella for a review.  here's how things went down...

mission:

portabella

clayton

terrain:

there isn't much in the way of decor at portabella, but it doesn't look bad, either.  they have a couple cute, crescent-shaped booths, but otherwise things are pretty straightforward: cloth-covered tables, a bar, etc.  if available, ask to be seated at a booth.

 

personnel:

on this particular visit, our waitress was... not so good.  it's not that she was aggressively mean or sarcastic, but she made us feel like we were putting her out.  she also disappeared for quite some time, which would have been fine by us had she vanished after putting in our order.  in any case, another waiter filled in for her at times, and he was able to tell us more about the vegetarian offerings (just like the waiter we had the first time).  so, we guess two outta three aint bad.

rations:

just as with our first visit to portabella, we began our meal with their home-made foccacia.  really, it is quite good, but we couldn't help noticing that this particular batch felt like the leftovers from the lunch rush: good, but a bit expired.  still, in its tired state, this is still better foccacia than you'll find at most restaurants. from here, we moved on to the "kick ass fries," which are a delectable combination of perfectly cooked fries, garlic, asiago, and parsley.  thing is, the only time we've ever seen parsley on the fries was at the taste of st. louis; neither time we've visited the restaurant have we received parsley on the fries.  a minor quibble, perhaps, but we'd like see 1) a little green on the fries and 2) an accurate menu description.  in any case, the fries were fun to eat, so we didn't raise a fuss.



the vegetable wrap was up next.  we almost always avoid wraps wherever we go, as they're usually just a throwaway menu item for chefs that don't want to accommodate vegetarians but feel they have to, but the menu at portabella gave us few options.  so we weren't expecting much when we ordered the wrap, but it was surprisingly tasty.  it came packed with a generous portion of greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a stunningly good white bean hummus.  the tortilla wrap itself had just enough flavor to make it worth at least some of the calories, and the rest of the ingredients made us feel pretty good about the selection in terms of healthfulness and flavor.


we concluded the meal with margherita flatbread, which came topped with a fairly flavorless mozzarella, some tasty roma tomatoes, and some relatively lifeless basil.  not exactly a crowd pleaser.  as for the flatbread supporting the ingredients, it was good, but perhaps a bit too dense.  it's pretty, no doubt, but as clark put it, "it's just food." 

you'll also notice that there are side salads on each of our entrees.  frankly, these two salads were among the highlights of the meal.  the mesclun greens were fresh and flavorful, combining the sweetness and bitterness of different lettuces, and the combination of gorgonzola, walnuts, kalamata olives, and house balsamic was simply divine.  we would both happily destroy an entire bucket of that salad.

overall, portabella delivered a solid, if unspectacular, dining experience.  there were certainly things that we enjoyed, but we were turned off by the inconsistent service and food preparation.  still, what we really want is a more vegetarian-friendly menu.  portabella has some strong options already, but a vegetarian needs more than just a handful of choices.

assessment:
b

vegetarian-friendly score:

b-

fond

after our delightful lunch at sacred grounds, we spent the remainder of the frigid afternoon in a bookstore, resting up for our super decadent dinner at fond. we had no idea what to expect, as the menu at fond changes often, but we knew it would be interesting. as luck would have it, too, this night proved to be a re-launch of sorts, as chef amy "mad genius" zupanci has decided to take her restaurant in a slightly different direction. we can't speak to how the restaurant was before (see sauce or rft for older articles about chef amy), but we can say with confidence that she's pointed her restaurant in the right direction for the future!

mission:
fond
edwardsville, il

terrain:
after sprinting from our car to the front door of fond (it was friggin' coooold outside!), we settled up to the greeting-podium-thingy and waited to be seated. while the larger group ahead of us made its way into the dining room, we got a chance to scope things out. there's a small but cozy waiting area across from a four-stool bar. the lighting is just dim enough to put you at ease but not force you to squint, and the color palette somehow invokes both a sense of the modern and the rustic. since clark made a reservation ahead of time to request a special table, we were seated in a spacious corner booth that gave us a view of nearly all of the dining room. all of these things really put us in the mood to chow.

personnel:
our waitress was nice and, most importantly, helpful. after we informed her that we are vegetarians, she made every effort to accommodate us (directing us to the night's veg options, making trips to the kitchen to check for dishes with chicken stock), and she was attentive without being overbearing. one thing we didn't care for was their insistence on handling our napkins for us. lois particularly took umbrage with this, and she's right to want the wait staff to let us use our napkins as we like (or not at all, by gods!). aside from this teeny quibble, everything else went quite well, and we were particularly delighted to see chef amy flitting about the room, smiling ear to ear, doing everything she could to make sure each table was happy and taken care of. chef amy rules. really.

rations:
the philosophy at fond is to provide local, ethically-sourced ingredients, which results in insanely delicious food. the thing is, we expected it to be rich food because of chef amy's french influences, but the food was anything but rich. the server started us off with an amuse bouche of quail egg (clark's first time with quail eggs!) and a tomato chutney/relish. mmmm. now we understand why so many folks are gaga over quail eggs, as those little buggers deliver huge flavor in a small package. before our appetizer arrived, we noshed on some hazelnut foccacia, which was delightful but not extraordinary, and some kind of blue corn and sesame crackers, which were truly fantastic.

we both wanted to take home a bag of crackers with us, but we soon forgot about such a request after our appetizer of kale torte arrived. we're freaks for kale in all its forms, and though we were hopeful, we were also cautiously guarded, expecting the kale to be dominated by the pastry. but it wasn't. the kale was the centerpiece here, and boy did it shine! combined with the other interesting components--golden raisins, pine nuts, and chili oil--the kale torte quickly vaulted into our list of favorite local foods. in fact, after a few bites, clark announced that it was already in the top five appetizers he'd ever had. by the end of the appetizer, clark had moved the appetizer into the top five things he'd EVER eaten. it was that good. and, yes, that is a food halo above the torte.

we were truly buzzing when the entrees arrived. lois went with gnocchi, which was garnished with spinach, melted leeks, creme fraiche, and fried fennel (an addition the chef made when we asked for no italian beef). the result was maddeningly delicious. finger-licking delicious. sop up the remaining sauce with your napkin (take that, wait staff!) and suck off the sauce delicious. and the portion was huge. we had no idea what the portions would be like, which is why we ordered two, but now we know that we can just split an entree in the future and save some dough (cuz, y'know, fond aint exactly cheap). clark went with the mushroom risotto, which was a blend of shitake and oyster mushrooms, perfectly cooked risotto, and a mind-melting, shitake-parmesan tuile (which is a sort of fried cheese brittle). divine. it seemed like the food just got better with each bite, and we never felt disgusting or oily or bloated like we sometimes do at fine-dining restaurants (see: harvest). we just felt good.

though we didn't have room in our giddy but tired bellies for dessert, chef amy sent out some bite-sized sweets to send us on our way. one was a mini white chocolate pastry with cinnamon, and the other was a mini carrot cake that delivered more perfect flavor in one bite than any other slice of carrot cake we've had. wow!

in the spirit of full disclosure, we were drinking some ridiculously good wine (two princes riesling), but the food is strong enough to speak for itself, and we intend to test this theory sometime very soon. that is, as soon as we can save up the money.

assessment:
a+

vegetarian-friendly score:
a

nosh

we've been to nosh once before, at lunch, and really like it. it's been a while, and we were in the area wondering what to do... so, on our way to schlafly (which is our usual fallback), we remembered nosh and called an audible. it was dark and snowy and we noticed that no one was in there, so we thought we'd give them some business.

mission:
nosh
maplewood, mo

terrain:
nosh is nestled between other restaurants and little shops along this part of manchester road. inside, there are a couple tables up by the window and a row of five or so tables extending the length of the place. a row of large, bright, hyper-abstract paintings really brighten up the place and give some visual interest to an otherwise monotonous palette. the walls and floor are dark brown, but we like that they didn't crowd their limited space with too much color so you can keep focused on what you came there for--your company and your food. it's small, but it feels casual and intimate. 

personnel:
our server was... satisfying. we don't mean this in a bad way--if anything, we appreciate servers who get the job done well, don't talk our ears off, don't act enthusiastic. he was nice enough, though somewhat distant, even physically: he spent most of the time behind the bar, which was alright with us. at one point we asked how they usually do on monday evenings and he assuaged our worries about the slow night (we were the only ones there, until a couple came and had some drinks at the bar) explaining that some big football something or other was on. all in all, really, no complaints. he was chatty with the other couple and he seemed very in his element. it all seemed to fit the quiet, snowy night. no complaints from us. 

rations:
first, just to get this out of the way--we thought dinner seemed a little pricey. some of the entrees were as pricey as niche, franco, or eau bistro... and we don't question the quality or the flavor, but these other establishments are fine dining, and they offer a lot more ambience. we were afraid this was dissuading people from coming in, but our server assured us our worries were unfounded. good to know and glad to hear that people think it's worth it.
we also want to note--because we love that they even bother with this detail--when you sit down, the server brings you a carafe of orange-mint water. we like being able to refresh ourselves, and love how amazingly refreshing this combination of refreshing flavors is. mmm, refreshing! we wish more places did this!

we started with the hummus and balela salad platter, which is definitely a platter. this one's easy: you need to make a trip to nosh just to eat this platter. period.

our entree included a salad, which came next. it was superb. the herb vinaigrette is housemade and soo lovely. some fennel is sliced thinly and prepared well so that the flavor isn't too potent, in case you're not fans of the root veggie. the greens are gorgeous and not too limp, and a little more feta and kalamatas aren't even necessary but don't feel like overkill, either. 

for the entree we ordered the tempeh provencal which was, sorry to say, our least favorite dish of the evening. the tempeh was actually quite nice--good nutty, fermented flavor without the funky sour aftertaste you so often get with tempeh. we opted for polenta instead of orzo, and found it much too oily; maybe the orzo would be better, but we don't think either could cut the dryness of the tempeh. this, probably is where the roasted tomatoes would come in, but it seems they forgot them this evening. too bad. the first comment we made was, "this is nice, but it really needs a sauce." i'm guessing the tomatoes would have done it. the menu also says that there should be some spinach and goat cheese, but ours lacked both of these ingredients, too. it did have sides of broccoli, artichokes, and some shiitake and red peppers that delivered a kick of flavor. we're not sure what to make of it, but the broccoli was weirdly not as warm, almost room-temperature. all in all, it seems like the kitchen just dropped the ball on this last dish. at least we loved our previous ones. 


at the end of the night, we decided that we do indeed really like nosh and we would absolutely recommend it to other vegetarians. in the future, though, we probably won't be getting an entree again, just stick to the hummus platter (which we can't wait to eat again), some salad, and some booze. 


assessment:
b+ (only because of the entree; otherwise, a-.)


vegetarian-friendly score:
b+

sacred grounds

we first heard about sacred grounds while clark was researching day trips, and of course we were excited to find an all vegetarian cafe only 40 minutes away. lucky for us, sacred grounds is in the same town (edwardsville, il) as fond, a place we've been wanting to visit for over year, and the township grocer. turns out sacred grounds was just the right place for us to begin our foodie excursion!

mission:
sacred grounds
edwardsville, il

terrain:
nestled in among the many boutiques and restaurants on main street, sacred grounds distinguishes itself with a big brown awning and a good looking (though unidentifiable?) typeface. once inside, things look just like a good college cafe ought to: well-worn seats, graffitied wooden tables, and good artwork. in this case, the theme of the artwork was bicycles--bicycle photos, bicycle collage, bicycle diorama. awesome. truly. oh, and there was a guy playing a guitar at the table next to us. yeah, just a guy and his guitar. so cool. not truly.

personnel:
though we were bummed to find out that lunch wouldn't be served for another hour, the cashier explained that she'd do what she could to get it out to us a little earlier. and, boy, did she deliver! not even 30 minutes later, we had our yummy yums in front of us, served up with a smile. and later, when clark wanted some tea, a different cashier invited him behind the counter to explore the myriad teas (there must be over 25) at his leisure. we're not sure that's up to code, but what the hell do we care? they made us feel like we were regulars on our first visit, and that's something special.

rations:
fully aware of our feast to come at fond later that night, we decided to go light for lunch, so although we ordered three sandwiches, they weren't large by any means. still, they weren't diminutive, either, so we left happy and sated. (we also asked for no butter on the bread, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that sacred grounds doesn't use butter at all in the restaurant!) clark started with the "athena," which came topped with spinach, red onion, tomatoes, mozzarella, and artichoke pesto on sourdough. the artichoke pesto didn't shine through as much as we'd like, but the sandwich was still scrumptious and full of fresh veggies. 

lois started with the "sicilian," which featured portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil pesto on sourdough. this time, the pesto (because of the basil, probably) really stood up. delicious! 

we concluded with the house-made veggie burger, which is a specialty not found on the permanent menu. we were lucky enough to be there on one of the days they were serving it, and ours came with a tzatziki-like sauce that had just enough kick to tame the sourness from the yogurt. it wasn't life changing, but it was definitely an above average veggie burger.

all in all, it was a doggone good lunch and a great value, and it's highly likely that we'll be returning sometime soon. if only there were more things to do in edwardsville...

assessment:
b+

vegetarian-friendly score:
a