Where has May gone?

Well, I'm not sure where May has gone, but I have gone to LA and NYC and entertained a couple house guests, one right after another, so the month has been fun but in a whirlwind kind of way! So hopefully that will serve as my excuse for not posting the last couple weeks as well; if not, what can I say? My apologies!

So I have come across a few items of interest this month while I was enjoying the beautiful spring weather in the company of friends and family. My fellow veg friend Rachel brought to my attention that Oprah is trying out vegan while on a 21-day detox! This is quite a coupe for us, as she is so well-known and respected that it seems like everything she touches turns to gold. Even if this doesn't get many other people trying vegan across the US (and I'd be surprised if it doesn't), at least maybe now I won't have to explain what vegan means to anyone now. I applaud Oprah on her valiant effort and for helping to raise the awareness of many others to the plight of animals who are born to die for meals. You can read about her experience on her blog here: http://www2.oprah.com/foodhome/food/cleanse/blog/blog_1.jhtml

I had a few good vegan meals in NYC, which is home to more veg and vegan restaurants than anywhere else I've been. I know I can always count on eating well when I go there! This past visit, I had delicious plantains fried with garlic and sprinkled with large sea salt crystals from Esperanza's (not a veg or vegan restaurant, mind you) in East Village at 9th and C. I also ate at one of my favorite standby's: Angelica Kitchen, an all vegan and organic restaurant on east 12th St. It easily met both my and my dinner date's requirements, as I of course insist on vegan and she wanted to eat somewhere that was byob. The service and food were delicious: I ate the special which incorporated beets, tempeh, asparagus, mushrooms and wild rice on a bed of arugula. It was filling but not heavy, and I certainly was hungry for it after walking around the city for hours earlier! It gave me enough energy to go out dancing into the late night.

The next day before my flight, I grabbed a bite at Jubb's Longevity, a small raw food deli, also in East Village on east 12th St. The staff were very friendly, but perhaps a little high from the pure raw food energy, as I had to place my order a couple times for it to register and even then, it took a while to get it, considering it didn't have to be cooked. However, it was quite yummy and worth the wait. We had the pesto pizza and open faced onion and cheese sandwich. A word to the wise though: when I went in, I asked about something in the case and was told "everything's vegan." However, when I asked what was in a desert I was given a taste of, I was told honey—oops! Additionally, this place is pretty pricey, even by organic raw food standards.

Anyway, hope you've had a good month and I'll write more in June!

Vegan Sushi

When I sat down to think about what to write this week, I decided to think over what I had eaten this week. Actually, it had been such a busy and productive week that I hadn't eaten much; I even fasted for almost two days. But on both Sunday and Friday, I had one of my favorite foods—sushi!

Sunday, we went to Sipz (see the archives for a full review). If you go for dinner, the sushi bar is open. There is a huge selection and I have certainly not tried them all, possibly in part because I am still in love with their Aloha rolls.

But last night, I went with a friend to Aubergine's in the Gaslamp. Many people are familiar with Aubergine's as a night club, but they are also known for having some of the best sushi in San Diego. They have a standard vegan roll called the "Marc roll" (that's right—named after our Marc!) that changes in its contents from time to time but is always tasty. The seaweed salad is very good, but be sure to let them know you're vegan and to do the dressing vegan for you (otherwise it has some egg in it). The agedashi tofu is also really good, but again, you must let them know you're vegan so they don't give it to you with fish sauce. If you ask, it should be no problem as they are very accommodating. The atmosphere is fun, and here's the best part: on Friday's they have a sushi happy hour with rolls for $2! These are full size orders of freshly prepared rolls; there is no catch here. My friend and I had a great time and were treated fantastically as always by the staff there. Be sure to make reservations, as they get booked in advance most of the time.

Alright, that's it for this week—enjoy!