Vegetarian – Page 2 – Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic

City Guide March 6, 2014

San Francisco Travel Guide

I was in San Francisco last weekend and on the flight there, I did a little math to figure out how many times I’ve visited the Bay Area in the past 3 years – nine! If that’s not an indication of how much I love San Francisco, I don’t know what is! We got married in Napa last July, so we made a couple of trips for planning, but most have been for fun. My sister-in-law and one of my best friends both work for Google in Mountain View, so I’ve always got a place to stay (and the best hosts!). If you haven’t been before, or if you want some of my tried-and-true suggestions, please reference the list of my favorite food, drink spots and activities below! Also, please offer any recommendations – I’ll be going back again soon (hopefully!), and always love to try new places.

Other San Francisco posts here. Pictures from this weekend below! Find a Google map with these locations here.

Favorite Restaurants/Drinks

The Plant (Various): Hands-down, one of my favorite restaurants in America – there are so many delicious vegetarian options that I rarely order the same thing twice (try them all!)
Radish (The Mission): The veggie burger is so unique and delicious – very nutty (add cheese!)
Mission Cheese (The Mission): A cheese and wine lovers dream
Dosa (Pacific Heights): The Indian food here is melt-in-your-mouth delicious – try the paneer masala dish
Zazie’s (Haight Ashbury): Holy cow – the line here is indicative of how good the food is – come early for breakfast!!
La Boulangerie (Various): Starbucks didn’t decide to use La Boulange baked goods for no reason! I live for the coffee + oatmeal in the humongous ceramic bowls
Tacolicious (Various): I wouldn’t normally recommend Mexican food this far from the border, but it’s worth it! Amazing guacamole and Marina Girl Salad (YUM)
Helmand Palace (Russian Hill): My first taste of Afghani food and I hope not my last! Be adventurous!
Kokkari (Financial District): Hands down, my favorite restaurant in SF – the baked feta appetizer is all you really need, but you’ll want and love everything else too
Sweet Maple (Pacific Heights): Famous for their bacon, this place has some amazing veggie/vegan options (great salads and oatmeal)
Millenium (Tenderloin): One of the best all-vegetarian restaurants I’ve ever been to… get a bunch of dishes amongst your table and share!
Reveille Coffee Co (Financial District and Mission Bay – my favorite location!): Modern, glass wall coffee shop with amazing drip coffee and the tastiest homemade granola you’ll ever try
Woods Polk Station (Russian Hill): Tiny little beer (and wine) bar with a selection of empanadas (the cheesy aroma will lure you in)
The Brick Yard (Cow Hollow): This yuppie bar has a great atmosphere and gets pretty darn crowded during happy hour
Rickhouse (Financial District): I’m obsessed with the front doors alone, but the entire bar (quiet lounge area upstairs) is really cool (with great cocktails!!)
Cultive (Cow Hollow): My favorite frozen yogurt in San Francisco – the flavors taste fresh and not artificial (or as anti-artificial as cookies ‘n cream froyo can be!)]
Souvla (Hayes Valley): A very simple Greek menu, but the most delicious meal and make sure to order the Greek frozen yogurt… seriously heaven on earth!
Smitten Ice Cream (Hayes Valley): The eclectic flavors taste a little different than what you may be used to, but I’d sample them all! Delicious.
House of Nanking (Chinatown): Get to this (rather) hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurant in Chinatown early if you don’t want to stand in line outside! It’s that good! I got two tofu dishes and was in heaven – and stuffed!!
Greens (Marina): Ah, this vegetarian restaurant has my heart! The glass windows look out onto the Golden Gate Bridge, and Sasha (a carnivore) recently said the stuffed pepper was his favorite dish of our entire vacation!
Jane on Fillmore (Fillmore): This tiny cafe has a simple, but delicious menu, and is perfect for a ladies lunch.
The Mill (Fillmore): Amazing coffee spot near Alamo Square Park – gorgeous interior!

Restaurants on My “Must Try” List

Betelnut, Umami Burger, Presidio Social Club, and Outerlands

Favorite Activities

Mingle with the hipsters and sip on Ritual Coffee in the Mission or Reveille Coffee (various locations, but Mission Bay is the best/prettiest/offers more food – on this map)
Rent a GoCar and drive around the city in this baby-sized Smart Car
Grab San Francisco’s famous Blue Bottle at the iconic Ferry Building
Sip on New Orleans style iced coffee from Blue Fog Market
Act like a paparazzi in front of the Golden Gate Bridge
Shop at boutiques on Union and Fillmore Streets and in Hayes Valley
Explore Chinatown
Smell the amazing bread being freshly made at Boudin Bakery at Fisherman’s Wharf
Reminisce the greatness of Full House and sit in the park in Alamo Square (love the Painted Ladies!) – grab a coffee at The Mill beforehand!
Take pictures on and walk down Lombard Street
Go to the gorgeous sandy beaches of Point Reyes (where we took our engagement pictures)
Check out the redwood trees at Muir Woods
Go to Dolores Park to play, or if you’re getting coffee at Reveille in Mission Bay, then go to the Mission Bay Kid’s Park

Activities on my “Must Do” List

Bike to Sausalito
Take a Cable Car Ride
Visit the SF MOMA
Go to the Disney Museum
Play in the Golden Gate Park (and rent a paddle boat at Stow Lake)
Do a night tour of Alcatraz

Other City Tours

Paris, Durango (Colorado), Austin, Houston, Bali, Washington, DC

Me (6.5 months preggo belly!) and Georgia

Décor February 4, 2014

Valentine’s Crafting + Baking

Last weekend, I headed over to Christie of KiKiMac‘s gorgeous house with Danielle of Goat and Spoon, and we had a perfect “Galentine’s Crafternoon.” She had posted some Valentine’s craft ideas here and here. As you’ll see in Christie’s post, we ended up creating these pretty hearts. Please soak in all of her gorgeous touches – like the place settings, menus, and delicious vegan, gluten free food!

Of course, with this festive holiday approaching us quickly, there are lots of DIY and decor inspirations posted across the web. Oh So Beautiful Paper’s Valentine Crafting Party ideas include some of my favorite! I adore these printables from Oh So Pretty x Sugar & Cloth.

If you’re looking to have or host a Valentine’s girl’s brunch, be inspired here. This Glitter Guide get-together is seriously perfect. I love the bubbly bar and the glitter LOVE letters.

Another gorgeous Glitter Guide crafty party is featured here. Every single detail (and craft) is perfect. Every one.

I also love this cupid’s arrow cake idea! Sasha and I would never finish that big of a cake, but I think a scaled down version would be perfect. I could even use our new favorite vegan chocolate beet muffin recipe for the cakes!

Another fun vegan Valentine’s Day recipe are these chocolate cake balls. I love finding vegan and gluten free recipes – perfect for a dinner with me and my brother-in-law, Carl, who has Celiac disease.

International December 16, 2013

Balinese Cuisine

For the best seafood on the island, any Balinese native will point you toward Jimbaran Bay. We hopped in a cab one night and headed to this gorgeous sandy beach which is lined with seafood restaurants where you literally hand pick your dinner (this is far beyond my vegetarian mind can grasp). Sasha loved it and definitely over indulged (see photographic evidence below) at Kampoeng Restaurant.

The following day, we were picked up at 6am from the hotel and went to a local market, where we met up with our cooking class and instructor from Bumbu Bali. Heinz von Holzen is the Swiss man who runs the show – and we (especially Sasha) loved him. We were gone for 9 hours and loved every single second. We shopped in the local markets for fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, all the while learning about the local Balinese culinary customs. We headed to Heinz’s bed and breakfast, where we spent the latter half of the class learning how to prepare 20 traditional Balinese meals. We were both in awe of Heinz’s passion towards food and left inspired to recreate the dishes we made in class (and devoured after). It was one of our five favorite things we did on the trip. I recommend anyone traveling to Bali to take this class!

Sunset at Jimbaran Bay

Loving the soft white sand on my toes

Sasha working it

Sasha at Kampoeng Seafood where we ate dinner

Deciding which poor lobster to eat

Weighing his dinner for the night

Please see Sasha’s snapper, shrimp and lobster (eyes bigger than the belly)

The most gorgeous sunset

Heinz showing us the local spices

Gorgeous colors in the market

A local Balinese woman preparing rice religious offerings

Bali bananas are all this tiny

Traditional Balinese flower offerings that you will see everywhere on the island

We used plenty of these gorgeous peppers in our cooking class

Another local Balinese woman prepares another type of Hindu offering

Getting ready to get his hands dirty

Preparing the vegetarian peanut sauce salad

The vegetarian end result (heaven on earth)

Certified Balinese chefs (i.e. we have a certificate!)

Sasha demonstrating the hardships of the sulphur porters of Indonesia (read more here)

International December 12, 2013

Initial Bali Snapshots

I’m in love with Bali. It’s truly one of the most magical places I’ve ever visited, and the people here could not be any nicer. I’m a little behind on posting, so I’ve compiled our first few days in one post and will share additional pictures from our cooking class, trip to Padang Padang beach (where they filmed Eat, Pray, Love), dinner at Jimbaran Bay, and elephant ride soon.

Food

Eight Degrees South – great Mediterranean food

Suku – tasty Asian cuisine with nightly Balinese dance performances

Azure – our poolside go-to for lunch

East – a casual dining spot at the Conrad

Sakala – a phenomenal food experience – a trust “must” in Bali

Lakeview Cafe – delicious Asian buffet with breathtaking views

2Day Cafe – as close to a warung (local restaurant) as we’ve tried – great veggies

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Experiences

Relaxing at the gorgeous Conrad Bali lagoon pool and beach

Eating miso soup and drinking freshly squeezed mango juice for breakfast

Practicing outdoor yoga and exploring Nusa Dua by foot

Watching the awe-inspiring Devdan Show (think Cirque du Soleil + So You Think You Can Dance?)

Trying fresh Luwak coffee (read this to find out how it’s made)

Exploring the Balinese coffee plantation, Santi

Witnessing a perfect rainbow between Mt. Agung and Mt. Batur (sleeping volcano)

Trying lots of fresh fruit (except the stinky durian fruit – see Sasha eating it below)

Enjoying the cultural Barong and Kris Dance performance

Our favorite so far – praying in Bali’s holiest water at Tirta Empul

Morning view from our room

Where you’ll find us (every second day – 50% culture, 50% tan!)

Temple style watch guard points

I’m never leaving

Miso and mango for breakfast

Onsite temple

Practicing my yoga moves (outside of the 7:30 Sunrise Yoga class)

My poolside Summer Salad and Sasha’s hamburger – is there anything better?

At the Kris and Barong Performance

Evil and Pure Spirits are fighting (can’t you tell?)

Amazing costumes in play at the performance

Two of the main performers

Waiting to pray in the holy springs at Tirta Empul

Lots of people and things to be praying for

Sasha looks darn good in a sarong (I’m totally biased)

Trying teas and coffees at Santi Plantation

The freshly picked coffee beans and spices at Santi

In front of Mt. Batur

A gorgeous rainbow outside of Lakeview

Sasha being brave and trying durian

Me being less brave and trying mangosteen

Durians look as unappealing as they smell (and taste!)

My only picture at Devdan before getting scolded for taking pictures!

Food November 11, 2013

Black-Bean-Beet Burger

I love black bean burgers (especially Adair Kitchen’s), and I love beet burgers (especially Tiny Boxwood’s). So the other day, I began to search the internet for the perfect black bean and beet burger. I found a number of recipes, but this one stuck out. I tried it. The burgers are heavenly. I made one swap – I replaced the rice for barley, and oat flour for quinoa flour. They still taste amazing. While I’m a full time vegetarian, Sasha only observes Meatless Mondays, so 3 black-bean-beet-burgers are packed in his lunchbox today. Pair them with whole wheat buns (for him), or bunless (for me), with a grilled veggie salad, and you’ve got the perfect meal.

Patties (makes 6):
8 ounces beets, steamed or roasted and peeled*
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, washed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, washed and drained
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup rolled oat flour**
1/2 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sumac
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt
Pepper

Pulse beets in a food processor until roughly chopped. Add beets to a large bowl, along with the garbanzo beans, black beans, brown rice, oat flour, red onion, garlic, sumac, thyme leaves, ground cumin and ground coriander. Mash with two forks until all the beans are incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste. (I added about one teaspoon of kosher salt and half of a teaspoon of pepper.)

Using a half cup measure, form six patties. Cover them with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. (Since we aren’t using egg to bind the mix, this step helps the patties hold together.) Melt butter or olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Toast the hamburger buns for 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add more butter or olive oil if needed. Add the patties and cook on both sides for 3-4 minutes and until the tops are lightly golden brown. Optional: Place slices of cheese on top of each burger and cook for 1 minute longer, until cheese is melted.