Re/Creating Tampa » vegetarian

My New Favorite Bun

JBisMe — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 21:08:00 +0000

Dave and I recently discovered a restaurant that will definitely become part of our regular rotation. Ugly (and even kind of skanky-looking) from the outside, Saigon Bay Vietnamese Restaurant serves a meal that I cannot live without: Tofu bun. In graduate school, one of my favorite places to eat was Fortune Pho, a cheap Vietnamese restaurant where I first met, and then subsequently became addicted to, tofu bun. Words cannot describe the deliciousness of this meal. Tofu bun consists of a big bowl of vermicelli-style rice noodles covered with sliced cucumbers, tofu chunks, sprouts, mint, and crushed peanuts, and then doused with a thin, reddish sauce that my friend Camille would call “crotch sauce” because, she asserted, it smells like crotch. Well, crotch or not, I love this meal. After moving from Austin, Dave and I were never able to find tofu bun that tasted exactly like the kind I got at Fortune Pho… And then we gave Saigon Bay a try one day, and the rest is history. I had been missing tofu bun for about 7 long years, but now it has come back to me. My only problem with it is that I’m pretty sure the crotch sauce isn’t vegetarian. I think it’s fish-based. Ah, delicious fish crotch.

Oops! I had forgotten to give the location. Saigon Bay is at 2373 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33612. It’s in a strip mall that also houses a Jimmy John’s (but that’s the only other store I can recall at this time).

Evo’s has arrived!

JBisMe — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:33:00 +0000

Today when Dave called to tell me that he was ready to eat lunch, he also gave me some good news – the Evo’s that we’ve been awaiting for about two years has finally opened! It’s in the University Mall shopping complex, somewhere between the Marble Slab Creamery and the Sweetbay (can’t recall the exact stores that abut it on both sides).

Actually, to be precise, Evo’s is only “abutted” on one side by another store – on the other side, there’s a concrete-and-brick open space in which they’ve arranged some tables and chairs for outdoor seating. This is actually a much nicer outdoor patio area than most I’ve encountered thus far in Tampa. Whereas your typical Tampa outdoor patio overlooks a parking lot, this one has at least some sense of being it’s own, enclosed little space.

I’m actually embarrassingly giddy about this Evo’s. When my friends Regina and Sam first introduced me to the Hyde Park Evo’s about a year ago, I was like “Where have you BEEN all of my life???” As a vegetarian, I rarely get to eat non-boring veggie burgers at restaurants, much less delicious soy Mexican wraps complete with tomatoes, lettuce, and a creamy chipotle (I think) sauce. At many restaurants, “vegetarian” means “we remove the obvious meat before serving you,” but at Evo’s there is a wide variety of vegetarian burgers, wraps, corn dogs, and chili (see menu below).

Aside from their many veggie options, Evo’s has some other stuff working in its favor. They bake their fries instead of frying them, and they offer organic iced green tea (in addition to your typical soft drinks). They also have smoothies, and they offer several flavors of ketchup. This location has free Wifi, and several comfortable-looking chairs where students can sit for a few hours and surf internet porn (or whatever it is that students do).

On the down side, it isn’t cheap. You can expect to spend between $7-10 per meal, depending on whether you get sides, but this seems reasonable to me, given the deliciousness and the availability of yummy soy products.

Oh yeah, another thing about Evo’s is that I think they’re a local Tampa company. From their website (http://www.evos.com/), it looks like their corporate offices are here, and aside from three locations in Tampa and one in St. Pete, there are only two other locations.

Best Tex-Mex/Mexican – Casa Tina’s

dave — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:13:00 +0000

I ended up combining the “Mexican food” category with the “Tex-Mex” category. Perhaps next year I’ll spend some more time making some clear distinctions between the two categories. For now, however, there is no clear cut winner.

The top contenders were Maya’s, Estela’s, Malena’s, and Casa Tina’s, and those will be our four contenders for the run-off.

I can guarantee that over the next few months I’ll also be checking out Red Mesa, Mi Mexico, and the Mariposa Mexican Grille in Lutz.

Traditional favorites Al Gusto, and Vallarta’s also had their fans, but didn’t break into the top echelon.

AND THE WINNER IS – Casa Tina’s won the run-off. Now, don’t get me wrong, Casa Tina’s is great and I highly recommend it. It’s almost worth the drive to Dunedin for a visit. But, it saddens me that something more local didn’t win.

At Casa Tina’s –

No lard or animal stock used in any of our sauces or beans.

Everything prepared fresh daily in our kitchen.

We prepare our dishes with your health in mind using minimum salt or oil.

It is our goal to bring you the best food at a fair price. If something is not right, tell us! We will fix it or change it.

Most dishes available vegetarian style using fresh vegetables instead of meat or chicken, ask your server for suggestions.

Vegan and low-fat dishes available

369 Main St.
Downtown Dunedin, Fl
727-734-9226

Best Veggie – Grass Root

dave — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:10:00 +0000

Several meat-loving respondents commented they didn’t think there would be much in this category, but there’s more than you might realize. In addition to veggie fare at regular restaurants (as Laura Reiley noted in a recent column) there are also chains like Evo’s, a slew of Indian restaurants, and Tampa’s own Grass Root.

Grass Root bills itself as a “vegan, and raw/living food alternative.” Be sure and check out their web page which includes their menu and some great background info on raw foods living. Just writing about it makes me feel healthier!

Grass Root is open Tuesday – Saturday from 11am – 9pm.

They can me reached at 813.221.7668, and are located at 2702 N. Florida Ave.,
Tampa, FL 33602.

(Image located at Sabrina’s Gallery.)

Casa Tina Mexican Grill: Gourmet Mexican & Vegetarian Cuisine

dave — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 19:52:00 +0000

I don’t know if I would drive from Seminole Heights to Dunedin just to eat at Casa Tina’s, but fortunately we have some friends who live there, so driving over for a visit, a dip in the pool, a dinner at Casa Tina’s, and a beer at Skip’s, makes for an almost perfect day.

The first time I ate at Tina’s we were with a couple visiting from out of town and their two children. I don’t have a child, so my opinion doesn’t really amount to a pile of pickle seeds, but I’m inclined to think children should try to restrain their impulses to run, shout, and throw things while in a restaurant. The visiting couple believes children should be allowed to “express themselves” until they are seven. I jokingly said something about how we should have gotten the meal to go, and eaten in their hotel room, and received some very serious glares.

So, the first meal was full of anxiety, wondering how long it would be before the darling little boy pulled the table cloth, along with all the food and drinks, off the table. That night I had the Pescado a la Veracruzana, which is the fish of the day “grilled and topped with tomato, onion, bell pepper, capers and olives.”

Before I tell you if I liked the dish or not, let me take a brief detour through my history of eating. I grew up in the middle of the United States. As a child I might have had fresh fish from the occasional fishing trip, but fish has not been a part of my regular diet. I don’t count eating at Long John Silver’s, Red Lobster, or any other middle-America frozen fish entree as real fish eating. Living in Tampa has confirmed my long held suspicions that there simply is no comparison between fresh and frozen. Fresh fish is delicious. Frozen fish is a waste of time.

That said, I was particularly disappointed in my Pescado a la Veracruzan since it came immersed in the sauce topping. I’ve noticed this in several bay-area restaurants. Some are great about allowing the flavor of the fish to shine through the topping, but others serve it drowning in sauce.

My second visit to Tina’s was markedly more pleasant. This time there were no children, and this time I loved my meal. While the Chalupas de Cangrejo may not be the cutting edge of nouvelle cuisine, it has the perfect blend of familiarity and creativeness for me. The chalupas are served with black beans, spinach, cheese and crab meat. In retrospect I see I didn’t get the chipolte sauce which is supposed to be served on the side, but I topped it with their fresh salsa, which is served with chips before dinner.

After dinner we ventured next door to Skip’s, a great neighborhood beer joint. Skip’s recently held a fund-raiser for one of their regulars, which I think is a strong indicator of what kind of bar it is. It’s a part of the community, and it helps give back to that community. Having a Harp’s as the sun went down, full from a satisfying meal, and idle conversation with friends is probably just about one of the best ways to end a day I can imagine.

Here’s what Casa Tina has to say about their food:

* No lard or animal stock used in any of our sauces or beans.

* Everything prepared fresh daily in our kitchen.

* We prepare our dishes with your health in mind using minimum salt or oil.

* It is our goal to bring you the best food at a fair price. If something is not right, tell us! We will fix it or change it.

* Most dishes available vegetarian style using fresh vegetables instead of meat or chicken, ask your server for suggestions.

* Vegan and low-fat dishes available

369 Main St.
Downtown Dunedin, Fl
727-734-9226

Veggie Food at Trang Viet

dave — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 16:23:00 +0000

Saturday we were invited to dinner at Trang Viet (1524 E Fowler Ave). I didn’t realize until we got there that this was some sort of special group dinner hosted by Florida Voices for Animals. They arranged with the restaurant owner to serve a vegan buffet.

The meal was sensational!

The folks hosting the event were very nice, and there was no proselytizing to make sure newbies converted.

We’ve eaten at Trang Viet before and it’s on our regular rotation of restaurants. I don’t know if we’ll be attending another event hosted by Florida Voices for Animals, but I did notice they point to several vegetarian restaurants in Florida.

Chipotle

dave — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 04:43:00 +0000

I ate at Chipotle last week for lunch. The location I visited is near USF campus, next to, but not in, University Mall. It’s at 2576 E. Fowler and in the same shopping center as Demolition Comics.

On the plus side, the ingredients are fresh and the menu is simple. (Simple menus are great for folks like me who can never make up their mind what they want to eat). I added some guac to my chicken burrito and it tasted great. JB’s veggie burrito came with guac and cost $5.25.

On the unplus side, Chipotle ~~is owned by McDonald’s~~ and it’s sort of pricy. (UPDATE: McDonald’s sold it’s shares of Chipotle!) After getting the guacamole added, my burrito cost over $7.

However, there is an attraction which will probably prompt my return, ~~despite my loathing of McDonald’s~~. A cool used bookstore, Mojo Books, just opened in the same shopping center. Vinyl collectors and book lovers should check it out.

(BTW – Did you know there was a Burrito Blog?)

Pure Veg Mirch Masala

dave — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 20:36:00 +0000

Saturday we headed out to Bombay Masala for lunch only to discover upon arriving that it’s closed on Saturdays. So, we turned around and headed over to Fowler to eat the lunch buffet at Pure Veg Mirch Masala. It was delicious.

I don’t really remember the names of anything I ate, just that I filled my plate twice, sampled almost everything, and left a sparkling clean plate. Everything on the buffet was vegetarian, for those of you interested in those sorts of things. In fact, I don’t think this is the sort of restaurant that serves meat.

Pure Veg Mirch Masala is located at 2311 E Fowler Avenue, which is near the USF campus, across Fowler from University Mall. It is in the same shopping center as Jimmy John’s and The Pita Pit.

100% Vegetarian Food
Pure Veg Mirch Masala is a new locally owned and operated Indian restaurant that provides delectable vegetarian food at affordable prices. Our experienced employees offer fast and friendly service to accompany our unique vegetable cuisine that is sure to satisfy your friends and family. Our menu consists of a wide range of vegetarian food including mushrooms, zucchini, and fresh bell peppers. If you’re planning a special occasion, we offer full service catering and provide gift certificates for the perfect gift-giving experience. Visit Pure Veg Mirch Masala today and enjoy authentic Indian masala.

Here is a copy of their menu.

UPDATE: Pure Veg Mirch Masala is no more. Kadai has moved into the location.