Subject: Veganism

• Stay Hungry, Live Longer: the Science Behind the Calorie Restriction Diet

  February 19, 2009

• Veggie Guy: The Pearl Cup

  ​There's no denying that Dallas can be sorta cliquish. If you're wearing the right shoes (or Tweeting from the hottest gadget), you might break into a particular crowd. Sure, the bar scene can be different. Hand someone a stiff drink, and you could find your BFF for the night. But if you're a regular guy walking into a coffee shop, be prepared to sip alone. When Rita Davis and Carlene Saelg moved to Dallas in 2007, they found it difficult to adapt to our city's special brand of welcoming sn

  July 28, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Cereal Bar

  ​"Little boxes on a hillside, little boxes made of ticky-tacky, little boxes, little..." Okay, okay--I'll stop. But doesn't The Colony remind you of that town Agrestic from the show Weeds? Well, maybe not quite as affluent. And there definitely aren't any hills to speak of. But the houses all look the same, and soccer moms rule the roads. You halfway expect the town's "Nancy Botwin" to pull up next to you in a Prius full of MILF weed. Mmm...MILF weed.I ventured way outside of the loop last we

  July 30, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Monica's Aca Y Alla

  ​The City of Ate's, um, kind and generous editor...yeah...once asked me what I thought this city needed in terms of vegan food. My answer: "I wish the Mexican restaurants would catch on." Because it's true--Mexican restaurants are slim pickings for vegans in Dallas due to the fact that most of them incorporate lard and animal-based broths in their dishes. Sadly, many claim their chicken broth-based rice and beans are "vegetarian" because, you know--chickens aren't animals, right? (Ay ay ay!

  August 4, 2009

• Veggie Guy: La Cubanita

  ​My fascination with other cultures started back in the summer of '87 during a family vacation to Disney World's Epcot Center. Yep, Epcot Center. I know what you're thinking, but I remember dragging my folks around each prefabricated little country, collecting knick-knacks and sweets from shops along the way. Incidentally, I returned home with a trunk load of junk and deep curiosity for life outside of Brownsville, Texas. Since then, I've done a little more traveling (that actually required a

  August 6, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Bengal Coast

  ​The only thing worse than listening to Coldpay is listening to Coldplay on the sitar. Unfortunately, that's the kind of crap you'll hear while dining with your hot date at Bengal Coast.Yes, vegans can score hot dates, too...sometimes.Bengal Coast is a South Asian fusion restaurant located on the cusp of Oak Lawn and Uptown. The place offers a wide variety of dishes, and the menu notes that vegan and gluten-free modifications are available upon request. My dinner companion and I arrived at t

  August 11, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Suma Veggie Cafe

  ​"Puff balls." That's what one of my non-veg friends calls the Orange "Chicken" at Suma Veggie Cafe. No--the guy's not the brightest bulb on the block, but others unfamiliar with vegan meat substitutes might also find it difficult to describe the glazed balls of who-knows-what...although, I now have a funny feeling the owners don't want you to know. Suma Veggie Cafe is a Chinese restaurant in Richardson that is not new to local veg-heads--it's been around for over a decade and, up until Spi

  August 13, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Vapiano

  ​Funny how Vapiano, the German-based fast-casual restaurant in Mockingbird Station, actually feels like Germany. Maybe it's the color scheme--a little like the Nutelleria in Frankfurt--or maybe it's the fact that the system here is so foreign, and words sorta get lost in translation. As Date and I entered Vapiano, a hostess greeted us and asked if we'd been there before. "Date has, but not me," I replied. So she guided us to the pasta area, handed each of us a menu, a pair of plastic card

  August 18, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Roy's Natural Market

  ​After a rough Saturday night--I'll spare you the details, but I will say this: there was much vodka involved--Sunday's hangover carried into Monday. Tuesday--still not human. So I got online to Tweet about my misery. Then I saw a Tweet from one of my raw food friends that read, "Alcohol acts as a depressant on your brain. Your senses dull, and your perceptions become distorted." Another followed. "You can't process information as quickly. You think that the world is moving slower than it r

  August 20, 2009

• (Un)Cool Water: Raw Foodists Make A Splash

  Water, water everwhere, but are the ions and stuff in proper formation?​Brian Hudson Smith, celebrated mastermind behind Bliss Raw Café's Elixir Bar, recently parted ways with his creation. Why did this happen? Because of a little thing called water.See, as with most fads and trends, this new one--raw foods--is changing faster than most of its devotees can keep up with, and in the case of Bliss, that's meaning big bumps in the road just when the journey's getting underway. The bumps (and Smi

  August 24, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Park

  Presentation is not necessarily up market at Park.​The guys at Park are awfully proud of their wine list. It is pretty impressive. They even go as far as denoting which wines are organic, produced by women (what's that all about?), and which are vegan. But while they can "get you drunk," as our waitress joked, their vegan food offerings are quite limited. I spent my Saturday evening at Park with Arnold Jones of the Voice. He and I met to discuss my animal rights organization's entry in this

  August 25, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Asian Mint

  Fresh spring rolls.​My good friend Sara and I met a few years ago at a yoga class. We instantly hit it off, and started doing everything together...grocery shopping, dining, working out. She even moved into my building. But over the past couple of months, we've both been on crazy schedules. No more hanging out. Not even a quick phone call. So imagine my surprise when Sara called to tell me she got engaged to some guy named JJ! What?!? How did this happen? I've never even met the guy! Well

  August 27, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Vegan-Friendly Tex Mex Chains

  Latin stir fry at Mi Cocina.​A lot of people ask me where they can get some good vegan Tex-Mex around town. I usually guide them to Monica's, where vegans can get the best enchiladas in Dallas, but I understand that driving down to Deep Ellum isn't always practical...especially if you're on the wrong other side of the loop. These are my picks for vegan-friendly Tex-Mex joints with multiple locations: Mattito's: The Lite Vegetable Fajitas are steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, squash,

  September 1, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Sweet Tomatoes

  The minestrone at Sweet Tomatoes in Irving.​Our Lisa Petty likes to poke fun at me about my avoidance of salads. "Do you EVER eat salads?" she snarks. But I do eat my fair share...only I'm not usually happy about it. Allow me to explain where I'm coming from. I was a Golden Corral kid. There was nothing better on a Sunday afternoon than gorging on fried chicken carcass and a baked potato overflowing with butter, cheddar, and bacon. My mother always made sure I'd start off with a salad, thou

  September 3, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Z Pizza

  ​Let's be honest folks--vegan cheese substitutes can be hit or miss. Some of those products you get at Whole Foods might taste alright, but once you nuke 'em they tend to fold instead of melt. Only a handful of vegan cheeses on the market actually do a decent job emulating real cheese. Follow Your Heart's Vegan Gourmet is pretty good (Pizza by Marco and Whole Foods use it on all of their vegan pizzas), and Spiral Diner uses Chicago Soy Dairy's Teese on their cheesy creations. But there's a

  September 8, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Vegan Chocolate Confections

  ​Chocolate--that's my kryptonite. Nothing makes me weaker in the knees than feasting on a chocolate dessert after dinner! My ancestors sure knew what they were doing by using the magical cacao bean as currency back in the day. But so many Dallas confectioners bastardize their chocolate creations by incorporating dairy, eggs, and other animal-based ingredients. No, thanks! So where CAN vegans find chocolaty happy endings in Dallas? Well--let's take a tour of Dallas' vegan dessert scene. Cos

  September 10, 2009

• Shelf Help: Some 'Other' Cookbooks Worth A Peek

  ​As the Julia Child renaissance rush continues, Joseph Mason of Borders in the West Village says Mastering the Art of French Cooking is flying off the shelves. He's barely able to keep the classic best seller in stock, given the hoards of wanna-be French Chefs inspired by the hit movie Julie and Julia. Mason, however, has a few new faves of his own back behind the impulse-purchase racks. Read on for his top late summer picks: Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way by Francis Mallmann and

  September 11, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Good 2 Go Taco

  ​Omnivores often ask me why I've chosen to live a vegan lifestyle in Dallas. They're always trying to ship me off to some other city like Austin. But why would I wanna leave? I love Dallas. Plus, vegans shouldn't have to relocate just because another place might seem more fitting. I mean, we don't suggest our steak-eating pals pack up and move to Argentina, do we? Well, at least not to their faces. But the best part about staying the course in Dallas is that veganism here is still such a fre

  September 15, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Dream Cafe, Addison

  ​Back when I first went veg, I was living in some douchey apartment in Addison. The place itself was fine, but I couldn't stand all those McFestivals the town of Addison would hold right outside of my building. I remember fighting crowds just to get into the parking garage, then having to deal with scores of drunken fools chugging beers in my hallway. I got the hell out as soon as I could. But I have to admit, I sometimes do miss living in Addison. I kinda liked all the free concerts (even t

  September 17, 2009

• And The Winner Is...

  ​A hell of a lot to wade through this week, mostly thanks to the state fair.Two things before we get to the non-winners. First, I think I found a way to rid my desk of some of the accumulated junk...uh, I mean, of the highly sought after prizes, which this week would have included a handsome coffee table book of Phil Romano's artwork--but more on that later.Secondly, one of the most wrong-headed comments ever to grace City of Ate pages came in this week from an Art Nielsen, responding to the Q

  October 2, 2009

• What's The Point Of A Meatless Life?

  ​Last week's mini-tempest raised by Veggie Guy Eddie Garza's visit to the state fair was fascinating. In amongst voices of reason were several judgmental statements, such as "have a cheeseburger; It will make you feel better" and "awww, poor ignorant meat eaters....bless their hearts..." Then there was my favorite, from someone wandering the animal pens: "I could almost see in their eyes how unhappy some were."It seems a bit conceited to make assumptions about a cow's personal feelings. It's a

  October 5, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Vegan 'Month Of Food'

  ​In the vegan world, we're in what's known as "VeganMoFo." No, not what you think--it's a global event that stands for "Vegan Month of Food." We celebrate VeganMoFo to encourage our omnivorous friends to try animal-free eats for an entire month. Not an easy feat here in Dallas--you know, considering... But October also marks the beginning of baking season for most people, and many of those recipes that have been handed down through generations usually call for milk, eggs, butter, and other a

  October 8, 2009

• And The Winner Is...

  ​It was certainly a vocal week on City of Ate. People like bc, jamey, curmudgeon and DallasDude churned out more words that I did--at least it seems that way.Of course, we're still on our 'no prizes' kick so their efforts earn them little more than our appreciation. We did have a real winner this week, though: our own demented artist and web guy Patrick Michels beat all comers in a hot wing eating contest. Of course, the loquacious bc put the victory in perspective: "I ate 50 Fire in the Hole

  October 9, 2009

• Veggie Guy: NAAN

  ​Ok--I'll admit it. The Shops at Legacy are pretty cool. Now if only they weren't all the way up in freakin' Oklahoma...erm...I mean Plano. I met up with my vegan buddy Drew at Legacy NAAN last week, where he'd set up a multiple-course vegan food tasting. It's located in the "old side [of the shops]," as one cougar standing outside of Fox Sports Grill put it. "Geez--I thought Dallas was bad about calling relatively new things 'old'!" "Oh c'mon, dude--the suburbs aren't THAT bad!" argued Dre

  October 13, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Gluten-Free Vegan Joints

  A gluten-free vegan cookie.​Omnivores tend to think of veganism as a highly restrictive, complicated way to live. Considering vegans have cut out meat, dairy, eggs, and all other animal products from their diets, they're sorta right--especially here in the land of beef. So imagine what it's like for vegans with an intolerance to gluten. Now that's gotta be rough! Local vegan Alise St. Germain doesn't have to imagine it. Her severe gluten intolerance and ethical choice to follow a vegan diet

  October 20, 2009

• And The Winner Is...

  ​Who knew our two demented artist types--Patrick Michels (of Pairing Off art fame) and Alexander Flores--also had a talent for shameless money-grubbing...by which I mean marketing.This week they designed a line of blog-related apparel. My favorite item? The Dude Food trucker's hat.Great prize idea--except that Michels and Flores aren't really the "let's skip lunch, put together a business plan and contact that production facility in Slovenia" kind of guys. Nope, they're more, um, "let's skip

  October 23, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Vegan 101

  ​While most of my friends were busy working on their costumes for this weekend's Disturbathon, I spent my Saturday night with members of Vegan 101 at their annual Halloween Potluck. My costume: a gay vegan Mormon (black flat-front chinos, pink button-down, black poly tie, sneakers, and yes...a bicycle helmet and a backpack). Now, if you have to ask where the "vegan" and "gay" come in, just talk to any vegan about silk ties, and any gay man about those pleated Dockers Mormons wear on their Sch

  October 27, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Back Yard Burgers

  ​In the spirit of Halloween, I'm going to share a horrifying confession with you guys. A little over a decade ago, I was a regular at the Whataburger on Main St. in Lewisville. I'd hit that drive-thru five days a week for a double-meat, double-cheese Whataburger with ketchup, mustard, and extra pickles, a large order of French fries, large onion rings, two sides of country gravy, and a large Dr. Pepper. For breakfast. Pretty frightening, huh? Yeah, I was a big guy back then, weighing ove

  October 29, 2009

• Funny Haha or Funny Weird? You Decide.

  October 29, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Kellogg's Broke My Heart...Those Bastards

  ​Kellogg's just ripped my heart out, slammed it to the dirt, then proceeded to stomp the hell out of it with a seven-inch stiletto! Ok--high drama, but I'm seriously heartbroken about their recent de-veganizing of one of the best faux meat products on the market. For years, I used Kellogg's MorningStar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles for all of my Tex-Mex home cooking (tacos, enchiladas, chile relleno, and most any dish that called for ground beef). They were extra "beefy" in texture and tas

  November 3, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Madras Pavilion

  ​May seem bizarre to some that I would compare a South Indian dinner to my Mexican grandmother's breakfast taquitos, but that's exactly what came to mind while chowing down on my potato-filled dosa at Madras Pavilion. Growing up, my brother Michael and I hated eggs. Still do, in fact. Whenever Grandma would incorporate chicken placenta into our meals, we'd about lose our shit! Eventually she caught on and began experimenting with spices and add-ins to make our meals look and taste as lively

  November 5, 2009

• Veggie Guy: BuzzBrews Kitchen

  ​I've always had a little bit of a love/hate thing for BuzzBrews Kitchen. Nowhere else in Dallas can vegans get decent sized late night eats, but service isn't really their forte. My last visit there was on a semi-chilly Saturday night with my buddies Drew, Jamey, and Gray. The guys and I had made our rounds to several outdoor parties and decided to warm up at BuzzBrews. Since the place has no set vegan selections, I schooled the guys on what was fair game for us. I ordered a Shiner, Garlic

  November 10, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Kona Grill

  ​You might not know that Kona Grill has a completely separate menu for vegans. They keep it hidden behind the host's stand and don't advertise it on their regular menu. Why keep it hidden? No idea. As one of my friends says, "It's like winking at someone in the dark." Vegans who have been graced by the out-of-sight menu (on two wrinkled sheets of 8.5x11 all-purpose paper) are already aware that Kona Grill's does a good job with veg-fare. But for those who haven't...

  November 12, 2009

• Veggie Guy: How Vegan Are You?

  Off limits?​I find it rather off-putting when militant vegans say things like, "How vegan are you?" or "[I'm] a true vegan." Hmm...guess I didn't realize this was a competition. Fact is, no one living in modern day society can be completely vegan. As one of my pals puts it, "If you're breathing air, there's no way you're 100% vegan!" I--along with so many others--have come to terms with this reality. All veg-heads agree that meat is out of the question, but vegans try to steer clear of all

  November 17, 2009

• Veggie Guy: Thanksgiving

  ​I would've really liked to spend this Thanksgiving with my brother and sister-in-law in Northwest Spain. They throw an amazing bash each year for all of their American friends, then take it to the clubs for late-night dancing and drinks. Fun times, for sure! My recently retired mother, however, has been itching to get out of Brownsville for a few days, so I nixed the European vacation and invited her over to Dallas for a vegan Thanksgiving. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: tofurkey. But

  November 19, 2009