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 though most were 80s has-beens), and there were so many veg-friendly restaurants I frequented.
One of my favorite spots in Addison was Dream Café.
Dream Café was one of those places where I'd get a nice Sunday buzz going with mimosas, good food, and fun friends. And although we do have a Dream Café in Uptown, the Addison location's menu looks more vegan-friendly.
I took a trip to Addison last weekend to catch up with some old
friends, and decided to hit up Dream Café for a quick lunch. The place
hasn't changed much. Still the same décor, friendly staff, and close to
empty dining room.
Menu items suitable for vegans include hummus served with pita crisps,
toasted pine nuts, and mixed olives. Garden Stir Fry is sautéed mixed
vegetables and tofu in a ginger soy sauce served over brown rice. The
plain veggie burger is made with a rice-based patty, vegan soy cheese,
and avocado wedges served with French fries.
The veggie burger's bun does contain honey, but strict vegans can opt
for pita bread instead. Also on the menu is a large Southwestern dish
called You're So Vegan--whatever that means. It's made up of tofu
scramble, red chili corn strips, salsa, vegan soy cheese, and is served
with two whole wheat tortillas, black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo,
and brown rice.
Judge me if you will, but I ordered a veggie burger AND the You're So Vegan for lunch.
Let me explain. I was really in the mood for a burger, but since the
You're So Vegan is only on the Addison location's menu, I felt the
obligation to try it out for my readers. (See how much I love you
guys?) And I'm glad I did, because the veggie burger was oh-so-boring.
I drenched it in ketchup to give it some sort of life, but ended up
taking most of it to go.
Oh, well--I hope that homeless guy on Beltline appreciated my leftovers.
The You're So Vegan was damn good, though! Tasted a like my
grandmother's chilaquiles...minus the cruelty. So I called the manager at
Uptown's Dream Café to ask why the dish wasn't available at their
location. But it turns out it is. Only it's called Tofu Migas, not some
douchey name like You're So Vegan. Well, how the hell was I supposed to
know?
Tofu Migas isn't on the menu. But it's good to know now I don't have to
travel all the way to Addison for a good meal and Sunday brunch buzz.
Dream Café - Addison
5100 Beltline Rd.
972-503-7326
Dream Café - Uptown
2800 Routh St.
214-954-0486
