Posts Tagged ‘vegetarian’

Everly

Saturday, January 7th, 2017

tuna-bologneseOne part of Bluephies became Miko Poke, and the other part is now Everly, a California-inspired restaurant that leans heavy on vegetables and grains. Food Fight did a commendable job of making clever, unique restaurants that are worthy of regular visits.

The bright space of Everly includes a full bar, though there are currently no plans for happy hour or nightly drink specials, according to a bartender. I look forward to the summer, when a full-service outdoor eating area will open.

Everly’s menu is robust, so I did my best to try a cross-section of it, starting with the “Vegetables” section. The serving size of the yellow curry eggplant ($7) dish was much smaller than expected. The eggplant was perfectly tender, and the chiles added some welcomed heat, but the curry sauce itself was bland.

The best way to describe the Tuna Conserva Sandwich ($12) is fresh. Everything from the ample tuna to the cucumbers and roasted red peppers exuded freshness. The lemon caper aioli provided the flavor for this sandwich, which was held firmly together by toasted bread. You’ll also find a burger ($12) and a roasted chicken sandwich ($12) among the sandwiches.

mushrooms-eggplant“Things on Toast” is actually a section of the menu, and I ordered the seasonal mushroom toast ($11). It’s a minor point, but I liked that the semi-sour, (marrow) buttery toast had slits cut into it to make it easier to pull apart and eat. The abundance of mushrooms, which included shiitake and crimini, captured the flavors of the garlic and herbs with which they were sauteed.

Among the pastas, I chose the Buckwheat Bolognese ($16). The ground Heritage pork, which I look forward to eating at every restaurant in which it’s served, was dry and flavorless, and the buckwheat fettuccine was under-cooked (too al dente for this dish). Fortunately, they were saved by the deep, complex Bolognese sauce, which must’ve absorbed all of the flavor from the pork.

The only sections I missed were salads (I already had enough veggies here) and big/small plates. The latter includes buttermilk fried chicken ($9) and pork + white corn grits ($16). Brunch is served on the weekends.

Everly is open for lunch on weekdays, dinner every day and brunch on weekends.

Everly Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Food carts: Saigon Sandwich, Zam Zam

Sunday, August 14th, 2016

Saigon Sandwich serves only one thing, and that’s banh mi sandwiches ($4.75). You may choose the type of bread, meat (e.g. chicken, veggie tofu, etc.) and toppings.

My white bread-BBQ pork-pate-sweet carrots-cilantro-cucumbers-jalapenos banh mi really hit the spot. It had a good ratio of baguette-to-fillings, and everything was fresh tasting.

My only complaint is that the line can get quite long because it’s one person taking orders and making the sandwiches. You can usually find the cart at University Research Park or at the intersection of Johnson St. and Charter St.

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You don’t get to have Afghani cuisine every day, so I took advantage at Zam Zam. You’ll find lots of vegetarian-friendly options at this cart, which also offers catering.

The entrees are higher in price than you would find at other carts. For example, the least expensive item is the gulpi (stewed cauliflower), which costs $9. The quality is worth it, though. I enjoyed the array of seasonings in the beef meatballs of the kofta ($12), which is served in a little pool of its own curry sauce along with basmati rice.

Sandwiches, including a kebab burger and a meatball sub, also are available. The photo of the aziz banjan (eggplant sandwich, $5) on the menu shows the eggplant in slices, but it’s actually more of a mash. Regardless, it’s flavorful and very tender, held together with firm, thick naan and a little yogurt sauce. A delicious sandwich to be sure, even if you prefer to eat meat (as I do).

In the summer, the cart is usually found in University Research Park. The owner told me that once classes resume at UW-Madison, she’ll be back at her Dayton Street location, near the Geology building.

Freshii

Sunday, April 19th, 2015

Freshii strives to make “healthy food affordable and convenient.” The chain seems to be doing both well, as there’s enough demand that Freshii is located in more than 60 cities and 12 countries.

The menu is comprised of salads/wraps (you can convert a salad to a wrap), bowls, burritos, soups and smoothies. While all the items are vegetable-based, you can add proteins such as chicken, steak or tuna. Note that one of my visits was by invitation for the restaurant’s pre-opening.

My favorite dish was the Fiesta wrap ($7.49; field greens, black beans, avocado, aged cheddar, corn, pico de gallo, cilantro lime vinaigrette). When you bite into this, your mouth will be greeted with bright, fresh flavors. The tuna ($2.49) I added made this one of the best tuna wraps/sandwiches I’ve ever had.

The Buddha’s Satay bowl ($7.24) seemed promising, but I felt like a rabbit eating it with its overdose of carrots and broccoli. Frankly, the crispy wontons were the only item that gave this salad any flavor, as the rice noodles were extraordinarily bland, and there were only minuscule pieces of steak ($2.49) included (you can’t even see any in the photo).

I liked the density of the Smokehouse burrito ($7.99), which is made with brown rice, black beans, red onions, tomatoes, corn, aged cheddar and a surprisingly wonderful BBQ sauce. I ordered my burrito with falafel ($1.49), and I longed for a side of that sauce in which to dip the burrito.

Out of all the three soups, I tried the Southwestern ($6.99), a soothing concoction of chicken broth, brown rice, broccoli, tomatoes, corn and aged cheddar. All the vegetables were tender.

When you’re thirsty, quaff a juice or smoothie ($5.99). The ones I tried–the Green Energy Juice (apple, cucumber, kale, lemon, carrot, romaine, spinach), the Strawberry Banana Smoothie (strawberries, banana, low-fat frozen yogurt) and the Mighty Detox Juice (pineapple, ginger, apple, celery, cucumber)–were surprisingly not too thick and had semi-sweet, non-grassy flavors. I’d get the strawberry version again if it weren’t for the price.

Freshii is open Monday-Saturday for breakfast, lunch, dinner and carryout. Catering and delivery are available.

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See more photos in our Freshii Flickr album.

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