Garlic Tofu @ Angel's Cafe - Ferndale, Mich.

Saturday afternoon, a friend and I lunched at a quaint cafe in a local trendy suburb--Angel's Cafe in Ferndale, Mich. I attempted to eat at this cafe once before; a vegetarian friend and I stopped by this cafe in the fall, only to find they were closed to the public due to a baby shower event. That day, we ended up walking two doors down to a music cafe which served vegan food, so all was good. Still, my interest in the Angel's Cafe was piqued and I mentioned it to my maid-of-honor as a possible bridal shower location (since I knew they did showers now) where my guests could dine on animal-friendly food! We haven't settled on a shower location yet, but when my friend, an omnivore, mentioned lunch and a movie for Saturday, it was SHE who recommended that we try the cafe. :)

At first I thought I was a jinx because I walked up to the cafe, smiled at their "open" sign hanging from the glass door and gave it a tug... nothing. The door was locked! Ugh, could I really miss two dining experiences at this little cafe?!? My friend peered into the restaurant's windows, noticed a woman in the back and gave a wave. A very nice woman greeted us, apologized for the locked door and informed us that the chef wasn't there yet. She said we were welcome to come in and wait, and said she could serve us salad or something in the meantime. We obliged. I was just happy to finally set foot in this cute, veg*n-friendly cafe! LOL

As the woman returned to our table with glasses of water, she informed us that the chef had just called in and he'd be there shortly. Looked to be our lucky day after all! And it was. The food at Angels Cafe was superb; my friend and I couldn't stop talking about it.

Though the cafe's online menu didn't match the one presented to us, it still had a nice selection of animal-free options, including a "Tofu the Way You Want It" choice in which you could order any of the chicken entrees with tofu as a substitute and sans cheese... essentially doubling the selection of vegan food at the cafe. Awesome. :)

My friend and I both decided to try the "Garlic Chicken" entree, which came with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes served over a bed of couscous... she actually ordered it with chicken while I chose to exercise the vegan tofu option. I thought it'd be interesting to compare the two dishes side-by-side. We also ordered side salads topped with the cafe's homemade vegetable dressing, which turned out to be more like a pureed veggie mix instead of runny and fattening dressing... it was extremely tasty and it's inspired me to try something similar at home with my own salads.

When our entrees arrived, my friend and I both looked from our plates to each other and smiled... our food smelled divine and looked amazing. Would it taste just as good? Ooooooh, yeah! Our food was delicious. Simple as that. We both sat there for a moment in silence, neither talking because we were too busy stuffing our face with the awesome food! My friend said it was some of the best chicken she's ever tasted, and I second that with the tofu. I love when I eat out somewhere and tofu is actually on the menu... but I love it even more when the chef actually KNOWS how to cook it! I didn't want my plate to end... I could've sat there all day eating my entree. It was that good.

Our lunch at Angel's Cafe was one of the best dining experiences I've had in awhile... the decor of the cafe was bright and welcoming. The staff was uber friendly. The food was absolutely awesome... and a steal at only $5.95 for lunch (additional $2 for a side salad). Still, $7.95 for veg*n food that good is hard to find these days. If any of my readers are ever in the Ferndale, Mich. area, Angel's Cafe on Nine Mile Road is a definite MUST-DINE location.

My fiance lives in a neighboring city of Ferndale... I'll be moving in with him come wedding time later this year, and it's comforting to know that I may have more veg*n dining options available in that area of town compared to where I am now. I know for sure I'll be dragging my omni fiance to Angel's Cafe for dinner! :)

_____________

On another note, I know it's been awhile since I've blogged... I took an unannounced hiatus as the holidays approached and I found myself with less and less time to blog. I had every intention of coming back in early January, but life happens.

It's safe to say that with all the wedding planning this coming year, I likely won't be blogging as often, but I promise to blog when I have time. My goal is going to be at least a weekly post, but I'll squeeze in more as time allows. Right now, I'm trying to lose a few pounds before I shop for a wedding dress. Subsequent posts likely will reflect that as I search for low-fat veggie recipes to try. I've been a fan of Susan's Fat Free Vegan Kitchen for awhile now, so my weight-loss effort will be a GREAT excuse to finally make all her recipes I've been drooling over for months, LOL

Seva Vegetarian Restaurant - Ann Arbor, Mich.

Last weekend, I finally got to dine at Seva, a vegetarian restaurant in Ann Arbor, Mich. that I have heard so much about but haven't had the chance to experience yet. All the entrees on the menu are vegetarian and many are vegan, or can be made vegan by request.

The restaurant has outdoor seating and since it was such a nice day, that's where we sat. I couldn't resist ordering the black beans and sweet potato enchiladas. I thought it was an interesting combination, black beans and sweet potatoes. I skipped the side of sour cream and poured the salsa over it. Deeelish! It tasted very fresh, which I liked a lot. It also was listed under the special entrees, so it may not be available year-round. My three dining companions--all omnivores--enjoyed their dishes too. My sister got a peanut stir-fry type dish which was vegan. Her hubby ordered the same thing as I, and my fiance ordered a pasta dish with soy sausage mixed in. Everyone liked their food! I was so worried we'd go to an exclusively vegetarian restaurant and my companions would think the food was horrible.

In fact, my fiance enjoyed it so much we went BACK to Seva the following evening because we had another show in the area that night, too. (I tend to think my fiance really enjoyed the pitcher of white sangria we had, LOL, and wanted a repeat.) I was surprised. I thought he'd want to eat someplace else, where he could have meat. But he wanted to go back to Seva. :) This time, I ordered a vegan Thai stir-fry and he ordered a ravioli dish. I thought my stir-fry was just so-so. There was nothing in the taste of it that wowed me. It tasted like something I could've thrown together in my home kitchen without a cookbook, you know? And, it was overpriced in my opinion. The enchiladas I had the previous night were more delicious and cheaper. I think my fiance got the better deal the second night. His pasta, which was filled with spinach and topped with a slightly spicy red sauce, was yummy.

So, Seva was enjoyable but because of the drive (45 minutes from my house) I don't think I'll be going there that often. But, I think it was definitely worth the effort to check it out, but could be hit-or-miss depending on what dish is ordered.

------------

On another note--wish me luck this weekend. I'll be away from my computer for a bit because my fiance's family is hosting a chili cookoff at their lake house this weekend. I'll be heading there after work this evening, with my vegetarian chili in tow. I don't expect to be crowned with the top honors, especially since everyone there will be omnis, but I think it will be a lot of fun and hopefully demonstrate to omnis that vegetarian food can be just as tasty, if not more tasty, than meat. ;)