ELife Restaurant, Capital Heights, MD - Vegan Soul Eatery

Short for Everlasting Life, I was mildly concerned about possibly being inducted into some kind of cult. The prospect of vegan soul food won out over any concerns in the end and we got ourselves too much food from this takeout place in Kingdom Square (see what I mean?), Capital Heights, not far from our hotel in Largo, MD.

In the end, we found amiable people who were patient with me as I lost my mind due to the multiplicity of choices.

We ordered 2 mains each with 2 sides starting with a Sausage Etouffee, with rice and greens. I'm not sure what the sausage was (I didn't ask) but it was very good. Could have been aa Beyond or Impossible product. Rice as a side was the right choice here (doesn't etouffee always come with rice?).There were 2 kinds of greens and I'm not sure if this was the kale or collard but we asked for one of each. Delicious!

Pulled Jackfruit in Barbeque Sauce was our second main this time with Mac n' Cheese and the other greens. Again, this was delicious as well as hearty and dare I say, soulful.

Chick'n drums or whatever you care to call them were next and excellent. There were two sauces and one was a lemon pepper and the other a spicier version. Since we're not keen on eating things with bones, I'm surprised that we are so amused with the little piece of dowel that served as the bone for the drumstick. Probably because it served as a way to hold it and keep our fingers clean! Something serves as skin as well which was tasty and a little creepy! Loved these!

We grabbed a trio of salads; macaroni, potato and a chick'n spread kind of thing. These were all quite good being rich and creamy yet refreshing and felt like soul food to us (we are really not experts).

Finally, there was ice cream and since I was feeling like a kid, we tried the birthday cake flavour. I don't recall the brand but I had seen it before I think. It was very sweet! Since there was no freezer in our hotel room, we couldn't keep it long but that did not create a hardship!

It would be amazing to have something like this close by us. The cost would have been quite reasonable if I had exercised some restraint (and it was in Canadian dollars). I assume they get a lot of non-vegan customers so that would be good for everyone. This is a great local business and eatery! It wasn't too flashy but provides a wonderful option to fast food for dinner!

Food                        4 out of 5

Vegan Options         5 out of 5

Comfort                    NA

Service                     5 out of 5

Value                        4 1/2 out of 5

Ben's Chili Bowl - Washington, DC - Vegan Options

It was our second day to tourist around Washington, DC. Again we took the Metro from not far from our hotel which dropped us right in the middle of the Mall. The Mall is roughly the stretch between the Capital Building and the Lincoln Memorial encompassing the Smithsonian Museums (of which we toured 2) many war memorials and presidential memorials. There is probably a better definition of what it encompasses but for the purposes of this blog, that is where we spent most of our day. On day 1 we went east from the Smithsonian Metro Station and on the second day we went west.

To my chagrin, the memorial to the greatest president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was deep in renovation. The mass of hoarding and scaffolding made it less of a photo op than usual but we spent some time in reflection there just the same. 

At about lunch time, we hoped the Metro to visit another DC landmark, Ben's Chili Bowl. The history of this place is rich having opened in 1958 and survived good times and bad, including the 1968 riot that followed the assassination of MLK Jr. when it stayed open and fed both police and black activists. There is a lot more. Google it!

The walls are decorated with memorabilia of many notable people who have visited. We sat at the presidential table apparently!

So we came for the history and stayed for the vegan eats. This is not a vegan restaurant but they have options! Of course, we had their Chili Dog and Fries which was pretty good. The chili was of kidney beans and some kind of soy protein. It was rich and tomatoey and there was hot sauce at the table if you wanted it. The dog itself was not that memorable but it was really only a vehicle in this case. Great fries! 

We had an Impossible Burger which was also OK. To be honest an Impossible patty needs a really good sear and this one could have used a little more. The bun was nice like you'd expect on a fast food burger.

And we ordered a Chili Bowl with rice so my wife would get her rice quota for the day. I'm starting to have fond memories of the chili. They didn't have vegan cheese which might have been a big step up.

So the food was pretty average but really, they don't have to offer anything vegan. We came for the vibe and would have been happy with fries and a Coke. Counter service but they were quick and friendly.

Food                                   3 out of 5

Vegan Options                   3 1/2 out of 5

Comfort                              4 out of 5

Service                               4 out of 5

Value                                  3 1/2 out of 5

Historical Value                  5 out of 6

Underground Pizza, Baltimore, MD - Vegan Options

So on Wednesday, we made another trip to Baltimore (we were staying at a Holiday Inn in Largo, about halfway between Baltimore and Washington). I was a big fan of Homicide: Life on the Streets, a TV show back in the 90s that took place in Baltimore but that's not the only reason we decided to spend a day touristing around.

Baltimore is largely about the waterfront if you're trying to do it in one day and on foot. There are many historic places of importance here, but we only got to see a few of them on our whirlwind tour.

One important point of interest for me was, The Horse You Came In On, allegedly the last place, Edgar Allan Poe ever drank before disappearing into the void. The poor fellow had a bit of an alcohol problem in a world that was largely without recovery programs. If you don't know E.A.P, start with The Raven and you will be hooked.  The Horse (I don't know if they call it that but I would) wasn't open and we had no intention of drinking there anyway. I just wanted to see the plaque on the wall!

Underground Pizza is one of the places that I had researched ahead of time that had some vegan options, and this one was pretty exciting. Located just a couple of short blocks from the waterfront in an area full of restaurants and live music venues. 

The exciting part was vegan Detroit-style pizza! Detroit-style is pizza with a lighter but thicker crust that comes out crispy around the edges since the cheese melts into the higher edges and corners. Make sense? It is also typically rectangular in shape. At UP they have a sampler called the Vegan Quattro which allows you to try 4 flavour combos. It is one-quarter pesto, one-quarter Woodlands (mushrooms), one-quarter Funfetti (vegan sausage) and one-quarter Fauxnivore (pepperoni).

Mharie and I both like the Pesto best. My mouth waters just thinking about it. The cheese was seriously stretchy melty and rich. Crispy on the corners as promised and a nice light crust, we loved this.

Another of our favourites (Who am I kidding? We loved the whole thing!) was the Woodlands (mushroom) pizza. More of the same! Excellent cheese and crust and the tomatoe sauce here is really a step above average.

We arrived early but this place was jammed by the time we were finished. Excellent vibe and really friendly staff. They served us very cold water (we are water people) which considering it was already hot out, was appreciated. Vegan Detroit style pizza is something we would like to have access to at home! BTW, we took half of this pizza home for later where it was almost as good cold.

Food                         5 out of 5

Vegan Options          4 1/2 out of 5

Comfort                    4 out of 5

Service                     4 1/2 out of 5

Value                        4 1/2 out of 5

Pow Pow Plant Based Bowls and Rolls, Washington, DC

Once I learned that we were going to DC/Maryland in August for the wedding (see previous posts), I immediately started researching vegan eats in the area. One of the most exciting places that I came across was Pow Pow Plant Based Bowls and Rolls. Mharie and I spent the better part of the day in DC on Tuesday (YouTube video someday soon) and this would be our lunch spot.

Halfway through our meal at Pow Pow across from Franklin Park, I realized that we were also looking across the park at the Washington Post! Every 5 steps you find another landmark in this town. 

Of course, my usual all-vegan joint problem raised its ugly head as soon as I tried to order namely, that I wanted one of everything on the menu. As you will see, we put in a good effort.

We started with the Habanero Midnight Maurader Eggroll, which is more than an impressive name! The habanero jack and spicy dipping sauce added up to a little heat for me but Mharie didn't seem to notice it much (luck of the bite?) This was crispy and rich and just what we had been hoping for (something a little less healthy!). The filling included "steak" but I'm not sure what kind. It was a meaty thing that could have been Impossible brand something. Very nice.

Crispy Lemon Parm Brussels Sprouts were also a treat. You can call it your greens for the day but add enough flavours and it becomes more than a veggie. The citrus and whatever kind of parmesan made us happy.

I should have busted these open for a picture so you could see their molten nature. They called it Taiwanese Fried Cashewnut Mozzarella with Korean Ketchup. Be careful not to burn yourself when you take the first bite but these are not to be missed.

We had the Yoga Dragon Bowl which was wonderful. This was actually grilled chick'n (we did a lot of fried here) which was impressive in itself but combined with multiple sauces including peanut, sriracha, and a cucumber lime drizzle, it became unique and tasty. It was served over all kinds of good stuff. A bowl to be reconned with.

Finally, we had the Fried Chick'n Fried Rice Bowl. I need to start adding perspective to my photos because this bowl was bigger than it looked. Great fried chick'n and grilled veggies over rice with Sriracha and we were sold!

So, did I order too much? Of, course I did but we packed up our leftovers for later. Remember that Pow Pow Plant Based Bowls and Rolls is 4600 miles from us so chances are we won't be back soon. We had to get our fill! The staff were friendly and everything is made fresh upon order. I notice that many folks order on their app and pick up their food as soon as they arrive. It seemed to be a pretty efficient system. 

Our favourite in DC? Just maybe!

Food                        4 1/2 out of 5

Vegan Options         5 out of 5

Comfort                   4 out of 5

Service                    4 1/2 out of 5

Value                       4 1/2 out of 5

Silver Diner, Maryland - Vegan Options

Mharie wanted to buy dinner for the two families on Sunday (see previous post) and asked me to find a place where vegans and omnivores alike could thrive. I was quite excited to find Silver Diner as the whole diner thing is less impressive in British Columbia than in the District of Columbia (see what I did there?). There are 26 Silver Diners in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area (which they like to refer to as the DVM), so it was easy to find one that would accommodate the baker's dozen of us.

I was so impressed with the exterior diner cladding that continued on to the interior diner decor. Even the tunes made us feel like we were somewhere in the 1950s or 60s. This group of restaurants was established in the 1980s.

So SD has 3 vegan entrees (plant-based) as well as some sides, a couple of breakfast items and smaller plates. They are all under the heading "flexitarian" which means, "I am not committed to anything" with vegetarian, heart-healthy and of course, gluten-free. At least the plant-based items are clearly marked!.

I had the Impossible Meatless Taco Bowl which consisted of 3 bean and Impossible tacos with some trimmings and an impressive quinoa salad with corn, squash and greens. This was a great vegan option as far as I am concerned. Full marks!

Typical for an old-timey diner, SD has a milkshake machine on the counter but here they include vegan ice cream flavours! This Vanilla Shake was wonderful. 

I was the only one ordering plant-based but this could have included quite a few more pictures of food to review. At any rate, we got to eat in a diner and it was a pretty cool place. Service was spot on considering that they were handling a dozen customers. We were pretty impressed but we lost the race to pay the check this time and my wife was not happy! Don't worry, she found another way to pay for stuff!

Food                          4 out of 5

Vegan Options           4 out of 5

Comfort                     4 out of 5

Service                      4 out of 5

Value                         4 out of 5

Kechy Pizza Company, Baltimore, MD - Vegan Options

So we arrived at Dulles International Airport on Saturday for festivities surrounding R.J. (my wife's son) and Reena's wedding. They had arranged a little boat tour of the Baltimore waterfront (at some point, I'll try to put something up on YouTube, if you're interested) and then we all (13 of us) went for pizza to a place Reena's brother had discovered! It was just a few blocks walk up from the waterfront at the corner of S. Calvert and E. Redwood.

This is a pretty new place and they had verified that there were vegan options! In fact, the folks (Reena's Family) that hosted us this week, completely knocked themselves out to make sure that I had something to eat whether we were eating out or at their house. This is a wonderfully hospitable family that Mharie and I were meeting for the first time ever!

The vegan options were made possible because they have vegan cheese ($4) and vegan pepperoni ($4) so many of the pizzas could be adapted. Aside from there was the naturally vegan Hummus appetizer which was quite good. I had it all to myself because getting anyone from either family (bride's or groom's) to try anything vegan was like pulling teeth. That particular theme would continue all week.

I went with the Margherita Pizza and paid the extra $4 but it was with it. Excellent crust with nice leoparding. I'm sure that was true for all the pizzas at the table (that were not vegan!). I'm not sure what they used for mozza but it was quite good being melty and flavourful. In addition to the sauce, there were actual diced tomatoes which were tasty, and lots of basil. Overall, not a shabby pizza!

This is a nice modern place with lots of room and good air conditioning (we would learn the value of that in our week in Maryland). I'm sure it gets very noisy when they are busier due to the floors and chairs. I won round one of "who is going to pay the check" by approaching our server privately and giving him my credit card. Service was very good, btw.

Food                              4 out of 5

Vegan Options               3 1/2 out of 5

Comfort                         3 out of 5

Service                          4 1/2 out of 5

Value                             4 out of 5

Santo Taco - Vegan Options

Santo Taco is a newly opened Mexican food eatery located across from the Woodward's complex on East Hastings in Vancouver. As soon as I saw some of their Insta postings, I messaged them to find out if there were vegan or vegan friendly items on their menu. I was assured that there were.

I am almost certainty that I took an outside picture of ST but somehow nothing was available in my photos. I was struggling with the sun and glass reflection on that afternoon so maybe I gave up without realizing it! So my title photo is instead their house made hot sauces.

So there are different kinds of vegan options (I mean, at restaurants in general).  First of all , certain cuisines have dishes that are naturally vegan (e.g.. falafel) or a chef may create vegan dishes that are not just adaptations but truly based on the plant kingdom. There are dishes that are adaptations of omnivorous dishes that use substitutes such as faux meats or faux dairy products. Finally there are vegan options that are just the regular menu items (most commonly vegetarian menu items) with the dairy or egg removed and no substations made. That is what vegan options at Santo Taco meant, at least so far. I'm not complaining as we ate some very tasty food but Mexican food (especially the Canadian version) profits from cheese, even vegan cheese. 

We started with a Tortas a sandwich made with wonderful house baked bread. There are basically 3 vegetarian fillings to choose from at ST and for this we chose the Hongos, a mushroom mixture with tomatoes, onion, guac, garlic and jalapeno. It made a very nice sandwich!

Next up were a couple of Mulitas, filling between 2 tortillas. For one of these, we chose the Rajas, a poblano pepper mixture with potato, onion, tomato and in this case guac. For the other, it was the Hongos mixture again. Naturally, they make their tortillas in house! Excellent!

Finally, la Taquiza. I apologize for not knowing the plural but we had 2 of these as well. More poblanos on one and for the other, Del Llano, pinto beans, guac, lettuce and pico. So everything we had were variations on themes. Topped with a little lime and some hot sauce and everything was tasty and maybe even a little too healthy.

This is quite a chic space and we enjoyed the soundtrack which was Mexican leaning (I think). Service was also very good and attentive. I did encourage the manager to look into vegan cheese and he assured me that it was on their list to find something that was suitable. It turns out that the extent of my vegan activism is giving restaurant managers a bad time. Really though, the food was good but a little cheese would have made it excellent!

Food                     3 1/2 out of 5

Vegan Options     3 1/2 out of 5

Comfort                4 out of 5

Service                 4 1/2 out of 5

Value                    4 out of 5