Vacationland.
Warning: Non-vegan food ahead.
If you are going to be about as enthusiastic as Haley the Greyhound is about lobsters, skip down a few photos.
The L-Dubs just returned from a much-anticipated sojourn to Maine, which is know as “Vacationland” according to their license plates. (What I want to know is, what if you live year-round in Maine? Does it then become “Staycationland”?)
Maine is also home of the world’s best potatoes, blueberries, and lobstahs. As we cook vegan primarily for environmental reasons (it takes a lot less energy for the sun/water/soil to produce a pound of, say, corn and soy beans than it does for a cow to produce a pound of beef out of close to 16 pounds of corn and soy), we are also aware that eating mangos from Mexico and asparagus from Peru does not a healthy ecosystem make. So when presented with locally-sourced dairy, egg, or seafood options, we are likely to give a hat tip to the animal that gave of its life or reproductive faculties to provide our meal and enjoy something both delicious and environmentally friendly. Hence, our Maine vacation cuisine.
Lobster…
Lobster + Clams…
Local corn on the grill…
Aunt Jeanne’s pasta salad…
Cousin Kyle surveys his feast (complete with local beer):
All was delicious. Thank you, bounteous Maine sea coast. We will be back again to partake of the fruits of your glorious waters.
More food adventures from the Great State of Maine to come! Bon appétit!
Just devoured Kitsch’n 155’s first-run veggie burger…and while we ate that deliciousness too fast to take a photo, it deserves a post. These folks just opened up down the street from us and here’s their deal: fresh, tasty diner food in a kitschy 1950s-esque atmosphere worthy of your Aunt Ethel’s Oldsmobile. We checked them out last week (Chris ordered their very non-vegan, but totally scrumptious, handmade ice cream cookie sandwich—2 fresh baked cookies bookending a hearty helping of Ben & Jerry’s) and mentioned that we loved that they were independently owned, had reinvigorated an empty storefront in our neighborhood, and served antibiotic-free, hormone-free, veggie-fed meat—but alas, we didn’t eat meat and would love to see a veggie burger option.
So THEY MADE US ONE.
Not kidding. They took down our name & email and sent us a lovely note this morning saying our veggie burgers would be ready this evening at our convenience. We brought along friends (for whom they graciously made 2 extra burgers), ordered a ton of FREE toppings (grilled mushrooms, jalapenos, grilled onions…), sides of sweet potato fries and grilled asparagus (what diner serves that? awesome) and ate it up. The fries were clearly just cut from a lovely orange tater in thick, juicy slices with the skin on (hallelujah) and sea salt…best sweet potater fries I’ve ever had, so much sweet, just enough fry. The burger was black bean, had visible pieces of onion and green pepper in it, good texture (minimal fall-apartage, a common problem with veggie burgers), and some tasty seasoning—and when we said it could use more of a kick, they took notes. They even heard Chris out when he suggested using wheat gluten instead of egg for their binder—for then we would have a vegan-friendly burger on our hands!
But regardless of the egg, this is a tasty, well-topped veggie burger—probably the best I’ve had in Atlanta (though the Flaming Ice Cube in Ohio still has my heart)—with some killer sides (baked apples, okra, country corn, and other options rotating in) and to-die-for fries. And did I mention ice cream sandwiches to make you lick the plate they come on—after you’ve rubbed all the just-out-of-the-oven-melty-chocolate-chip-goodness off your face?
Also on the menu: veggie combo plate, blue plate specials like meatloaf and liver and onions, Ben & Jerry’s malts and shakes, and old-timey drinks like Cheerwine and the local Red Rock ginger ale.
Three cheers for Kitsch’n 155, and mad props for their flexibility and accomodating-ness! We’ll be back again. With a camera.
