What is that saying?  You never get a second chance to make a first impression?  That is always in the back of my mind when introducing a non-vegetarian to a vegan meal.  Of course, non-vegetarians have had “vegan food” before, they just called it peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pasta marinara, a bean burrito, apples and almond butter, or a crisp salad in balsamic vinaigrette.  It was vegan food.  They just didn’t call it that.  Still, when taking a non-vegetarian to a vegan restaurant, the pressure is on to show it in a positive light, to not freak them out with curious ingredients, and to show how fresh, flavorful, and delicious vegan cooking can be.  

So when my sister-in-law, Teri, came into town recently, David and I thought it would be best to introduce her to a couple of our favorite restaurants that rely on vegetables and grains with ingredients she’d know and recognize.  We went to a raw restaurant that also does some cooked food, and it’s been a hit with guests in the past.  It was closed.  So because of time and proximity, we ended up at a different vegan place.  Sadly, this restaurant was only serving their brunch menu, which we’d never had before.  Almost everything on it was made with tofu or tempeh.  Argh.  I like tofu and tempeh when prepared well, but I don’t think it’s always the best in the way of introduction.  Teri and I both ordered the Tofu Benedict.  What arrived was several slabs of fried tofu on big pieces of fluffy white bread and coated in a thick layer of lemony nutritional yeast flake gravy.  It was a who’s who of weird vegan foods. 

The next time we saw her, I erred on the side of caution and made the Better Than Tuna Salad sandwiches for us from Vegan Table.  Between the two of us, we polished off all of it.  Teri confessed, “I was feeling bad for you the other day, thinking that’s what you had to eat, but this is really good.”  

That evening David and I finished Teri’s visit with one of our regular favorites and a crowd pleaser, Fatty’s Cafe in Eagle Rock, California.  For a restaurant that is in a renovated car repair shop decorated in Christmas lights, it’s surprisingly romantic and quaint.  It’s a vegetarian restaurant with several vegan options and a serious wine list.  We’ve been there enough that I’ve had nearly every vegan item on the menu. 

I always enjoy the appetizer of vegan potato tacos, which are fried organic potato skins filled with corn, black beans, red bell peppers, and onions.  I’ve also made these at home and topped them with fresh mango or avocado. 

Creamy Broccoli Soup

They always have wonderful soups that come with dinner entrees, and those change depending on the day.  For this meal, I had the creamy broccoli soup. 

For dinner, my favorite is the Farmer’s Market Roasted Vegetable Salad, which includes roasted artichoke hearts, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, and other seasonal vegetables.  It’s marinated and roasted with a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar, and served with artisan bread.  

Paella

I also enjoy the Paella, which is saffron rice & wild rice with green olives, three kinds of mushrooms, hearts of palm, sweet peas, and heirloom tomatoes.  It’s served in the pan in which it was cooked, nice and crusty against the bottom.  I recommend asking them to go light on the oil on this one.  They’re happy to do it, and it does make a difference.

David’s favorite is the Vegan Ravioli, which is made from spinach and red bell pepper pasta and filled with seasoned edamame, herbed tofu and onions and topped in a deliciously garlicky amount of broccoli, mushrooms, and tomatoes. 

Fudgey

To finish, the Fudgey is a two layer bundt cake filled with chocolate ganache and topped with crunchy toasted coconut and pecan frosting.  It’s the perfect dessert for David and I to share, because he likes the crunchy coconut outside and I like the creamy chocolaty inside.  We often get Derek as our server, and he is professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. 

Happily, Teri enjoyed her dinner at Fatty’s and we left with the hope that we’d bucked the trend and gotten a second chance at a first impression.  As we left the restaurant, she turned around and took a photo of the outside.  Hopefully that is the picture that will stick in her mind when someone says “vegan food.”