Faux Meat 102 - Where to Dine

So now you're a fan of these meatless meats, but when you want to go out to dinner with some friends, you don't know where you can find any soy options?

Carrying soy foods has yet to become the norm for restaurants. The best soy-catering restaurant I have ever experienced was Cafe Bamboo while I was on vacation in New Orleans; unfortunately, my veggie paradise has now closed. They carried amazing Creole-seasoned soy food, such as the BBQ Chik'n Po' Boy Wrap--made with organic meatless chicken. There are probably local restaurants in your own area that carry a veggie burger; here, in Richmond, Ky., a locally owned restaurant where I used to bartend, Madison Garden, has a very popular, and massive, veggie burger.

Chain restaurants, which will connect to blog readers nationwide, are not as easy to pinpoint. I have scrambled together a list of those popular restaurants I know serve soy foods, and any additions to this list are certainly welcomed, so please write me!

1.) The BK Veggie Burger, at Burger King

It's actually quite yummy, and their website allows you to customize the burger how you would actually want it prepared (add mayo, hold the tomatoes, etc.) to find out the exact amount of calories, carbs, and grams of fat it would have.

2.) The Black Bean Burger, at Chili's

I couldn't find this on their website. I've had it before, and I thought it was decent. It's a huge burger, so at least it's filling.

3.) The Veggie Burger, at Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday's veggie burger is at least better than just munching on a salad and fries, and we certainly appreciate the effort of recognizing herbivores on the menu.

4.) The Boca Burger, at Denny's

Well, if you go to eat at Denny's in the middle of the day, this veggie patty may seem bland. But at least in my age group, Denny's is a late-night haunt after the bars are closed, and I suppose this ordinary dish is fine cuisine that early in the morning!

5.) The Substituted Veggie Burger, at Ted's Montana Grill

Five well-deserved stars. Ted's will substitute any of its interesting burger combos with a veggie patty; I often get mine with sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese on a heated wheat bun, but there's a limitless variety of options. The best part about this burger is that they treat it like they would meat--they grill it to perfection instead of just popping it in the microwave, which is clearly what Denny's, Ruby Tuesday, and Chili's do. My boyfriend loves to tell the story of the first time he took me to Ted's; I was so impressed that I wrote a note to the manager complimenting how well the kitchen had prepared my burger. Seriously, it's very, very rare that soy burgers are given such careful treatment, and the results are delicious. We go to Ted's quite frequently, and I always make my meat-eating friends try the burger. A couple of weeks after trying a bite of my veggie burger there, a meat-eating girlfriend of mine went back with her husband and ordered the soy burger for herself!

6.) The Gardenburger, at T.G.I. Friday's

I've eaten their Gardenburger before, and a quick Internet search confirmed that many other people have as well, but when I went to Friday's in Lexington, Ky., during an afternoon of Christmas shopping last month, I was told it was no longer served. I don't know if they meant just at lunch hour, or just that location, or what exactly was meant. I remember Friday's burger being rather good, similar to Chili's.

7.) The Veggie Burger, at The Hard Rock Cafe

Any time I visit a Hard Rock, no matter what city I'm in, I know I'm going to get the veggie burger. While it's not the incredible perfection of Ted's Montana Grill's soy options, Hard Rock does an awesome job at cooking and preparing their veggie patties.

I've also read that Red Robin has a veggie burger, which I have yet to try, and apparently some Subways in the United States have soy patties for their sandwiches. Doesn't it seem strange, too, that McDonald's locations in Germany, India, and other countries serve veggie burgers--but none do in the United States?

Have you noticed something about this list? It's all veggie burgers. And, if you remember from the "Faux Meat 101" entry, soy burgers are hardly the best-tasting or most useful of soy food options! Alfafa in Lexington, Ky., is likely to be the most vegetarian-friendly restaurant near me, but even they only have the soy burger as a faux meat option. Restaurants like the Soy Cafe in New York City also offer soy ham; apparently there is also a Soy Cafe in Philadelphia that has a soy steak wrap. Do you know any restaurants that serve faux meat dishes? If so, please write on this blog! I--and, surely, many other vegetarians and vegans--would love to try these places out, even if we have to wait until our next vacation!

Beginners' Fondue

Tonight, Ty and I did something we rarely do: dine out.

Cooking for myself has improved my palette to the point where most restaurant food tastes bland and flavorless, but we wanted to check out a brand-new restaurant in Richmond, Hangers. We'd heard it was upscale and delicious, comparable to one of our favorite spots, Malone's in Lexington. We were definitely not disappointed; I had a savory Mediterranean pasta, which was very well-seasoned and contained a variety of veggies, even artichokes, a personal favorite. And, Richmond-area vegetarians, the tomato bisque is very tasty!

What most excited me about the menu, though, were the fondue options! We love fondue and have an awesome Trudeau fondue set at home, as well as a tiny candle-burning chocolate fondue set for smaller, more casual snacks. Fondue parties are extremely fun and entertaining, and, as far as cooking for a group of guests goes, it's one of the quickest meals to prepare. However, when just two people are dining, fondue cheese can be a little time-consuming to perfect and to upkeep so it doesn't burn. We love The Melting Pot, but the closest one is about a forty-minute drive. So tonight at Hangers, as an appetizer, we were thrilled to have cheese fondue with veggies and bread, and for dessert, an absolutely amazing chocolate fondue with fruits and Rice Krispies slices. So delicious, and we didn't have to put any effort in for just the two of us to enjoy it!

Although we had a romantic, candelit dinner (see top picture) and a very pleasant night out, you don't have to travel to an expensive restaurant to enjoy great fondue--in fact, as we discussed over dinner tonight, we actually like my home-made cheese fondue better than any we've had at a restaurant before. My first cheese fondue was made with this scrumptious plan from Simply Recipes, and it's an excellent starting point. This is definitely an omnivore-friendly dish; I've made it for several meat-eaters and they were all huge fans. This recipe is not as bland as restaurant fondue cheese--it's extremely flavorful. From there you will be able to alter the recipe to your liking; we actually like to add much more than a "pinch" of nutmeg as the recipe calls for. If you're just starting out in the kitchen, making well-seasoned and guest-pleasing fondue cheese is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the spice rack.

At home chocolate fondue is an extremely simple dish to make and such a tasty treat, especially with a good blush wine! Use either a block of baking chocolate or a bag of chocolate chips, and, depending on how you desire it to taste, add a dash of vanilla, a tablespoon of white sugar, and, if you like, amaretto or a fruit-flavored liqueur like Razzmatazz. One night, Ty and I decided to have an "art date" at home in the living room--we each had an easel and worked beside each other with a steaming pot of fondue chocolate in the middle, along with cool banana slices and strawberries. The clash of hot fondue chocolate and chilled fruit makes it taste even better.

Is it the sharing of a dish or the accidental bump of the dipping forks that makes fondue such a romantic course? If ever there was a perfect date food, I guarantee you it was made in a fondue pot!