H.A. Larson's Blog, page 30

My Favorite Restaurants in Various Cities

As someone who eats a plant-based diet, there's usually a bit of research I conduct before taking any trip out of town. What I'm looking for, of course, are restaurants that have either a completely vegan menu or are quite vegan-friendly. I write down the ones that interest me the most (read: has the most delicious looking/sounding food) then go to my first pick if nothing else.

Here, then, is a list of my favorite vegan or vegan-friendly restaurants in various cities that I've been to.



1. Denver, CO: Native Foods

A restaurant chain that is spread out over a few states, Native Foods serves a vegan-only menu. We had the pleasure of eating out here on a family vacation to Colorado, and we loved it so much we went back a second time before leaving town. Chicken Wings, Native Nachos, Meatball Sub, Big Ol' BBQ Burger, Oatmeal Creme Pies, and Lavender Lemonade were the various things I ate while there, and they were all delicious. I wish I lived close to a Native Foods so I could eat there a few times a week!


2. New Orleans, LA: Seed

Specializing in veganized, authentic New Orleans foods such as Beignets and Poboys, this vegan-only joint serves up delicious and tasty food. We loved the Tofu Nuggets with Agave Mustard and Garlic Aioli, and the Fried Eggplant Poboy was fabulous.


3. Kansas City, MO: Eden Alley Cafe

This cafe is unique in that it resides in the basement of the Temple Buddhist Center, and while it's a vegetarian restaurant, it caters to vegans as well. Spacious and sparse while still putting off a homey vibe, I had the housemade Hummus & Pita for an appetizer, the Grilled Tofu Ruelke Sandwich for the entree, and for dessert, the Carrot Cinnamon Cake. This gem is a must-try!


4. Des Moines, IA: A Dong

This Vietnamese Restaurant was my first time trying the cuisine, and I loved it. They had a separate vegan menu, which I thought was fantastic, and I really enjoyed the food. I wish I could remember the entree I had, but I distinctly remember the Tofu Rolls (vegan egg rolls). They were so tasty, as was the sauce, that I ordered a second batch to take with me.


5. Omaha, NE: Modern Love

I've dedicated a whole post to this restaurant before, and I highly recommend it to anyone, veggie or not. I've only had one so-so dish there, while all the rest were incredibly delicious. A little on the spendy side, it's perfect for a nice night out and worth every penny.


6. Minneapolis, MN: Pizza Luce

This restaurant gives off warehouse vibes that are warm and inviting. The tables/booths are arranged in a square around the center bar and are comfortable to sit at. Serving a variety of pasta, sandwiches, salads, and pizza, this restaurant will fill any omnivore's belly while also catering to the vegans that come in. And cater to us they do! They house make their own Rinotta, a cashew-tofu cheese, and also carry Daiya as well. I got the Rustler, a vegetarian (sub one of the vegan cheeses to make it vegan) pizza covered in BBQ sauce, mock duck, pineapple, banana peppers, and red onion, all served on a fire-roasted crust, this pizza was divine! I polished it all off with one of their vegan brownies called the Molly Bar.


7. Lake of the Ozarks, MO: Wok N Roll

This little out-of-the-way restaurant serves a variety of Thai dishes that one can swap tofu in for any meat. I chose the Pad Cha with Red Curry. This dish is a spicy mix of peppers, carrots, onions, and tofu cooked in a fiery red curry and served over rice. I am a fan of Thai curries so this suited my tastes just fine.


8. Portland, OR: Homegrown Smoker and Aviv.

I have to give props to two restaurants in Portland, Homegrown Smoker, and Aviv. Admittedly, I loved HS more, but Aviv was a fantastic restaurant as well.

Homegrown Smoker is a full vegan BBQ restaurant. I had a big old platter as we had just finished hiking 11.5 miles and I was exhausted.




This lovely platter was comprised of Fufish filets, tempeh ribs, hushpuppies, Mac No Cheese, chipotle slaw, and a remoulade. I washed it all down with some delicious, homemade sweet tea. Hands down, one of the best vegan meals I've ever had. I've been following Homegrown Smoker on Instagram for a few years now, so it was fantastic to finally get to eat the food I've been drooling over all this time. Totally worth the wait!
Aviv is another all-vegan restaurant that specializes in Israeli fare - think Mediterranean.



I really should've ordered the soy curl shwarma plate, but alas I went for the spicy falafel platter. It was comprised of hummus, pita, seasoned rice, tomato-cucumber-tofu feta salad, and, of course, the falafel covered in spicy sauce. It. Was. Delicious! They also had a great atmosphere and served fabulous housemade drinks.




I cannot remember what this drink was called, but it was delicious and rich without being heavy. It was also served over a huge ice cube. Hands down would go back. In fact, my friend who lives in Portland said she did exactly that.
And there you have it: my favorite vegan food in various cities. I hope you enjoyed it and that you have a great rest of your week!

On the Matter of Gratefulness

There's nothing quite like weathering a storm and coming out unscathed to make one grateful. I know Thanksgiving is a time for people to remember to be thankful, but I'm thankful that the storm has passed. You know how tough this year has been for me, and there were times when I doubted that the Sun would ever shine again. And yet, it has. It finally has.
I'm still easing into my normal day-to-day existence, but by-and-large, everything is as it should be again. I look forward to my four-day Thanksgiving break every year, and this year was no different. On Thursday, I cook a big feast, on Friday, I do nothing but relax and eat leftovers, and on Saturday, I hike. I headed out to Neale Woods, my favorite local hiking spot, early Saturday morning for a solo hike. I got four miles in, making sure to take some treacherous terrain to help me burn some calories and release any stress and tension from the past few weeks. It was a good thing that I did because the weather was nice and a snowstorm was on the horizon for later in the evening.



As I hiked, I had ample time to ponder upon my life and I have to say, I'm grateful.



I'm grateful for days like these when I can commune as one with nature and hit my reset button.
I'm grateful for a handful of wonderful friends that have been there for me every step of the way, listening to me, giving me words of comfort & wisdom, and just being there for me.
I'm grateful for the trips I got to take that helped ease my wanderlust.
I grateful for my children who are an endless source of wonderment and love.
I'm grateful for a job that puts food on my table and that affords me a set of the greatest co-workers I've ever had the pleasure of working with. 
I'm grateful to be alive. Life is amazing, even when it's not.
There are plenty of other things I'm grateful for, but these are the ones I consider the most important. Without these things, I'm not sure how I would have made it through these last several, turbulent months. Truly, reasons to be grateful.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and that you have a reason or two to be grateful as well.

A Long Weekend in Portland

On October 12th, I flew into Portland to spend a four-day weekend with one of my best friends, Lisa. She moved out there a few years ago and I promised her on her first visit back that I would visit her in Portland as soon as I was able. She doesn't have a car so we walked and took public transportation to get around. Since my goal is to walk/hike 100 miles a month, I was more than happy to hoof it everywhere - not to mention that it helped me reach my month miles goal.



The first thing we did was check in to the AirBnB that I rented for us to stay in for the weekend. I was pretty hungry after that so we walked a few miles to the White Owl Social Club, a bar & grill. They serve omni food but have a good vegan selection. Since I had yet to try the Impossible Burger, I ordered it with vegan cheese, vegan aioli, and a side of fries. I washed it down with a cider and a dill pickle shot - a delicious combination of homemade pickle juice and whiskey.
After we ate, we hit up the grocery store and went back to the Airbnb to relax and visit.



Lisa had to work on Saturday so after sending her off, I got ready and walked to the OMSI: Oregon Museum of Science & Industry. I purchased tickets for the "Dark Universe" planetarium show and the "Discovery of King Tut's Tomb" exhibit.



Dark Universe was an excellent planetarium show on dark matter narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, and the planetarium itself was the nicest one I've ever been in - granted, I have only been to a couple of really small, older planetariums so it was awesome to be in a nice, larger, newer one.



After the show, I got in line for my turn into the King Tut exhibit. It was an incredible exhibit that had tons of replicas of the discoveries inside the tomb when it was discovered. There was a short film beforehand and you got a handheld device for listening to clips about each of the parts of the exhibit.






This would be the canisters that held King Tut's insides, removed for mummification.



After visiting OMSI, I hopped on the bus and headed east to Mount Tabor. Mt Tabor is an extinct volcano that is now a gorgeous city park. I had to walk a mile after the bus to arrive at the park, and then I took the hard path to the top not realizing there was an easier path. Oh well, at least I got my exercise! This shot is of the second reservoir.



This was the lovely view I was treated to at the top. You can see pieces of Portland all around you in various places.



I arrived back at the Airbnb and relaxed for an hour until Lisa got off work. We walked a few blocks over to Aviv, a full-vegan Israeli restaurant. I got the falafel plate that included rice, hummus, and tofu feta! It was delicious. I had a nice cocktail on the side that complemented the meal well.
We went back to the Airbnb after hitting up a couple of local bars and hit the sack for our big Sunday adventure.



On Sunday we took the long bus route up to Forest Park. Situated in the Western side of the city, Forest Park is a ginormous city park that boasts 53 miles of trails! We started at the very bottom and made the 5-mile trek to the top.



It was a lovely sunny 70 degrees F the entire weekend, so hiking in the park was great.



At the top lies Pittock Mansion, the former home of the man who started the Oregonian.



When you get a view like this, it's not hard to imagine why he built his home here. What a view! Yes, that is Mount Hood in the distance. Someday I will hike that mountain.



After getting nearly 12 miles that day, we were starving after our journey, so we headed to Homegrown Smoker. It was a must-go-to place when I made plans to go to Portland. An all-vegan bbq joint, I've been following them on Instagram for a couple of years and knew I couldn't go there and not eat there. I ordered a platter that had Tofish fillets, tempeh ribs, hushpuppies, mac nocheese, and chipotle slaw. I got the sweet tea to go with it, and, man, was it one of the best meals I've ever eaten.

So, that was my much-needed trip away from home. After the rough year I've had, it really helped to heal my soul a bit. Have a great weekend, friends!
-H.A.

The Nite Owl

One of the gentrified districts in Omaha is the Blackstone District. I've talked about the District at length in this post so I won't go into detail here. What I'd like to share with you today is another great restaurant there: Nite Owl. The Nite Owl is a 21+ bar and grill with a cool, hipsterish vibe.



An array of cozy tables and booths are surrounded by dark blue walls covered in a wide assortment of black velvet paintings. I met up with some friends there awhile back, my second time there. It's a grab your own menu and a glass of water then seat yourself kind of place. I ordered an Oktoberfest beer while I waited.



Besides all the great black velvet paintings, they have a big screen TV above the bar - which can be seen from every angle in the joint - where they show classic 80's movies.



Like the other establishments in the Blackstone District, Nite Owl has a few vegan options. While I really should branch out and try the Tofu Kimchi Sliders, I absolutely adore their heavenly Sweet Potato-Black Bean burger with house-made vegan aioli. I paired it with a side of tots for a full, carbolicious meal.
If you want a casual meal in a fun, inviting atmosphere, give Nite Owl a try...if you live in Omaha or ever come visit that is.

Shocktober 2018!

October is absolutely my favorite month of the year, hands down. What's not to love? October heralds a full month of Autumnal glory. The weather is perfect, the foliage is a brilliant display of warm, vibrant colors, pumpkin patches are open, flannel is in abundance, Halloween draws ever closer, and it's the perfect time to sip some spiked cider while watching scary movies.

A couple of years ago I watched classic scary movies for the month, but last year I stuck to more modern tales of horror. The reason for this is because, as a huge fan of all things horror, I purchased a Shudder subscription that I still have. Shudder is the Netflix of Horror, and I love all the movies and shows I can pick from. Anyway, let's get started with this years Shocktober!





If you remember, one of the movies I watched last October was Hell House LLC. It was my favorite one out of the bunch (except for Lovely Molly, which ironically has an unintended reference in this movie). When I saw, then, that Hell House LLC II was out exclusively on Shudder, I put it in My List to watch for Shocktober! It started out quite strong but disappointed me at the end. While much of the movie follows the same strong pattern as it's predecessor, this one fell flat at the end. Sometimes, revealing all the secrets takes the mystery out of things while, at the same time, not have that same kind of impact you would expect it to have. This was the case with this sequel. Still, overall, it was a decent movie but don't watch this one until you've seen the original.




Revenge is a movie about, well, revenge. Jen is embroiled in a sexual relationship with a married man, Richard, who is wealthy. Every year he takes a hunting trip with his buddies to his remote house in the desert that is only accessible by helicopter. He decides to take Jen there to spend a few days prior to the hunting trip but on the second day his buddies show up early. What follows next is nothing short of tense, raw action that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way until the bloody ending. This is one of my new all-time favorites.




A man and a woman are leaving the place they've lived to move who knows where. When they encounter a local crime group at a bar where they are having dinner, they unwittingly become the next victims. The tables turn however when the criminals discover a living woman in the trunk of the couple's car and she informs them that they're all going to die at the hands of the man. This movie is full of bad dialogue and gore but is a total fun blast to watch. If you like gore, comeuppance, and revenge of a different flavor, then you will like this movie.




1800s Estonia is rife with weird creatures, ghosts, werewolves, and the Devil himself. Shot in black and white, this movie tells the story of Liina, a peasant girl, who is desperately in love with Hans. Hans doesn't reciprocate as he quickly falls in love with the beautiful daughter of the German landowner who rules the area. Unrequited love leads to tragedy, but it's all the other weirdness and characters that make this movie interesting. It's hard to follow at times and is subtitled, but if you like off-beat movies, this is one you might appreciate.




Next to Revenge, this was my favorite movie out of the bunch. Richard comes home to his English home after the war and sets out on a mission to get revenge on the thugs who teased and harassed his mentally-challenged little brother. He stalks them, messes with them, and, when confronted, shows his absolute non-fear of them. When you realize that Richard's younger brother is actually dead, you understand that everyone who's responsible will pay with their lives. Brilliantly portrayed by Paddy Considine, you won't soon forget about Richard or this movie.



And there you have it, 2018's Shocktober! edition. I hope you check out one or two of these movies (Revenge, cough, Dead Man's Shoes, cough, cough) for yourself. 
Have a great weekend.
-H

Healthy Life Update

Good morning! I hope you're looking forward to the weekend as much as I am. Now that I'm back, the first thing I'd like to share is the latest update on my road to health. Those of you who have been following my blog for some time already know the whole story, but for those of you who don't, let me fill you in a bit.
When it was time to make a New Year's Resolution for 2014 I was in the poorest shape of my life. I tipped the scales at 340 lbs, I was a heavy smoker, a heavy drinker, and I had a food addiction that saw me eating 6 full meals every day of the worst kinds of food. I knew something had to change, so I started by quitting smoking. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but it was one of the best decisions of my life. It started a nearly five-year journey that brings me where I am today. 
Ever since late April, I decided to ramp up my love of hiking and walking and make a goal of getting 100 miles every month. So, without further ado, here are the numbers:
April 67.09May 119.01June 97.45July 107.32August 105.67September 94.59October 104.78-------------------------------------
Total Miles: 695.91

I actually would have walked/hiked more in October but I was sick for a solid three days and didn't walk at all. 
On the weight front, I think the last time I checked in I had lost 100 lbs. I plateaued there for quite some time, but, after a trip to Portland that saw me do some major hiking, my weight loss got a jump start and I lost another 7 lbs. That means I've lost 107 lbs! I'm thinner, leaner, toned, and in the best shape of my adult life. It feels great physically and emotionally to be in better health. I still have a ways to go and some goals I'd like to achieve along the way, but I will get there. Slowly but surely I will get there.
Are you working towards any healthy goals? I'd love to hear about them in the comments. I hope you have a wonderful Saturday and a fantastic weekend.
-H.A.

The Return

At the tail end of last weekend, the weather was gorgeous. It was around 70 degrees with a hint of a breeze and I took advantage of this by taking a hike in Fontanelle Forest. The Fall foliage was in full bloom and I was surrounded by a beautiful quiet, only broken by the occasional sounds of squirrels scurrying amongst the dead leaves on the ground and kids laughing and crying in the distance. I did a hard and fast three miles, trying to break in the new hiking boots that I received a few weeks ago but hadn't gotten a chance to wear yet.
While all this was happening, I was also quietly trying to purge myself of all the woes and troubles that have plagued me this year. I followed that up this week by spending three days embroiled in bouts of crying and anger. I tell you all this for two reasons: one, I feel better now than I have in so long, and, two, I'm back. 
As I suspected, taking a month off from everything was good for me. If you have followed this blog for long enough, you are already aware of my internal struggles. While I keep it vague enough as to not divulge my personal life completely, I've been open enough for you to see through the cracks. If you haven't been following this blog let me fill you in briefly: I have had a rough year and I decided to take a month off of social media and my writing career. It was a tough decision but was ultimately the best decision for me.
What did I do for the past month? Well, I watched a lot of great movies, cooked some killer vegan food, took a couple of trips - one to each coast, and got outside as much as I could. Most importantly, I came back to a sense of normal. I'm back to the Write Life so I'll be posting on my regular schedule from now on. Stay tuned for this year's Shocktober!, a few travel posts, a recipe, some killer photos, a Healthy Life update, and even a new Latest Libations. 
It's good to be back.

Breathtaking

This photo is of the Ouachita Mountain section of the Ozark Mountain range. I took this photo on my second trip to Arkansas on top the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. From this vantage point, you can see miles and miles of mountain peaks. Stunning and breathtaking, I stared for awhile and admired it.

Recipe of the Week: Crazy Cacao Cupcakes with Cocoa Butter Frosting

Earlier this year, my good friend Audrey was planning a trip to see me. As is our usual custom, we planned on inviting friends over for food and drinks. We talked on the phone a few days beforehand and she said, "Oh, I'm making vegan cupcakes." I was like, "Really?" She said, "Yeah. You're going to love them." I eagerly waited for Audrey to arrive at my house after that, and when she showed up with the cupcakes, I knew I had a winner on my hands. When she told me it was Crazy Cake, my eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. It'd had been a while since I'd last heard that name.

The Crazy Cupcakes before frosting.
Crazy Cake came about during the Depression when eggs and milk were harder to come by. Some genius dreamed up a world where delicious cake could be made without either ingredient. Because of the lack of eggs and milk, these cupcakes are accidentally vegan.

Sorry, this is my best picture of the frosted cupcakes and it still looks terrible. Imagine their deliciousness instead.
I make these regularly now and, man, do they get inhaled quickly - mostly by me. Since I try to eat a bit healthier, I use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder, which gives these cupcakes a decidedly deeper and richer flavor. I also make a "butter" cream frosting using cocoa butter (not to be confused with coconut oil) and it is delicious. The cocoa butter lends a richness to it that vegan butter lacks. Here's how I made them.


Crazy Cacao Cupcakes with Cocoa Butter Frosting

Ingredients for cupcakes:

1.5 c flour4 T cacao powder*3/4 c sugar1 t baking soda1/2 t salt1 t vinegar**1.5 t vanilla5 T vegetable oil1 c water

Ingredients for frosting:
1/2 c cocoa butter, scant***1 t vanilla1 T cacao powder2 c powdered sugar1-2 T almond milk



Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Mix all your dry ingredients for the cupcakes. Then, make three wells in the dry mixture.

3. In each well, you'll put in a different liquid: vinegar, vanilla, and oil.

4. Pour the water over the entire thing and mix well.

5. Distribute evenly between 12 greased muffin tins. You can use or skip muffin liners.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. While the cupcakes are cooling, make your frosting by adding all the ingredients to a bowl and mixing with a mixer - or with a whisk and some elbow grease - until smooth. If the cocoa butter is hard, warm it in a small saucepan over the lowest heat setting until it's just soft enough to be room temperature.

8. Frost your cupcakes and enjoy!



Notes:

* You can use regular cocoa powder if you want, just up the amount by a tablespoon.

** I use apple cider vinegar in this recipe all the time and it works perfectly fine, but white vinegar is the recommended vinegar for this recipe.

*** Scant just means "not quite" so you're looking to short this amount by about a tablespoon. You can use vegan butter substitute if you prefer, just make sure it's room temperature.

Lastly, if you don't feel like making frosting, many store-bought varieties are accidentally vegan. Also, you can just dust them with some powdered sugar. It's going to be delicious whichever you choose.

Antiquity

This is Corcomroe Abbey, a 13th Century Cistercian monastery. Located north of the Cliffs of Moher and nestled in the Burren, this is a glimpse into antiquity. The roof is no longer there, but everything else stands as a testament to the people who built it.