Herbivore Restaurant & Lombard Street (San Francisco Post 3 of 3)

If you're in San Francisco, you gotta go to Herbivore. It's stylish, fresh, reasonably priced, and completely vegan. Herbivore features a cross-cultural menu from the Middle East, Thailand, China, Italy, and India. Next time, I think I'll try the Seitan Shawarma or Lemongrass Rice Noodles with grilled vegetables. There are so many choices, and you can check out the menu at the above link. There are two locations to choose from, and we went to the one in the Mission District because it's conveniently on the way to the airport.



We were famished, so we began with this from the Starters selection.

Crisp Tacos:
Two crisp tacos with soy protein, beans, tofu cheese, guacamole, lettuce, and salsa

Good thing I took a photo because these tacos disappeared like magic. They were so flavorful, and it made me think that vegan cheese might not be so bad afterall.

Washing it down was a San Pellegrino Limonata.


Art's Lunch:
Marinated Tofu Sandwich on Focaccia Bread:
with avocado, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, & pickles. Served with seasoned potatoes and green salad with dijon mustard dressing.

Mine:
Baked Falafel Wrap:
seasoned onions, fresh tomatoes, hummus, hot sauce, pickles, & tahini dressing in a wrap with a green salad with potatoes and eggplant.

I usually don't like wraps or burritos because they get too soggy & fall apart. Glad I took a chance with this one. They have a super-hoopified style. Only one hand necessary to hold it, no drips, no falling apart, & not just stuffed with lettuce, either. It was solid.



This is the kind of place you could easily eat at everyday. In fact, in this month's Veg News, there is an article, "The 20 Best Restaurants for Everyday Dining -- Dine out and dine well without breaking the bank," in which Herbivore is featured. It says, "Though this restaurant bills itself as 'the earthly grill,' it's more like veg heaven..." I totally agree with that statement.


Are you looking for a Veg friendly get-away? Try San Franciso. You might wonder if San Francisco can be affordable? Yes. Here are some hotels to get you started:






Metropolis Hotel -- Rooms start @ $99 There is a suite for children, and packages for dogs.

The Phoenix Hotel -- Rooms start @ $139 The "rock 'n' roll" hotel near the Civic Center. Art has stayed here... along with a bunch of other people! :o)

Hotel California -- Rooms start @ $139 Millennium is located in this hotel, near Union Square.

Cornell Hotel -- Rooms start @ $85 with shared bath, or $110 with private bath. Rate includes breakfast!

This last photo was taken on the famous Lombard Street -- and off in the distance, you see Coit Tower.

Millennium Restaurant & China Town (San Francisco Post 2 of 3)

When we were deciding where to go for a couple days, San Francisco rose to the top for more reasons than just the obvious spectacularness of the city -- we have friends to visit (I just calculated that Lorna & I have been buds for 27 years!), and we really wanted to eat at the Millennium. Here we are sitting on the grassy steps of Union Square in anticipation of a gourmet vegan meal. It is a shame that I don't have photos of our meal. If you've seen his cookbook, The Artful Vegan, then you'll have an idea of what I mean. Each meal looked like a work of art -- very complicated & elaborate dishes. Nope, no photos. *dabbing corner of eye* I did get the above mentioned cookbook, which was signed by Eric Tucker himself -- he took a little break from cooking to do so. I saw him with my own eyes -- matched him right up with his cookbook photos.


Both our meals were Vegan, Organic, Local, Beautiful, & Delicious! We can't wait to go back.
Art's --
1. Grilled Bitter Greens and Sweet Onion Salad
fresh black Mission figs, house-smoked tofu, pecan-fig-balsamic vinaigrette
2. Chipotle Grilled Portobello Mushroom
cranberry bean & posole chile verde, butternut squash masa arepa, sauteed greens, sweet chipotle glaze, spiced toasted pumpkin seeds
Mine --
1. Roasted Pumpkin Salad
apples & sweet peppers, cider vinaigrette, toasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed oil
2. Pomegranate Glazed Tempeh
autumn vegetable hash, Israeli couscous with saffron "cream", green coriander, shaved fennel & lemon pickle, pomegranate seeds

This month's Veg News has an article "Tips from the Top - Veg chefs dish their delicious home-cooking secrets" in which Eric Tucker (Millennium co-owner) says his pantry must-have is curry paste, and his kitchen tool essential is a knife sharpener. Fun question... Guess if I could only pick one of each, It'd be Earth Balance & a Vegetable Peeler. What's your pantry must-have? And your kitchen tool essential?

Greens Restaurant & The Marina (San Francisco Post 1 of 3)

OK, so what I didn't tell you is that while the Grandparents were in town, Art and I left town! We cashed in on some frequent flyer miles and visited San Francisco for a couple days. The first night, we stayed with some dear friends -- I asked Lorna where we could get some vegetarian food, and expected her to suggest Millennium (which is where we had reservations for the following evening) but she didn't. She said the place she hears the most about (she's omni) is Greens Restaurant. This photo was taken at the Marina with Alcatraz behind us -- right before going to Greens!


Greens has been around for 26 years setting the standard for gourmet vegetarian cuisine. You can enjoy the open, art-filled, floor to ceiling windows with sweeping views of the Marina, Golden Gate Bridge, and Marin Headlands --- or get Greens to go with their convenient take-out picnic fare counter. Greens serves gourmet vegetarian & vegan cuisine using only their homegrown & organic produce -- the diverse menu changes daily.





This is my lunch:

Mediterranean Sampler --

French lentil salad with lemon, mint and ricotta salata; filo turnover with leeks, fromage blanc and thyme; roasted pepper hummous; green, yellow wax and romano beans with tarragon vinaigrette; grilled pita bread; spicy tomato jam; olives. $13.75





Art's Lunch: (for once I'm glad I ordered mine and not his!)

Asian Tofu Sandwich --

Grilled tofu in spicy peanut sauce with pickled carrots, jicama and cilantro on Acme petit baguette. Served with little gems, tat soi, grilled shiitake mushrooms and sesame ginger vinaigrette. $9.75





I loved this restaurant! It was an outstanding feast for the eyes and mouth -- the view couldn't get much better & the food was perfect.

Our own fault, being tourists, we got lost finding this restaurant. Art, like some men, refuses to use a map. We finally gave in and called and they said it was across the street from Safeway supermarket at Laguna & Buchanan. We found a Safeway on Market Street between those streets and, coincidentally, it was the wrong Safeway, the restaurant is located in the Marina area in the Ft. Mason complex. We eventually crossed up to the right side of town to find the correct Safeway between Laguna and Buchanan, and thankfully, Greens was right there with easy parking access and a superb environment.