HEY VEGANS: If you can avoid the Olive Garden, do. If you can't, order the gluten-free pasta and salad without the dressing.
Like I said previously, I'm going to dinner with my coworkers tonight at Olive Garden in Falls Church. I've scoured the internet and it seems that there is a lot of confusion as to what is vegan and what isn't, so I just called the one I'm going to tonight to clear up what it is that I'll be ordering. This is how the conversation went (in so many words):
Me: I'm vegan and eating there tonight, are your pastas made with egg?
OG Lady: All the pastas are made with egg.
Me: Even the pasta in your minestrone?
OGL: Yes.
Me: What do you recommend I order?
OGL: Salad without the dressing (made with egg & cheese) and minestrone without the pasta.
Me: I read on the website that there is a gluten-free pasta, is it made with egg?
OGL: I don't know.
Me: Could you check?
OGL: I don't know how I could know that.
Me: Do you have an ingredient list?
OGL: Not right here in front of me.
Me: How about in the restaurant?
OGL, sighing: Let me get my manager.
OG Manager: What's the deal?
Me: VEGAN
OGM: I don't know why she told you the pastas were made with egg. None of the pastas are made with egg.
Me: What? Are you sure? (why would she say that?)
OGM: I'm not completely positive but this has happened before and we always say there isn't any egg in them.
Me: Could you check?
...
OGM: I stand corrected. All the pastas are made with egg.
Me: OK. Does that include your gluten-free pasta?
OGM: Do eggs contain gluten?
Me: They are two different things, I'm just wondering if the pasta you serve that is gluten-free is also egg-free?
OGM: I don't know.
Me: Could you check?
OGM: I don't think we have an ingredient list for that.
Me: Really? Would you mind double checking?
...
OGM comes back, reads off the label of the GF pasta as well as the sauce that comes with it. No animal products! The pasta is made with quinoa, score! : "I guess that's what you'll be having, huh?"
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
on the vegan side of things...
Things are going pretty well for this VegHead. This week I rode the freegan wave and ended up with a headache and a confused stomach, so I think that's my sign to take an extra 5 minutes the mornings of my trainings to make a PB&J. Speaking of, how did I forget how amazing PB&Js are??? So delicious, especially on toasted bread. I'm also really baffled about why anyone would get the no-stir peanut butter, because obviously stirring the PB is the BEST PART. So satisfying.
When I discussed this on Saturday with JD we talked about our favorite J - mine is currently a no-sugar-added strawberry jam which is great. I like bananas too. What's your favorite PB accompaniment?
Speaking of freeganism, tomorrow night I'm going with coworkers to a celebratory dinner in honor of our completion of the office's Biggest Loser challenge. Where's the extravaganza? Olive Garden. On the real! In this great big city with all the places you could ever want! Bah! I've been doing a bit of research this evening and totally coming up short on what I'm going to eat, as it seems that most if not all of their pastas are made with egg. This is confusing to me, just like nonfat milk in bread and casein in rice "cheese". WTF, Y'ALL.
While we're talking vegetables, I am also really pumped about getting a regular volunteer position at the Washington Youth Garden as their volunteer coordinator. I don't get paid, but will be able to reap the benefits of harvest season. I've been out there twice now, round three coming up this Saturday. Farm girl, usin' her head (and hands and thumbs and muscles!) I'm just so thankful for a reason to get up early and be outside on Saturday mornings. Amen.
When I discussed this on Saturday with JD we talked about our favorite J - mine is currently a no-sugar-added strawberry jam which is great. I like bananas too. What's your favorite PB accompaniment?
Speaking of freeganism, tomorrow night I'm going with coworkers to a celebratory dinner in honor of our completion of the office's Biggest Loser challenge. Where's the extravaganza? Olive Garden. On the real! In this great big city with all the places you could ever want! Bah! I've been doing a bit of research this evening and totally coming up short on what I'm going to eat, as it seems that most if not all of their pastas are made with egg. This is confusing to me, just like nonfat milk in bread and casein in rice "cheese". WTF, Y'ALL.
While we're talking vegetables, I am also really pumped about getting a regular volunteer position at the Washington Youth Garden as their volunteer coordinator. I don't get paid, but will be able to reap the benefits of harvest season. I've been out there twice now, round three coming up this Saturday. Farm girl, usin' her head (and hands and thumbs and muscles!) I'm just so thankful for a reason to get up early and be outside on Saturday mornings. Amen.
tune yards
Last night I saw Merrill Garbus & Nate Brenner play as Tune Yards at DC9. They opened for Xiu Xiu and also completely showed them up. Merrill is tremendous. I'm totally pumped for the new 7" to come in a format I can listen to.
Before the show I did the obligatory "hey I like you" thing with her and introduced myself in the context of Bloomington and Mike. It got me thinking about how long I've associated or identified myself as a girlfriend or bff of a local celebrity/rock star. It was weird to do that here, in this new city, my city.
No offense to anyone I used to date or any bffs of mine who also happen to be talented musicians, but that kind of sucks in a way. I mean, I want to tell people about that time I got to sit behind the mixer at Daytrotter (+394 hip lady points, no?) but I can't without it being about David.
As a result, I came home and stayed up very late perusing music blogs and deciding that I'm ready to make some decisions about what music I'm really diggin' instead of what I think I should be diggin' based on what the boy I'm smoochin' is listening to. Stay tuned?
P.S. Choice numero uno is for sure the new Tallest Man on Earth... who happen to be on a label based outta Bloomington. Bah! Download "King of Spain" -->>here<<--
Before the show I did the obligatory "hey I like you" thing with her and introduced myself in the context of Bloomington and Mike. It got me thinking about how long I've associated or identified myself as a girlfriend or bff of a local celebrity/rock star. It was weird to do that here, in this new city, my city.
No offense to anyone I used to date or any bffs of mine who also happen to be talented musicians, but that kind of sucks in a way. I mean, I want to tell people about that time I got to sit behind the mixer at Daytrotter (+394 hip lady points, no?) but I can't without it being about David.
As a result, I came home and stayed up very late perusing music blogs and deciding that I'm ready to make some decisions about what music I'm really diggin' instead of what I think I should be diggin' based on what the boy I'm smoochin' is listening to. Stay tuned?
P.S. Choice numero uno is for sure the new Tallest Man on Earth... who happen to be on a label based outta Bloomington. Bah! Download "King of Spain" -->>here<<--
Monday, April 5, 2010
Two things that have shocked me recently.
One amazing:
One absolutely disgusting:
^This is done being "test marketed" and is going nationwide.
One absolutely disgusting:
^This is done being "test marketed" and is going nationwide.
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