You would think that I would have finally learned my lesson. I'm one of those people who procrastinates over every decision, including visiting restaurants — sometimes waiting until it's too late. I mean, after years of watching those late-night TV commercials for the semi-legendary Rockwood Country Club (where Lou Jane Temple says she was once served Grand Marnier or some other fancy liqueur in a Styrofoam cup and watched the booze melt through the bottom of the cup), I decided one night I wanted to go there. It was closed. Permanently.
Same story for the iconic Gold Buffet ("Where the superstars dine!"), that combination smorgasbord and "show room." I was finally convinced I should go there ... two days after it closed. And although Zoe LeGrece — the owner of one of Kansas City's first truly vegan restaurants, Zo's Cafe (it operated from 1984 to 1994) — is a friend of mine, I regret to say I never actually dined in her namesake restaurant.
And that brings me to the local vegan meal-delivery service, Conveniently Natural, run by Brian and Kim Gordon. Last summer, the Gordons began serving a vegan buffet lunch on Thursdays at their location on Southwest Trafficway but recently discontinued it. Before I could eat there, of course.
Yes, yes, I know the difference between a traditional vegetarian and a vegan. But until recently, I didn't know that there were vegetarians who liked meat-free dishes designed to look and taste like, you know, meat. Or, conversely, vegetarians who considered this practice anathema to the very concept of vegetarianism.
I should have known better. Years ago, I was extolling the virtues of an amazing meatless Reuben sandwich sold at the old Manna House Cafe on 95th Street and Nall. It didn't matter if it was delicious and tasted like the real thing, a vegetarian friend snapped at me. "If it looked like meat and tasted like meat -- it was meat!"
Huh?
| Refried beans can be the ultimate mystery dish. |
I have several vegetarian friends in Kansas City who take a "don't ask, don't tell" approach to some seemingly meat-free dishes. It's easier to pretend the beans in a Mexican restaurant are lard-free, particularly when dining with a group of meat-eating friends.
Little Debbie is more than just an illustration of a cute little girl featured on boxes for a nationally-distributed brand of snack cakes. She's a diet plan!
Who knew?
Yesterday's health report on cnn.com featured a story about Kansas State University's Mark Haub, professor of human nutrition, losing 27 pounds by going on a ten-week diet of Little Debbie Nutty Bars, Swiss Rolls, muffins, powdered donuts, Hostess Twinkies, corn chips and Oreo cookies.
Eat This, Not That, the Men's Health diet blog, released its list of the 20 worst foods of 2011 last week. It might as well have been called "Don't Go to the Cheesecake Factory."
The restaurant chain has three spots on the list, including the honor of worst food in America: its bistro shrimp pasta, which comes in at 2,727 calories.
on junk food than people who use credit cards, according to a recent
study. The theory is that people who use cash are more aware of how much
money they're spending and won't splurge on impulse items such as candy,
cookies, pies and cakes.
For consumers, the lesson is that if you need to trick
yourself into eating more healthfully, carry cash. But how can grocery
stores profit from these findings?
Milk & Honey has the best I've had in KC. http://milkandhoneykc.com/
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