Vegging Out: Lentil Nut Loaf at Blue Plate Diner

I don't think I have ever had supper at Blue Plate Diner - just brunch and lunch. So, I was glad to finally get the opportunity over the weekend prior to a function. I decided upon the vegan lentil nut loaf. I was surprised by how dense the loaf was. It almost had the consistency of a good meatloaf (something also on the dinner menu), with a thick wine and miso gravy to keep it moist. Besides the exture, I loved the taste: not too nutty, with accents of flax. Combined with roasted vegetables and potatoes, and I had a very full meal. I would recommend this dish to vegans of Edmonton, or anyone who would like to try a vegan dish that will leave you as satisfied as meat.

Pot Roast at IHOP

When at IHOP (3921 Calgary Trail), I usually order a breakfast dish. Not this past weekend, when I had supper there one evening. I opted for the French onion pot roast, which came with buttered corn and mashed potatoes. I liked the corn and potatoes (although I honestly could not tell if they came from a mix or were fresh), but the meat was disappointing. The amount of gelatinous gravy and pieces of onion outdid the amount of actual meat. This was a clear case of the photo on the menu looking better than the actual serving. I would definitely not order it again.

Riverside Bistro

I spent most of the weekend at a conference at the Shaw Conference Centre, and needed a break. So, I headed next door to the Courtyard at Marriott for an early even snack in the Riverside Bistro. I ordered a Thai chicken flatbread, which took a while to arrive. My extremely friendly and attentive server (I would go back again just on service alone) brought me a garlic bread stick to help me pass the time. It was tasty, but would have been better warm.

Finally, the main attractive arrived, and it was good. Lots of chicken, creamy bocconcini cheese, red Thai sauce, and red peppers. The bread was also much more flavourful than typical flatbread, which tends to be bland. It cost around $14 which is on the higher end, but not unreasonable, for a gourmet, personal-sized pizza.

I decided to have dessert, and had a piece of Death by Chocolate cake. Despite the beautiful presentation, it did not live up to its name. It was rather dry, did not strike me as being overly fresh, and overall did not justify the $8 price tag.

The Pho Files - Vegan Pho at Cafe Mosaics

I don't get to Cafe Mosaics as often as I would like, so when I treated a friend to a belated birthday lunch there a couple of weeks ago, I grabbed the opportunity to try the vegan pho. The pho is only available from October until March, and my server even jokingly tried to dissuade me from ordering it, fearing I would become addicted only to have to wait until the fall to have more. She was right. This was the only vegetarian pho I have ever had where the broth was almost as deep and rich as the beef-based version. The aromatic seasoning was there, as were lots of noodles and tofu and fungus meat replacements that almost replicated the textures of the kinds of cuts of meat found in pho.

To enhance the experience, I tried for the first time the green onion cakes. At $10, they cost much more than in Chinatown (and the pho itself was $14). Cut into perfect triangular wedges, the pieces were crispy but did not taste any more outstanding than their cheaper counterparts. The star of the plate was the sauces: a smoky hot sauce and a chipotle.

Also seasonal is the chai latte, so thick and spicy that it is in a class of its own.