Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Ever since my first trip to Pokez I have been all about the potato in the burrito (with black beans and such.) Ranchos will do this. For me, it's the simple things!

any of their combo plates that come with refried beans and rice. the enchilada trio platter or the tamales are great. the tempeh torta is awesome, the tofu scramble burrito, the tofu rancheros platter, their smoothies are amazing, a taco or tostada with a side of beans and rice. they have this new-ish fake chicken stuff that is really good. the tortilla soup is awesome. even their pancakes are good if you don't feel like mexican food.

I vote for Evolution. Just be warned: It's supposed to be "fast food" but sometimes it can take up to a half hour to get your order.

Thanks for the recommendations! Tofu rancheros sound really good right about now...

I really miss Nature's Express. I loved the selection; lots of variety always yummy. I've had good food at Evolution and not so good food. It has seemed wildly inconsistent which makes me sad. I kind of don't even consider it an option any more and it definitely would not be a place where I would take someone (omni).

We've talked about this one and we're so far undecided. I've read really good reviews and also very mediocre; but in the end, who knows what other influences go on when reviews are written?

Anyhow, tomorrow's the big day and it looks like we won't end up going out until December for a big bang celebration of our anniversary/my birthday because we're broke as a joke until then. Yup the rest of the month is looking bleak for doing anything extra but I guess this will only increase the anticipation!

Hey hey :) So is anyone interested in a potluck/meetup for SD? We live in a pretty big pad and we don't have any family west of FLORIDA, so let me know. We're in OB about 1/2 block from People's Coop.

I'm always down for a meet-up. My mobility is limited at the moment, though. Since my car is going to die any day now, I'm only driving to school and back.

I will be there after the 21st of December... (fly in on the 21st)

I really also need to try to make it to Ranchos or Pokez sometime.

yes! if you can only go to one, go to ranchos just because they are so much nicer there. also if you go to rancho's in OB you can go to Stephanie's after for some streudel.

Ritual Tavern has some tasty food and booze for a night out while being more affordable. They have Alesmith. Mm :)
The lentil burger wasn't too bad. Shepherd's pie was so tasty :)
http://www.ritualtavern.com/index.php?o ... &Itemid=62

TBH, I was very underwhelmed by Stephanie's.
Pizza was topped with canned veggies, so it was very salty and vinegary.
Don't think I'll be revisiting them. Especially with their prices.

Pokez is pretty tasty. A little bit on the salty side (I think it just depends who prepares your food. I've had varying degrees of salty from here!)
I like Tom's Deep plate with the corn tortillas.
Potato and mushroom burrito is pretty good too (A little heavy)

There's another bar that serves a black bean burger that's supposed to be pretty decent and cheap. Something to do with trains. Having a total brain fart.

Did anyone go to UCSD for the Thanksgiving dinner? Forgot about that :(

I'm down with some Ranchos and Stephanie's is right across the street from my house. We should start to plan...

I'm up for anything from the 22nd to the 31st but if you guys have something before/after then, I won't be crushed :) I might be mopey... but not crushed.

Let's aim for no mopey-ness :)

I'm in Jacksonville, FL now, but lived in San Diego for 4 years. I haven't seen Kung Food or Veg'n Out mentioned. Are they still open? I really enjoyed both these places, along with most of the others mentioned. I SO miss veggie restaurants! There are none here in Jax. :(

I miss Kung Food too. It turned into Nature's Express which was an amazing buffet-type format with excellent food (and a late-night drive through!) but is now Evolution which has a potential to be great, and the food is tasty, but I no longer go out of my way to go there.

Veg'n Out is still there but with weird hours. Food is still good!

My Favorites:

3 Little Birds - Veg n' Out
Lucky Chow Mein - Loving Hut
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich - Evolution
Tofu and Chorizo Burrito sans Ranchero Sauce - Pokez
Black Bean Tamale - Farmer's Market (various locations)

These dishes rule. That is all.

There is a raw vegan restaurant in Jacksonville called:

Shakti Life Kitchen
51 Pine St.
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233

Well... Atlantic Beach, but it might as well be Jax. Also, in St. Augustine there is the lovely Present Moment Cafe.

ooh, i think i know the tamale woman you're talking about. i used to buy tamales from her all the time. she has sundried tomato ones and a few other flavors, too right?

If she is the same one I am thinking of, yes, she has a bunch of vegan options including scallion and potato, which is awesome as is the black bean. They are excellent to bring to [smallish] potlucks, everyone loves them.

Important question for everyone...is there anywhere to get vegan doughnuts in this town or do I have to wait until my next trip to Seattle? I am jonesing something terrible.

I don't care for donuts so I never noticed but have you checked Jimbo's? When I went, they had a lot of vegan baked goods.

just the packaged nutrilicious ones at people's, i think. unless maybe stephanie's makes them? i doubt anyone has real good fried donuts. but hey, ronalds is only a 5 hour drive away. vegas is closer than seattle!

Thanks for the suggestions, linanil and idji. I don't get into North County much, so I don't know about Jimbo's, but I will check at People's next time I'm in OB. Or maybe I will just get strudel at Stephanie's to satisfy my sweet tooth. Actually, now that I think of it, my next opportunity for vegan doughnuts might be Vegan Treats when I visit my family in Philly in March. I've just got Seattle on the brain because I am going there this summer for a conference and every time my roomie and I talk about it, one of us yells "MIGHTY-O!"

I used to live in North Park. Ditto on OB Coop and Stephanie's - both are great. Protip, though: whatever you do, never, EVER decide to buy a sammich at Stephanies and eat it on the beach nearby. 'Cause, here's the thing: it's a dog beach. And dogs LOVE them some vegan hot salami pesto sammich, let me tell you. I have never seen so many chihuahuas cresting over a sand dune at the same time headed at a full gallop towards me.

I love Spread, it was my favorite restaurant! It's technically vegetarian but nearly everything on the menu is or can be made vegan. It's also a GREAT place to take nonveg friends because they don't use any faux meats, it's just amazing fresh delicious food.

Ranchos has some good stuff as well - mmm, vegan enchilada trio.

Veg 'n Out I was a little lukewarm on, but I used to live right by there and it was a good "don't feel like cooking at all" option, and husband really liked it. I always kinda thought my food was better though!

In North Park at...30th & North Park Blvd, I think, there's a place called the Linkery.. It might be kinda controversial to mention here because as the name implies they also do a lot of in-house charcuterie!! and it is, according to some, overpriced. BUT they do have some really nice vegan options, the menu is well labelled, and their beer and wine (and mead, and...) menus are fantastic. I really liked that place for getting together with people, but you'll have to look at their menu online and decide for yourself...

If you go north up to Park & Adam there's a nice vegan shop, especially good for picking up vegan chocolates for your valentine!

I'm kinda meh on Sipz, and hearing that they're iffy on ingredients is a bummer. However if you DO go there, be sure to check out the Indian grocery across the street, if you like your ethnic grocery stores (If you want Asian stuff, there's a nice Mitsuwa in San Diego, too).

Near Pacific Beach there's a nice veggie Thai place I used to like. I think it maybe has Vegan in the name but can't think of it. But it's in a strip mall that faces a parking lot, right near the beach around Grand.