Heirloom Shake from Purée Artisan Juice Bar and pizza from Mellow Mushroom

Heirloom Shake from Purée Artisan Juice Bar

Last weekend I made it to the recently opened DC location of Bethesda's Purée Artisan Juice Bar. Located inside MINT Health Club, at 1724 California Street NW, Purée Juice Bar occupies a sunny side corner of the gym entrance. You don't have to be a member to wander in for a 100% cold pressed, organic juice or a raw vegan nosh.

But I was interested in their smoothie offerings, which they call "Shakes." (They also call their friendly baristas, "Puristas.") I ordered the Heirloom Shake. The artfully-designed drink menu listed this particular shake at $9.75 and said it was good for glow and fiber. It certainly was a glowing orange color. What a beautiful drink! It contained carrot juice, ginger, coconut, and banana. Ginger was the dominant flavor and I swear it made my whole body hum.

Purée offers a host of cleanse packages. And, strangely, they promote bee pollen. (Which I had to google, the worried vegan that I am. Seems like an animal byproduct with allergen potential. So I won't be doing a shot of that. Must be a fitness thing.)

They have a to-go case and a shelf with cool vegan items, like Ape Man Food's Walnut Meat Tacos, Totally Rawganic desserts, and Gnosis chocolates. Also some dry brushes, vegan nail polishes and removers, and something called Cocoa Vegan Booty. (Must investigate.)

Mellow Mushroom pizza

Afterwards, my boyfriend and I hit the rooftop bar of Mellow Mushroom Adams Morgan, located at 2436 18th Street NW. A Southern chain, Mellow Mushroom is often a veg-friendly oasis when we travel in the South. 

Mellow Mushroom has many vegan options with nutritional info on their website. I especially love their build-your-own salads. Plus, the servers know what's up. When you order a pie with Daiya cheese, they offer not to brush the crust with butter or cover the pie with Parmesan.

Mega Veggie Specialty Pie

This nicely charred Mega Veggie pie (above) had red sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, black olives, Roma tomatoes, broccoli, banana peppers, artichoke hearts and crumbled tofu. And, boy, did it have Daiya. We ordered the small, 10" size but could only eat a few slices; it was that loaded. The pizza made excellent leftovers.

Mellow Mushroom also has a great beer list, with many local options. And three floors of seating. If you want to score the rooftop tables be prepared to hover. The only downside is the music. Sometimes it's awesome, often it's not. This time it was blaring 90's slacker rock. Quite a counterpoint to Purée's chill health club vibe.    

Mellow Mushroom, exterior night

3 Stars Brewing Company and Roscoe's Pizzeria

Here's another brewery excursion report. 3 Stars Brewing Company may be the last stop on the DC beer tour that my friends and I have embarked on this summer. That is, until the highly anticipated Atlas Brew Works and Bluejacket open their doors. Our local Citypaper has an upcoming event where hired limos will shuttle beer enthusiasts around to all the DC breweries and to two Virginia breweries. To me that feels like cheating. I've enjoyed the journey of getting to each local brewery afoot and by public transit. The beer tastings taste better when you've properly "earned" them in DC's sweltering summer heat. 

Another nondescript brewery entrance

Located at 6400 Chillum Place NW, 3 Stars Brewing Company is a solid mile walk from the Takoma Park Metro station. It's mostly a residential path, along Eastern Avenue, a boundary street that divides the District from Maryland. The exterior of the brewery's warehouse is rather nondescript except for a small banner. Inside is a cavernous space, filled with brewing equipment (although far less than DC Brau). 3 Stars self-distributes its beer in kegs (sixtels) only, so there is no canning operation or bottling works. The building also houses a small homebrew shop, which was very inviting and inspirational.

Interior mural

In addition to four tastings, 3 Stars Brewing Company offered free water stations and snack-size chips when we visited. To me, this was ample proof of their genius. The brewery tours happen on Saturdays at 2 and 3pm. My friends and I caught the early tour, given by co-owner Dave Coleman. It was an entertaining, humorous tour that included a restaging of the original homebrew operation that started the company. From Coleman, we learned that 3 Stars uses no fining processes, which is great news for vegans.

As for the beer itself, my favorite was Two The Dome, a hoppy Double IPA. The Citra & Lemon Peel Saison and Peppercorn Saison were both unique and nicely spiced. The Movement was a tasty and flavorful American Pale Ale. You can find 3 Stars brews all over the District.  

The Vegan Roscoe

We followed up this brewery tour with some pizza. Above is a pizza from Roscoe's Pizzeria, located in Takoma Park, Maryland, not far from the Metro station. We ordered the "Roscoe," an excellent pie made vegan with Daiya cheese, spinach, mushrooms, and red peppers. Sadly, because it is in Maryland, Roscoe's doesn't sell 3 Stars' beers. It would be cool if the Takoma Park's City Council could bend that rule, seeing as how the brewery is so close.

Some summer food scores

Here are three summer food scores that I've enjoyed recently. First, the fine slice of tomato pie (above) is from Jojo's Pizzeria in Ocean City, NJ. It's still difficult to find vegan slices on the boardwalk. Luckily, this spot, located at 1214 Boardwalk, and Primavera Restaurant, which I posted about last year, continue to offer tomato pie options.

Next up, from Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats, a constant provider of great vegan food, is the Cookies 'n' Shake soy milk shake. Shakes are new on the WDC bakery menu and this decadent flavor is totally worth the $6.75. It came with a whole cookie on the bottom! Sweet touch.

Finally, here are some more beautiful fermented foods from Number 1 Sons, our expert local purveyors. On the left is the Acapulco Kraut, a sweet and tropical mix with cabbage, carrots, and onions. On the right is pickled beets with onion slivers. These beets rival my Mom's. 'Nuff said.  

Chicago bites - A Taste of River North and Lakeview

Here is the second part of our foodie adventures in Chicago. Yesterday I featured Loop eats. Today's pics are from the River North and Lakeview neighborhoods. And the view (above) is from the John Hancock Center's bar.

In River North, we enjoyed a lovely and enormous dinner alfresco at Karyn's Cooked, 713 N Wells Street. This was our only visit to a Karyn's location in Chicago but I'd love to check out the others someday. We started our meal with two appetizers: the deep-fried Soy Buffalo Wings (above) and the messy, delicious Thai Skewers (below) in peanut sauce. I'd never encountered a flat Thai skewer before. They were challenging to maneuver but inventive to behold.

Our main dishes were the Flautas for me (above). These were tasty deep-fried, veggie-filled tortillas with great sauces and delicious sides. And then there was the Poached Haddock (below). Yes, my boyfriend went with the soy cod. Blech!--was my reaction. However he enjoyed the strong fishy flavor and strange texture. The broccoli was the real monster on that plate.

In Lakeview, we were planning on stopping at the famous Chicago Diner but the crowds and a movie showtime propelled us to Kitchen 17 instead. Located at 613 W Briar Street, this newly opened 100% vegan restaurant was the oddest spot that we visited. The menu seemed reminiscent of something that you'd make in college, probably late at night. However the counter staff was friendly, it was BYOB, and they offered free (!) self-serve lemonades, teas, and water.

We started out with the Loaded Nachos (above on left). I enjoyed the homemade vegan cheese and sour cream best in this mound. They weren't overpowering, as Daiya, Tofutti, and other popular brands tend to be. And I ordered a Philly Cheesesteak (above on right), which again was pleasant with the mildly-flavored faux cheese and peppery, flaked seitan. The rather stale bread could use some work. I guess there is no equivalent of Amoroso's rolls in Chicago?

My boyfriend also got the Supreme Pizza (below), which had a thin crust but was nothing to write home about. I think the sauce was jarred or simply bore a strong resemblance to Ragu. I hope this place keeps working on their menu and one day gives Chicago Diner a run for their clientele.    

Piola WDC's soft opening

I went to the soft opening of Piola WDC this week. This new spot on 14th Street, located at 2208 14th ST NW to be exact, is right next door to Dynasty Ethiopian. For the soft opening this international Italian restaurant chain was offering half-off their menu items.

From the menu, the Ortomisto pizza looked to be the most veg-friendly of their 12" pizzas, so my boyfriend and I ordered that style, hold the cheese. We got the whole-wheat crust option but I think the ratio of whole wheat to white is 1:5. The Piola pizza has a paper thin crust with lots of char and a thin layer of tangy tomato sauce. The pizza toppings are added after the pie comes out of the hot brick oven.

The Ortomisto

Our delicious veggie pie came topped with thin slices of roasted eggplant, cooked spinach, roasted peppers, and broccoli. The pie was also supposed to have cherry tomatoes, which we totally forgot about until our attentive server brought them out as a side. We put some of these perfect tomatoes onto the pie and forked up the rest.

I neglected to photo the large salad that we also split. It was full of arugula and other mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots, peppers, cucumbers, and scallions. The server brought us olive oil and balsamic vinegar for the dressing, when we said we were vegan. He wasn't too sure about ingredients of the house-made dressings.

close-up with cherry tomatoes added

The multi-level restaurant space is interesting, with the raw, exposed look and fresh construction/new wood smell of many modern restaurants. However the acoustics are horrible. It's true that some diners enjoy the cacophonous din that a busy restaurant creates. This place had that heightened, on-the-scene noise level on a slow, soft opening night. Perhaps their outdoor roof deck will provide some respite?  

The Green at Pete's APizza

Pete's New Haven Style APizza must be on many recommended DC trip itineraries. (Perhaps because their pizza is a favorite of the Obamas?) My boyfriend and I visited Pete's original location* at 1400 Irving Street NW. This handy spot is located directly above the south exit of the Columbia Heights Metro Station.

*Pete's APizza now has locations in Clarendon and Friendship Heights as well. Silver Spring is coming soon.

On a Saturday night, the place was crowded with hungry tourists, including large groups and families with strollers. Pete's can really pack in the customers around their long, communal tables. There are excellent people-watching opportunities both inside and out, especially if you sit on the high stools by the window.

One remarkable thing about Pete's is their clarity on vegan diets. They even have a chalkboard sign that specifies, "vegan = no animal ingredients." (They also have a wide range of gluten-free options.) On the night we were there there were several vegan antipasti items available. However we went straight for the "apizza."

Here is The Green, a thin crust pizza with artichoke hearts, sauteed spinach, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and Daiya cheese. The pizza comes in 14" and 18" sizes. We opted for the latter and it was extra large. And rather pricey with the vegan cheese surcharge. However it is an artisanal, quality pie that could feed three or four.

The pizza was properly cooked in a high temperature oven that produced a lovely amount of char. The Daiya was melty and the sauce was tangy. The only weak points in terms of the toppings were the tomatoes, which were supposed to be oven-dried but tasted normal. The other veggies were fine but I do wish that The Green was, well, greener in terms of its veggie to vegan cheese ratio.

My boyfriend noticed that Pete's has a tomato pie, which I'm eager to try out. However I think they'll have to hold the pecorino-romano for us. (Traditional tomato pies are commonly cheeseless. This dairy version must be a Connecticut thing. At least the menu warns you in advance.)

Pete's has a great selection of microbrews and wine, plus an affordable happy hour. They also carry some fancy waters and sodas. If you have room for dessert, I'd recommend nearby Sticky Fingers.

Vegan pizza at Astor Mediterranean

Astor Mediterranean has been on my radar because it tops VegDC's alphabetical list of places that serve vegan cheese pizza. Located at 1829 Columbia Road NW in Adams Morgan, this restaurant is more of a take-out spot than a place to wine and dine. In fact, although beer and wine are listed on the menu, they don't serve alcohol. For that you need to travel to their sister restaurant in remote Arlington (not Metro-handy).

However, this Astor location does serve food. The dining area is small with oppressive fluorescent lighting. You order at the counter, above which hangs a menu with the prices blackened out. (There are paper menus available that list prices and handy icons denoting vegan and vegetarian items.) A small, cheery sign also advertises the vegan Teese pizza. We ordered a large Teese veggie pie, plus a beet salad and fava bean dip.

The pizza (above) was the winner, although very heavy on the fake cheese. This soy-based "cheese" appeared to be crumbled on top only, but further investigation revealed a solid Teese core in the middle of the pie. The pizza's crust was speckled with anise seeds, a surprisingly refreshing detail. The red sauce and veggies were also tasty. The toppings included: spinach, eggplant, tomatoes, green peppers, mushrooms, and olives.

The beet salad was oily but flavorful with rather hard beet cubes in a vinegar marinade. The fava bean dip was spicy and rich; a nice alternative to hummus. And it came with vegan pita bread, which can be hard to find at other area Mediterranean spots.

We did have to wait awhile for our food, as everyone else was getting speedy to-go orders. When the food did arrive, it came all at once. We had to ask for plates and there was a severe condiment shortage. While we ate, the counter staff played a mix of fun Bollywood tunes and bad 80's rock. I plan to revisit Astor someday for lunch, when the outdoor seating area is open, to see how the pizza tastes alfresco.