Friday, November 19, 2010

Vegan Mofo 19.1: Dinner Out


I loved this picture of a maple tree I took yesterday. It should have been included in the prior post. How did I forget this?


When I got home from my walk I wanted a glass of water. When I left the room I came back to this. Yes that is Nicco (Binky) with his head in my glass. No spoiled cats in this house. *rolls eyes* Can you tell how accustomed they are to doing exactly what they want to do? LOL, I am not a good feline disciplinarian.

I mentioned in the last post that Dan wanted to go out to dinner last night. My first reaction was we should stay home but then I came to my senses. Who in their right mind would say no I would really rather cook and clean at home. Needless to say we went out for dinner. ;-)

Since it was a Thursday night we didn’t think reservations were necessary. Clearly that was a mistake. When we got to the restaurant there was a line for seating, on a Thursday. What? It wasn’t a long wait thought so it was fine. We also got a chance to see a few of the regulars from wine tasting that we hadn’t seen in close to a year and a half. It was wonderful to see them. We chatted with Allan (one of the owners) while we waited for a table to open up. Then we got the news that Ian was off. Dinner without a hug from the chef is just not right. Clearly we need to go back soon when he is there. ;-)  Dan had to remind me that I got hugs from 10 other people so I shouldn't be complaining.  He does have a point about that, LOL.  In case you hadn't noticed the restaurant is like our version of "Cheers".


Here is a pic of Dan scanning the menu. Sorry about the quality of the picture I took it without the flash so I didn’t disturb other diners. I had Dan take some pictures of me but none of them are any good. Some of the pics were so bad I thought of including them because they are really funny. I adore my husband but photography is not one of his strengths. LOL

We are becoming creatures of habit when we dine out. *shakes head* I hope that isn’t us becoming set in our ways. On no, is that a sure sign we are getting, or have already gotten old.  Eek! ;-)
 

First we ordered the spicy black bean soup that was a special last night that is vegan though not advertised as such. Dan ordered a bowl and I had a cup.  His bowl made a better picture.


Next we split our favorite marinated mushrooms. These are so good I really need to try making them Ian’s way with soy and truffle because it is a wonderful flavor combination. You have to love that this is another naturally vegan item.


Dan thought we “needed” whole wheat pizza. This time we had them include: marinara, red onions, olives, capers, artichokes and shitakes. It was a good pizza combination and Dan came up with it. I think he is getting the hang of this.

After dinner we decided to swing by the college gym to see how crowded it was at night. At 10:30pm there were probably 40 cars in the parking lot. However from what we could see through the window it wasn’t crowded which is a good thing for us. Since both Dan and I are both night owls there is a good chance we will be working out late at night. I am hoping to get him to the gym before work but realistically we may end up being late night exercisers.

The gym building is much larger than either of us envisioned. Our plan now is to stop there tonight after work, get the tour and sign up. Dan is looking forward to the indoor climbing wall, and the circuit weights. I am excited about the pool, sauna and indoor squash courts. Can you believe a school gym has all this? I am still amazed since when I went to school there I don’t remember much of a gym. There was an indoor pool but it was tough to use since the swim team seemed to practice all the time. Things have really changed since we graduated back in the Stone Age.  ;-)

Happy thoughts:

Yesterday was a great day which means I have plenty to be thankful for this morning:

• Dinner out was great. The food was wonderful and we got a chance to see some old friends.

• We also made a new friend at the restaurant. We had a different server last night who was very sweet. Since we go to the restaurant we have our usual servers as well as foods. It is always nice to meet new people.

• Last night I slept like a rock which I really needed. I haven’t been sleeping well (no reason) so I needed the rest.

• Dan and I are thinking about going to a vegan meet up next month that is organized by the same group that is sponsoring the “Forks Over Knives” screening. We have avoided these since we expected to be the “elder states people” but we are considering giving it a try. I will keep you informed on this. It is absolutely out of our comfort zone. That is why I think it will be good for us.

Signing out:

It is Friday which means errand day for me. I will be back later with two recipes from Wednesday night. I am getting behind on my cooking posts and this is still a food blog. Right?  LOL

I hope everyone had a great week and has something fun planned for the weekend. Talk to you again later today.  Happy Friday!

16 comments:

  1. LOL, that picture of Binky is hysterical. So glad you slept well last night. That's such a great feeling. And the meals look so good as always. I'm so jealous you have such a fantastic place to eat out!

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  2. WOAH! That tree is beautiful. I had to laugh at Binky because one of my cats does the exact same thing - little tinkers. Those marinated mushrooms look divine, got me craving mushrooms now.

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  3. Heather,

    Binky is a character. Welcome to my life of unruly felines, LOL. They absolutely run the house. ;-)

    It was good to sleep last night. I have problems sleeping for no apparent reason. We have that in common.

    They really do a nice job considering it is an omni restaurant. We are always happy with what we order.

    talk to you later,
    Ali

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  4. Jeni,

    I love the fall colors. Everything is so beautiful and vibrant.

    Binky and his sister both do that to us. The only somewhat well behaved cat we have is Massimo. LOL

    Ian's mushrooms are incredible. I really need to try to make them soon.

    I hope you are having a good Friday,
    Ali

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  5. Gorgeous leaves, adorable kitty, nice to "meet" Dan and yummy food. My kind of post! :)

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  6. Hi JL,

    Adorable probably wasn't the first word that came to mind when I found Binky in my glass. Good thing he is cute and cuddly, LOL.

    I guess you missed the post with pics of both of us earlier this month. I think that was either on the 11th or 10th if you want to check it out. ;-)

    I hope you are having a great Friday.

    Ali

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  7. What a fun night out! I can't wait to hear about that vegan meetup, I've been considering going to one in Chicago, but it definitely makes me really nervous. Hope you have a nice weekend!

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  8. Sarah,

    We did have a good time but we normally do when we are together. It is always great to see everyone. The restaurant is a bit of a neighborhood hangout in case you hadn't noticed.

    Dan and I are also hesitant about the vegan meet up but I think we are going in December. I hope we are granola enough for this crowd, LOL.

    talk to you later,
    Ali

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  9. Dinner looks awsome. I think I've already mentioned that I struggle to eat out with my new veganism. And doing so healthfully is even more difficult.

    I currently live with 5 cats (3 of my own and 2 current fosters) and none of them respond well to discipline. So I don't imagine it's you, I think it's them. Yes, they drink out of my water glasses too. And climb my new padded headboard like it's a jungle gym. And have a bed on top of the fridge because that's where they want to sleep.

    But seriously they are too cute to get upset about it aren't they.

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  10. Shannon,

    Eating out can be tough, I agree. It helps to know the restaurant, and more importantly to have them know us.

    I know it is the cats, not me LOL. Not one of my feline family members has ever listened. I do wonder what they think "no" actually means. Our babies are frequently doing something I would prefer they didn't do but I still adore them. Maybe one day they will grow up and learn to behave. Nah..... ;-)

    Our little darlings love to go high too. I love that you put a bed on top of the frig LOL.

    Ali

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  11. I had a roommate whose cats would drink out of her glass. I never saw the whole kitty head down the glass, though!

    My husband cannot take photos either. It's puzzling, especially when I give him the point and shoot camera the pics are always blurry.

    Looks like a great dinner and a fun night out. Have fun with the meetup group! We have one here, I'm not very involved, but it is all ages. I will be interested to hear how it goes.

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  12. Seems like a great night, Ali! Love that you have your own "Cheers." (That's the teeny South Beach Whole Foods for me, LOL.)

    Definitely check out the vegan meetup--I was probably the oldest person at the meetups I went to in Austin, but it's so great to be w/ other vegans nonetheless!

    xoxo,
    LJ

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  13. "Who in their right mind would say no I would really rather cook and clean at home."
    Haha...I actually would. But I am weird, I know. And I don't have a place like you have at Ian's where they take such good care of you :-) I am glad you got such a lovely meal and that you two enjoyed yourselves and got to spend some time together!

    Courtney

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  14. Those marinated mushrooms look scrumptious, Ali! Looks like you had a nice dinner.
    Happy weekend,
    Aimee

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  15. funny cat pic!

    i love that it's your version of cheers. i don't think i know 10 people to hug in the town i live in. :(

    i've been trying to do some things out of my comfort zone lately, too, because at 35, i am seeing some areas that i'm getting set in my ways, too.

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  16. Jenny,

    My felines tend to do what they want in you hadn't noticed. Good thing Nicco is a little cat (6 lbs) or his head might not have fit so easily into the glass, LOL. The cats do very funny things. They keep us laughing.

    We love going to the restaurant since we know everyone that works there and many of the patrons. We went to wine tasting for years and only stopped going about 2 years ago when we got more serious about health. It is a great place and they treat us like we are part of the family.

    Good for you doing things outside your comfort zone. It is not easy, at least not for me. But I agree it is good to push yourself so you don't get old before your time. It is funny I feel 20 something on the inside though I am not on the outside. ;-) I think a lot of aging well is your state of mind.

    Ali

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