Believe It or Not, But Nashville IS Vegetarian Friendly

            The days of restaurants serving a baked potato and steamed veggies to vegetarians are over in Nashville, and local restaurateurs are keeping up with vegetarians’ demand for more meatless choices.

The Wild Hare's "Girl" Salad

            Although Nashville has too many barbecue pits and chop houses to shake a stick at, many local restaurant owners are savvy to the fact that non meat-eaters want more variety in their dining options. Nashville even has two—Woodlands Indian Cuisine and the Wild Cow— 100 percent vegetarian restaurants. Even though Nashville’s a far cry from the South’s vegetarian Meccas like Asheville or Atlanta, local restaurateurs are wising up to it.

            As a vegetarian, I’ve come to be a discriminating diner—the type that does research on a restaurant before going to eat there. I don’t like sitting down, looking at a menu and having to leave because there’s nothing for me to eat. But, local restaurants like Jamaica Way, the Wild Hare, Sloco, Tayst, mÄmbu, the Wild Cow, Porta Via, Gojo Ethiopian Cafe, PM, Rosepepper Cantina, Woodlands or Anatolia are ready and able to accommodate me, my vegetarian fiancé, my vegetarian mother and my vegetarian friends.

            Chef Jeremy Barlow, owner of Tayst and Sloco, said he has embraced the growing demand for vegetarian cuisine in Nashville.

            “[We] saw the increased need and desire for vegetarian and vegan food at Tayst over the last eight years, and we just kind of embraced it,” Barlow said. “You can make some awesome vegan food. We always kind of prided ourselves on the fact that we knew that vegetarians could come in and eat just as well as everybody else.”

            According to Barlow, who has lived in Nashville since 1997, Tayst offers a variety of vegetarian options: The menu offers at least one vegetarian item for each dinning course, chefs will prepare special orders and they offer  3, 5 and 7-course vegetarian tastings.

            Barlow’s a meat-eater, but his wife is vegan, so he has a heightened awareness of the need for vegetarian—and vegan—friendly fare.

            Barlow took what he has learned from Tayst and applied it to his latest culinary endeavor: Sloco, a lunchtime sandwich shop with meat and meatless options like the shaved seitan or the vegan meatball sub.

            “It’s hitting a good segment of the population that doesn’t always have a great amount of options,” Barlow said. “To eat vegetarian every once in a while is good for your body, it’s good for your health, it’s good for the environment; it’s good all around.”

            Barlow’s sentiments are shared. Elizabeth Bills, who opened the Wild Hare with her husband, Brian Bills, this summer, said they quickly realized that they need to have more vegetarian items on their menu.

            “Questions about vegetarian and even vegan menu items are the most requests we get,”. Elizabeth said. “It became pretty clear—quickly—that that’s what people wanted, and we try to really tailor the restaurant not just to what we want and think people want, but what they tell us they want.”

            The Bills are Nashville natives. Before opening the Wild Hare, Brian formerly owned the original Blue Moon Café, and Elizabeth was a math teacher.

            “There definitely seems to be a strong presence of people who are pretty vocal about it,” Elizabeth said. “The main place I see it is in communication with people online.”

            Elizabeth said there are a number of vegetarians on staff at the Wild Hare who help create vegetarian menu items, like line cook Jennifer “Girl” Sanchez’s “Girl” salad. It features deep-fried avocado, quinoa, goat cheese, capers, aparagus, grilled carrots, garlic and a citrus vinaigrette. It’s not on the menu yet, but guests can request it.

            Jamaica Way’s Kamal Kalokoh, manager of his family’s Jamaican eatery in the Nashville Farmer’s Market, said that majority of the restaurant’s sales is its vegetarian items.

            “That’s the bulk of our business,” Kalokoh said. “It’s like more than 50 percent of our sales.”

Jamaica Way's BBQ Soy

            Kalokoh, who has lived in Nashville for 10 years, comes from a Seventh-day Adventist background, which influenced their decision to have vegetarian counterparts, like curry tofu or jerk gluten, of traditional Jamaican dishes.

            For Kalokoh, the spreading awareness of vegetarian food’s health benefits—and satisfying flavors—is a part of what’s moving Nashville in a more vegetarian-friendly direction.

            “The reason why our sales are so high in vegetarian [meals] is because of people who are not vegetarian,” Kalokoh said. “They taste it, and they enjoy it. They feel like they can eat this meal and enjoy it.”

            In addition to restaurants where omnivores and herbivores can dine in harmony, Nashville also has two vegetarian restaurants. The benefit for us vegetarians is that we don’t have to worry about meat accidentally finding its way in our food.

            Wild Cow owners Melanie and John Cochran vegan. When they opened the restaurant two years ago, they decided to make the Wild Cow’s menu “by default” vegan, with the exception of the gluten-free bread and an option to add dairy cheese to a meal.

            “That’s the reason we opened it, because we really didn’t have anywhere to eat,” Mrs. Cochran said. “It was more of a selfish motivation than anything else. [Nashville is] pretty vegetarian friendly, but [being] vegan, it’s pretty difficult”

            Melanie has lived in Nashville since 1995. She said that when she and her husband were still vegetarians—that is, still eating food made with either eggs, dairy or both—there were plenty of dining option available to them in Nashville, however, being vegan is still a challenge.

            “My husband and I were vegetarians for a long time, and we had plenty of places to eat,” Mrs. Cochran said. “But once we made the steps to become vegan, there was nothing. But, I think [Nashville] has gotten better as far as vegetarians, definitely.”

            The Wild Cow’s menu includes appetizers, salads, sandwiches like the Wild Reuben and entrée items like Quinoa Tacos.

            Other Nashville restaurateurs like Barlow and Bills are aware of vegan diners’ stricter dietary habits than egg-and/or-cheese-eating vegetarians. According to Bills, the Wild Hare is trying to come up with not only more vegetarian meals, but more vegan meals, too.

            “We want to come up with more options, including at least one vegan thing,” Mrs. Bills said. “It’s the most restrictive [diet]… so it’s trickier. But, we’re up to it.

            As Nashville continues to grow in vegetarian awareness, perhaps vegan awareness will come along with this naturally.

            Overall, Nashville’s vegetarians can dine out with ease and variety—from ethnic cuisines like Ethiopian, Indian, Jamaican or Turkish, to fine dining, to casual American fare—knowing that local restaurateurs are paying attention to our dietary needs in creative palette-pleasing ways.

DESERT PHOENIX: Need a Vacation? Get away to the "Valley of the Sun."

            The desert usually isn’t the typical hot spot vacationers want to visit, but one trip to Phoenix, Ariz., will have you kissed by the cactus lovebug. It definitely gave me a big smacker!

             Being a New York native, I have a bad habit of comparing every city I visit to the Big Apple, and Phoenix was no exception. To be honest, I had convinced myself that Phoenix was going to be just a dusty desert outpost.

            Boy, was I wrong.

             Like a desert oasis, palm tree-studded Phoenix, the U.S.’s fifth largest city, flaunts clear, sunny, blue skies almost all year long.

            The state of Arizona in and of itself is a wonderfully picturesque plot of earth, and one of the few places in the country that has four distinctly different climate zones.  Phoenix is situated in the southern portion of central Arizona in the heart of the Sonora Desert.

            It’s a metropolitan paradise with activities to please any taste. You can enjoy upscale shopping and dining in the city’s Biltmore district or view the latest exhibits at the Phoenix Art Museum. Nature lovers can check out the offerings in Papago Park like the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Gardens, or you can bicycle or hike winding mountain trails like those on Camelback Mountain.

            The city nurtures a booming urban art scene, and enthusiasts can experience local talent for free during the monthly “First Friday” art crawl. You can visit galleries, purchase works from street vendors, and take pleasure in various performance exhibitions like fire dancing and body painting. There’s even a free shuttle service to get you to and from all the art action.

            For you sports fans, Phoenix is home of the Arizona Cardinals, the Phoenix Suns, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Phoenix Coyotes. Make sure to plan your trip when your favorite team is in town!

            There’s something truly enchanting and exciting about the desert and Phoenix is a great central location to begin your exploration of the “Valley of the Sun.” Start with Tempe, a laid-back city located just southeast of Phoenix and home of Arizona State University.

            Visitors can paddle-boat on Tempe Town Lake, enjoy the shopping and nightlife of Mill Avenue, or visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Gammage Theatre. College sports fans can catch an ASU Sun Devils game. Make sure to stop by Four Peaks Brewery for a local, hand-crafted beer and delicious gastro-pub eats while you’re in Tempe.

            Heading further east to Mesa, if you find yourself in the Phoenix valley during the sweltering summer months, you can cool off from the desert heat by tubing down the Salt River. Tubing the lazy river is a great day trip, but make sure to pack a visor, sunscreen and plenty of drinking water. 

             Are you hungry for some local fare while you’re in Mesa? Stop by Asi Es My Tierra for a cozy, at-home Mexican experience. This hole-in-the-wall eatery prepares authentic family recipes. Prices are reasonable, so try as much as you can – especially the mahi-mahi fish tacos.

            The Phoenix valley is surrounded by spectacular mountain ranges, and I particularly love the Superstition Mountains.

            Nestled roughly 50 miles east of Phoenix, the Superstitions boast the majestic Tonto National Forest – the fifth largest forest in the U.S. Enjoy the natural desert flora of giant Saguaro cactus, agave, cholla, ocotillo, prickly pear cactus and more.

Prickly pears, a desert mainstay, smell like Fruit Loops when they're ripe.

            The fruit of many desert cacti smell fragrantly sweet, and some – such as the well-known prickly pear- are edible. For a uniquely desert delectable, make sure to buy a jar or two of locally made cactus fruit jam or preserve.

            A few words of advice: don’t touch any desert plants. Keep in mind that most indigenous desert plants – including the fruit – have sharp, spiny needles and thorns that inflict pain just as much as they inspire beauty.

            Deep inside Tonto National Forest you’ll find sparkling Canyon Lake with 950 surface acres and 28 miles of shoreline for fishing, swimming, camping, jet-skiing and boating fun. This beautiful desert reservoir is open year-round.

            Overall, Phoenix is a desert rose. Whether you’re in downtown Phoenix or in the outer reaches of the valley, the beauty and allure of the American Southwest is sure to captivate you.  

            For more information about Phoenix, vacation information and Phoenix Valley travel destinations visit www.arizonaguide.com, www.phoenix.gov, www.visitphoenix.com, fs.usda.gov/tonto, and www.saltrivertubing.com

"O" for Occupy! Meet Nashville's 99 Percent

                The 99 percent hit the streets Oct. 6 in solidarity with Occupy Nashville , and they’re mad at corporations, politicians, the Federal Reserve, Supreme Court decisions, and anything else frustrating working-class Americans.

                The all-day demonstration started at noon in downtown Nashville’s Legislative Plaza and ended uptown in front of Centennial Park around 6:00 p.m. Official numbers aren’t available yet, but participants and on-lookers estimated about 200 people in the ranks of protesters.

                 Occupy Nashville, like many other “Occupy” protests springing up in cities all over the country, has taken its cue from the original Manhattan  sit-in protest, Occupy Wall Street, which is now in its third week.

           “We’re opposing Wall Street,” said Jase Short, a senior of philosophy at Middle Tennessee State University. “We’re opposing this regime… where people are in crisis and they get no support from the government… but the very very wealthy and the very powerful banks get bail-out after bail-out of our money. They get all kinds of support and then we’re left with nothing.”

                The fact that the these protesters—or the “99ers,” as rally-criers called themselves—are mad at the “1 percent” of Americans who control majority of the wealth in this country is obvious. What’s not as obvious is what the mission or the goals of the Occupy movement is. Local protesters all had their individual bones to pick, and Occupy Nashville organizers are trying to achieving commonality through the founding of the Nashville General Assembly.

                “[A general Assembly] is what democracy really should look like, where every single person votes,” said Seth Limbaugh, 21, a Art Institute graduate and Occupy Nashville organizer. “Its… a way to discuss ideas, organize [Occupy Nashville] and be sure everyone has an equal share and an equal say in what’s going on. There is no one collective leader.”

                According to Limbaugh, Nashville’s General Assembly is working on a list of demands that correlate to Occupy Wall Street and the rest of the national Occupy movements. Yet despite the need for a singular and collective message, individual ideologies between fellow protesters and organizers are vastly different.

                One  Occupy Nashville organizer, Andy Woloszyn, 23, a senior of English and Philosophy at MTSU and a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, believes that the real problem is capitalism.

            “What I really came out here to support is in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street,” Woloszyn said, “which is basically an anti-capitalist movement.”

 

         Protesters varied in age from small children holding signs with their parents to senior citizens. One protester proudly proclaimed that at 79 years old it was her first time protesting. Protester Janice Dorris, 62, said she thinks people are tired of what’s going on in the federal and state governments. Dorris is unemployed and lost her home because of it.

                “I was evicted from my home when I became unemployed,” Dorris said, “I’m living on my sister’s couch until I can get into a retirement center.”

                One protester, George Menzies, a senior of computer information systems at MTSU, said he thinks people across party lines are sick of being “beat out of their money” by corporations and D.C.

                “There are a whole bunch of Americans… who are just fed up with the system,” Menzies said.

                Even with the somewhat disjointed message from constituents, organizers say this trial-by-fire is what’s going to develop a cohesive demand.  Keith Caldwell, 44, an Occupy Nashville organizer and a community organizer for Urban Epicenter said the lack of focus this early in the movement is to be expected, but that as goals develop they need to push for new legislation.

                “People are reaching a level of frustration that we’re going into the streets non-violently and exercising our Constitutional rights to have a voice,” Caldwell said. “We see this as people becoming submerged in a [social movement], and what it means to the human spirit to stand up to the corporation and to withdraw consent from oppressive structures.”

 

 

 

 

 

Day 44 of 57: Will you, won't you?

    On day 44 of 57 Days of Dresses, Jason and I had a late dinner at the Wild Hare. I got champagne in a can! With a straw! I didn't even know champagne in a can was a real thing, but there I was, drinking Sofia Coppola--it looked like a kid's drink.

     The room we were seated in was like a closet. But, there was no one else in there so Jason and I got up and danced to "Ball and Chain" from 40oz to Freedom--like me and my old roomie Megan Re used to.
    We had a smashing good time in what appeared to be the high-chair and booster seat storage room. The room had a rustic painted-white stone wall and a checkered floor, so why not push our antics even further and do a photo shoot?
    This is a dress I got from Anthropologie as a gift from Jason's mom. It's a tea length circle dress, and for some reason it reminds me of Alice in Wonderland.
     The sleeveless bodice has an attached sash that ties in the back, and the back is also accented with three white buttons columned down the middle. The skirt is lined with a decorative underslip, and it does great filled out with a crinoline petticoat. The dress has a side zipper, and the two side pockets on this dress are the cherry on top.

day 43 of 57: Bed-time Country Western

    So on day 43 of 57 we took the little rescued Shih Tzu to the Humane Association when it opened, and I went to work for the first time in nearly 2 weeks. I hope my little buddy finds his people, but if not, maybe he'll find a new home with me? I guess we'll have to wait and see. Well, After a long day of doing - I usually have long days of doing - and not making it out to my friend's show because I was just exhausted, the last thing done before tucking myself in for the night was taking pictures of the day's dress with my childhood stuffed animal friend, "Bunny"--creative name, I know.
    This is a shirt dress Jason got me at Hip Replacements in Asheville, NC. This is such a flirty little mini dress. It has a Country-Western flair that I really like. The dress is olive green with contrasting floral print that capes around the shoulder line, upper back and under the collar, and pipes along the skirt hem and the cuffs. All of the buttons also coordinate with the same floral material. The dress has a empire waist, and the bodice has 2 breast pockets. There's an exposed yellow side zipper too. All I can say is this dress is hot!

 

day 42 of 57: Boop-Oop-A-Doop

    So on day 42 of 57 days of dresses I'm tired, again, after a long day of doing! I was going to the supermarket with mom, and when we pulled up there was a very friendly but lost and dirty Shih Tzu hanging out at the entrance. I couldn't help but to help the pooch out and take him by the Humane Society in hopes that his owners were looking for him (he was wearing a collar, but it had no tag). Alas, the pound was closed for the day, so he ended up spending the night with me at my apartment. After a major bath and a botched hair cut he was ready for a night of pampered care and loving attention - he couldn't sleep in the bed though!
    After taking care of the pooch, I smelled like a wet dog, too. But, I was still in style with my black and white polka-dot halter dress. I bought this dress at a rock 'n' roll shop while I was living in Phoenix, Ariz. It's a total Betty dress, and I love it! It has an empire waist and a V-neck. The halter bodice ties back with four spaghetti straps. The back has a pleasing midway scoop, and the skirt hits just above the knee. This dress just screams summer, and that's why it's lasted in my wardrobe for 5 years.

My little buddy's ready for an over-night stay

My rescued pup's make-shift bed of sheets