Posts Tagged ‘Nashville’

Taco Mamacita’s New Vegan Menu

March 4th, 2010

Fresh Mexican-inspired food is always good.  It is even better when it is vegan.  I got the word yesterday that Taco Mamacita’s would be rolling out a new vegan menu this week and also a copy of the menu.  This happened around lunch time so where else should I head off to?

I was told the servers may not be aware of the new menu and to take it along.  After reading over the menu I was given I quickly realized that there were no vegan options and asked my server, Meredith,  if she knew of the vegan choices.  She told me she was also vegan and began showing me options on the menu by substituting and adding.  Then I asked if she knew of the new vegan menu to which I got a “No”, so I pulled out my Droid which I had the menu on and showed her.  Of course, being vegan also she was quite excited.

Vegan Tortilla Soup & Vegan Jerk Taco

Vegan Tortilla Soup & Vegan Jerk Taco



I ordered a cup of the Vegan Tortilla Soup and a Vegan Jerk Taco. The soup was poured at the table over fresh slices of avocado and cilantro with a side of tortilla chip crumbles and the taco was filled with one of my favorite delicacies, fried plantains, as well as fresh mango, beans and cabbage.  Everything tasted extremely fresh but I thought the soup could have used a little spice as it was a bit flat.

Overall, it was a good lunch, fresh and healthy tasting. The only thing I would like to see improved from what I ordered would be some flavor added to the soup in the way of spice. I left still hungry though I was thoroughly impressed with the freshness of everything. My next visit I will try something else and see if leaving stuffed is possible.

Taco Mamacita's Vegan Menu

Taco Mamacita's Vegan Menu (Click to view)




View 1200 Villa Pl in a larger map

Taco Mamacita
1200 Villa Place
Nashville, TN
(615) 730-8552

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Posted in Dining Out, Food, Local, Mexican, Nashville, Restaurants, plantains

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Journey To Bliss Raw Food Workshop

February 20th, 2010

Journey To Bliss Raw Foods

If you are a raw foodie or aspiring to be a raw foodie there is an event coming up that might draw your interest. Laura Button of Journey to Bliss Raw Foods will be presenting a workshop at Whole Foods Market in Green Hills. Here’s your chance to shred the carrots, chop the kale and pulverize some beets as well as many other fresh raw veggies with one of the foremost authorities on raw foods. If you have tried any of the Journey To Bliss items before you know how delicious they are.

FREE Raw Foods Workshop
Sunday February 28th
2-3 pm Salud! Cooking School
Whole Foods Market Green Hills
4021 Hillsboro Pike
Nashville, TN 37215
615-440-5100
To register, email: brittany.conner@wholefoods.com

Making Food the Center of Your Life:
In this experiential workshop, we will learn a simple process for making
delicious food from fresh, raw, organic and ethically obtained
ingredients. This course will allow you to enjoy the bounty of each
season without the stress of following recipes. Just a few easy
techniques and you will be able to enjoy really nourishing, fast food.
We will learn why our food choices matter – for our individual health,
our communities, and our planet. Come hungry, and feast on the best food
on Earth.

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Posted in Events, Journey to Bliss, Nashville, Raw Foods, Whole Foods

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Ringling Brothers Circus in Nashville

January 22nd, 2010

Will you be attending the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus this weekend in Nashville?

elephant-chain

elephant

baby-elephant

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Posted in Animal Abuse, Animal Cruelty, Animals, Circus, Events, Nashville, protest

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Chuy’s – Mexican Food Can Be Vegan

December 9th, 2009

A new restaurant has popped up in the middle of what used to be restaurant central where Beethoven’s once resided in Coolsprings. Chuy’s serves the standard Tex-Mex in an ambiance that seems like TGI Friday’s crossed with Joe’s Crab Shack. This location is the first one outside of  Texas and has been met with extremely long wait times.

Upon first hearing of their opening I brushed it off thinking there would be nothing vegan, let alone vegetarian, on the menu as most Mexican restaurants fill their beans with meat stocks or lard and chicken stock is a common find in the rice. After a bit of research I found this is actually not the case at Chuy’s and there’s actually a decent selection for vegans and vegetarians.

Chuy's Guacamole Tacos

Chuy's Guacamole Tacos

Our first visit we had the Guacamole Tacos and Veggie Enchiladas. The only specification needed for the enchiladas and the tacos was no cheese. The ranchero sauce served on the enchiladas is vegan. You have a choice of Mexican or Green Chile Rice and Refried or Charro Beans, all vegan. The enchiladas, filled with squash, peppers and onions, were a little small but the sides made up for the lack of filling. They are wrapped in blue corn tortillas but I’m sure you can substitute any of the tortilla selections if you want. The Guacamole Tacos, choice of hard or soft, were larger than expected with two good scoops of guacamole in each shell and topped with lettuce and tomatoes they were quite filling. On our second trip we split these for a late snack.

The Nashville area already has its share of Mexican restaurants but few, if any, can make vegetarian selections, let alone vegan. (Don’t get me started on those Mexican restaurants that have a Vegetarian section on their menu with beans and rice listed that are chocked full of animal juice!)

As for the list of vegetarian and vegan choices at Chuy’s:

VEGETARIAN

Vegetarian Sauces

  • Ranchero
  • Tomatillo
  • Deluxe Tomatillo
  • Boom Boom

Appetizers

  • Chips & Salsa
  • Guacamole
  • Nachos
  • Special Nachos
  • Cheese Quesadillas

Salads (all dressings are vegetarian)

  • Guacamole Taco Salad
  • Grilled Chicken Salad (no chicken)
  • Mexi-Cobb Salad (no chicken)
  • Dinner Salad

Sides

  • Flour, Corn, Blue Corn, Wheat Tortillas
  • Mexican Rice
  • Green Chile Rice
  • Refried Beans
  • Charro Beans

Tacos, Sopapillas & Burritos

  • Guacamole Tacos
  • Bean & Cheese Tacos
  • Bean & Cheese Burrito with above sauces
  • Bean & Cheese Sopapilla with above sauces

Chile Rellenos & Enchiladas

  • Cheese Chile Rellenos
  • Veggie Enchiladas
  • Cheese Enchiladas with above sauces

Combinations

  • #3 Taco & Enchilada (sub vegetarian taco & enchilada)
  • #4 Relleno & Enchilada (choose your own vegetarian options)
  • #5 Chalupa & Enchilada (no chicken on chalupa, sub cheese for chicken enchilada)
  • #6 Enchilada, Taco & Chalupa (sub vegetarian enchilada & taco, no chicken on chalupa)
  • #7 Vegetarian Combo

Desserts

  • All desserts are vegetarian but selections can vary by location so ask your server for options.

VEGAN

Vegan Sauces

  • Ranchero
  • Tomatillo

Appetizers

  • Chips & Salsa
  • Guacamole
  • Nachos (no cheese)
  • Special Nachos (no cheese)

Salads

  • Guacamole Taco Salad (no cheese)
  • Grilled Chicken Salad (no chicken)
  • Mexi-Cobb Salad (no chicken or cheese)
  • Dinner Salad
  • Dressing: Cilantro Vinaigrette

Sides

  • Flour, Corn, Blue Corn, Wheat Tortillas
  • Mexican Rice
  • Green Chile Rice
  • Refried Beans
  • Charro Beans

Tacos, Sopapillas, Burritos & Enchiladas

  • Guacamole Tacos (no cheese)
  • Bean Tacos (no cheese)
  • Bean & Cheese Burrito (no cheese, with above sauces)
  • Bean & Cheese Sopapilla (no cheese, with above sauces)
  • Veggie Enchiladas (no cheese, with above sauces)

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Posted in Coolsprings, Dining Out, Franklin, Mexican, Nashville, Restaurants, Reviews

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Nashville Coffee

November 16th, 2009

Coffee Beans

I admit, I drink way too much coffee even though I drink less now that I once did.  At one time I was putting down 8 cups a day of sock juice (brewed coffee) since it was entirely too convenient. I could fill the french press and drink away and not even realize I was on that sixth cup before I had my eighth. I am also somewhat of an artsy-fartsy coffee connoisseur. I make soy lattes throughout the day, though I cut myself off at about 5pm, and occasionally douse them with this flavoring or that syrup.

There are those days when I’m not home and occasionally feel I like throwing down $4 on a cup of coffee. Those days don’t come often as I am pretty tight with my cash. I have been working on a list of coffee houses around Nashville to get your fix and all of those on the list include soymilk in their milk selections and one, DrinkHaus, also offers rice milk and sometimes almond milk.

I always prefer the local coffee houses. To me it always tastes better and I like not knowing exactly what to expect. I always search out a local coffee house when I travel and usually take home a pound from the places I like. Of course Starbucks is on every street but why go to the corporate bean when you can get your swill from a local coffee joint?

If your favorite coffee isn’t on the list let me know and tell me why it’s your favorite.

UPDATED 1/27/2010

Billy Goat Coffee
401 S. Mt. Juliet Rd., Suite 345
Mt. Juliet, TN
(615) 773-8272

Crema
15 Hermitage Ave.
Nashville, TN
(615) 255-8311

Bongo Java
1812 21st Ave S
Nashville, TN
(615) 777-3436

DrinkHaus Espresso + Tea
500 Madison St.
Nashville, TN
(615) 255-5200

Edgehill Studios Cafe
1201 Villa Place
Nashville, TN
(615) 301-8539

Fido
1812 21st Ave S
Nashville, TN
(615) 777-3436

Frothy Monkey
2509 12th Ave S
Nashville, TN
(615) 292-1808

Portland Brew
3431 Murphy Rd
Nashville, TN
(615) 292-9010

Sam and Zoe’s
525 Heather Place
Nashville, TN
(615) 385-2676

Ugly Mugs
1886 Eastland Ave
Nashville, TN
(615) 915-0675

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Posted in Coffee, Nashville

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Trader Joe’s Nashville First Visit

November 9th, 2008

We made our way out to the new Trader Joe’s in Green Hills Friday morning.   The parking lot was running over into the Walgreen’s parking lot next door and police were directing traffic.  Someone had so conveniently decided to setup shop in an RV in the lot and had in the process taken up 8-10 parking spaces and made it harder for everyone to get around the lot.  Once inside I realized this was probably the smallest Trader Joe’s I had been in.  We picked up a few of our regular items: pita, chips and chocolate covered espresso beans, which I could not find and had to ask someone to help only to find out they didn’t know where they were either.   Of course, there’s no wine section but, while small, the beer section is available.  I’ll pick up a new Hefewiessen on my next trip.   I can only guess they don’t have all of their items stocked yet as many things seemed to be missing that I usually find.

For those of you who don’t get into making your own hummus Trader Joe’s has a good selection at good prices, and all vegan unlike some varieties that contain cream.  The chipotle and the horseradish are my favorites.   My wife thinks their cocoa is some of the best available but has gone up in price so it isn’t quite the deal it once was.  The raw almonds you’ll find at Trader Joe’s are also unblanched unlike other raw almonds you find now.

Since Trader Joe’s is only taking up half of the space of the old Wild Oats, the lack of wine being sold and the recent closing of yn at The Hill Center, I can only guess someone will be looking into opening a wine store in the other half that is now for lease.

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Posted in Grocery

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Trader Joe’s To Open November 7th

October 24th, 2008

Contrary to reports on some sites listing October 31st as the announced date for the grand opening of the local Trader Joe’s, news from those AT the location today makes that date November 7th.  Will I be there when doors open?  Probably.

Also, asking around at other Trader Joe’s I have visited recently all answer the possible separate entrance for booze question as , “No”.   Sorry, Charles Shaw fans.

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Posted in Uncategorized

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Rita’s Now Open

August 29th, 2008

ritas_3

If you read my post a few months back about St. Augustine you will remember me mentioning Rita’s Italian Ice.   Rita’s now has a location in Hermitage at 4219 Lebanon Pike.  All of the Italian Ices are vegan and delicious.  Mango is the best with Alex’s Lemonade not far behind.  Black Cherry is also a good choice as is Tangerine and Pineapple.  The vanilla is tasty as well.  Ok, ALL of the flavors are great!

I am partial to the beachside location in St. Augustine but it is good to have a location nearby.

ritasice

Free regular size Italian Ices through next week!  MANGO! MANGO!

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Posted in Uncategorized

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Trader Joe’s – The Announcement!

April 2nd, 2008

It seems it is finally happening!  Trader Joe’s will be opening a location by Thanksgiving this year at the old Wild Oats location in Green Hills!

From tennessean.com:

Trader Joe’s, a grocery chain some Nashvillians have long clamored for, is set to open a Green Hills location by Thanksgiving of this year.

The store will be at 3909 Hillsboro Pike and measure 14,000 square feet, said spokeswoman Alison Mochizuke. That’s in line with the California-based company’s average store size of approximately 10,000- to 15,000-square feet.

The address is the former Wild Oats location.

Maybe they can get the wine issue straight by that time.   I’m thinking this might hurt Whole Foods a little bit, they already have issues with my reusable TJ cooler bags.

A day earlier and I would not have believed it.

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Posted in Trader Joe's

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Blue Coast Burrito

April 1st, 2007

Another evening at Blue Coast Burrito in Coolsprings. We spend alot of time there and it is probably our first choice when eating out. One thing is for certain, you will get plenty to fill you up. I had an R&B Salad with lots of fresh guacamole to top it off, of course it isn’t complete without the pineapple salsa.

Next time…Guacamole Tacos!

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Posted in Restaurants

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Lack of Vegetarian choices

March 30th, 2007

If you are a vegetarian or vegan in Nashville then you know exactly what I am talking about. IT never ceases to amaze me how new restaurateurs or franchisees can decide that this area is lacking in choices for a plate of roasted pig. I read this past week that two more barbecue joints will be opening in the south Nashville area. Enough! Even omnivores must get tired of this! I have been waiting for a Sweet Tomatoes to setup shop in the Coolsprings area but now that we have yet another cookie-cutter steakhouse festering on the south side it’s not looking very good. I’m not asking for a vegan-only restaurant but something different that can also give me another choice when we’re too lazy to cook at home would be a welcome addition.

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Posted in Restaurants

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