For some reason, I have a thing for acronyms. I think it was law school, although I can’t remember what any of them were or meant, only that they sounded like perfect gibberish and speaking in acronyms made sense to me. Another life…
Anyway, we love this one : GCFGNO – GoodCleanFood Girls Night Out. And it was our first. Ever. And for at least Erika and I, the first time we met Lovely Carolyn. The gathering was fabulous, we chitted and chatted, discussed, planned, bemused, and even bemoaned. Pancho was relatively benign, though it was obvious he would have preferred being home and not passed around. We would do it again weekly if we didn’t have kids or husbands or other responsibilities, but then we’d be sad, so let’s not. And forgive me if I don’t think that’s the most flattering picture of all of us – we are all much, much hotter than this would lead you to believe.
So… the food. We ate at the Blue Plate Diner in Sugarhouse. My family and I had been there before, having tried the tofu scramble, the vegan burger, the vegan burrito, and other non-vegan items in our former lives (I’m sorry, but their pancakes and the Reuben are pretty fantastic). The Vegan Burger is what got us there initially after my husband met a guy on a plane (another story, but let’s just say it was apparently life-changing for us). The menu is not replete with vegan options, but there are enough to satisfy a mixed crowd. The rest is typical diner food, with daily specials always available, a soda fountain bar, and lovely staff to help you out. Warning – the online menu doesn’t exactly match the in-shop menu, so your options are greater than you might think – vegan pancakes and a vegan lasagna are added on.
Highlight – the Vegan Apple Pie, or so she said it was anyway. I’m not sure any of us would have cared if it was loaded with butter, because it was delightful, and I think our server even gave us an extra piece so we’d all get enough to find it satisfying, not just tasty.
Lowlight – for some reason, three of us ordered the same thing. I think we must have had a hankering for lots of veggies with a mexican flair. We ALL got the vegan breakfast burrito on steroids – we added their vegan sausage (which I think is fantastic – good flavor and chew), and extra veggies to the tofu, black beans and rice/potatoes already inside. So much potential, but it flopped, I think. There was something about the thick (probably homemade, but totally white flour) tortilla and the salsas on top that were not super tasty. The tofu was also left unseasoned and would have been INFINITELY improved by throwing it on the grill for a quick minute with the veggies. It looks amazing, though, doesn’t it?
Midlight – Somer, being the rebel, got the Vegan Burger, with added hummus and barbeque sauce, which is enormous and a bit squishy, so like most good vegan burgers it falls apart. Props: there seemed to be some whole grain action going on in the bun. Between her reaction to it and my husband’s memory, I’m guessing it wasn’t too memorable though okay, and no, if you’re wondering, they do not have Vegenaise or anything like unto it, hence the barbeque sauce. She got the spicy fries which were apparently doused with cayenne and lacked any other real “cajun” flavor (garlic powder, salt, anything?)
But, all in all, we had a marvelous time. Carolyn had to bounce soon after eating (she’s a popular woman, that Carolyn), so Erika, Somer and I hit the town in my gold not gold minivan – don’t be jealous because my ride is AWESOME! We tried to stop a few other places…BUT THEY WERE CLOSED!!! So, look forward to a future review of Cakewalk Baking Company and this place, though I may not need to since they do a great review – I love their vegan bucket list down the side of their website!
Good Clean Food 