Am I A Kabober?

I started vacation on Friday (a long weekend with the highlight being Awesome Wife and me riding 70 hilly miles at the Livestrong Challenge in Philadelphia area).  We were out running errands on Friday getting ready, and decided to head into the District for Farragut Friday, the weekly food truck conglomeration.  There were about nine or ten trucks to choose from, and we decided to try Tasty Kabob.  I've read good things about them, and I've seen their truck around.  Moreover, I have seen their tweets to their loyal band of "Kaboberz."  It sounded like a club I wanted to join, so we bypassed Ficelle, our original choice, and went all in.

The choice for vegan sounded promising--chickpeas over rice alongside spinach, served with salad, and a choice of sauces, from mild to hot.  For the lacto-vegetarians, there is also a yoghurt dill sauce (I suspect that including this may have improved quality dramatically).  The guys were very friendly, and the line moved pretty quickly.

The food looked pretty good, but I am disappointed to say, tastewise? Not so much.  I am a big fan of the hot sauce, and was excited to try my dish.  The chickpeas were pretty much flavorless, served in some kind of tomato sauce, with the hot sauce overlaid.  There was just not much flavor to be had.  The spinach wasn't bad at all--it was bland, but simple.  The "salad" was a piece of iceberg and a sad looking tomato.  AW's was even worse, as the mild sauce meant there was essentially no flavor.  A lot of food went into the trash bin, as it just wasn't good.  I really hate to write bad reviews, and I appreciate any truck that offers a vegan option, but I can only offer 1.5 wheels, and decline to join the Kaboberz fraternity.

On another note, Blue Bell, PA is not a vegan hot spot.  In an effort to be a good sport, I tried a grilled romaine salad.  It is rare that I taste something that i enjoy quite so little.  I'm not a big salad guy in general, but I think I like my salad cold.  Not grilled.

Not sure what's on the menu this week--I'm back in the office Weds.  Craving Benethiopia, but they are around tomorrow.  I, sadly, am not.

Livestrong Philadelphia--A Non-Food Truck Update

Don't worry, we'll get our belated--and not good--review of Tasty Kabob up soon, but in the meantime, Awesome Wife and I have been working hard to get ready for the Livestrong Philadelphia Challenge.  We trained to ride a tough 70 miles in the hills of Pennsylvania, and here's a report on the outcome.  This is very important to us, as AW is a 4-year survivor, and this ride helps us celebrate her successes in the healthiest way possible! Much better than a gourmet meal or a vacation!

After 70 miles, 5500 feet of climbing, one terrifying thunderstorm replete with tornado warning, and a lot of fun, I wanted to provide a final update to those who are interested in the Livestrong Challenge Philadelphia.

First, to those of you who joined our team, THANK YOU from AW and myself.  We ended up raising almost $3300 to help fight cancer by supporting Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation.  Knowing we had all of this support boosted our training, and made us determined to complete the ride without any walking up a single hill--and we did!.  Now, onto the story.

We headed over from our hotel to the starting line bright and early on Sunday, and the weather (if not the forecast) seemed perfect.  Partly cloudy, cool temperatures, but the forecast was for rain to start later in the day (certainly after 3 pm according to the forecasts.)  It was quite a sight--3500 or more riders were there (including Lance, and Stuart Scott of ESPN, who actually led out our group of 500 (they start you in waves.)) 

We skipped the first rest top and did the first relatively 21 miles in one chunk.  We felt great--we had previewed the first part of the course on Saturday as a warmup, and knew it would be pretty easy.  After the first rest stop came "Hill Road."  The last time we did this event (we did the 45-mile version two years ago) we both ended up walking at least part of "Hill Road."  This time? No so much.  We flew up the hill, passing people left-and-right.  We continued to ride a good hard pace and even briefly considered diverting to the 100-miler!  However, because the forecast was bad, they closed the 100-mile course early, forcing all but the very fastest to hit the 70-mile course.  The last 1/2 of the course was tough.  Lots of very steep and long hills.  There were more people walking their bikes up them than riding in many cases, but we were not going to do so, so we kept gritting it out to the top of each one, and enjoyed flying down the other side at speeds over 35 MPH at times, but then would come the next hill!  It only rained a little throughout the ride, and we pulled into the last rest stop.

We had been riding at different paces, and meeting up at each rest stop, but decided to ride the last 10 miles to the finish line together.  At the finish line, there are thousands of people cheering and clanging cowbells, photographers, a live video stream, and each survivor who finishes gets to go through a special finishing lane, with their name announced, and they receive a rose.  It's very nice.  We were riding strong (I had a small mechanical with my bike with about 5 miles to go, but no big deal), and then the sunny skies turned a little dark, and we heard a rumble of thunder.  With about 3.5 miles to go it started pouring.  And windy.  And lightning streaking the sky.  And lightning strikes very close.  And raining sideways.  And....you get the idea.  When we got to the finish line, rather than thousands of people with cowbells, there was one guy screaming "Everybody get to the gym and get inside!"  We were soaked to the skin, a little spooked by the lightning, and did as instructed.  When we got to the gym, we found out there were reports of a tornado in the area, and that several riders had passed by transformers struck by lightning overhead.  They kept us there for about an hour before letting us go, since there was a 30-minute break between storms (accurate--we drove home through the next batch).  A lot of people were stranded out on the course, and even after we headed back to the hotel and showered, almost 90 minutes after finishing, there was still a steady stream of rain-soaked stragglers making their way in.

It wasn't exactly the finish we were anticipating, but it was more memorable.  We were incredibly proud of the way we rode, and the fact that four years post-diagnosis, AW was completing this very tough ride ahead of much of the field was pretty incredible. As a sign of how much fun we had, we are already planning to get started training for our (flat) 100-mile ride in October!

Thanks again for everyone's support, and, as Lance would say, "Live Strong!"

Sabora Street Is A Fine Address At Truckeroo!

Awesome Wife and I had a tough week.  In no particular order, (1) we both got colds; (2) I broke my toe in a Whole Foods accident; and (3) AW had to have her regular, but very stressful, scans (long story, but see her website  for all the details.)  So on Friday, we decided to check out the monthly festival known as Truckeroo (or, it could be Truckaroo, both seem acceptable variants.)  Truckeroo is a festival of 21 trucks, a bar (also serving water and soda, for us tea-totalers), corn-hole games, and a live band, which takes place on the apparently abandoned site of the Half-Street Condos, near Nationals Park.

There were a lot of trucks to choose from, many with vegan options.  We opted for the short line at Sabora Street--neither of us had ever eaten there before.  The result---awesome food in a great atmosphere. Sabora Street describes itself as "Latin-inspired street food."  For vegans, the choice is pretty simple--there is a chili-glazed tofu that is wrapped in either arepas or soft tacos, with avocado and a salsa, and a fresh corn and onions on the side.  There is also a house-made hot sauce.  The owner/operator was very friendly and familiar with veganism--unlike some other truckers--and noted that the aioli contained eggs, so that should be omitted.  The food was tasty, with a nice zing, especially smothered in hot sauce. Plenty of food--both AW and I left some of our portion.  You could taste how fresh the corn was, and all in all, we were very pleased, and would return.  Using my 1-4 wheel system, I give Sabora 3.5 wheels.

Most importantly, Truckeroo made us feel a helluva lot happier!

The Op-Ed Page: Why Can't Restaurants Cook Healthy Food?

August is always a quiet month around the office, and this month is no exception.  So, I've taken a couple of random vacation days, including today.  Awesome Wife agreed to play, so we started off the day with a rain-soaked 20-mile loop through Arlington on the bikes, then decided to get some lunch.  We opted to go to Grass Roots Station, a restaurant nearby in Alexandria.  It looked like a nice place, has a nice website (I have intentionally not linked to it, for reasons that will be apparent), and served vegan options.  We ordered the vegetarian sampler, which is quasi-Ethopian, with lentils, chick peas, and sauteed spinach, served with injera.  The food was ok taste-wise, but was so soaked in oil, that we both left at least 1/2, and felt awful the rest of the day.  Luckily, nothing an hour of pilates with AW couldn't fix.

But, it brings up the bigger issue.  WHY?  This food was well-seasoned, and did not need all that oil.  Probably 1/4 of the amount of oil, maybe less, would have been ok ,but literally, there were pools of oil in the food.  Which brings up a funny story.  Over the weekend, we decided to head to Clarendon, and get vegan pizza (no vegan cheese) at Pete's Apizza.  While we enjoyed it the first time, we asked if they would lighten up on the oil.  When we got the pizza, we had to turn each slice on its side, mop with a napkin, and it was still repulsively oily.  All we wanted were fresh veggies on some crust with tomato sauce.  We even asked!  But, no.  The food was ok taste-wise, but was so soaked in oil, that we both left at least 1/2, and felt awful the rest of the day.   Picking up on a theme (with no variations) here?

We have tried any number of restaurants, purporting to serve healthy food, or at least to accomodate those of us who want healthy food, but food is served literally dripping in oil, or deep-fried, or some other artery-clogging variant.  Even where the flavours could stand by themselves, the restaurants just don't want to do it.  Lack of faith? Pandering to our worst gluttonous tendencies?  Don't give a crap (not really a pun, but a "bon mot.")

We work really hard to stay fit, and take care of our bodies.  It's really important to us, especially since AW is working hard to make her body a fortress against cancer (check out her website for more on that story).  We cook healthy food, we don't drink or smoke, we exercise maniacally--it would be nice if some restauranteurs might want to help Americans eat healthier, as some of our food truck friends do.

In the meantime, as much as it is a pain in the butt, we are going to stick to home-cooked food, the occasional truck, and the one restaurant that seems to get it in this area, Pita House.

The Rolling Ficelle--Work of Art?

I've been serving as resident food truck evangelist at the law firm.  One of my buddies has been up for new truck adventures, so we decided to head out between showers on Monday and see what was parked around Metro Center (although he was seriously craving Benethiopian).  We saw the Rolling Ficelle truck and decided to give a whirl.

The concept is pretty cool: take a ficelle (sort of a softer baguette), and pick a set of sandwich fillings.  The sandwiches are all named after famous artists.  The best choice for vegans: The Klee (named after Swiss/German painter Paul Klee) is served with hummus, fresh spinach, tomatoes (a new favorite of mine after many years of fearing the uncooked variety) and some roasted peppers.  The hummus is tasty, but the peppers are sort of bland.  However, all in all the fillings are good.  The real winner: the bread.  I love the bread--indeed, it might be my single biggest food weakness.  The ficelles they use (from Lyon Bakery) are just crazy good.

All in all, this is a good lunch, not too heavy, which was perfect for an ungodly humid day.  The service is very quick and friendly.  I understand that Rolling Ficelle is considering some other vegan options: I say, go forth and prosper.  Were there more options, I would put this into the weekly rotation, as it is, I will be a frequent visitor.

I thought I would start rating trucks on a one to four wheel scale.  I will give Ficelle 3.0 wheels, and look forward to a return visit!

DC Kabob and Grill--Great Food Even Though "It's 121 Degrees In Here!"

Friday was a hot day in DC.  Not Florida hot, where there's always a little ocean breeze to take the edge off.  Not Phoenix hot, where there is usually zero humidity.  Not Dashi-I Lut, Iran hot (ok, well it was nowhere near as hot as that, but you get the point.)  But it was already close to 100 degrees by 1 pm, when I had a chance to run out for some takeaway, and a lot of food trucks had opted to stay home.  There were, however, a few new trucks near Metro Center. Since I only had ten minutes, I decided to just run out the front door of the office building, and see if there was anything out there.  If not, Cosi it would be.

There were four trucks neatly lined up, and the line was short at DC Kabob and Grill (NB: I am not providing a link, as there is none.  No Twitter feed either, so you can't find them on Food Truck Fiesta, it's luck of the draw).  And I use luck in the most positive sense, as the food was excellent, as was the service.

Not a lot to choose from here.  A couple of sandwich/salad/rice options for the carnivores and for the vegans, the aptly named "Vegetarian."  The Vegetarian consists of a salad plus a whopping portion of chana masala.  The salad was simple, and featured fresh lettuce, onions, tomatoes, carrots and some spices.  They normally use a yoghurt dill dressing, but the owner stopped his co-worker from using it, and offering to use hot sauce instead.  I am a hot sauce lover, and this was delicious--flavorful and left my mouth tingling.

I've eaten a lot of chana masala, and this was much better than what you get in the generic Indian restaurant.  Thicker, less oily, more zippy, as opposed to the oily (often buttery) version served at the typical Indian restaurant.  I wonder if this was Pakistani, which might explain the difference.  Regardless, the portion was filling, the rice well-cooked, and I was really pleasantly surprised.

I asked the guy how he was doing inside the truck.  He had an internal thermometer, which read 121 degrees.  I tipped generously (particularly since it was only $7 for the meal!)  I hope that this truck will start tweeting locations.  I would definitely include it in my lunch rotation, as the food tasted healthy (I felt terrific afterwards, albeit I was starving going in having spent two hours torturing myself at the gym before work) and was just so good.  Well done, over-heated DC Kabob and Grill guy.  Well-done.

Cheese? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Cheese! Pete's Apizza Rocks!

Even before I became vegan, I've never liked the cheese.  In fact, I am a certified cheesaphobe.  The single exception--I loved pizza.  It was my one indulgence.  Italian Store, Pizzeria Paradiso, Cafe Pizzaiolo--loved them all.  But a few months before we made the switch from vegetarian to vegan, I started loathing it.  Awesome Wife would want to get a pizza and live recklessly--I'd say you go ahead, I will eat a bagel.  Seriously.

After going the full vegan, I figured the pizza chapter was closed.  But tonight, AW invited me out for an impromptu date to Clarendon, and Pete's Apizza.  And now, I say "Pizza, welcome back."

The setup is simple.  Pick your crust, pick your toppings, pay at the register and a few minutes later, your pizza shows up at your table.  We went with the plain crust with tomato sauce, and chose broccoli rabe (no relation to broccoli, but instead, a cousin to our friend the turnip), roasted tomatoes, and caramelized onions.  They add some fresh garlic, I added some hot pepper, and off we go.  The verdict: incredible!  The first observation I made (when I could stop eating) was that you don't need cheese to have a good pizza.  It tasted like the real thing, and was about 50 percent lighter.  The servings are huge--between us, we ate about 1/2 of the standard size pie (you can order by the slice, if you take the stock selections, and they also had some appetizers and pastas, plus salad).

The only drawbacks were (a) the noise level and (b) the "air-conditioner" which was blowing out hot air.  While that is quite desirable in a Wisconsin winter, somewhat less so when the ambient air temperature is 100 degrees, like today.  On the plus side, they do an excellent economic analysis of the value of their 18" pizzas.

This place was a winner.  The service was friendly and the food excellent.  For my cheese-lovin' friends, you can have a good time too, but for these two vegans, it was a gala night out.