Stuff I Ate

As promised, here's another meal round-up.

Yesterday, the nonprofit arts organization that I work for — Crosstown Arts — had a "team-building" day at Go Ape, a zip line/ropes course at Shelby Farms Park. I opted to stay on the ground and watch my coworkers dangle hundreds of feet in the air. Sorry, I just don't do crazy things like that! But afterward, we all convened at LYFE Kitchen for lunch. I got the Quinoa Crunch Bowl with Chili-Lime Tofu!

My neighborhood — Crosstown — is organizing a Community Development Corporation, so I attended an organizational meeting last night at Phuong Long, a Vietnamese place down the street from my house. Our lunch at LYFE was fairly late in the day, so I wasn't terribly hungry by dinner time. So I just ordered a couple of Veggie Spring Rolls and a Yeo's Chrysanthemum Tea (love this tea!).

On another trip to Phuong Long for lunch a couple weeks back, I ordered the Tofu and Broccoli. Solid meal of fried tofu and broccoli with steamed rice. Can't go wrong.

A few weeks ago at brunch at Imagine Vegan Cafe, I ordered the Memphis Slam — biscuits, gravy, vegan cheddar sauce, tofu scramble, and vegan sausage — and a side of spinach.

I rounded out that meal with one of Imagine's homemade Maple Doughnuts because I know how to party.

One of the greatest things about living and working in the same neighborhood is never driving, and that means eating at restaurants closer to home. My favorite Middle Eastern joint, Al-Rayan, is just a block from home, but when I was working downtown, I rarely went there just because it wasn't convenient for lunch. And I tend to eat dinner at home. But a couple weeks ago, I stopped by on a work day lunch for the Ful (fava bean stew) with pita. SO GOOD! And the whole meal was less than $7.

Speaking of pita, I met my friend Cindy for Mezze Platters at Casablanca last week. Hummus, falafel, pita, and the best damn baba ganoush in Memphis. Casablanca isn't my favorite Middle Eastern place (Al-Rayan is, see above), but they have, hands-down, the best baba ganoush.

More random meals coming at ya tomorrow.