Monday, July 10, 2017

More Stuff I Ate

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've no doubt heard the drama over my favorite vegan restaurant/home away from home, Imagine Vegan Cafe. I'd rather not get into the details here, but if you missed the story, which made national headlines, you'll find a TON of mostly inaccurate and biased reporting about it online. But for a fair representation of what happened, read this story in our local daily paper, The Commercial Appeal.

In a nutshell, a diner wrote a negative review. Imagine owner Kristie called the reviewer out on Facebook, and the story went viral. I was so stressed over the whole thing for most of last week. I couldn't even look at my Facebook feed because it was filled with hateful comments by (mostly) non-vegans set out to destroy a mom-and-pop business. And of course, the fight devolved into people making fun of vegans. But turns out, no press is bad press, and Imagine has been busier than ever over the past few days as more people learn the cafe even exists. So I feel better now. I ate there twice last week to show my support. Yesterday, Paul and I met our friends Pam and Angela for brunch, and I ordered the Chili Cheese Fries (topped with vegan cheddar sauce, black bean chili, and lots of vegan sour cream).


I also dined there there on Friday night with my friends Andy and Shay. Andy is not vegan but still loves their food! I was trying to eat lightly on Friday night, so I opted for the Veggie Plate with vegan mac & cheese, garlic kale, mashed sweet potatoes, and (not pictured) black-eyed peas.


Fridays in Crosstown, where I live and work, are now Food Truck Fridays! Food trucks park on the plaza at Crosstown Concourse from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A couple Fridays ago, Stick Em (a kabob truck) was there and I got their Tofu Skewers with Veggies. Y'all this is hands-down the best tofu in town.


This past Friday, the Eddy's Pepper taco truck was there at Food Truck Friday, and I got their Vegetarian Tacos (with black beans, corn, and tomatoes) and a side of their taco filling as a dip for chips.


And speaking of Crosstown Concourse, French Truck Coffee is now open! Yay! I finally have a coffee shop in walking distance from my house. I dropped by on opening day for a New Orleans Style Iced Coffee (chicory coffee with almond-coconut milk and simple syrup). It was perfect!


Last Thursday, Susan and I were planning to lunch at Pho Binh for their amazing tofu buffet, but when we arrived, there was a sign on the door that said the owners were on vacation for a couple weeks! We REALLY wanted fried tofu, so we opted for Phuong Long instead. I got the Stir Fried Vegetable Combo with Tofu. Loved the ratio of tofu to veggies.


3 comments:

Brenda said...

I had read a little about the drama at Imagine Cafe but am glad you linked that article so I could read more. I want to visit there someday because you always talk so fondly about it. I live way on the other side of Arkansas so it may be awhile, but I would love to go and support them by eating there, too. Great Stuff you ate post. I always like to see the yummy things you eat to get ideas for meals for myself.

Unknown said...

I'm glad she has had a boost in business! What a rediculous situation blown way out of proportion. I have always been so envious of your fantastic meals at Imagine and these look delicious too!
How fun to have food trucks come to you, those kebobs aren't something i have ever had from a food truck.
Good coffee is just critical to my life function, although somehow i just don't like the flavor of chicory. I make espresso my Bialetti at home and get a boring almond milk cafe au lait or iced espresso at coffee shops (most regular cold brew or iced coffee tastes too watery for me)
Ttrockwood

vegan.in.brighton said...

I think I have been living under a rock (well, in Bali!) because I missed all the Dramaz! The mac and cheese looks excellent and yay for supporting small local businesses during tough times.