Restaurant Review

Cafe Ole

147 N 3rd St
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 627-2140

I've never spent much time in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia, but since I began an internship at a boutique there I've been discovering a ton of awesome new places to eat and shop. Last week my boss asked me to pick up lunch for us at Cafe Ole, about a block and half from the shop. I'd never been there before and didn't really know what to expect. It was around noon, and the place (which is very small) was packed with people grabbing lunch. I skimmed the menu and noticed that there was a lot of mediterranean food (things like hummus plates, greek salads and wraps, etc) but also items with a european twist like grilled cheese on panini. I ordered the house special lentil soup for my boss, which comes with a side of pita bread, and the "vegan wrap" for myself. My boss raved about the soup, and I LOVED the wrap. It started with a spinach tortilla, which was then coated with homemade hummus and filled with roasted veggies- red peppers, portabella mushrooms, and onions- and then topped with fresh baby spinach and garbanzo beans. It was very good, and our total came to just under $10.
Despite the fact that it was busy, the service was quick and attentive, and the person who helped me (who I learned was the owner) was very sweet. I felt that if I were to visit at a slower time, it seemed like it could be a very relaxing setting.
Along with their extensive lunch items, they also have all sorts of tea and brew La Colombe coffee.
In addition, they offer free wifi for guests.

Product Reviews

It's been too long, I know I know. I have been busier than you could ever imagine, but I (of course) have made time to try a couple new products to share with you!


(photo taken from here )

First off, dessert. I first tried Trader Joe's Soy Creamy ice cream in vanilla for making fruit smoothies. However, I went to TJ's the other day and decided to take home the Cherry Chocolate Chip flavor. I'm not a huge cherry fan, but I loved the vanilla flavor and wanted to try something different. Basically, it's cherry flavored soy ice cream with cherry and chocolate chunks in it. And, it is TO DIE FOR. oh my god. I could eat this all day long!! First off, it's super super creamy and is perfectly sweet. It doesn't have any weird after taste like (in my opinion) So Delicious soy ice cream does. And, it's chock full of chocolate chunks so you get some in every bite. You must try this!!


Origins A Perfect World Moisturizer

For months I had been using a moisturizer from Lush with so-so results. My skin is pretty normal but errs on the dry side, and when I don't moisturize my skin tends to break out. The product I was using from Lush didn't seem to absorb well, and left my skin a little greasy. So, I decided to take a gander at Origins. The associate pointed me to this moisturizer, and it was a little more expensive than the one I was using but I gave it a try anyway. The very first night I used it I was blown away. It smells great and has a totally different texture than the moisturizer from Lush. It was much thicker, and didn't leave my skin feeling greasy at all. I use it at night after washing my face, and in the morning before applying my makeup and it's absolutely fantastic.
I would also recommend the Modern Friction scrub which I have found is rated one of Origins' best products for a reason... after one use your skin will look much, much healthier.

Restaurant Review

Mi Lah Vegetarian
218 S. 16th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102

A few weeks ago a new vegetarian restaurant opened up RIGHT around the corner from where I work. I had been anticipating their opening for months, and I gave them a visit their opening week. The restaurant's name is Mi Lah Vegetarian, and I was really scared that it would be ANOTHER vegetarian Chinese restaurant (because we have so many of those here!!). I was pleasantly surprised when I checked out both the lunch and dinner menus. While many of the items have Asian influences, there is still a great deal of diversity.
On my first visit I tried the barbeque tofu and eggplant pizza, which is a grilled flat bread crust covered in seasoned tofu, eggplant, bbq sauce, and fennel. The portion size was very large, and it tasted AMAZING. I had ordered it to go, and when I got back to work to eat it I was only able to eat half and I saved the rest for dinner.
As far as the ambiance, the restaurant is very clean and has a small seating area (both tables and a bar) on the first floor, and additional seating upstairs. The kitchen is an open kitchen behind the bar, so you can see the chef preparing your food. The menu states that "Most items are available vegan and most are available without onions or garlic", so I will be sure to ask if what I want can be made vegan when I return.
As for pricing, the lunch menu ranges from $6 (for soup) to $12 (for entrees). I still haven't gone for dinner, but the entrees range from $14-$17 and the appetizers $6-$8. Some dishes on the dinner menu I would love to try are "cumin roasted fingerling potatoes with spinach, tempeh, black beans, and avocado corn salsa" and "organic red curry polenta cake with braised spinach and lime coconut cilantro cream sauce". mmm!

Mi Lah is open monday-saturday from 11am-3pm for lunch, and from 5pm-10pm for dinner.

Restaurant Review

Teany
90 Rivington St
New York, NY 10002
(212) 475-9190

Last Tuesday I was in New York and my sister took me to a vegetarian cafe called Teany. She had told me a lot about it previously, so I was very interested in trying their food!
When we entered the cafe I immediately loved the atmosphere. While it is very small and the tables were spaced very close together, I liked the simple yet funky decor and the kitschy tea-inspired knick knacks. After seating ourselves we were given menus and water, and shortly after asked if we were ready to order. As we were still looking over the menus, we asked for a couple more minutes. However, it seemed as though the waiter completely forgot about us (and they only had a few other patrons), and my sister had to flag him down.
We both ordered the lentil chili; hers with cheddar cheese and mine with vegan cheddar. We both ordered smalls, but the soup came served in a good sized coffee mug. However, upon first taste we noticed the soup wasn't even hot-- maybe lukewarm. Even though we felt terrible doing so, we brought the waiter over and told him our soup was cold, and he took it back and microwaved it and added more cheese. I really shouldn't have ordered mine with cheese, because the vegan cheddar wouldn't melt (as most vegan cheeses don't melt), and I was stuck with grainy orange chunks in my soup. As far as the lentils, they seemed a little over- or maybe under- cooked. I've made lentil soup many times, and these lentils were a little hard. The spices were spot on, however.
We also ordered sandwiches. Raquel got grilled cheese, and I got an edamame hummus sandwich that consisted of wheat bread, hummus made from edamame, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, and tomato. The bread was fresh and soft, however I was not a fan of the edamame hummus. I had never had it before so I'm not sure if this is a fault of theirs or not, but it was very grainy and had little to no flavor. I understand that they used edamame instead of garbanzo beans, but I thought they would add some spices to the hummus (like garlic). Instead it was just very bland. Sprouts and tomatoes have very light flavors too, so in general it was a very bland sandwich. I ate half of it and took the other half home (and the picture above is from the leftovers).
We also ordered a drink that was some type of sparkling cranberry juice which was very good. I was not very impressed by the food that I ordered, but Teany does have a good number of items that can be made vegan so I would like to give them a second try. Also, they have a separate tea menu that consists of 98 different teas, so I would again love to go back to try a few of those!

Product Review

This week's product is yet another makeup product. I'm sorry, but looking my best also helps make me feel my best, and I absolutely love it when I find a vegan makeup product that does its job.
Last week I stumbled into Origins at the Bellevue (on Broad st. and Walnut st.) I'd actually never been in there, but seeing as how I work a block away I would always walk past and read their advertisements. I decided it couldn't help to take a gander, and I LOVED what I found!
I had always heard that Origins was a cruelty-free company (they do not test on animals) but I was unsure whether or not they had vegan products. When I walked in I saw a makeup counter and began asking the associate whether or not the items were vegan, and she didn't know but she pulled the packaging from the drawer and let me read the ingredients. Some of the products, including the mascara, said "contains no animal products or byproducts". Since I was in desperate need of a new mascara (the one I picked up at Whole Foods was not cutting it!), I bought the Full Story mascara in black. I immediately tried it when I got home, and I LOVE IT. I will never again buy cheap mascara from Whole Foods or Beauty Without Cruelty!



And, it only costs $13.50!

Simple Pleasures

One of my small vegan joys is when a company takes the time out to label their items as being specifically vegan. It saves me a lot of time in the store not having to read the labels and decipher some of the ingredients. Two companies that I love for their makeup and bath products are Lush and Urban Decay.
For a while, I've been buying all of my moisturizers, face washes, shampoo, conditioner, etc. from Lush and the majority of my makeup from Urban Decay. Both companies are cruelty-free, and in addition both offer MANY vegan items. On their websites and in their catalogs (Lush) they label their items as being vegan, but it wasn't until recently that they took the time to label their items in the store. Gone are the days of me walking around Sephora with my handy Urban Decay vegan item list print-out! Lush has affixed "V" stickers to all the displays in their store that showcase vegan items, and all vegan Urban Decay displays in Sephora feature their classic vegan paw print.
(Lush Emotibomb)
All of that being said, try a Lush Emotibomb in your shower! I received a free one at the store the other day and gave it a try-- it was amazing!