This month’s Best Dish List Theme is Healthy and Delicious Options Around Town
Dish: Vegan Voodoo Sandwich Paired With a Side of Kale Tabbouleh
Restaurant: Hart’s Local Grocers, 10 Winthrop Street, Rochester NY (585) 521-4278
The sandwich was a true indulgence, vegan comfort food at its finest. The “meat” of the sandwich was a Field Roast smoked tomato, which created a savory flavor bearing a texture similar to tempeh. I liked that it wasn’t trying to be anything- and definitely gave the sandwich substance. However, I felt that the real stars of this sandwich were the sidekicks- bitter-sweet arugula, grilled onions, red peppers and ohhh the chipotle veganaisse took me to my happy place, all served up on a fresh baked ciabatta roll! I felt…like I was eating a vegan rueben. So. Good. Another bonus that warms my heart is that those roasted red peppers I mentioned- did not come out of a jar but were roasted up fresh in-house!
I was also eyeing the kale tabbouleh salad as I walked by prepared foods department, and decided to add it as a compliment to my awesome sandwich. Not only because my horoscope told me to amp up my immune system to avoid a pesky virus- but because it looked like the freshest thing on earth. A traditional tabbouleh salad has a ton of parsley, and this one has some, but gets most of it’s green from kale, my favorite lean-green-germ-fighting-machine. The vibrant finely chopped kale is joined harmoniously with fresh lemon, olive oil, shallots, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and organic bulgar wheat. You simply cannot possibly get a better ratio of great flavor to health. This will be a new staple of mine, as I can snag a decent portion of it to go.
As a busy vegan, I’m stoked to find more exciting eats, and I’m certain all of the above will be well received by even by the most dedicated meat connoisseurs.
-Amy Hebert, A-List Contributor
