Happy Monday! How’s your morning going so far? Mine’s going pretty well! I just had a breakfast date with a friend, which made for a great way to kick off a new week.
On Friday, my friend Ryan and I celebrated the weekend with happy hour drinks at a pub in Gramercy. We sat on a bench outside, catching up over pints of Brooklyn Brewery’s IPA and soaking up the sun’s rays.
On Saturday night, some friends and I met at Clover Club in Cobble Hill to help ring in Sofia’s 26th year. It’s one of those Roaring 20s style bars (with tables for dinner, too) with mustachioed bartenders and fancy drinks, like the Maria Sín Sangre (muddled cherry tomatoes, basil, silver tequila, medium dry sherry and lemon juice). Sweet lordy, these drinks are good. And strong.
I did drink some alcohol-free veggies at Juice Generation. A large cup costs about $8.50, so this is usually a splurge I save up to treat myself to. And if I can pay this much for a cocktail, I sure can buy myself a healthy drink. It’s all about balance.
But balance or not, I can’t deny my cravings: all forms of cheesy carbs. I stop by Cafe Viva to get pizza at least once a week (and far more frequently for cake!). They only serve vegetarian pizzas, and have a great selection of vegan and gluten-free options, too. (And the cake! Seriously.)
The morning after Sofia’s party, we stopped at Lenny’s for bagels + coconut water. I rolled with a New Horizon bagel (made with lots of different grains, seeds, and raisins) smeared with sundried tomato cream cheese. Eaten on a sunny bench in the park to soak up that Vitamin D!
I have been eating at home, too, although my “cooking” has been pretty low-key. I picked up a tofu-pesto spread at the grocery store and spread it on a tortilla with cheese and red pepper and made a perfect stovetop quesadilla. On the side: spinach salad with peppers and cherry tomatoes.
While at the grocery the other day, I did something I haven’t done since college: bought a frozen dinner! I’d heard that Candle Cafe, one of my favorite vegan spots to eat in the city, was now selling a few frozen items at Whole Foods. I’d also been craving mac ‘n cheese for weeks, and this version is made with Daiya (a rice-based “cheese” I’m obsessed with). Still, even though this is a vegan food, it doesn’t necessarily make it healthy! Frozen and pre-packaged foods are loaded with sodium, so it’s not an ideal everyday meal.
After nuking it in the microwave, I served the pasta over a bed of mixed greens and sprinkled it with red pepper flakes. On the side, I had a big bowl of steamed broccoli.
I also tried Amy’s Organic Tuscan Bean & Rice Soup. (This is leftover from the week I came back from the hospital; my mom bought a bunch of prepared foods and pre-cooked beans and soups so I’d be able to fix things to eat on my own.) I ate the whole can (twice the serving size) and topped it with cheese, guacamole and tomatoes. The soup was great! It has a hearty texture because of all of the beans, rice and vegetables, and is definitely something I’d buy again if I didn’t have any homemade soup in the freezer.
Gratuity is always an awkward thing to deal with at restaurants, especially if you’re sharing the bill with another person. As someone who’s worked in the food industry for five years, my views have evolved a bit now that I know more behind-the-scenes information. Excuse me while I get up on my soap box…
I always tip about 20% when I’m out to eat. This may seem steep, but by sitting down at a table, you’re basically signing an agreement saying that at the end of your meal, you will acknowledge that your server has periodically refilled your water, brought you more bread, poured your wine, hand-delivered your food, and made you feel special for the duration of your meal. If you don’t want this kind of service, stay home! If you’re surprised at the cost of your bill, don’t take it out on your server. One extra dollar may not make a difference to you, but by tipping under 18%, you’re sending a message that you had a real problem with the service. If your server was rude then by all means speak to them before you pay so they can correct the problem. And please, please take note that problems with your food- how long it takes to come out of the kitchen, if it’s overcooked- is not necessarily your server’s fault. Your meal is handled by several people before it’s delivered to your table.
How do you feel about tipping? How much do you usually tip?
