omnomnivores

Eat to Live. Live to Eat.

Vegan Protein Bars

2 cups Organic Crunchy Almond Butter
1 ¾ cups Raw Honey
2 ¼ cups Vanilla Arbonne Protein Shake
3 cups Quinoa Flakes 

1) Dry Roast Quinoa (can be done in oven or on stovetop) 

2) Mix Almond butter and honey in microwavable bowl. Heat for 60-90 seconds. Mix well.
3) Add Protein Powder and Quinoa and mix well.
4) Spread in 9×13 pan. 

  

5) Refrigerate 1 hour. Cut into 24 squares. 

Fighting the Good Fight

There are tons of herbs, roots, and flowers out there that do wonders for healing your body, often lumped into ‘holistic’ remedies when a lot of commercial pharmaceuticals use the very same extracts.  So Jen and I thought it’d be a good idea to go over some of the more easily accessible items that will help keep you healthy through the winter months.

1. Echinacea – Also known as the coneflower, this flower activates white blood cells in your body, helping your body fight and resist the common winter cold.  It contains several crucial vitamins and minerals, including copper, iron, iodine, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and E.  All of the Echniacea flower, from the root, leaves, and flower are considered medicinal and worth taking.  To use Echinacea, try taking approximately half to one teaspoon of Echinacea extract every two hours until your syptoms have disappeared.  Echinacea is also very commonly found in tea blends that can be found in most grocery stores.
   
2. Ginger – Ginger is one of the most widely accessible items on this list, and easily one of the cheapest.  It is well known to ameliorate a number of indispositions such as motion sickness (nausea), digestion (helps break down proteins and fats), and serve as an excellent anti-inflammatory agent to quell sore throats, fevers, and migraines.  Ginger also also acts as a antihistamine, warms the body through stimulated blood circulation, and soothes the stomach during a bout with an upset stomach.  This root contains a number of powerful minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. Typical instructions for quick consumption dictate simmering ginger in a water for 20 minutes, and adding lemon and honey to taste.  Don’t worry, your honey can still be Paleo and Zone!
   
3. Thyme – This herb (a part of the mint family) contains thymol, which is an extremely powerful antibacterial, antiseptic, and antioxidant.  It assists the actions of the cilia in your bronchi, effectively squashing inflammation in your upper respiratory tract.   Thyme contains calcium, iron, magnese, and tooooons of vitamin K.  To the point of being a strong antibacterial, thyme is a no-brainer addition to your raw salads and meats to kill anything that might have accidentally made its way to your fridge.  You can use it in the same manner as ginger to make a tea with lemon and honey, although I often use tons of thyme in making a large batch of sausage patties to eat through the week.
   
4. Sage – Another easily accessible herb, this one differs from the rest in that you have to take a bit more caution in consumption.  Adequate amounts of sage have positive effects by being both an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant, while consuming too much sage can quickly cause negative effects in the body.  This herb has long been known to help in fighting off coughs and sore throats, relieve tension and alleviate headaches.  To soothe a sore throat, pour  four ounces of water over two teaspoons of either dried or fresh sage.  Gargle until the mixture is gone, and repeat three times daily.  For sinuses, all you have to do is drink a cup (eight ounces) of sage tea, mixing in four teaspoons.  Sage also works as another great herb to toss in with making some sausage patties!
   

Tacklebox

Georgetown is filled with numerous unique concept restaurants, but despite being along the waterfront, the neighborhood doesn’t exactly evoke images of fine seafood offerings. In fact, I can’t think of any place that really emphasizes seafood as the focus of the establishment. Most places here are generally focused around the retail shops, the bar scene, and a scattering of restaurants, each pursuing their own theme and goals. So why not a seafood setup?

Two, in fact.

Hook and Tacklebox are a pair two seafood focused dining establishments; the former, a more upscale dining experience, while the latter is more of a rustic, beach shack, fast seafood type of experience.  Both are owned by the same group, located directly next to one another on M Street, serving two different groups of clientele built upon the idea of serving sustainably caught fish.  A good, forward thinking notion, no?

I went all out for lunch at Tacklebox, starting with the Fish Tacos.  Two tilapia tacos with cole slaw served on warm corn tortillas for $8, these things are spectacular.  Feel free to up the ante to three tacos for an additional $3, and be sure to not spill any on yourself, a disaster I narrowly avoided.  These things are off the hook good.

I also ordered the Maine meal: Your choice of fish, two sides, and a sauce.  I opted for bluefish, accompanied by sweet potato fries, mac and cheese, and a bit of tartar sauce to dunk everything in for $13.

Some people might complain that, for $13, you’re not really getting your money’s worth here.  The crispy grilled fish fillet is a tad on the small size, weighing in somewhere around 2.5 to 3 oz, and the sides are tasty, but not outstanding.  To that, you have to remember that most meats in this country are HEAVY subsidized or acquired through non-sustainable practices, so what’s the real cost here?  A few extra dollars towards a few more days in our lives with fish as a viable source of food is worth it, in my opinion.  The mac and cheese here is actually pretty good- a thick, creamy consistency, with soft elbow macaroni noodles, done just right. The sweet potato fries are a nice offering on the menu, but were less crispy and more soggy and limp upon arrival.  Luckily, the fish here is perfect.  Flaky and slightly charred on the outside, tender and soft on the inside, I was tempted to go back and order another fillet.

Except I had already ordered and received the coup de grace, their famous and self-proclaimed “Best Blueberry Pie in DC”.  How did it do?

This this is PACKED with blueberries and light on the sugar and other fillers, topped with a thick crust and served on a paper plate, this thing had no chance in hell making it out alive.  I’m no blueberry pie connoisseur,  but this is a damn good blueberry pie, and an excellent way to finish off a meal here.

So what’s missing?  What’s the one side dish that you think of when you picture beach restaurants in your head?  For me, it came down to just one thing, the seasoned and fried bread balls known as hush puppies.  Maybe it’s the the fact that they things are so bad for you that only adds to the appeal to me, but they simply aren’t on the menu.  A conversation with the staff informed me that it was a conscientious decision by the owners to omit the offering from the menu board.  Without speaking to the owner as to why the decision was made, I can’t see how you can see any seafood restaurant worth its salt without them, but then again, I’m sure there’s a good reason for it.  Maybe they’re still working on the perfect recipe for them.  Maybe they can’t find a way to sustainably acquire the ingredients for them.  Maybe there’s an opportunity here for me to run a food cart selling them outside…but without them, I can’t justifiably say that I totally had my cravings fulfilled.

So what’s the cost of investing in the future?  Is it worth the hike in price?  Or can the high prices just be attributed to the exorbitant rent fees of having an establishment in the heart of Georgetown’s commercial district?  Luckily, I was able to shave off half of my meal through the likes of online group-coupon sites like Living Social, so a $30 meal turned into $15 seemed perfect.  Had I not, however, maybe I would have made an entirely different selection of dishes. Still, it’s nice to see that some people are considering what world we’ll have in a few decades, and if they can make taste as good as the fish from Tacklebox, I might just have to do it.

‘Might’ can be transformed into ‘definitely’ if you guys started making some hush puppies, Tacklebox.  Hint, hint!

See Tacklebox on a map here.

Recommended for:

• Pescetarians
• Beach lovers
• Paleo heads
• Blueberry Buffs
• Sea Captain Horatio McAllister

Not Recommended for:

• Vegans
• Vegetarians
• Landlubbers
• Zone Dieters
• Frugalistas

PS7’s Restaurant

PS7’s Restaurant (the name comes from a combination of the owner/head chef Peter Smith and the address at 777 I St NW) has made a name for itself as being one of the haute coutre restaurants and bar scenes in DC in the recent years. The very name of the restaurant has evoked a very fanciful experience to me, having heard about it for many years (the doors opened in 2006 after Peter Smith left Vidalia).

The truth is, Restaurant Week really gives an opportunity for local residents to check out places to dine that wouldn’t normally occur to them on any given day.  So after making our reservations on Open Table for 9:00pm, Jen and I headed over to the restaurant for a nice dinner after a long day for both of us.

We arrived just a few scant minutes after 9, and were politely informed that our table would be ready in about 20 minutes.

Really?  20 minutes after a reservation time?  Already, PS7 was not making a favorable impression with either Jen or me.  We generally arrive already on the border of famished, and this was the first time we’ve been asked to wait for such a long period of time.  Isn’t that what reservations are for?

So, having no other option than to agree to wait, we found a small table at the bar section and entertained ourselves through amateur anthropological studies of DC socialite scene, a veritable bacchanalia in full swing.  A giraffe was discussing the finer points of wearing seersucker in the summer with a rhino. A fawn gently played a pan flute for a maiden with long, golden tresses and emerald eyes. A republican eagerly hammered out the details of a universal healthcare plan with a democrat. Then again, I might have been hallucinating from the hunger pangs I was experiencing.

25 minutes later, we were picked up by the hostess (literally, the 100 lb. girl grabbed the two of us, powercleaned us simultaneously, and carried us)  and we were off to our table.  The reservations were late enough that we were catching the last few lingering patrons on the restaurant side, but it was still considerably packed given the time.  We quickly put in our orders, and were off to our evening’s gastronomical adventure.

First up, the bread basket:

Er, bread duo.

While the breads were pretty chimerical in themselves, one being a bacon laden biscuit, we were disappointed in the fact that there was more butte delivered to us than actual bread.  The photo here might not exactly do it justice, but each roll wasn’t more than two inches across.  I probably should be grateful for food gratis, but this simply wasn’t a good sign.

For appetizer’s, Jen ordered Sarah’s Salad and I ordered the Tuna Sliders; the former, a mixture of mixed field greens, candied hazelnuts, dried cranberries, and mascarpone lemon dressing; the latter, a trio of spicy tuna tartare in sesame seed buns with white miso aioli, and cucumber-cilantro slaw.

I’ll admit that the tuna sliders were about the size I was expecting, somewhere between a bite and two bites for each, but Jen’s salad wouldn’t be considered sufficient for an anorexic jackrabbit with a bad meth habit.  A Victoria’s Secret model would have sent it back demanding more being put onto the plate.  As we sat there, contemplating eating the rest of the butter (until the waiter came to clear the plates and the butter, damnit) the restaurant began to clear out considerably, with the patrons likely heading to other destinations for the evening.

So we sat there, and contemplated some more.

And some more.

And we waited some more.

Normally, I could understand an overwhelmed kitchen, but really, the din of the establishment had died down to intimate conversations at several tables, including ours.  I didn’t put a stopwatch on, but I did consider running over to McDonald’s down the street and getting a Big Mac in the interim.

With a small fry on the side.

Because I’m trying to watch what I eat. Y’know.

After what seemed like a semi-enternity, our entrees arrived.  I had been deterred from my original order of the Pan-Roasted Rockfish after being notified that they were out, so I was pleased with the a comparable substitute, the Pan Seared Trout, served with root vegetable “ribbons” and thoughtfully decorated with a bacon Coca-Cola gastrique.  Upon inquiring what exact a “gastrique” was, the waiter described the technique of harnessing ancient medieval alchemical techniques to fuse the powers of white wine with the sugar acidity of Coca-Cola.

So…you’re telling me you tossed some white wine in with a can of Coke in a pan and boiled it down over an open fire? Neat.

I’ll say that the portion of fish was much larger than I was expecting, but maybe that’s because I had already been set with the precedent of micro portions from everything that had been delivered to us thus far.  The fish was perfectly prepared- tender, flavorful, and just the right amount of sauce.  The ribbons were well executed as a presentation, although, this dish for all intents and purposes, was completely devoid of a side to complement the fish.

Jen’s Risotto with Mushroom (which does not appear on the normal menu) seemed to fall a bit short of expectations.  The dish would have honestly been a better side dish, perhaps to my Pan Seared Trout.  But as an entree?  It was glorious.

Another disappointment for Jen, and she finished this uninspired dish in but a few minutes.  If I haven’t explained this before, Jen’s a very light eater.  It really is no exaggeration that it takes no amount of food to make satiate her appetite, and all the food up until now had done nothing for her.

But wait!  There’s still dessert!

However, the desserts aren’t listed on their website online, so I am given no other option but to make something up in its place.

If I remember correctly, Jen ordered what amounted to a gourmet Snicker’s bar.  The soft chocolate exterior housed a cream chocolate mousse inside, topped with a light cream and sprinkled with crunchy candied bits.  Again, a great execution, with fantastic presentation, but staying the course, this dish simply did not satisfy in the manner that even a grocery store candy bar would.  The light textures and ingredients gave no gratification whatsoever.

I had a deeeelightful creampuff with a vibrant and cherry reduction that was pleasing to the palette, but somehow remaining unremarkable otherwise.  To be quite frank, had I not taken a photo, and given the lack of dessert descriptions on their website, I would not be able to recall exactly what I had for dessert.

Suffice to say, Jen also finished the dessert with ease, and for her to go through four courses without feeling overly full, well, that’s a rare occurrence, and not necessarily a celebrated one.

Me?

I followed up this meal at Jen’s with a protein bar, a bowl of cereal in almond milk, a bit of beef jerky, a few handfuls of macadamia nuts, and half a pint of ice cream.  Ps7, for all it’s hype, fails to rise to the occasion.  The dishes, while well prepared, take a good amount of time to perfectly prepared, and the portion sizes, for the majority, lean towards the diminutive. For $90 (without drinks), you’d expect more out of dinner for two.

I do hear that PS7’s bar scene is much better though.  Not being a drinker myself, I can’t vouch for it, but at least you could go somewhere else for a good meal afterwards.

See PS7’s on a map here.

Recommended for:

• Hyper-light eaters
• Time Killers
• Scenesters

Not Recommended for:

• Everybody else

Crepes-a-Go-Go

Crepe shops have been popping up everywhere in the District since our trip to Paris, whether a simple matter of good timing, or zee Frenchies following us back home, neither Jen or I am are complaining. That was one of the great simple pleasures about Paris- fast food that was prepared right in front of you. No line assembly, no deep fried starches, just batter, a hot plate, and whatever you’d like to go inside.

As of late, Jen’s made Crepes-a-Go-Go a regular destination on her walks around town, and she’s definitely not the only one.

With three locations in the area (one in Gaithersburg and two in DC, propah), it’s clear that the owners have a good idea of what works to bring people in. Our weekend visit had us waiting behind a line of about 10 people, although orders are taken quickly at the register. There’s a small seating area at the back of the restaurant (Jen tends to usually visit the location just west of Dupont Circle), but you can just as easily have your order to go.

The options here are plentiful, and potentially overwhelming. You start with your choice of batter: regular, or whole wheat; and then from two monstrous lists that run the gamut of sweet or savory choices. Sweet options include Nutella, Chocolate, Raspberry, Banana, Apple, Brown Sugar, Honey, Cinnamon, and Coconut, just to name a few. The Savory choices include several cheeses, avocado, tomato, spinach, caramelized onions, mushrooms, ham, smoked turkey, roasted eggplant, and zucchini. The plethora of choices is undoubtedly half the appeal of grabbing a bite here, and there’s something for just about everyone.

I don’t think most people really take the time to watch their crepes being made, and for that, they’re missing out.  We’re so accustomed to having our food prepared behind grease stained velvet curtains that many ignore the simple pleasure of watching someone practice their cooking craft in front of you.  Although if that’s not enough to appease you, then these crepes ought to do the trick.

The price is about the same as a fast food meal, although the taste is exponentially better, and you won’t have that dirty feeling you get after having a McRib, where you want to take a shower.  On the inside.  Saturday afternoons can get a little busy, but it’s never too long before you can fill your gullet.

As one passerby outside the shop said to his wife after seeing Jen’s freshly made meal, “mmmm….Crepe.”

Crepes-a-Go-Go in Dupont Circle can be seen on a map here.

Recommended for:

• On the go lunches
• Weekend treats
• Vegetarians
• Cheese Eatin’ Surrender Monkeys

Not Recommended for:

• Vegans
• Paleo heads
• Zone Dieters
• Those who still regularly use the terms ‘Freedom Fries’, ‘Freedom Toast’, and ‘Freedom Kissing’

The Bombay Club

The Bombay Club is nestled comfortably along the K street corridor, easily going unnoticed unless you were specifically looking for the establishment.  I have probably walked by it more times than I could count on both hands, but it just doesn’t exude a presence from the outside.  Once inside, however, you’re treated to something that is clearly a favorite haunt of policy makers and lawyers alike.  The atmosphere inside is a cross between a contemporary spa and an old colonial English hunting club.  Candles flicker in pattern-printed glass walls with your gaze to the left, and bagged Bengal tigers on black and white safari hunt photos are worn by the walls to your right.  If there were any uncertainty as to whether everything around you really was fascinating or mildly disturbing, the food erased any reservations I had about having dinner there for Restaurant Week.

Jen started her three course hunt with the Aloo Tikki Ragda, a dish of potato, white peas, ginger, cumin, and date chutney.  Delicious, fragrant, and very rich, a great way for her to start whittling down her appetite.

I had the Bombay Sev Puri – potato, mango and onion puri dumplings, fully coated in a delectably fashion crisp flake and then covered in chutney and spice.  The dumplings were actually very light in taste, allowing the absolutely cataclysm of textures fully overtake your mouth.

Jen’s main course was a wild assortment of exotic flavors: creamy dumplings, spinach sauteed in ghee, spicy curries, and a pride of small dishes that each were presented in sterling silver bowls, brought over on a sterling silver plate.  Clearly such an entree would have to be so rare and different that it came disappeared from my collection of photos, and doesn’t even appear on their menu.  In guise of it’s poorly lit photo, here is a monocle wearing velociraptor riding an old-timey bicycle instead.

For my main course, I ordered the Mixed Grill- an assortment of grilled salmon, chicken and spiced beef, served with a spicy dipping sauce and a bit of rice.  Neglecting the rice, I pounced on the meats…and was fully impressed with them.  The chicken were chunks of dark meat, succulent, juicy, and perfect.  The salmon was also well prepared, soft and giving at the slightest pull of a fork, and charred on the outside, but just so.  The seasoned beef, while tasty, wasn’t particularly outstanding, just a standard preparation that played more of a supporting role than as the star.

Our desserts equally made a favorable impression on the both of us, yet once again, Jen somehow picked the better dish.  Hers, the Rabri- a sweet yogurt like dish served with fresh blueberries in a martini glass, a concoction that was just the right amount of sweet in just the right portion.

Mine, the Carrot Halwa –  an Indian carrot pudding cake, served with a cinnamon anglaise.

That’s not to say that my dessert wasn’t good and completely obliterated from existence in a scant two minutes, but it didn’t hold a light to the clearly suprerior Rabri.  I swear, the girl always picks better dishes than I do.

Well, unless it comes to meat.  Served in a meat sauce.  With a side of meat.

The Bombay Club simply is not what you’d expect of an Indian cuisine restaurant, and that is a good thing.  While it does have the roti, the naan, curries, chutneys, and other fanciful dishes that make Indian restaurants so great, they serve it at a slightly more upscale experience, which really makes this a destination worth going.  Prices aren’t cheap, but they’re not expensive, either.  Three course price fixe Restaurant Week deals are absolute steal, and I might just have to go back here again to check out their lauded Sunday Brunch sometime soon.  The dishes are, as you can see from the photos, presented in a fashion that isn’t commonplace at many Indian restaurants, and it makes each dish that much more of a delight.  The service is on point, and acclimating to your every request.  While you don’t have to show up in a blazer or haute coutre dress, I wouldn’t roll up in a t-shirt and jeans, either.

Check out the Bombay Club on a map here.

Recommended for:

• Curry Queens
• Naan Noshers
• Vegetarians
• Pescetarians

Not Recommended for:

• Paleo Heads
• Carb Counters
• Steak’n'Potato’ers
• Screaming Children

UPDATE: I found the photo of Jen’s dish after all!

Blue Moon Diner

Blue Moon Diner is much like one of the first girls you kissed in high school – unpretentious, fun, and filled with all sorts of liquor.  By day, it serves as a local trough for the masses, with the four hallmarks of any good diner worth its salt : a kitchen half obscured by two swivel doors, shelves covered in an assortment of liquors, bar seating at a long formica bar that extends the length of the establishment, and several tables of seating, for those who have to have a proper dining experience when they’re eating out.

But who cares about any of that?

What brought me here on a sunny winter afternoon is the promise of the most impressive looking pancakes this side of the of the Mississippi.  I could care less about the shelves upon shelves of Elvis memorabilia, carelessly shelved wherever there was space, or the two elvish waitresses, scuttling about the floor, armed with pots of hot java, dressed in tattoos and makeup.

Which is not to discredit the coffee here.  It’s nothing to write about in your correspondences to you friends in Tokyo, but it’s good enough to keep you warm and asking for refills again and again.

That’s not to discredit the omelets here, either.  Three eggs with a cheese of your choosing (cheddar, feta, swiss, provolone, gouda, $1.00 for aged parmesan, blue, or goat cheese) and any number of other toppings available (tomato, red onion, sweet peppers, spinach, zucchini, button mushrooms, or sour cream at $0.50 each, or bacon, ham, sausage, wild mushrooms, and salsa at $1.00 each), I was very happy with my order, a simple omelet with gouda, served with hashbrowns and toast.  It’s refreshing to go to a diner that offers so many ways to make exactly what you want, that strays from the typical selection of toppings you’d find at most other diners.

But as I had previously mentioned, what I’m here are for the pancakes.  Three buttermilk griddle pancakes, served with powdered sugar.  These pancakes were well above my expectations – fluffy, buttery, Homer pancakes.

Yes.  Homer pancakes.  Or as I’d like to call them, ‘Auuughghghghghghghggh’.

Apparently the cook behind those swivel doors has a rack of stencils, everything from George Costanza to Dr. Dre to, well, the most beloved dysfunctional father on prime time television.  The sheer novelty brought me in to Blue Moon Diner, but the batter they use for these hot griddle pancakes is off the chain good.  So much so that I wouldn’t hesitate to say I’d happily go back there on my next trip to Charlottesville just to have these pancakes again.

Blue Moon has long hours and an even longer menu selection, which can be seen here.  The staff is friendly and the owner can strike up a good conversation with just about anyone.  Quirks are in abundance here, but in a good way…and isn’t that what makes a restaurant great? Stop by, and tell them Norm sent you. They’ll give you a weird look, because they have no fucking clue who I am, but hey, at least you’ll get a good meal out of it.

Blue Moon Diner can be found on a map here.

Recommended For:

• Greasy spoon lovers
• Simpsons fanatics
• Hangovers
• Vegetarians
• Paleo heads
• Zone Dieters

Not Recommended For:

• Vegans
• Copyright Infringement Lawyers
• Weight Watchers
• Germaphobes

Paleo-A-Go-Go

Most of us in the professional world are constantly on the go, so it’s reasonable that having the luxury of making a Paleo or Zone meal on the spot isn’t necessarily the most reasonable thing in life.  So what if you’re trying to start up on Paleo, and don’t even know where to begin?  The idea is that it’s not too difficult to make good Paleo or Zone choices on the road, or at the office, but it does require some amount of effort by you.  Nobody else can realistically make these decisions better than you.  Admittedly, Paleo is a good bit easier to do than Zone, so I thought I’d give a bit of a Paleo Primer, which is by no means comprehensive, but enough to really get you going.

Following the Paleolithic (Paleo) diet means cutting out a few things that are in abundance with the modern, industrialized culture that we live in, namely:

• Grains (Rice, Flour, Wheat, Wheat Germ, Corn, Rye, Barley, Oats, Buckwheat, Alcohol, etc)
• Sugars and Sugar substitutes (Sugar, Fructose, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Molasses, Equal, Sweet’n'Low, Stevia, Splenda, etc)
• Legumes (Peanuts, Cashews, Beans, Soy)
• Dairy (Cheese, Milk, Butter, Cream)
• Caffeine

This might seem a bit daunting, but as with anything related to diets, the level of strictness applied is directly related to the results you’d see in the end.  While the Zone may require a good deal of Weighing and Measuring (WAM) that tends to deter people, there is greater freedom in what you can eat.  However, with Paleo, there is absolutely no WAM required, but your options exclude a number of things that you can have on the Zone.

With Jen, it’s even trickier, because she really has no time on the road, coupled with the fact that she’s a vegetarian.  We agreed that allowing soy products in her diet a necessity, so she can maintain a sufficient level of protein.  Protein drinks are also allowed, although many of them are made of casein or whey protein, which are derivatives of dairy protein.  She has, for the most part, taken out a lot of the grains and sugars in her diet, which makes me pretty damn proud of her when she goes over what she’s eaten in the course of the day.  While she doesn’t follow Paleo to a T, the reductions of these things in her life makes her immeasurably more healthy, and less prone to develop diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes.

How about some examples of what is Paleo and what’s not?  These are a few starter ideas for those of you out on the road:

Paleo Approved Proteins:

• Beef Jerky – A staple for me.  A great protein source that’s available just about everywhere, from Haute Coutre grocery stores to basement level bodegas that reek of patchouli and hemp, this is a life saver.  The important part here is to find a brand that really minimizes the amount of sugar used in the curing process.  Avoid ‘BBQ’, ‘Teriyaki’, ‘Mesquite’, and other high sugar jerky.  Go for ‘Original’, ‘Black Pepper’, ‘Garlic’, or something along those lines.
• Hard-Boiled Eggs – Whether you make these at home, or pick them up at a salad bar, another great source of protein.  The yolks contain the bulk of the nutrients, so you’re missing out if you don’t eat these, but you’re still doing great if you just want to stick with the whites.
• Smoked Salmon – Another great protein source.  Steer clear of ‘Farm Raised’ or ‘Atlantic’ salmon, these are the types that are called out on having high mercury levels.  Keywords like ‘Pacific’ and ‘Wild Caught’ are indicators of quality.  Don’t forget, quality costs money!  But it’s only your body, right?
• Canned Fish – Canned fish such as tuna, kipper snacks, mackerel, and sardines are superb choices, and all it takes is a can opener to get it open.  Avoid flavored canned fish choices, which are generally high in sugars.
• Grilled Chicken Strips – Another great protein source, and usually they come pre-cooked.  TJ’s and Costco both have great options, with TJ’s in their frozen food section, and Costco in their deli meats section.  Make sure you don’t pick up a package of breaded chicken, though.
• Deli meats – This one’s tricky.  You don’t want a deli meat that’s been cured or processed with nitrates and preservatives.  Honey Baked Ham is bad.  BBQ Chicken is bad.  Roasted Turkey Breast is good.  Roasted Chicken Breast is also good.  Hopefully that’s enough of a guideline, but a good general rule is that if it’s flavored in anything other than just herbs or pepper, it’s probably loaded with nitrates.  And shredded Chinese newspaper filler.

Paleo Approved Carbohydrates:

• Vegetables - When you think of where you’re getting the bulk of your carbs, they should be from vegetables.  Organic sweet peppers are great, can be easily sliced and ready to go.  Celery is another great veggie, and also simultaneously cleans your breath as you chew it (it can be a little bland by itself, see the fats below for ideas on making it a little better). Sliced tomatoes with a bit of sea salt are delicious.  Salad bars are plentiful pretty much everywhere, just make sure you don’t stray with a poor dressing choice.  Olive oil and vinegar is always a perfect complement.  Carrot sticks make an excellent food choice.  Lettuce works as a perfectly acceptable substitute to wrap meats in instead of breads or grain based wraps.
• Fruits - Go organic if you’re eating it whole or with the skin, but the sky’s the limit here.  If you’re trying to be green, buy what’s in season.  Apples, strawberries, grapes, oranges, pineapple, pears, blueberries, kiwi, etc…
• Unprocessed or Raw Honey – There is some debate to whether being raw matters or not, but if you can take the slightly extra effort to find a large portion of raw honey, you’ll be set.  There’s always using Google on the interwebs.  Moderation is key here, but there’s nothing wrong with having a TINY bit of honey in your cup of tea, although I don’t recommend dumping a pack of honey into every cup of tea you have.

Paleo Approved Fats:

• Nut Butters – If you’re on the go, I HIGHLY recommend picking up a large quantity (20+ packs) of Justin’s Nut Butters.  These single serving packs of nut butters go great on just about everything, including celery, carrots and apples .  Steer clear of the peanut butters though!  They’re readily available at Whole Paycheque, but you can find slighly better deals online at e-tailers such as Amazon.
• Nuts and Seeds – You can pick up a large bag of nuts anywhere, but avoid peanuts and cashews, which both fall into the legume category.  Almonds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, filberts, macadamia nuts, pecans, etc, are all very good fat choices.
• Avocado – If you can stop into a grocery store, usually you can dig out one that’s just about ripe and ready to go.  A little bit of sea salt and pepper goes a long way, and a dash of lemon juice will take you even further.

Paleo Approved Alcohols:

• Grape based alcohol such as wine
• Agave based tequilas

Two or my favorite and most trusted condiments are mustard and hot sauce.  You can’t go wrong with a dash of these, especially on canned fish.  Avoid honey mustard that’s been produced with sugar, but german mustard or stone ground mustard is perfect.

Some of things you’d normally take to enhance the flavor of your foods just aren’t Paleo.  Ketchup has lots of sugar.  Soy sauce is made with wheat.

If you’re fiending for a drink, these choices are going to be better for you.  Alcohol should be consumed in moderation, and these two choices are at the top of the list.  If you have to drink though, and neither of these two options are going to work out, liquor is a much better choice than beer.

Remember, almost everything you buy that comes in a package is going to have the Nutrition Facts and the Ingredients listed somewhere.  Pay attention to the ‘Sugars’ under Carbohydrates, making sure to get the lowest number possible.  Zero grams is an ideal number.

Another fantastic practice is to really slow down how fast you eat your meals.  You want to eat until you are not hungry, but not until you are full.  This was one of my greatest challenges in changing my diet, because for the longest time in my life, I was conditioned to believe that being full meant I was no longer hungry.  These two things are not one and the same.

By and large, consider all of this a guideline.  If you do some searching on the topic of ‘Paleo diet’ out on the Googoracle, you’ll find a considerable wealth of information, with entire blogs dedicated to the lifestyle of eating Paleo.  You’ll also find some small bits of contradicting information out there.  For instance, some people suggest avoiding canned meats altogether.  However, it comes down to how much effort you want to exercise into following your diet and getting the results you want to see.  Ideally, I’d like everybody to live longer lives, and be around to eat to eat a few more meals with me.

Anatolia Mediterranean Cuisine

Anatolia is a Mediterranean restaurant just off of Restaurant Row in Orlando.  The menu boasts a variety of dishes, with plentiful vegan and vegetarian options, which is a rare treat for non-meat eaters and omnivores alike.  Lunch specials appear on the menu there, but not online-  which is a shame, because these really are a fantastic deal.  You can get a four course meal for under $20, including soup, salad, an entree, and a dessert.  My Dad took up the offer, ordering the Lentil Soup, Shepherd’s Salad, Gyro, and Sutlac (Rice Pudding).  I went with Dana Sote (Beef Saute), which was a perfect Paleo pick without an ounce of bulgur wheat, couscous, or bread.

Every seated guest also is treated to a complimentary dishes of kalamata olives soaked in olive oil and herbs, and a sour cabbage that I can only describe as ‘yuck’.

The Lentil Soup and Shepherd’s Salad came out next, with my Dad taking the former and giving me the latter.  The Lentils were actually blended rather kept in their bean form, which gave it a very exotic and rich consistency.  However, it still fell a bit short of expectations, so this is another dish where I’d suggest giving it a miss.

The Shepherd’s pie doesn’t come with any surprises, just a really good salad.  Tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, and onions in a lemon and olive oil vinaigrette.  This dish is full of great tasting fresh vegetables, and seemed perfectly proportioned throughout.

The Gyro (at least I remember it as being a gyro, so if it’s not, boo on you) that my Dad ordered seemed a little…flat.  And non-substantial.  After a closer inspection of the contents, it appeared that the majority of the contents were potato wedges rather than meat, which was really disappointing.  All filler and no substance, and I give this one a big thumbs down.  My Dad liked it well enough, but he agreed that it was definitely more potato and bread than meat.

My Keyser Sote dish looked pretty enough, and definitely tasted great.  Lots of spices in the sauce, and well decorated with paprika garnished around the plate  as well as fresh cilantro on top.  But again, where’s the actual meat of this dish?  For the price, the substance is really lacking.

Then onto dessert.  The Sutlac is unquestionably just rice pudding, despite the fancy description provided by the restaurant.  They give you a good size of it here, though, what would amount to probably a pint of what’d you’d pick up at the store.  I remember the days when I used to pick up pints of Kozyshack Rice Pudding and Tapioca Pudding and absolutely decimate it in a single sitting.  It’s prepared with lots of sugar here, and definitely a dessert that that’s easily shared between two people.

Overall, Anatolia is a great place to eat…if you’re a vegetarian or vegan.  From either of those two perspectives, this place is a nice find, tucked away in Orlando, with a large variety of dishes to choose from.  However, the meat dishes do not come close to satisfying or making you feel as if you’ve really gotten a good meal at a good value.  The tend to be very light on what you’re actually ordering.  The presentation remains excellent on everything served here, but just not what I was hoping to get out eating here.

Recommended for:

• Vegan
• Vegetarians
• Mediterranean Aficionados
• Zone Zealots
• Paleoheads

Not Recommended for:

• Raptors
• Carbophobes
• Carnivores

See Anatolia Mediterranean Cuisine on a map here.

The Original Pancake House

The Original Pancake House is a chain of diners with locations all over the country.  These diners are in the same vein as IHOP, but the primary focus at TOPH is without a doubt, pancakes, and lots of them.  The variety extends not only to unique creations such as the Bacon Pancakes or Georgia Pecan Pancakes, but they also serve Wheat Germ Pancakes, Swedish Pancakes, Gluten Free Pancakes, as well as a raft of other choices.

On this particular visit, I decided that I should give one of TOPH’s house specialties a try.  They offer two pancake specials:  the Apple Pancake (optionally served a la mode) and the Dutch Baby, of which I opted for the former.  The Apple Pancake is made with Granny Smith apples and pure Sinkiang cinnamon, while the Dutch Baby is served with whipped butter, lemon, and powdered sugar. Both are placed in the oven and baked to perfection. It’s only one pancake with each order, so, I went for the Apple Pancake a la mode.

Naturally.

With a side of turkey sausage links.

I mean, how much food could a single pancake really be, right?

Sweet merciful crap, if I’ve ever said that you can’t have too much of a good thing, I take it back.  Babies wail at the whisper of the order.  Old ladies faint at the sight of it departing the kitchen.  Virgins…heh.  Well.  Virgins must be sacrificed to the great pancake God Pancaykahthopalu for such a thing to be created.

Really though, this was a thing of beauty.  Not really the fluffy type of pancake you expect, but this thing comes off more as a giant dish of bread pudding topped with cinnamon apples. It was just…a little overwhelming.

The six scoops of ice cream didn’t exactly help, either.

It seemed that with a dish that’s so over the top, everything else would come as sub-par.  But no.  The coffee here is actually reasonable, and the wait staff occasionally saunters by to top you off, making each visit to TOPH a four cup minimum.  The sausage was tasty, but in retrospect, totally unnecessary.  This thing makes a better shared dish if you’re going to go for it, but make sure that you’ve got plenty of time to nap after.  Believe me, you’ll need it. The coffee will only suffice in getting you home without falling asleep at the wheel.

The Original Pancake House can get busy in the morning on the weekends, but late morning/early afternoon brunches are perfect.  The place closes at 3pm, so don’t wait too long to get in and have a good meal with good friends.

Recommended for:

• Pancaykahthopalu Zealots
• Brunchers
• Binge Eaters
• Diner Junkies

Not Recommended for:

• Carbaphobes
• Weak-willed dieters
• Screaming children
• Impatient Gastronoms

The Original Pancake House has numerous locations all over the country.  Find your local one here.

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