One World

The Spokesman Review published an article last week about One World, one of my favorite places to eat in Spokane. I was interviewed for the story and was happy (and flattered!) to share my thoughts on this great organization. I'm quoted in the article, but those quotes are not accurate, so I'd like to set things straight.

“I think if you’re used to eating food that comes out of a box or your standard dining out fare is at one of the chain restaurants or fast food you might not like One World,” says Crystal Clark, organizer of Spokane Vegans, a social group for vegan eaters.

“I think this kind of dining experience is intimidating to people, but I also think some of the fun of dining at a place like One World is the surprise. You don’t know what you’re going to get.”

I would never suggest that people would not like One World. When I spoke to the journalist, I suggested that the unique dining experience at One World may be a little intimidating to some less adventurous eaters, but that it didn't have to be. I explained that the model that One World uses - cooking with whole, local, in-season foods is not as predictable as eating at one of the many chain restaurants in Spokane. It's a bit of a surprise every time you eat there – it's always good, but the menu is never the same – and I like that! The friendly volunteers and chefs are knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions. They might even share a recipe with you!

I think everyone in Spokane should eat at One World and I can't imagine anyone not liking it. The food is delicious, creative and gives a real sense of place because you know exactly where it came from. Spokane has a lot of great local restaurants serving delicious food and One World is definitely one of them. They always have vegan options and do fun things like tapas nights and guest chef nights. Visit their website and Facebook page to learn more. (Hint: They'll have vegan meatballs tomorrow night.)

Vegan Cupcakes at the Rocket Market!

Before today, I hadn't been up to the Rocket Market on 43rd in a long time. But I saw an ad in the Inlander on Thursday advertising vegan cupcakes. How could I not go? I had two cupcakes and an Americano for breakfast. The cupcakes were so tasty! I tried the Raspberry Grand Teton and Peanut Butter and Jelly. The ganache was rich and decadent and the peanut butter frosting wasn't overly sweet and actually tasted like peanut butter. This was a wonderful breakfast, if not terribly healthy. I was also pleased to find a considerable variety of vegan deli items available. I think I'll be making the trek up to the Market more often now!

You should definitely go get some of those cupcakes! Did I mention how good they are?

Review: Lazy Bones Barbecue

Vegan Barbecue in Spokane? Oh, yes! I've been hearing a lot about Lazy Bones the past few months. At first I just ignored the place, but then a friend told me they have vegan offerings. In addition to the usual fare, they serve Small Planet tofu. They cook all vegetarian items on a separate grill, so you needn't worry about your bean curd hangin' out in pork juices (gross!). The veg*n menu also offers a nice variety of vegan sides, like mac-n-cheese.

After much anticipation, we finally made a visit to the Upper South Hill restaurant today. The atmosphere is very casual, but inviting, with counter service. My son and I both ordered the Tofu Plate; he chose a side of vegan mac-n-cheese and I ordered the sweet potato fries and a bottle of Fat Tire (which according to Barnivore.com, is vegan). The north side of the building is lined with garage doors. Since it was a lovely afternoon, the doors were open and we decided to dine on the patio.

I suspect they cook the tofu to order, as it took a little while for our meals to arrive. But it was worth the wait. The Tofu Plate came with two slabs of tofu (with a dry rub and BBQ sauce slathered on top), a side of vinegar slaw, a slice of grilled bread with olive oil and a choice of side. The tofu was perfectly cooked and seasoned with a slightly sweet and spicy flavor. The slaw had a lot of flavor and was great when combined with the tofu. My sweet potato fries were delicious, but had maybe a touch too much salt. My son loved the vegan mac-n-cheese. I haven't found a recipe yet that he likes, but he loved this stuff. I thought it was pretty good myself, although it is definitely not mac-n-cheese. The sauce was more like an alfredo than the traditional yellow cheese. And with a lot of visible oil, it is not a healthy side dish.

All in all, the meal was wonderful. We'll be going back soon to try more of the menu items. The Lentil Apple Salad, Grilled Veggie Kebab and BBQ Tofu Slab Sandwich especially caught my interest. My only regret is that I didn't have my camera with me. Oh well, next time!

**Update: The in-store menu does not jive with the online version. If you go, you'll want to spend some time getting yourself familiar with the menu before ordering.