tempted by the tofu of another.

a couple of weeks ago now my friends and I followed a whim and found ourselves driving to a location we had never before been. the famous salt flats of western utah. breathtaking. bizarre. worth the two hour drive if you are in salt lake city. and as if the salt had a power to make us hungry, we returned back to the valley grumpy and famished. so hungry that you just don't know what sounds good. you know the kind. enter evergreen. the vegetarian cafe that, like the salt flats, was always an intended venture never before realized. really it fit the theme of the day and forth we did sally for the second time that day. with courtesy the first victim of our hunger we demanded pot stickers of the cheery waitress. she happily obliged and we were happily surprised. tasty with the right mix of gooey and crispy. indeed some of the better pot stickers you can get in this town. sated enough to look at the menu without blurred vision we took to the serious matter at hand and asked the waitress about every dish. luckily there are only a dozen or so. behold our verdict:

curry meatballs. veggies and triangle tofu with (a damn good) peanut sauce. bbq chicken and potatoes.

keep in mind that everything at the evergreen cafe not only is vegetarian, but completely vegan. and fresh! this is truly a feat which took more convincing after we dove into the bbq chicken, double and triple questioning the waitress and then the owner to make sure it wasn't really chicken. had me fooled. not that that is the purpose of the restaurant. to fool. but it really is amazing the diversity of things they can make with tofu. i was a fan of the bean curd before, but i must admit that now, at least with the evergreen,  i am a total disciple.

taste for yourself. 755 south state street. prices are extremely fair as well and the food is made fresh when you order.

the doldrums of blogging and my solution.

Rather than think of all the reasons (re: excuses) for not updating my blog besides that fact that no one probably reads it, I feel the need to dive back into it; not only because I have been to so many great restaurants that are off the beaten path, but because I need to write and practice my writing. I have recently got a promotion at the newspaper where I work and want to improve not only my skill but my confidence in my writing. In truth, the main reason I never post is because it's high pressure to meet my own expectations pairing my culinary adventures with quality writing. It's overwhelming for me; like trying to pair a wine with a cheese for royalty. Actually, last time I tried to impress royalty (re: local prominent citizen) as a waiter at an upscale restaurant, it ended with Petite Syrrah (dark red wine) all over her white cashmere sweater and a tartar sauce shower for her husband. That may be a blog post story for another time but the lesson and hopefully the solution to my scant blog postings is this: to remember that a blog need not be so formal or perfect and the frequency of posting would improve what I am so nervous to accomplish (and over-do): literary cuisine. So here goes. cheers to you readers and happy blogging. happier eating.