Hey, it’s been a while. I took a bit of time away from this, and I’m glad to be back. I’ll spend some time catching up on new posts from my Substack subscriptions.
I’m doing Vegan November (World Vegan Month) because I watched an episode of a Netflix docuseries on longevity that featured a woman living in California who cited her vegetarian diet as the one secret to long life, and then Instagram served me a reel of a particularly appealing chickpea “tuna” salad suitable for vegans, and then I thought to myself, 10:28pm on the Monday before Halloween, yeah, I’ll do Vegan November, I’ll make that “tuna” salad and it’ll be so delicious that it’ll kick me back into a creative cooking phase, and I’ll introduce myself as a vegan at parties.
Status update, Day 4:
✅ Still vegan
🔲 Made the chickpea “tuna” salad
✅ Introduced myself as a vegan at a party
Before we get into this new Headfirst Series where I conduct haphazard analyses of vegan-friendly restaurants in the city, let me share a few vegan recipes I have developed over the past few days:
Hot and Spicy Vegan Bean and Cheese Dip made in the microwave using a can of jalapeño flavored refried beans not made with lard, dairy-free spicy Mexican-style shredded cheese from Trader Joe’s, and a generous serving of Tapatio hot sauce. Be sure to heat until cheese is melted and beans are heated all the way through. I served these with Trader Joe’s chili lime rolled chips which I have eaten by the bag every single time I’ve tried to go vegan in the past.
Peanut Butter and Avocado Toast Double-Double which I have shamelessly eaten for multiple office meals this week. It’s just avocado, salt & pepper on two slices of wheat toast, and peanut butter (I like Adams natural crunchy) on another two slices, but hits on many levels.
Menya Kanemaru Golden Ramen
174 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103
This ramen shop caught my eye in passing, for its pop-industrial chic (see: Garaje), an outdoor bar evocative of an OG street stall, and a number of vegan options advertised in front. It’s never very busy when I pass by, which in and of itself is an achievement for any ramen shop around here.
One day I decided to finally stop in for “late lunch early dinner”. There were only two other customers, both solo, which was about right for a mid-afternoon. I was promptly served and went for the sake flight to whet my appetite and the vegan curry miso ramen. Major points for having more than one vegan option.
The ramen itself was decent; flavorful broth, good vegetables and lotus chips, though I would have personally liked more protein and ramen. The sake, like the ramen, came in a higher quantity than I had expected, so I left the two strongest unfinished.
Overall this was a pretty good value dining experience (3.5/5).
Zeitgeist
199 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94103
“The beer garden?” you might be thinking.
Yup, I have worked from Zeitgeist multiple times at this point, and it’s right across the street from MK Golden Ramen so you can grab a cheap cocktail or craft beer before/after your ramen night out, but this post is a Headfirst Review so let me get back on track.
Zeitgeist has one of the most robust outdoor beer garden spaces in the city, second only to perhaps Thee Parkside; due to its easy-to-miss entrance it still manages to feel like an in-the-know locals’ spot. You’ll walk into a tiny, dark dive bar, order a cheap cocktail at the bar, glance over at the pool table, then go through the back door into a wide, bright outdoor garden patio with picnic tables and heated lamps. It’s a bit like entering Narnia, and then you come back through the back door to pick up your food at a kitchen overlooking the pool table.
Zeitgeist’s fries are standard bar level, not too oily, sufficiently tender and hefty with some satisfyingly crunchy smaller fries. I would not have minded more Zeitspice, but I’m also not complaining since it helps me keep sodium levels in check. I appreciated the pretty reasonably-priced Impossible burger on the menu, made with fresh lettuce, tomato, red onion, dill pickles, and a layer of presumably vegan mayo and ketchup. I probably would not have minded more ketchup but that was easily fixed at the table.