Local Eats

As of late, Isaac and I have been talking quite a bit about trying to eat more locally. Of course, during the winter months it’s harder to find local produce but I have been able to get apples, winter squash, and greens. We are also lucky to have local tofu and tempeh (Twin Oaks), locally roasted coffee (Lamplighter, Blanchard’s Coffee Co, etc.), granola (Zaydie’s), bread (Prairie Grain Company, Montana Gold), and beer (Legend Brewery). I’m sure this list could be considerably longer but those are some of the options I could think of at the moment.

So, Isaac’s been frequenting the local butchery, Belmont Butchery. And yesterday his entire breakfast was made with local ingredients: bacon and sausage (from a farm in Richmond), eggs (Faith Farms), bread (Prairie Grain Company), and butter (Faith Farms). As you know my breakfast wasn’t so local. Point 1 for Isaac.

Although, I think I deserve at least half of a point because I had the Goddess Tofu wrap from Ellwood’s for lunch, which is indeed made with the local tofu!

A spinach tortilla stuffed with oven baked tofu, sprouts, tomato, and a goddess sauce. The photo just shows just half of the wrap as I had one half for lunch on Friday and the other for lunch on Saturday!

Last night we had a friend from college in town to celebrate his birthday and we were racking our brains for a good place to take him out to dinner. After seeing the large beer selection (based on Isaac’s input) and the fact that they had vegetarian and vegan dishes (my input) we settled on The Belvidere at Broad, a relatively new restaurant that serves eclectic American dishes with world influences with a focus on fresh, local and organic ingredients.

The restaurant is small and cozy, much like many other restaurants/ bars in Richmond. A table for 3 wasn’t available when we arrived- we were told the wait would be only 5-10 minutes but there was ample seating at the bar so we decided to sit there for our meal. This turned out to be a great idea as the bar manager, Ben, was friendly and very attentive.

Isaac and our friend, David, ordered a couple beers off the extensive list. I wasn’t in the mood for an alcoholic beverage of my own but I tried Isaac’s, per the usual. It’s a good thing he doesn’t mind sharing.

After perusing the menu, which had a considerable amount of gluten free, vegetarian, and optionally vegan options, I narrowed down my choices to the Vegetable Platter and the Vegetarian Nicoise salad.

The roasted root vegetables ended up winning me over and I went with the Vegetable Platter, which came with a side salad.

Fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onion, topped with Parmesan cheese and a crostini (Citrus Vinaigrette on the side).
The vegetable platter consisted of crispy potatoes topped with creme fraiche and chives, roasted spaghetti squash over marinara sauce, roasted root vegetables and sauteed spinach.

Ben explained that this dish was made after realizing that many vegetarian/vegan customers were making their own meal by ordering several side dishes. The chef put together some of their best side dishes and made the Vegetable Platter a standard entree. Great idea, in my humble opinion!

I was so happy with my choice as everything on my plate was absolutely delicious. The spaghetti squash was crunchy and flavorful while the spinach was perfectly seasoned. The crispy potatoes were good, but I’m not a huge fan of sour cream so I shared them with the boys, both of whom fell in love with the creme fraiche. The roasted root vegetables (which were the primary reason I picked this platter as my entree) were caramelized and sweet, as they should be. Roasted root veggies will always be my favorite winter side dish.

Isaac ordered the Grilled Ahi Tuna Sandwich and David got the free-range chicken. They both cleaned their plates and suggested that it was one of the best meals they’d had in a good while.

On the local front, I was a little disappointed that the menu didn’t highlight the items that were locally produced. With that said, I’m not really sure if any of it was. However after such a successful visit, I’m sure we will visit The Belvidere at Broad again. If interested here is what some other local (and more well-known) reviewers thought of the place. (RTD, Richmond.com)

Today has been productive.

I did 20 minutes of yoga upon rising (Gentle Hatha from Yogadownload.com).

Ate some plain jane stove top oats with oatmeal, oat bran, water, cinnamon, maca, and a spoonful of better n pb.

Made it to the gym for one hour of cardio – a 3 mile run on the treadmill and 30 minutes of cross training a.k.a Shape reading on the elliptical.

And made myself the most delicious vegetarian chef salad for lunch.

• Spring mix
• The whites of a hard boiled egg
• 1 slice of hickory smoked tofukery
• Balsamic caramelized red onion
• Left over tofu bites
• Raw zucchini slices
• Grape tomatoes (on sale at Whole Foods right now!!)
• Maple Balsamic Sauce (From Eat, Drink and Be Vegan)

Seriously, this salad was so tasty. I kept saying “mmmmm” after every bite.

Now I’m off to hang with the guys- they’re watching football, drinking beer, and eating mad junk food. It should be fun!

-Brittany

Tagged as: Ellwood Thompson's, Local Eats, Oatmeal, The Belvidere at Broad, vegetarian chef salad