Review: Best Vegan Brunch Ever at Grovewood Tavern

This past weekend was fun and exhausting all at the same time. I'd worked 12 day straight and was pretty pooped by the time Friday rolled around. I spent Saturday out east at the wineries celebrating the marriage of two of my friends. And I drank about 7 bottles of wine. Not really, but it felt that way on Sunday morning. Oops. 

 The weekend prior, my boyfriend and I were in Baltimore. I was there for work and happened to have a later shift on Sunday morning and we tried our darndest to find vegan brunch options for me with no luck. Since all I really think about is food, I decided to do some research once I got home to see if I could find a new place for us to check out close to home. And through the power of the interwebs, I discovered that Grovewood Tavern is now serving brunch. (again)

Apparently Grovewood Tavern used to serve brunch. Award winning brunch. Not sure when that stopped, exactly, but I hope they never stop again. 

The best vegan tofu scramble I've ever eaten

As any good vegan knows, you need to do your homework before you go to any kind of restaurant to see if they have options for you. Grovewood Tavern takes the guess work out of ordering by having their menu on their web site and has all of the vegetarian, vegan, and veganize-able options clearly labeled. Score!

We arrived at Grovewood Tavern around 11:30 and were surprised to see that it was pretty empty. They've only been serving brunch for a short time, though, so I'm not sure word has gotten out that they're open on Sundays now. Plus, it was Browns versus Steelers day, so...half of the city was probably out drinking at that time. 

Our server seated us as soon as we walked in and promptly gave me the gallon of water I requested to attempt to undo the damage I'd done to my poor body the night before. I'd hoped to order some coffee, but they didn't have any non-dairy milk to use as a creamer. Weep womp. I hadn't eaten dinner the night before, so I was ready to gnaw my arm off so I was thankful when we were able to place our orders ASAP. Too bad I wasn't in the mood for drinking because they offered up an extensive menu of boozy brunch beverages. 

I ordered a vegan vegetable and tofu scramble. I generally like tofu scrambles, but...they can be a little lacking in flavor sometimes. Not this scramble! There were peppers, and onions, and kale, and peppers, and crispy breakfast potatoes all jumbled up together in a delicious heap. On the side, I got toast with house made fig jam. I'm not even the biggest fig fan, but this jam was pretty incredible.

My boyfriend ordered the breakfast biscuit. Clearly, with sausage, eggs, and a cheesy biscuit, it ain't my cup of tea, but he said that his meal was one of the best brunch meals he's ever had. Hands down. Also important to note, he was a big fan of their coffee.

Overall, we were really impressed with our brunch and hope to go back sometime soon. I was happy to see a notation on the menu that said they try to use local produce, eggs, meats, etc. whenever possible. I'm really interested in checking them out for dinner some night because they have a few vegan options on their dinner menu, too. And any restaurant that wants to cater to my lifestyle deserves my business, I think. Give Grovewood Tavern a try if you're in search of a new place to fill your belly on Sunday morning. 

Recipe: Cilantro Lime Roasted Potatoes

My cooking skills are ok at best, but over time, I've gotten the confidence to experiment in the kitchen.  (and I've also "trained" my boyfriend to be a little less harsh with his criticism) Most recently, I decided that I wanted to try and make something with cilantro, so I threw together what I called cilantro lime roasted potatoes.  (think Chipotle rice...but potatoes) 

Ingredients:

• One bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
• Cubed potatoes - skin on
• Minced garlic - as little or as much as you like
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Lime juice

Method:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees and grease a cookie tray, metal cake pan, or casserole dish.
2. Mix potatoes, garlic, and oil together and place on tray/pan/etc. 
3. Add half of cilantro to potato mixture.  Mix thoroughly. 
4. Add a tablespoon or more of lime juice to potato mixture. 
5. As the potatoes are cooking, continue to add lime juice to your liking.  I like limey foods, but for a more subtle flavor, less lime juice is needed. 
6. Cook potatoes for 35-45 minutes until they become soft. Stir every 5-8 minutes. 10 minutes before potatoes are done cooking, add remainder of cilantro and mix thoroughly.  Feel free to add more lime juice, too.
7. Serve and eat!

Overall, I think this experiment came out pretty well - the potatoes were flavorful with a touch of cilantro and lime. I would have liked a stronger cilantro flavor, but as I learned through the power of Google, I should have waited to add the cilantro until closer to the end of the cook time. (I added it all at the beginning - d'oh!) Oh well! Next time!

What's your favorite way to cook with cilantro?