vegan and omnivore holiday | The Hippie Gypsy

I was at the Boston Flower Show on Sunday with my mother and my aunt when I saw that the Wynn Casino and Resort Company was hosting the event. I find this an amazing moment because here in Boston we are contemplating the possibility of a large hotel/casino/resort in the metro area. So not only are the contenders trying to sponsor events to garner attention, but they are also trying to win our favor. The Wynn Company already has my favor however, because Steve Wynn is vegan. This allows for the possibility of more vegan restaurants in the metro area that are high quality and accessible. He makes sure there is a vegan menu at every restaurant at the Wynn Las Vegas and he would do the same in the Everett, MA location. They also plan on cleaning up a large site that used to be home to Monsanto and (no surprise) they left toxic and a mess and then walked away. So the Wynn Company is becoming a fan favorite for a few reasons. However, I have one worry… my favorite restaurant True Bistro. It is an excellent restaurant in Somerville, MA that has amazing food and is high end. This is rare. How rare? They are the only high end vegan restaurant in the whole metro area. I think Candle 79 in NYC is the next closest at what 200 or so miles away?

So the reason for my worry is that a few things can happen during competition. One is that they could force them out and two is that the loyal followers slowly migrate away. I would hate that. I don’t think it will happen though and the reason is Michael the owner. I have had the pleasure of talking to him on a few occasions. He obviously only knows me as a patron, however, he is so kind and fun and chatty but also unbelievably dedicated to this lifestyle and food that I can’t help but write about his spot in detail. I would never replace a night in Somerville with Michael for a night at a large hotel but I may start going out a few more times a month because the Wynn will have convenient parking and all that jazz at larger resorts. This may be years down the road though. The interesting part is that despite all that Wynn could offer… True Bistro has not only amazing food but the are always changing it up with only a few staples and the pre-fixe menus are to die for every time (if you are lucky enough to get a reservation).

I had the pleasure of going there on Valentine’s Day this year and honestly, I think it was one of the best meals I have had in forever. Which is a compliment since I recently did a culinary tour of vegan hot spots in NYC and we go to True Bistro and order 4 desserts fairly often. My husband and I asked for one of everything this time, since there were two items in each section and the wine pairing. I was driving and I also don’t drink so my husband took a sip of this or that with each taste. I was in love with so many dishes and the waitress asked us each time what the culprit was. So I would tell her we loved this, fought over that, not a fan of this wine, etc. She would smile or laugh or absorb. Again, this restaurant is so responsive. Even their waitstaff are experts. How can anyone compete with that level of service? So we continued along and my omnivore husband ate like it was going to be taken away at any moment. He was such a fool for their menu. I was so happy to see this because it is not every day that you can get an omnivore to dig vegan food so much that they try to eat faster so their vegan wife can’t steal back a bite of a plate of seitan. I had a great time that night and the food as always was impeccable.

So where does that leave an excellent vegan four star restaurant in Boston when a huge giant resort shows up? Hopefully still on top. I wouldn’t be able to part with this family or their restaurant. I would miss Michael’s banter, his height, and his joy. He gets excited to clean off a table, he gets excited to chat about his travels, and he gets excited and laughs when he finds out we made it to dinner after having a cancelled flight on a holiday. He has an attention to detail that is unmatched from his choices in food, too his chevre cheese plates, to the fact that he could tell by my eyes I was part Mexican. You can’t compete with that, but perhaps Wynn will supplement it. I will be by sometime soon to wait in the long line for brunch. I can’t wait even though it is 19 degrees out. You should too: http://www.truebistroboston.com . Now I am hungry!

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Food is Love.

The Hippie Gypsy.

I am going to officially post my Thanksgiving Day menu here for all to see. I know there will be questions and recipes wanted and over the next week I will try to post those too. I truly delight in the Holiday cooking I get to do. Making food for my family and friends is fun because not only do you get the joy of the cooking process but you get the joy of watching others feel happy and healthy and nourished and maybe a little stuffed on something you created. I also find it amazing how we extract things from the earth to make our bodies fuel. One would say if something is on the ground not to eat it but Thanksgiving is the holiday of root vegetables. Of course they get a heavy rinsing but its kind of a strange concept how we shun some things afoot but not others if prepared properly.

I know there will be confusion as some of these items are not vegan but I do have an all omnivore family so I pepper in a few items that are not vegan (*denoted with an asterisk* ). Prosciutto Pear Cups are not vegan. They are a Martha Stewart recipe that I used to make pre-vegan and my family still asks for and I make in mini muffin pans chopping the pears into tiny pieces and tossing with shreds of fresh Parmesan. The cheese will be a mix of vegan and vegetarian. I eat honey but I know many vegans do not so I denoted it with an asterisk (and you can always use agave!). The turkey and gravy is not vegan (obviously) but there is a mushroom alternative and my own vegan Field Roast Turkey. Everything else is vegan. The potato au gratin is one of my favorite things to make and the cranberry upside down cake has become a requested staple from my husband and was of my late grandmother. Enjoy!

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MY THANKSGIVING MENU
“In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert

Appetizers:

Stuffed Mushrooms with Sundried Tomato Béchamel

Prosciutto Pear Cups with Parmesan Cheese Garnish*

Spinach Artichoke Dip in Bread Bowl with Carrot Sticks

Crackers (vegan)/Cheese Tray*

Sliced Bosc Pears

Honey to Drizzle Cheese and Pears*

Assorted Nuts