I didn't do any cooking this weekend because my boyfriend, Jacques, and I went out of town for a little trip to Temecula. Temecula is a SoCal wine region about two hours southeast of Santa Monica. For the last few years, we've made a habit of heading down there at least once per year. I don't know if it's the wine tasting I enjoy more or if it's the olive oil at Temecula Olive Oil Company.
Eh, who am I kidding? It's totally the olive oil.
Our trip this time around was scheduled so that we could attend the Temecula Valley Ballon and Wine Festival. We had a blast at the festival and ate our way through all the healthy restaurants we could find in Temecula.
Since our time was limited, we didn't get to eat at as many locations as we really would have liked, but everything we did have we enjoyed enough to prompt sharing.
We arrived in Temecula just before dinnertime on Friday and took a walk around Old Town. All the shops were closed so there wasn't a whole lot to do but wander. While we were wandering, we happened upon a sign boasting Cuban food and empanadas. It was pointing down a side street to a place called Havana Kitchen; we decided to pop in to check out the menu, not expecting to find anything we could eat. Upon a quick menu scan, it seemed that we were correct, but just as we were about to turn around and walk out, the cashier came over and pointed out the veg options. He informed us that he had been vegetarian for the first few months the restaurant was open and had lived on their rice and beans. We ordered the Guajiro Dish (a plate of rice, cuban black beans, sweet plantains, mashed yuca with Mojo sauce, avocado slices with lime and sweet onions) and a side of tostones (savory fried plantains). Oh my word was this dish so yummy! It was definitely a starch-a-palooza and not something I'd eat on a regular basis, but it was so tasty and unlike anything else we ate the whole weekend. It was such a pleasant surprise to find this little partially hidden gem.
The next morning, across from our hotel, we were thrilled to find E.A.T. Marketplace, a farm to table slow food restaurant, which also features locally created artisan goods like olive oil, chips, salsas,
dried beans and fruits, pickles and more. The menu changes constantly as it is dependent upon what is fresh and in season. We went for breakfast on Saturday morning and at first we were disappointed to find that their morning menu was primarily egg based. Looking at what was available, I asked the very sweet and friendly cashier if it's possible to do just a side of veggies and kale. She conferred with the chef and came back to offer me two different vegan bowl options. One with roasted root veggies and tofu and another with a mix of whatever veggies the chef had on hand, along with sauteed kale. Since I don't eat tofu, I opted for the later. It was so delicious! A medley of different vegetables, nicely seasoned, and in a very large portion, topped with fresh avocado and served with multi-grain or gluten free toast. This was definitely my kind of breakfast and kept me perfectly fueled for my day of wine drinking and sunshine at the festival! On top of delicious food and vegan options, the cafe was super cute.
Later in the day, we took a break from the Balloon Festival (which at this point we were thinking was inaccurately named as we had yet to see a hot air balloon on site) to head to lunch at one of the nearby vineyards, Wilson Creek Winery. We took a peak at the menu and it seemed like we should be able to pull together something vegan but confirmed first with the hostess before getting seated. She pointed us towards the Vegetable Moussaka, which sounded devine! I was also drawn to the portobello sandwich, which I expected to be just a large mushroom cap, but turned out to be a formed patty. Our waitress, while incredibly sweet, was not very knowledgeable about the intricacies of the ingredients so I am not entirely convinced that this patty was vegan. She said they are constantly changing the menu so it's difficult to stay familiar with all the dishes. Considering we specified that we are vegan which means we don't eat egg or dairy, I'm hoping she would have found out if this was an issue with the patty. The Mousakka was wonderful; a little salty, but very full of flavor and with a side of asparagus, it was a perfect light lunch on a hot day. We returned to the festival in the evening and by the time the sun went down, the balloons came up for a night time balloon glow (as pictured above).
On Sunday, we pretty much skipped breakfast and went straight out for an early lunch at Earth Bistro, a casual, mostly organic spot located next to Trader Joe's. The majority of the menu was vegan or could be made vegan and all the organic produce was highlighted in green. It was an expansive selection of pizzas, burgers, salads, sandwiches and appetizers. They offered the option for Daiya or soy cheese, a house made vegan patty that is soy free and gluten free. Jacques ordered the burger, spicy style with jalapenos, BBQ sauce, and raw garlic. The burger was nicely spiced on his own and incredibly flavorful. I kept it light by ordering stuffed mushrooms and stuffed grape leaves off the appetizers menu, and we split an order of roasted garlic potatoes. I had the hardest time deciding what I wanted to order as everything sounded so good. It's packed full of veggies with not a lick of Gardein in sight.
It's great to see that Temecula gets more vegan friendly every time we visit. We did realize that in some cases you need to very clearly specify what it means to be vegan (I think we were asked 3 times if we ate fish), but overall the city's restaurants are becoming more and more accommodating.
Of course, I can't end this post without talking about the olive oil. We usually get a classic olive oil for drizzling and dipping, but this time, we were drawn to a couple that were a bit different: Jalapeno and Hickory Smoked. Temecula Olive Oil Company is a family run farm that uses sustainable growing practices. They press their olives and jalapenos together to make for a perfectly infused flavor. The oil has a nice bite and will be so tasty in dressings and more. The hickory smoked is a perfect seasoning replacement for people, like myself, who enjoy a smoky flavor, but don't like the idea of using liquid smoke. It's so tasty, that it may even fool meat eaters into thinking you've used bacon grease. Both of these olive oils are limited editions released seasonally.
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