Engrained Cafe - ASU Campus, Tempe AZ

My sister recently sent me an invitation to attend a talk and book signing by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. My niece is part of the School of Sustainability at ASU and their school organized the entire event.  I was pretty excited to check out the lecture and the venue. I was also very excited to get my copy of The Vegan Table autographed! The room itself had a seriously modern flair. The high ceilings make it feel even bigger than it is. They use sustainable materials throughout for decorating and functional purposes. It's quite an impressive place.

Engrained Cafe's goal is to reduce their environmental footprint by educating, sourcing locally (must be within 150 mile radius) and using eco-friendly products in the cafe.

I had the opportunity to speak to Executive Chef, Jerome Fressinier about the evenings menu and Engrained's vegan offerings. He told me that about 20% of their menu offerings are vegan, 25% more are vegetarian. I'm hoping the percentage of vegan offerings will go up as plant based foods certainly leave less of an environmental footprint than their animal based counterparts. But it is a good start!! I'm super excited to see such an emphasis on sustainability as it is one of the top reasons I love vegan cooking and eating!

This was my first visit to Engrained. It was a special event with all vegan food. They did a wonderful job with presentation and flavor, so I am looking forward to going back and trying the restaurant on a normal day. They are open for breakfast and lunch (11am-4pm Monday - Friday). They also offer catering options. I'm amazed and impressed at the effort put forth by the students who put this event together and the staff at Engrained for providing delicious vegan food that looked and tasted good by vegan or omni standards.

The tasting menu for this event provided a really nice diversity of ingredients and presentations. How I forgot to bring my regular camera is beyond me, so forgive my cell phone images, they certainly don't do the beauty of the food justice.

So be good to your body, be good to your planet and be good to the animals by getting yourself some local, sustanable and vegan awesomeness and Engrained.

Apache Fry Bred Sample Tube, Corn Coulis Tofu, Singh's (local farmer) Moringa

Singh's Tepary: Almond Hummus, Heirloom Sun Dried Tomato, Queen Creek's Olives

Potato Onion Present, Engrained's Catchup Amaranth

Vegan Brownie

MOFO - Day 20 - Chicago Diner!!!

I know I am still breaking from my theme, but I do hope you will forgive me when I share yet another great dining out experience.

I was lucky enough to get to visit the Chicago Diner for my 3rd Chicago PPK meet-up! This is a threepete for me and the sweet and awesome Kelly Peloza of Seitan Beats Your Meat and author of the Vegan Cookie Connoisseur. I also got to meet two new friends from the PPK: the Harmless Hunter of the Harmless Hunter blog and Pepperpot!!!! It was a great time. They are both super awesome!

The diner is a long narrow room with, well, a very diner-ish atmosphere. Nothing fancy pants here. The server we had was really great. He made sure we were well taken care of without being intrusive. The bathrooms are very clean (always a good sign that the kitchen is clean too).

The Diner has such a kickin' menu, it was really hard to decide what to order. I wanted to try something I hadn't had before, but I really couldn't remember what I had before, so it was a shot in the dark. This time I opted for the Radical Reuben ($10.50). The swirled rye bread was soft and lucious and TDF. As you can see by the pictures the "pastrami" is a very cool pink color and looked very close to actual pastrami. The texture was great: just the right amount of chewy. This sammy was just perfect.

I had an easy time convincing one of my best childhood friends to join me in my vegan culinary adventures in Chicago. To quote her "I'm a big fan of the veggies." (Love you so much by the way!!!) After much deliberation she decided on the Sweet Potato Quesadilla ($10.50). It is stuffed with another fabulous version of seitan, black beans, mashed sweet potatoes, spinach, salsa fresca and a choice of cheddar or mozz Daiya. She chose the mozz. This is a huge portion and stuffed with such tasty goodness. There was no way she could finish it.

Autumn Vegan (Kelly) and Pepperpot (Neicey hope I spelled that right) both got the BBQ "Bacon" Cheezeburger ($9.99) though they opted for different sides. AV got the mashed potatoes and gravy (which I must try next time) and PP got the sweet potato fries, which I know from prior exprerience are delish! I didn't get to try anyone elses stuff (besides the quesadilla) cuz I was blabbing away and totally forgot to ask for bites. Haha. But they both gave the burgers a thumbs up.

Last but certainly not least, Harmless Hunter (Tyler) ordered The Soul Bowl ($12.99). I was tempted to order this myself but I had to get the famous Reuben. I need to try this next time as it looked so incredible! It has spicy grilled tofu. The tofu was beautiful, seriously beautiful. It was a nice thick slice, blackened to perfection. Looking at the pictures makes me long for a bite. It was sreved with greens, sweet potatoes and black beans. Oh and I must not forget the Chimichurri sauce!

Here we all are happy as can be! L to R Pepperpot, Me, my most awesome friend Patrice, Harmless Hunter and Autumn Vegan

Sigh...I miss it already. But you can get in on some Chicago Diner action yourself. I am giving away a copy of the Chicago Diner Cookbook to one of you fabulous followers. All you have to do is be a follower of the Vegan Conversion Challenge and post a comment about your favorite diner food or experience or anything else diner related. Because I posted so late today, I will give everyone until tomorrow at midnight to post. I will draw the winner using Random.org on Saturday. Good luck and good posting!!!

I redrew today (11/13/11) because I haven't heard back from the original winner. The winner is #11 PEANUTTY PRINCESS!!!

MOFO - Day 18 - Vegan in the Chicago 'Burbs - Miraculous

The other night my friends and I happened upon a bar close to the train station in Crystal Lake, IL called Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen. For my non-Illinois readers, Crystal Lake is in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, very close to the Wisconsin border. This is the land of dairy, beef and many things non-vegan. We stopped in very late at night for a drink before heading home on the train. While waiting at the bar to order, I saw a sign that said they were voted the #1 vegan friendly restaurant in the northwest suburbs by Urban Spoon.

I grew up in this area and visit every year. Usually I can find a gratuitous vegetarian dish here and there on a menu if I am lucky. I was thrilled to see they actually mentioned the word vegan on the menu. Well today, my mom and I went back to check it out. I was even more excited to find out that not only did they have vegan friendly fare, but most of it is local and organic! I was swooning to say the least.

Now the first visit was late night and it was pretty much a bar scene complete with karaoke. Today we went for lunch and the vibe was more comfy bistro. The wood floors and the brickwork gave it a rustic feel. The many windows made it bright and sunny on a cold, windy day.

Duke's sources much of their food from local and organic farms. They even have their own gardens. They have a cool blackboard on the wall that displays where they get their fresh ingredients from. I am hoping next time I am in town I might have time to check out their gardens!!

The menu offered several choices for the veg set. Our server had some knowledge of what was vegan and what was not. What he didn't know, he took the time to go to the kitchen and ask. As a good blogger should, I ordered way more than I could eat, but I wanted to check out several of the vegan offerings.

The Tempura Beans ($9.00) had a very light and crispy batter on them. These are offered in a vegan and non-vegan version. I wanted to find out how they made the tempura batter. It was not very greasy (yay!), crispy and light and served with a teriyaki type sauce.

I didn't need to try these, I had to try these; the Inferno Fries ($4.00/$6.00). These hand cut golden beauties were sprinkled with a mild cajun spice. The name Inferno is a quite an over-exageration, as they weren't very spicy. There was no doubt that these were fresh cut and fantastic though. There were none left!

The next delectable dish was the Raw Spaghetti Salad ($8.00). As the name indicates it is raw. It is also vegan and gluten free. This was a huge hit for me. The fresh zucchini was sliced thinly. It appeared that the mandolin they had was not working quite right as you could see the slice marks, but it had not cut all the way through. This was truly inconsequential to the dish because the zucchini was thinly sliced, the sun dried tomatoes were juicy and flavorful and teh kalamata olives lent the perfect amount of salty yumminess to the dish. I loved the fried basic garnish.

The Grilled Vegetable Flatbread Pizza ($8.00/$10.00) was amazing (and was 1/2 price for Meatless Monday). The flatbread was thin and crispy. The arugula was crazy fresh and nutty tasting. The tomato pesto was perfectly balanced. There was no doubt that the vegetables were fresh and perfectly grilled. I asked the server about the cheese. It tasted like Daiya to me, but I thought that maybe in the land of Soy Dairy Teese, they may have been using Teese. But I was correct. It was indeed Daiya. Mom and I both loved it!





Duke's features Meatless Mondays. They offer 1/2 price on selected vegetarian items when you purchase two bevvies. So my traveling friends and my friends who live in IL, rejoice! There is a great place you can go to tantalize your tastebuds, have a nice glass of wine or one of many beers offered. I hope other restaurants in the northwest 'burbs take note of what Duke's is doing! Take a ride on the train and get of the Crystal Lake exit. Duke's will be right there when you get off of the train!

Restaurant Review - Cork

Once again I have to apologize for the photo quality. I didn't have high hopes for vegan friendliness on this one, so I left my camera at home. I am thrilled to tell you, that I was soooooo wrong.

We were taking Ty and Ry out for their birthdays (one way late and one a little early), so we asked them to pick a place they really wanted to try. I got a text from Ty that they wanted to try Cork in Chandler. I had heard really great things about their food, but the menu looked pretty meat and fish based. So I was prepared to have a salad and maybe some side dishes. Hence the reason the camera stayed parked at home.

We found the restaurant in a rather large mall area. It looked very unassuming and fairly small. When we stepped inside, the room was very tastefully decorated with a modern flair. The bar area was nicely appointed. Their wine cellar was on display behind a glass wall. It was very impressive. It was early, so there weren't many guests in the restaurant when we arrived. They sat us in a very spacious and comfortable booth.

Our server, Matthew greeted us very promptly. He let us know that for the evening they were only offering a 5 course chef's choice tasting ($55.00). The regular menu was not available. The restaurant is closing today for 2 1/2 weeks to have a gas line installed, so they needed to make the best use of the food they had left. We asked him if the kitchen could do a vegan version. I was so pleasantly surprised when he quickly returned and said it was no problem at all; the chef was very familiar with what was and was not vegan. I was happy as a pig in the mud!

Now, we don't eat meat anymore, but I have to tell you, each and every course that came out (vegan or not) was beautifully presented. The kids said their dishes had incredible flavor and were cooked to perfection. The wine list was outstanding. I ordered the first bottle. Fred, now armed with just enough wine knowledge to be dangerous, ordered the second bottle. Let me just say, he went more than a little overboard. But, queue the angel music HAAAAA it was a glorious selection. The service was very attentive and spot on without being intrusive. The servers know their food and know how to take care of their guests. We all left very full, very satisfied and very impressed with Cork. We will be going back again and again. It is hard to find a good independently owned upscale place in the east valley, let alone a vegan friendly one.

Ladies and gentleman of the vegan persuasion, prepare for a feast for your eyes. No matter what your dietary persuasion you need to go to Cork for a feast for your taste buds and tummies.

Fred's first course was a beet and greens salad with pine nuts. It was dressed with a light citrus vinaigrette. The greens were fresh and wonderful!

My first course was a duo of cold soups with roasted nuts. The pineapple soup was garnished with toasted coconut and the cantaloup soup with a fresh mint leaf. The nuts were beautiful. The has a very slight hint of sweetness and were a lovely complement to the sweet soups.

The second course was an incredible tabbouleh. I often find that tabbouleh has far to much mint in it for my taste. This one did not. It was perfectly balanced with mint, parsley, black and white quinoa. It was served with a very flavorful Romesco sauce and an herbed gremolata. Look at the beautiful presentation. I could have had this by itself and been totally satisfied for the evening, but oh no, we had three more courses to go.

For the third course. The chef sent out a light citrus salad with shaved fennel and toasted pecans. The pecans and the oranges were fantastic together. It was a nice palate cleanser for the 4th course.

The fourth course was another delightful surprise. I have found in the past when we do tasting menus at upscale restaurants that will accommodate our vegan request, the chef's often times are challenged on providing protein. Such was not the case with chef Brian Peterson (he used to cook at Lon's at the Hermosa, another of our favorites). He masterfully created this beautiful lentil dish flecked with baby asparagus, fresh zucchini and sliced baby bell pepper rings. I wish I had this recipe. The vegetables were perfectly cooked el dente. The lentils also had a perfect texture. The first bite I took I could taste a hint of sweetness, perhaps some fennel, then BAM there was a peppery spice that was just incredible. I love spicy food, so I was ecstatic. I made everyone at the table taste it. Ty said she wished she had gotten it as her entree too. So happy!!!

Last but not least was the 5th course: dessert. I was so full by the time we got to dessert, but this beautiful trio of sorbets was the perfect end to an incredible dining experience. The trio consisted of pineapple, raspberry and melon sorbets. They were light and fruity with just the right amount of sweetness. 

If you really want to impress your date or yourself for that matter, you must make sure to check out this unique east valley experience. 

Cork

4991 S Alma School Road, Suite 1

Chandler, AZ 85248

480-883-3773

Restaurant Review - Green New American Vegetarian

While I am tempted to  have you wait and read my entire fabulous review of Green, I am going to be nice and announce the winner of the Naturally Nutty giveaway! But I do hope you stick around and read the rest, because, well, Green is awesome! The winner of the giveaway is commenter # 11 from the June 8, 2011 post. Congrats Kitten!!! Please make sure to get me your shipping info so you can get your yummy Pepita Sun Seed Butter!

I have to apologize for the image quality. I didn't have my camera so I had to use my phone. Not bad for a phone, huh?

Fred and I happened to pop into one of my favorite vegan spots, Green New American Vegetarian, for lunch the other day. I was reminded once again why I love this place. It is located in a very obscure little strip mall just north of McKellips Road on the west side of Scottsdale Rd right next to the Salvation Army Store. You would miss it if you weren't looking for it...and you really should be looking for it. They should be opening their new location in Phoenix (7th Street north of McDowell the old That's a Wrap location) any time now. The new trainees were all over the place.

There are a couple of small tables out front. They are great during the cooler months for dining al fresco. This time of the year we decided sitting inside would be a better idea. As you walk up to the counter you will see a small retail area to your left and a cooler to your right. You can stock up on Butler Soy curls and other awesome vegan pantry products that might be hard to find around town. The cooler has a nice selection of fun beverages, some awesome vegan cheezes (Daiya and Teese), mimi cream and some pastries.

When you arrive at the counter you are greeted by usually very friendly, tatooed and pierced young people. There is one girl that is always super sweet and helpful (and for the life of me I can't remember her name right now). They will efficiently take your order for you and bring it to your table. You will also find some very tempting sweets at the counter. The blackboard lets you know what the day's special is.

The room has a decidedly bistro-hipster type vibe, if you can picture that. There is plenty of seating and even a sofa to lounge on. It was pretty busy for this visit as you can see.

The menu has a good selection of appetizers, bowls, salads, sandwiches and pizzas. It is hard to make a decision, but may I recommend the Spicy "G" Po Boy? Buffalo chickn heaven on a bun. Fred loves the Mum's Meat Ball Po' Boy. This one is a good bet for any omni friends you might bring along for the ride.

There is a separate menu for what should be "World Famous" Soynamis. These tasty frozen concoctions from heaven deserve a menu of their own. They have a boat-load of options on the menu in addition to several specials that are listed on a blackboard. I am crazy about the Chunky Monkey that boasts, you got it, bananas, pecans and chocolate swirled in a creamy vanilla ice cream. (I've gotten my omni co-workers addicted).

Let's talk about what we ate on this visit. Because we both knew I'd be writing about our visit, we went to town ordering. First we ordered the Egglessrolls ($4.00). They were crispy and hot when they arrived. They are served with a sweet dipping sauce. I am not a fan of sweet sauces (total personal preference), but this was easily remedied by a splash of Sriracha sauce that you can find by the self serve tea and lemonade table. They were pretty tasty and I love some crunchy eggrolly goodness.

I much preferred the Vegan Chili Fries ($6.00). They take their fries and slather them with a healthy portion of their delicious chili. I really like the flavor of their chili, it could fool an omni any day and satisfy any chili lover. The only complaint I have is that it always seems a bit on the salty side for me...and I'm a salt lover. You can ask to have some yummy vegan cheese added for another $1.00. They don't really need it, but it's always nice to have options.

I am usually a creature of delicious habit. I usually order the Original Spicy "G" Po Boy or the Thee "Argentine" Po Boy (both $8.00). Both of these sandwiches will rock your world. I've also been known to indulge in many-a Jerk Tofu Salad ($6.00 for small and $9.00 for the large). This day, in the interest of investigative reporting, I strayed from my usuals and tried out the Ranchero Salad ($6.00 for small and $9.00 for the large). The BBQ sauce is on the sweet side and very tasty. The chicken was a bit chewy, but still very edible. They use the same salad mix in this salad as they do in the Jerk Tofu Salad. It has nice crunchy strips of corn tortillas added as a nice touch.

Fred did not stray from his usual fav the Mum's Meatball Po Boy ($8.00). The sandwiches come with a choice of sides. Fred opted for the recently added sweet potato puffs. They are a sweet 'tater version of tater tots. I'm a tot purist, so I wasn't crazy about these, but they are an interesting options and gluten free. As usual the sandwich made Fred very happy. It has a generous portion of meatballs, red sauce and Daiya Mozzarella. The flavor and texture of the sandwich are really yummy. I'd love a bit more red sauce please. But you truly can't go wrong with this one.

As you can probably imagine, we were ready to pop, so we did not partake in a Soynami this trip. But, dear readers, I will not disappoint. Below are four of the visions of loveliness that I picked up for my buddies at work. These are worth stopping in for alone.

What could they do better? Not much. Have Damon (the owner) open a fine dine? Offer vegan beers and wines perhaps? A girl can dream. Will omnis like Green? In my personal experience I would say a definite yes, depending on what they order. If they haven't had faux meats before, it might be best to try some dishes that are not so dependent on them; most of the apps, the Mom's Meatball Po Boy (this is a faux meat, but the texture is not "funky") and any of the bowls with tofu. Of course the Soynamis will blow them away.

I love the fact that I can go into a place and not have to worry about whether or not what I order is actually prepared totally vegan. There is never a doubt. I also like the fact that the food and service are consistently good and the atmosphere is pretty cool. If you haven't been yet, make sure you try them out!

Product Review - Queen Creek Olive Mill

Queen Creek, AZ used to be a small county island in the middle of nowhere. There were a sprinkling of farms, horse properties and a backdrop of the San Tan Mountains, but not much else. We took a drive out there last week and much to my amazement it has become quite the metropolis. On the outskirts of town there sits the Queen Creek Olive Mill. The olive mill is owned and operated by the Rea family. The land was previously vacant when they purchased it. Today they have  They have been experimenting with different varieties of olive trees for over a decade.

We decided we'd pay the $5.00 per person and take the guided tour. It is a very small operation so my use of the word guided may not be an accurate description of the "tour". It was, however, very informative. A lovely young lady educated us about the history of the property and more importantly about the olives and olive oils produced there and elsewhere. She explained that the trees at the mill are still considered very young for olive production, so their yeilds are fairly small. They actually only produce the Extra Virgin Oil from their trees. The infused oils are sourced out of Italy. They have a big olive orchard to the north of the main building and they also have some trees planted in a small picnic grove pictured below.

The mill has a little deli counter. Most of the items are not vegan, but a few can be easily vegainzed. We didn't take the opportunity to eat on this visit, so I can't comment on the selections at this time, but I can tell you they use local breads and many other local ingredients, including herbs from their own organic herb garden.

The tour was short, but infomative and fun. After a 20 minute little talk outside in the lovely weather, we were lucky enough to be taken to the press room. They only harvest and press 2 1/2 months out of the year. We unknowingly picked the perfect time to visit. I'm not sure the tour would be worth it when they aren't pressing because there is not much to see. However, you do get a complementary olive tasting. It was really nice to be able to sample a few varieties before purchasing. During the presentation, we were told they have a specific percentage of each type of olive. We noticed that the mix in the press was a bit different than described. the green olives are very young, produce a peppery flavor and should comprise about 40 percent of the mixture. As you can see here, it appears there were more in this pressing.

The press room

The talk at the beginning of the tour is decidedly geared toward convincing you to go into the retail area and buy some of their product. Check this out. Have you ever expienced such a variety of olive oils in one place? There were a couple of rows just like this one. There is a tasting bar with a big variety of the oils they sell. The flavors are really interesting and the quality is excellent. I didn't buy any olive oil because I still have their vanilla and chile oils left over from a gift I recived last year. I need to whip the vanilla out for some holiday baking.

I did get some of their Vermouth Garlic Stuffed and Mexican Lime Jalapeno Stuffed olive. They are big and delicious on their own or in a martini. I also picked up some of their Spanish Fly dirty martini mix. It's a nice way to get your olive juice without having to strain it out of the can. Honestly, I 'm not that lazy, but I was amused by the label and couldn't resist owning the bottle.

They also sell many local products like baked goods, sauces, syrups and candies. I picked up a little bit of the organic Jalapeno pepper sauce. It was great on my buffalo wingz.

The retail area has a boutique type vibe and prices. The entire operation is very clean and the staff was very friendly. I'm looking forward to heading back out to check out some of the wine tastings and entertainment they offer. If you are in the area and want an atypical desert adventure I'd recommend stopping in. You're likely to drop some coin, but it is a novel and fun experience. We had a nice afternoon enjoying AZ weather in December.



As an added bonus we saw these very cute t-shirts that are perfect for our upcoming Martinis and Manicures fund raiser on December 16th! If you are in the area, come support the "girls"!

MOFO - Day 11 - Restaurant Review - 24 Carrots

It's not a total chile-ful post today, but I did order an extra dish just so I would have something with chiles in it...so there!

Today Fred and I hit one of our new favorite places, 24 Carrots located at the NW corner of Chandler Blvd and Kyrene Road next to the Subway in Chandler.

Fred has been haunting this place for quite some time. He likes to stop in for a re-charging juice or smoothie to get him going after a good work out or for a quick pick me up at work. We both love this place for many reasons. They use local and organic ingredients whenever possible. The owner, Sasha, is a true food lover. She creates her recipes without tasting them. I asked her why she did this and she told me that she tends to over-spice things because she loves a ton of flavor. Instead she makes her creations and has others test the flavor. It seems to be a winning formula. Her passion is making healthy meals and snacks for our junk-food nation's inhabitants. They were originally a juice and smoothie joint but 24 Carrots has recently revamped their menu to include a slew of tasty and healthy food choices.

I was very excited to see they had VEGAN specials this fine day.

They are now offering a full breakfast menu. I don't have pictures of this, but you must try the Vegan Eggs Benedict. The garlic aoli is amazing! The avocados are fresh and plentiful. I never seem to make it in before 11am, but I plan on trying other selections like the Fruited Breakfast Quinoa and the vegan muffins.

Their lunch menu now boasts Salads, Wraps, Pita Pizzas, Sandwiches, Burgers and Raw Treats. There are always vegan options and very often gluten free options as well! he daily specials usually include vegan options as well. On our latest visit I finally remembered to bring my camera. I told Fred to strap the feedbag on because we were going to try lots of stuff!

First we checked out the appetizers. We started off with the Dolmas ($4.95). I don't often like a lot of dolmas because they are not executed well. These were delicious. They were flavorful and the filling was so creamy and delicious. The plate was garnished with fresh spinach and cherry tomatoes. We were planning on taking them home for a snack later, but they never made it out the door.

Next up we tried the Raw Papaya Noodle Bowl ($8.95). Fred had been wanting to try this for a while. We both adore kale, so we thought we'd give it a try. The kale was that beautiful emerald green and very fresh. It was a gorgeous looking salad. However out of everything we tried this was our least favorite. Part of the reason was just personal preference...neither of us is crazy about peanuts and this salad had peanuts as a garnish and it tasted like some in the dressing. The one thing we found odd was that the dressing was pretty warm. It just didn't work for me.

We moved on to the next adventure. We usually order different dishes and try each others' selections. Today was no exception and man was I glad! They offer two options for their burgers the Betty: served with just a deli dill pickle and the Veronica: served with organic tortilla chips or baby carrots, deli pickle and a choice of pineapple slaw or fresh garden salad. Because we were totally pigging out on so many other items, I got mine Betty style. I ordered the Wild Mushroom Tofu Burger ($6.95 Betty/$9.95 Veronica). I envisioned it coming with mushrooms and onions on top, but they were actually part of the patty. I thought it was very tasty. Like many of their burgers the patty is very delicate, so make sure to have napkins handy. My burger was grnished with a generous portion of fresh veggies. It was pretty as well as tasty. I have to put in a plug for the Veggie Masala burger I had on my last visit. It is a great Indian spiced option.

Fred's selection was the Vegan Egg Sandwich ($8.95). This is their version of an egg salad sandwich. The menu description doesn't tell you but it is speckled with dried cranberries, which I found to be a very nice addition. The sandwich is served on a delicious 9-grain bread it's soft and delicious. The sandwich came with a generous portion of avocado and tasty tomatoes. Fred opted for the combo with tortilla chops and a pickle. This is a generous portion for even the hungriest diner.

By now we were pretty darn stuffed. Fred had even tried to call for belly back up with no success. But because this is the month of the chile I had to order something with chiles in it. As luck would have it, the special of the day was Vegan Jambalaya. This was also a very generous portion and was served with a small house salad with house vinegarette. I asked what peppers were in it and she said they used chiles and serranos. She did not put a lot in because she was concerned most guests wouldn't like something too spicy. For us it was pretty mild (I could have used more pepper, maybe a splash of hot sauce), but pretty tasty! We were truly stuffed so we only had a few bites. But we both agreed it was pretty tasty. They were kind enough to bring us a box to take it home.

We always enjoy visting 24 Carrots. We usually run into some very nice diners when we are there. The staff is super friendly and the food is consistently fresh and tasty. One word of warning, this is not a run in and run out dining experience. Be prepared to take your time. Bring your laptop for some free WiFi if you are dining alone to kill a little time. The food is made to order in a very small kitchen and takes quite a while to appear at your table. We witnessed one customer come in for take out and leave before her food was ready. As long as you go in to the experience knowing and expecting this, you will be thrilled with this wonderful healthy little neighborhood gem.

24 Carrots
4140 W Chandler Blvd #2
Chandler, AZ 85226
480-753-4411

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