Review: Dimes NYC

Do you ever get stuck in a restaurant rut? By that I mean you go to the same place every weekend, order the same thing, with (usually) the same people?  I know I do.  Sometimes it's good to have your "old faithful," but part of the fun of living in a big city like NYC (for me at least) is exploring the food scene.  Recently I came to the realization that the key to trying new places is to plan ahead!  There's a much better chance I'm willing to venture to a new neighborhood and try a new spot if I've already made a reservation or promised to meet friends there.

So, in an effort to try new places, the BF and I made plans with another couple to get dinner this past Friday night in Manhattan.  There was a little last minute back and forth as to where we should go, but in the end we decided on Dimes NYC.  I'm so glad that our friend suggested this place because I had heard about it and wanted to check it out, but for some reason it fell off my radar.

Dimes is typical NYC eatery- small and narrow.  It definitely felt small, but cosy, not claustrophobic or crowded.  We ordered wine, which I didn't really care for, and an appetizer - roasted fingerling potatoes with plums and crispy sage.  What really elevated this dish were the plums - I would never think to pair these things together, but it was quite special and I hope to recreate this dish at home.

For dinner, we all ordered different dishes, which was great because we got to try a few things.  I got the Big Salad which was exactly what the name promised, big and hearty and everything I love in a salad.  My only compliant was that the grapes in the salad had seeds!  I ended up not eating too many because it was a pain, and not very polite, to spit out the seeds.

The other dishes we ordered were the Black Rice Bowl, Harissa Salmon, and Lamb Meatballs.  Obviously, I did not try the salmon or the meatballs, but both were beautifully presented and everyone else enjoyed them.  I did try the black rice bowl and it was delicious - hearty, like my salad, but not heavy.

And although we were all very full, dessert happened.  And it was absolutely divine.  I am normally not a fruit + chocolate person (unless its chocolate covered bananas), but the chocolate sorbet with berry compote was out of this world.  The sorbet was very rich and creamy, but not overly sweet and beautifully complemented by the tartness of the berries.  Yum.  We left very full and very satisfied.

A few practical items to note about Dimes NYC: As I mentioned, it is a small place, so not so good for large groups.  They are happy to accommodate dietary restrictions/preferences - there are plenty of things on the menu for vegans and omnivores alike, but I always think it's nice to know the kitchen is open to adapting dishes for their customers.  As far as price, Dimes is definitely not cheap, but I think that for the quality of food and the atmosphere, it is a fair deal.  I can't wait to visit again - maybe next time for breakfast, I've heard the acai bowls are killer.

Until next time!

Urban Backpacker Travels - REYKJAVIK

Our epic Euro-adventure ended with a quick stopover in Reykjavik, Iceland.  A really amazing place to visit if you ever have the opportunity - I know I found myself wishing we had extended our stopover longer than just the 2 days we planned for.

We landed in Iceland on Saturday afternoon and immediately hopped in a cab to the Blue Lagoon, one of Iceland's most popular geothermal hot springs.  The first thing we noticed when we arrived was the eggy smell - the whole country is filled with geothermal hot springs, so there is a lot of sulfur in the air.  Then we took in the beauty of this place - steaming aqua-blue water set against dark volcanic rock - a really unique and amazing sight.

Ladies relaxing at the Blue Lagoon

After we were sufficiently pruned and relaxed, we showered and took the bus to Reykjavik, the country's capital.  We found our AirBnB (thanks to a helpful cab driver), which was incredibly cute and very Scandanvian, and then headed out to explore the town.  We grabbed some sushi and then checked out a bar with local beers.  Supposedly the weekend nightlife in Reykjavik is poppin, but we were pretty beat so called it a night early.

Checking out some local brews at Kaldi bar

Sunday I woke up super early (what's new?) so went for a run to see the city by daylight.  I'd read that Sundays were quite in Iceland, which turned out to be very true - I didn't see anyone up at all, except for a few young folks who looked like they were still out from the night before.  Post run I grabbed some goodies from a bakery that our AirBnB host had recommended - a traditional Icelandic donut to share with the girls and some seedy rye bread.

street art

city sights

big church

Once the ladies were up we set out on foot to explore a little and maybe find some coffee.  We stumbled upon a vegetarian cafe that was run by an ex-NYCer (hence by I <3 NYC mug in the picture below), which we ended up going back to later in the day for a delicious lunch of hearty chili, grilled paninis, and chocolate chip cookies the size of my head.  If you ever find yourself in Reykjavik, check out Cafe Babalu, if not for the yummy food than at least for the crazy Star Wars bathroom.

I love NY... in Iceland!

Cafe Babalu

Selfie in the Star Wars bathroom

Since a lot of shops were closed on Sunday, we decided to take a tour of the Golden Circle - Iceland's most popular loop of attractions: National Park, Waterfall, and geysers!  I'm glad we did this because not only did we get to see some of the country, but during our bus ride our tour guide provided us with a lot of history and interesting information about the country.  Our tour guide was actually an author and had written a book about traditional Icelandic foods, so she shared a lot of that information which was very interesting to me.  Since Iceland is such an isolated country, their traditional cuisine is foods which they could produce themselves - fish, seafood, meats, berries, vegetables, and dairy.

Geyser - there she blows!

National Park

Amazing waterfall

We got back to Reykjavik and I convinced the girls to check out a healthy spot I had read about - Glo.  Glo is not strictly vegetarian - there is one chicken dish on the menu, everything else is vegan except the desserts - which made it perfect for us.  This was hands down the best food I had all trip.  I got the large vegetable plate which came with 5 choices of sides (you could also choose to get an entree and sides, but all the sides looked so good I wanted to try as many as I could).  I got salad, roasted potatoes, creamy carrot slaw, orange fennel salad, and a shaved beet and carrot dish.  Plus, they had this ridiculously good mustard dressing which I poured over everything, and homemade hummus which was also amazing.  It was so refreshing to have such an abundant, healthy meal after a trip filled with one (or five) too many baguettes and way too much wine.  I got a second plate of food to go to bring with me on the plane the next day.

Really really ridiculously good eats at Glo

After dinner we hopped around a few bars.  Even though it was Sunday night, there were still quite a few places open and happening.  I tried an Icelandic liquor - Birkir - which is flavored with birch.  Very different, but I liked it!  Sadly, we headed home before too late since we had early flights to catch in the morning.

Flying home we passed over Greenland, which was a truly incredible site - snow covered mountains, glaciers, and no civilization in sight.  Iceland was an amazing end to an amazing trip, and, while I never dreamed of visiting these places before, this trip got me itching to check out more of Scandinavia and beyond.

Urban Backpacker Travels: San Antonio

Howdy!  I had my very first Texas trip this past week - San Antonio.  I wasn't sure what to expect, and to be honest I was kind of burnt out from traveling, but I ended up having a great experience.  Here are some of my highlights:

Eat:

One Lucky Duck San Antonio - One Lucky Duck is one of my favorite NYC spots, so I was happily surprised to see they had an outpost in San Antonio.  Why San Antonio?  One Lucky Duck's owner's brother lives in SA and thought the city could use a raw, vegan joint.  I think he was right - I chatted with the employees and they said that the place was doing well, especially considering it is the only raw, vegan restaurant in town.  The food offerings are more limited than the NYC location, and everything is pre-made (i.e. no customized or made to order salads), however everything was still tasty!  I tried the Spicy Thai Lettuce Wraps, the Caesar Salad, and the (new!) raw brownie.  The lettuce wraps were my favorite - sweet mango and crunchy raw veggies paired with a spicy dipping sauce.  The Caesar was good, but not as hearty of a salad as those I have had previously at the One Lucky Duck in NYC.  The brownie was different from your typical "raw" dessert - it was dehydrated so instead of tasting like a Larabar, it had a crunchy exterior and tasted baked.  I'm definitely a fan!

Caesar Salad

Spicy Thai Lettuce Wraps

Water + Raw Brownie = Better travel snacks

Juice Central - I stumbled upon this spot during my morning run on Tuesday, and boy am I glad I did.  Delicious, fresh juices for a reasonable price?  I'm all in.  I tried a few of the juices: Energize (jicama, pineapple, and pear), Sweet Green (kale, cucumber, apple, pear, lemon), Metabolism Booster (chard, spinach, cucumber, mint, pineapple, lime), and the Spicy Green (kale, spinach, apple, orange, lemon, jalapeno).  The Spicy Green was definitely my favorite!  Sweet and tart from the green apple with a slight hit of spice from the jalapeno, this was a perfect morning wake up for my body!  My team also had lunch here one day, which was a super great deal - $10 for a juice or smoothie and a salad. I definitely recommend this spot for anyone looking for a super delicious and affordable juice.

Demolished green juice post-run

Senior Veggie - A new vegan restaurant in Southtown, Senior Veggie was a hit with my whole team (vegetarians and meat-eaters alike!).  Hearty portions of yummy vegan food left us all satisfied, but not sleepy, as is often the case when eating out for lunch. I had the Southwestern Cobb Salad plus a side of their jackfruit carnitas - ridiculously good.

Suzanne and her beautiful salad

My epic salad

Rosarios - We went to this San Antonio favorite for dinner one evening.  While not particularly vegan-friendly, our waiter was incredibly accommodating and worked with the kitchen to get me a margarita sans simple syrup (so good), cucumber slices for our guacamole and salsa, and veggie fajitas. Unfortunately, I found out after consuming a good portion of the guacamole that it contained dairy.  Eeek.  While this was disappointing, overall the meal was good and the service above average.

Margarita - sans simple syrup!

Cucumber "chips" and guacamole

Do:

The Alamo  - A must-see if you are in San Antonio due to its history.  I was a little underwhelmed (I guess I expected it to be bigger), but it was nice to walk through.  Plus side is that it is free and open until 7PM.

Exploring the Alamo

Riverwalk- We stayed right on San Antonio's Riverwalk, essentially a boardwalk filled with shops and restaurants along the river. A great place to walk through, or to have drinks and dinner.

Southtown Yoga Loft - I had a lovely experience at Cassandra's Strong Flow class at Southtown Yoga Loft.  My only regret is that I didn't make it here until my last night in SA!  A beautiful space, a powerful and fun practice, and a friendly group of individuals - if I'm ever back in SA, you bet I'll be here again!  Bonus:  they sell cute yoga clothes and tasty juices from Crave.

Southtown Yoga Loft

Post-yoga juice from CRAVE

Stay:

As usual, this trip was for work so I did not get to pick the hotel but I'll put in my two cents anyways.  The Marriot Rivercenter is located minutes from the Alamo and, as I mentioned previously, right on the San Antonio Riverwalk.  My room was clean and comfortable.  The gym was average sized- a special touch I liked was the eucalyptus scented towels. There was both an indoor and outdoor pool, a great way to beat the Texas heat.  As had been my experience with most Marriot properties, the staff was incredibly helpful and nice (one employee working in the concierge lounge even offered to take me as his guest to his gym for a yoga class when he saw me carrying around my mat).  

For such a short trip, I felt like I did get to experience quite a bit of the city.  While I'm not sure when I will be in San Antonio again, I'm excited to explore Texas more (Dallas this time) in a few weeks.  Next stop - Kittery Point, Maine for a week of relaxation with the fam.

Hasta luego!

JOYA Restaurant Review

Ever since our epic backpacking adventure to Thailand last year, Ariel and I are always on the look out for great Thai food.  Shortly after moving to Brooklyn, we found a local spot which quickly became our go-to.  However, this past weekend we decided to venture a little further and check out JOYA in Cobble Hill, and boy am I glad we did.  Delicious, cheap, and full of veggie options, JOYA is definitely our new favorite Thai spot.  We've already been back and I expect there will be many a takeout order in the near future.

To start, we've ordered the Papaya Salad and Summer Rolls (with tofu instead of shrimp).  Both were good, but nothing too spectacular.

Mountain of papaya salad

For main dishes, our hands down favorite has been the Spicy Noodles (vegetarian version).  Wide noodles loaded pan-fried with vegetables, this dish perfectly balances both spicy and sweet, something I personally love about good Thai food. Just thinking about it makes me hungry...

Spicy Noodle mess

We have also tried both the green and red curries.  Both were good, but the red curry definitely had better flavor.  I appreciated that both curry dishes had tons of different veggies that were perfectly cooked - not raw, but also not overdone.  Also, JOYA does offer brown rice... you just have to ask for it!

Blurry green curry

We haven't tried the Mango Sticky rice, but that will change soon. =)

As far as the atmosphere, JOYA is a happening spot.  It's been crowded each time we have gone, the bar filled with folks enjoying a cocktail while waiting for a table.  I will note that the inside is pretty loud - the crowd plus the music may be overpowering for some.  For those who prefer a quieter vibe, try to get a seat out back.  While it may be a little harder to see your food (if its dark, as it was both times I visited as you can see from my pictures above), it will be much easier to enjoy conversation with your dining mates.

I will note:  JOYA, like many NYC establishments, is CASH ONLY.  Sigh.  While it won't keep me from coming back, it is a little disappointing that so many places in NYC still don't accept plastic.

Do you like Thai food?  If so, do you stick with one tried-and-true restaurant or are you always checking out new places?

Urban Backpacker Travels: Orlando

I spent two weeks in Orlando over the past month so this post will summarize the highlights of both trips.  Keep in mind that both trips were for work, which didn't leave time for too much exploring, but I there are a few things I have to share!

Lodging:  Both weeks I stayed at the Hilton Lake Buena Vista, which is just a short walk from Downtown Disney.  While the hotel itself is not the nicest or fanciest, the staff were amazing.  Since this was a work trip, all of our breakfasts and lunches were served buffet style, which is always difficult to navigate as someone with specific dietary needs.  The servers both weeks were especially attentive and worked with the chef to have special meals ready for me.  There was a bit of a mishap the second week - a mango went missing from my room (still unclear what happened).  Word of this traveled to the hotel management and the next time I returned to my room there were 8 beautiful mangoes waiting for me.  Needless to say I was a happy camper.

Eats: Like I mentioned, most meals were provided so I don't have much to report on the food front.  I did spend 2 weeks in Orlando last year, so instead I will share some of the spots I found then.

- Sweet Tomatoes - Huge salad bar + baked sweet potatoes + fresh bread + dessert.  Really what more could you ask for?  Great choice if you want something quick and fresh that will please everyone.

Salad bar forever

Sweet Tomatoes - Pretty much my dream dinner.

 - Babycakes Bakery - Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and refined sugar free baked goods.  Seriously so good.  I was really disappointed to hear that they closed their storefront in Downtown Disney this summer (although their products can be found at some Disney locations).  Good thing they are based in NYC which means I can still get my fill of their uber yummy baked goods.

- Ethos Vegan Kitchen - Located in Winter Park, this is a vegan restaurant that all can enjoy.  I went for brunch and got the tofu scramble, which was really tasty.  I would love to go back to try their regular fare.

Parks: We only went to the parks one evening very briefly, so I can't provide much insight as to eating vegan while visiting Disney.  That being said, I have read that Disney is much better than Universal in catering to food allergies and specific dietary needs.  From my limited experience, this held true - the folks at Harry Potter World (Universal) wouldn't serve me butterbeer without the dairy topping even when I said I had an allergy.  Sad, but I still enjoyed the rides and a normal beer!

Special guest at Harry Potter World

Look out for the Muggles!

Butterbeer on draft + scary boar head

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My key to staying vegan while traveling?  Be prepared, but also be flexible.  Pack snacks - I always travel with trail mix and fresh fruit.  Do your research and find a grocery store, natural foods store, or some local veg-friendly options, but don't get all upset if plans take you elsewhere.  While it's nice to try local fare, sometimes it more important to see the sights, or spend time with family or friends (who may not be too keen on trying the tiny raw foods joint 15 miles away).

See this post for more tips on keeping up your healthy lifestyle while on the go.

I hope you all are enjoying these travel recaps.  I'm back in NYC for a few weeks, so I will get back to posting recipes and adventures from the Big Apple!

The Butcher's Daughter - Review

This past weekend, Ariel and I had our first date (okay, first dinner together) in a long time (I have been traveling, he has been working crazy hours).  We decided to check out The Butcher's Daughter for dinner in Nolita.

The Butcher's Daughter is a cute little eatery on the corner of Kenmare and Elizabeth.  There are tables outside, as well as a family-style table and counter seats inside.  It was raining out, so we opted to sit at the big table inside.

Funny face + mint water

The menu is mostly vegan, with just a few dishes that include eggs.  We decided to start with the charcuterie plate  which included the following served with crostini: mushroom walnut pate, white bean and fennel sausage, and cashew ricotta with fig mostarda.  Ariel loved the pate, while my favorite was the sausage which reminded me so much of pepperoni.

Appetizer - "charcuterie" plate

For our entrees, I got watermelon ricotta salad - more of the cashew ricotta and juicy watermelon served over a bed of baby spinach.  It was decent sized and very tasty.  Ariel got the Pulled Pork BBQ sandwich - shredded, BBQ sauce soaked portobello mushrooms served on a brioche bun with potato wedges and cole slaw.  While mushrooms stand in for meat on so many dishes, I had never seen shredded mushrooms as "pulled" meat, and I thought this was super creative.  I definitely plan on trying to recreate this at home.  

We didn't get dessert because all they had left were muffins.  I suppose will just have to go back again when they are well stocked with vegan ice cream and chocolate mousse.

Watermelon + ricotta salad

Portobello "Pulled Pork BBQ"

My only complaint with the meal was that  the potato wedges were really greasy.  I was really craving potatoes and was super dissapointed how they came out (good thing we didn't really like them because there were only like 4 in total!).  I will also say that, like many organic/sustainable/vegan places, the meal was not cheap.  It was not crazy expensive, and I'm willing to pay for the quality of food, but just wanted to throw that out there.  Overall, I really enjoyed the creativity of the menu as well as the atmosphere so I'm sure I will be back for lunch or dinner again.

Smorgasburg at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Spring is here and that means that the Sunday Smorgasburg has moved outside  to Brooklyn Bridge Park.  Since this is a 10 minute walk from my apartment, I am stoked, to say the least.  I have been every weekend since it opened, with the exception of the two weekends I was out of town, and I expect this will continue throughout the summer and fall.  Local food + insane people watching + sunshine = can't get much better.  Okay maybe if we added yoga and green juice in there... Hmmm... Seems like a business opportunity...

Anyways, here's my current top picks from the 'Burg:

- ISH Premium Horseradish - Super fresh horseradish paired with sweet and tangy ingredients like beets, citrus, ginger, and garlic.  Most people forget about horseradish as a condiment, but ISH is bound to change this.  I'm personally addicted to the beet flavor, but they are all delicious.  No idea what to do with premium horseradish? The folks at ISH got that covered: with each purchase they include a recipe guide with tons of suggestions for each flavor.

- Chickpea and Olive - Vegan sliders and sandwiches made from wholesome ingredients and a super cute logo, not much not to love about Chickpea and Olive.  I tried their Phatty Beet Slider last year when I visited NYC and fell in love so it's no wonder it's one of my top picks. And the eggplant "bacon" oh my goodness. 

- Alchemy Creamery - Vegan ice cream, holler!  Not only ice cream, but push pops and ice cream sandwiches, in crazy awesome flavors like salted peanut butter and chocolate blackberry.  And free toppings.  Bring on summer!

- Bunna Cafe - Yummy vegan Ethiopian food.  They recently opened a full restaurant in Bushwick which I'm dying to visit. 

- Barry's Tempeh - The best tempeh I've ever had. For realz.  I don't know what it is, but this stuff is so superior to any other tempeh I've tried.  I bought some at the most recent Vegan Shop Up, and I'm excited to see if I can make it taste as magical as Barry does.

I'll update this list as the summer goes on and I find more favorite vendors (which I'm sure I will).  For anyone who lives in New York, have you ever been to Smorgasburg? If so, who are your favorite vendors and products?

Urban Backpacker Travels: Viva Las Vegas

Las Vegas:  This was my second time going to Vegas.  The first time I tagged along with some co-workers (we were all en route to a training in Pheonix).  I never had any desire to go to Vegas, but I figured this was as good as time as any to see what the hype was all about. I expected to hate it, but I loved it!  I don't gamble, but I do dance, and dancing is something you can always do for hours in Vegas.  The ladies who I went with the first time around decided another trip was in order, and this time I eagerly joined in.

We arrived late Thursday night and immediately got dressed to go out.  The night was full of dancing, followed by late night (early morning?) pizza (everyone else) and a grilled veggie wrap (me).  Friday we all woke up fairly early, despite the late night (funny how you always seem awake in Vegas) and composed ourselves enough for brunch at Bouchon Bistro, Thomas Keller's French restaurant in the Venetian.  I didn't have high expectations for the meal: First, it was brunch which is typically hard to navigate as a vegan.  Second, it's French, again hard to navigate because of the butter and heavy cream that (generally) seem to make their way into all French dishes. So I was pleasantly surprised that there were a number to vegetable side dishes which, on my request, could be made without butter, cream, or any other animal products. I got some delightful potatoes and garlic spinach.  Along with strong coffee with soymilk, this was quite the perfect breakfast.  

Most of Friday was spent by the pool.  We had a late lunch at Riva (Wolfgang Puck's restaurant located next to the Venetian pool).  We ordered "deconstructed" nachos for the table and I got a pretty good kale salad.  I also managed to sneak off for a run.  Yes, I went for a run in Vegas.  Running is my absolute favorite way to see a place and get my bearings, and there was so much to see along the strip, I was entertained and run for quite some time before feeling the lack of sleep and heat and time change.  I nabbed a post-run juice at Walgreens - pretty amazing that some Walgreens now have juice and smoothie bars - and then proceeded to nap until it was time to go out.  While we were getting ready, I shared some of the homemade energy balls that I had brought with me, and they were a huge hit! Recipe to come soon...Friday night was more dancing and some live music by Avicii!  I couldn't make it to the end of the concert (pretty sure it lasted until 5 or 6AM), so a few of us headed back a bit early for another late night snack and then much needed sleep.  

Saturday was another pool day, but this time we had plans to go to the pool party at TAO.  I knew I had some studying to do, so I just went to the party for a little while to see what it was like and to get some food.  The pool party wasn't too crazy when we got there, but by the time I left things were picking up. That night we had even bigger plans - fancy dinner at Jose Andres's Julian Serrano and then the Thunder from Down Under show.  Dinner was great - it was small plates and they had a separate vegetarian and vegan menu with tons of options that everyone could enjoy.  TFDU was an intresting experience. When in Vegas... 

And then it was Sunday and time to leave.  Next stop, Orlando!  We'll save that for another post...

Urban Backpacker Travels: Miami

Okay so I've been pretty bad at keeping up the blog lately.  I'm not making excuses but like I mentioned in my previous post (over a month ago!), work was crazy busy and monopolizing my life.  This continued through April and into May, but things really should slow down now so I hope to get back to posting more frequently, especially since the weather is beautiful now and I have lots of fun adventures planned over the upcoming months.

Let's rewind a bit: three weeks ago I was lucky enough to go to Miami for work.  While most of the week was spent in the classroom, I did get to explore a bit and would love to share some of my adventures.

First, let's talk lodging.  I was traveling with a group for a work training, so I did not get to pick the hotel, but I was very pleased with my firm's choice: Kimpton's Epic Miami.  This was probably the nicest hotel I had ever stayed in while traveling for work (not saying we don't stay in nice places, but this hotel was really nice!).  Highlights: a different fruit infused water in the lobby every day (hello hydration!), yoga mats in every room, an Exhale mind body spa located in the hotel, and bath products that were both organic and cruelty free.  Needless to say, I felt like I was on vacation!  My room had a balcony, so most evenings I did some yoga in the sunshine looking out over the water.  One night I decided to check out a yoga class at Exhale, and I was not disappointed.  The class, taught by Eben, was physically challenging but also super calming.  Since I was with work, meals were provided during the day, and I usually had plenty to choose from - lots of fresh fruit for breakfast, and always some sort of salad for lunch. I was surprised to see dragon fruit on the buffet a few mornings- I definitely scooped that right up! Thank you antioxidants!

As I mentioned, most meals were provided through work, but I did find a few veg-friendly spots for when I was on my own for eats:

- 10 Fruits - This juice and smoothie spot was just 1/2 mile from my hotel, so I stopped here a few mornings after my run.  I tried the Back to Work and Stay Green juices, which were good but not great (I'm spoiled by Organic Avenue's seriously good juices here in NYC. And my own concoctions, obviously).  I did however love their Brazil nut milk. I love to make my own, and this tasted similar - simple and pure with only a bit of vanilla and cinnamon for natural sweetness.  I didn't get a chance to try the Acai bowls at 10 Fruits, but if I'm ever back in Miami I would love to!

- Choices Vegan Cafe - Choices (Downtown) is a super cute spot with just what the name implies- lots of vegan choices!  I clearly found something for me since I came here twice during my short time in Miami!  The first time I tried the Deluxe Pesto Wrap on a bed of quinoa and one of their Cookie Dough balls. While the dish did not look like much, it was delicious and exactly the wholesome meal I needed.  The second time around, I got The Refresher juice with apple and The Everything Salad (minus the Daiya cheese).  The juice was phenomenal, not too sweet and really refreshing.  The salad was also amazing, and HUGE. The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the veggie chorizo, but then again I'm never really a fan of fake meat products.  If I am ever in Miami again, I will definitely hit up Choices - I would love to try their breakfast (offered every day!) and one of their smoothies. 

Overall, Miami was a great little getaway even though I was technically working.  I got to meet some awesome people that I will be spending quite a bit of time with this summer, and got to check out a few of the local veg spots.

Next post I'll recap my more recent trip to Vegas and the Wonderful World of Disney (aka Orlando).  Until then, hope everyone is getting outside on this beautiful spring day!