Editorial
Front Page - Friday, December 18, 2009
Weekly Indulgence
Stephanie Coward
I love dairy, cheese especially. I rarely eat a meal without some type of cheese on it. But I also love trying new things, which is why I journeyed out of my comfort zone and enjoyed a vegan lunch at Country Life Vegetarian Restaurant last week.
I must admit before going any further, when I made the trip to Country Life, I thought it was a vegetarian restaurant with some vegan menu choices as well. I rarely eat meat and since it is Chattanooga’s only non-meat restaurant, I knew it had something wonderful to offer. I was not disappointed.
From the moment I walked into Country Life Vegetarian Restaurant, at 809 Market St., I felt welcomed. Perhaps being greeted by fellow New York transplant, Annie Walsh, who has worked at the restaurant since last August, helped increase my comfort level.
Walsh greeted me as soon as I walked in the door and took the time to tell me about the restaurant, its history and she even walked through the buffet line with me, explaining each option in detail. As this was my first vegan dining experience, I was grateful.
It didn’t take long to fill up my plate and bowl as I piled on several entrees. After weighing my food and adding my cherry cola spritzer to the total, the sweet young lady at the register happily informed me that since it was my first visit, I would receive a 10 percent discount. Country Life weighs your food and diners pay just $4.99 a pound, a pleasant rarity in today’s economy.
When I returned to my table, Annie stopped by to check on me and explain my chosen items in more detail. I had an Asian noodle-like dish. It consisted of noodles similar to pansit and was loaded with broccoli, carrots, some onions, and tofu cooked up together on a grill. It tasted exactly like dishes I have had before at various Asian restaurants; only there was no meat … I didn’t miss it one bit.
Country Life is known for it barbecue tofu. I am not normally a fan of barbecue, but after receiving reassurances from a lady ahead of me in line – who eats at Country Life at least five times a week – I thought “why not?” I carefully chose one half of one piece, still cautious. And let me tell you, after one bite I was extremely upset with myself for not putting more faith in my fellow diner. With hints of marinara and a slight tang, this dish left my mouth watering as I greedily craved more. Alas, I had to move as I still had several other items to enjoy.
Next up was brown rice with tofu and veggies — again this rivaled any chicken fried rice I have ever tasted. The tofu was diced up, resembling the egg commonly included in fried rice, but the taste was fresher. Without the meat and other unnecessary ingredients, I was able to truly relish the fresh, seasoned tastes.
When Annie first explained soy curls to me, I piled some on my plate. Soy curls come dried, seasoned and reconstituted. They’re extremely simple to cook – add water and bake. While they resemble dried pieces of meat, they taste so much better. And Annie assured me that the protein I was receiving from them was outstanding, but I would eat them again, healthy or not.
Last but far from least was the cucumber and tomato salad with olive oil, lemon and dill. Growing up, my grandfather always made a similar salad with the same vegetables and just olive oil and vinegar. This salad was closest to my comfort zone and I was excited to bite into the crisp vegetables. It was a treat! The hint of dill added something wonderful to the salad and I will definitely be tweaking Grandpa’s recipe to include dill.
Just as I was (sadly) finishing up lunch, I had the opportunity to speak with Santos Ortiz. He recently flew in from Puerto Rico to assess Country Life. “The whole purpose of the restaurant is to bring out the health message to people,” Ortiz said. He has numerous plans to make Country Life an even better dining experience.
Ortiz has run restaurants and even owned his own and is bringing all those skills to his new position. He is a self-proclaimed “Italian freak,” and plans to bring in more pizza options, strombolis and calzones for starters.
Country Life is a part of Wildwood Lifestyle Center and Hospital. All the workers at the restaurant live at the center, which boasts a store where the ingredients to make all the dishes I enjoyed can be purchased. The center also offers vegan cooking classes and in the future we may even be able to enjoy cooking classes right at the Country Life restaurant.
I look forward to shopping at the store in the near future, but not before I journey back down to Country Life to enjoy Annie’s vegan Italian Sundays. Every Sunday Annie creates a new dish for her diners, from manicotti to stuffed shells to spaghetti. The Italian in me cannot wait to try some of my favorite dishes minus the animal products. And the cashew pimento cheese used instead of ricotta already has my mouth watering.
Country Life is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It’s closed Saturdays for the Adventist Sabbath.
Contact Stephanie at stephanie@hamiltoncounty
herald.com.
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