I started my meal with a tasty cup of sour cherry soup, a sweet and cold yogurt soup. My girlfriend got an Albanian salad consisting of slightly pickled cucumbers with feta cheese. I had wanted to get their paneer gulash, but they were out of paneer due to a run of vegetarian customers, so instead I got a custom dish of fried cauliflower with homemade tartar sauce and rice with peas and caramelized onions. I really enjoyed it; I also got to try some of the spatzel from my girlfriend's plate, tiny chunks of pasta similar to gnocchi that had a nice texture. Desert was another special, a pastry with homemade plum preserves inside a dough ball, served with ice cream on the side.

Service was very nice, with the owner coming to our table and explaining all the dishes. It wasn't too crowed on a Tuesday night, but I hear it fills up more on the weekend. They were very accommodating to me. The price is on the moderate to high range, but you definitely get a different and unique experience.

So, it's probably not a veggie destination right now, but if you like locally-made beer or have some carnivores to entertain, it's certainly better for you than Rudy's, and the outdoor patio will be quite welcome once we heat up in the spring.

Also, a quick note on Spicy Pickle. It's at 26th and Guadalupe, just behind the 7-11, and it's part of a nationwide chain. I was disappointed to not actually find any pickles on the menu, but the Greek and Forest salads that we got tonight were pretty good. You'll probably want to take them home and add your own dressing, but the mushrooms, onions, and other ingredients went together pretty well. They have some veggie paninis and pizzettas too, although I didn't get to try any of them. They also have some potentially vegetarian soups, but again, you'd need to ask to find out if they're free of meat stocks.

Second, a warning. Quite a few "Panda Express" quick service Chinese restaurants have been popping up around town. If you're vegetarian, just stay away. On checking their web site, they explicitly state that nothing they serve is suitable; even the tofu is cooked in chicken broth. On the other hand, there's plenty of good Chinese food around town that is veggie friendly. May I suggest Veggie Heaven down on the drag?

They do link to Veg Out! Austin on their resources page, so here's a little link-love in return.

"Thank you for inquiring about our menu items, our refried beans are cooked with no lard or animal products, our white rice is also not cooked with any chicken broth or any meat products just butter and water and spices. The sauces that do not contain any meat products also would be the Ranchera, the House Salsa, the verde and the Salsa blanca."

Very cool. I'll definitely be stopping by sometime to see how their food stacks up. Have any of you been there?

Here's the announcement text. I'm looking forward to stopping by once I return to the third coast in late August.

DaVine Foods is now open!
at the Enchanted Forest
everyday from 8 to 8 (and some nights late!)

Featuring a full organic vegetarian & vegan menu with raw, local & gluten-free options available
~ Breakfast all day: sprouted spelt waffles & tofu scramble/veggie tacos
~ Lunch & Dinner: meals, wraps, veggie burgers, salads & pizzas
~ Fresh Juices ~ Smoothies ~ Sweet Treats ~

Announcing the DaVine Foods
Grand Opening Celebration
Wednesday 8/15 at 8:15 P.M.

We'll be serving free sprouted grain pizzas and samples of our most popular original recipes including DaVine's veggie and sprouted seed burgers, waffles & vegan raw chocolate pudding

Guest performance by 'The SPELL': Django Porter & Alex Meeks with accompanying musicians and fire-dancers Echo and Heather

Please attend the grand opening if you can and tell your friends and visit anytime during regular business hours (daily from 8AM to 8PM)

Fresh from DaVine!
http://www.davinefoods.com/map.html
1412 W. Oltorf St.
Austin, TX 78704
512-448-3100
After hours parking available at Office Depot and Harrell's hardware store across Oltorf St.

Sadly, chow baby! will be closing its (virtual) doors effective August 14th. This decision came after much soul-searching, business and financial evaluation, and careful consideration. It has been an amazing, fulfilling, challenging, educational, demanding, hilarious, creative, heartbreaking, uplifting, and spectacular year. We have learned so much from one another and from all of you! You have no idea how much we will miss seeing you all at your homes with your kids & pets, or at the Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays-this was absolutely a labor of love on so many levels. We are not sure what the next steps will be for us, but stay tuned for possible future chow baby! collaborations!

Food delivery over a wide geographical area like Austin is tough, and I hope Reyna and Jen's next venture does better for them; a later update gives hope:

Don’t fret, we aren’t gone forever and ever-just in this incarnation. Think of us for your next small meeting or luncheon-we’re your gals!

Reason #1: I'm in New York City for the rest of the summer.
Reason #2: I've been busy working on finishing the software that's going into the Palm Foleo.

However, I did want to provide some updates.

First, the July 16th Bizarro is appropriate humor for any vegetarian or pet lover.

Second, I regret that several veggie places in Austin are out of business. Just before leaving, I heard that the vegan Nu Age Cafe had closed, and Cosmic Cafe, the veggie Indian place that took the spot of veggie West Lynn Cafe, is now a Mexican restaurant run by the owners of Galaxy Diner. I've updated their status here as "Closed".

On the other hand, it looks like there's progress at Mother's Cafe after their fire earlier this year. You can keep track of what's happening on the Mother's Cafe Myspace page. They're currently estimating that October will be when they're able to reopen for business.

I just left the Chow Baby! first anniversary party, and I'm stuffed. Jen and Reyna made a pile of delicious vegetarian party food, ranging from a wasabi, miso, and ginger bite on a rice cracker to watermelon and basil salad. The real hit with me was the tandori tofu squares, savory and perfect for skewering with a toothpick and popping in your mouth. They also had plenty of Steaz beverages, a green tea-based soda available in half-a-dozen flavors. The crowd was friendly, a mix of Chow Baby! customers and friends., and I really liked the kiddie area they'd setup, where they had carrots, radishes, and celery available for both consumption and sculpture.

I got to talk with Jen and Reyna briefly while they were running around, topping off the food and meeting with guests. The first year for Chow Baby! has seen them gain a lot of customers and revise their menu strategy. When I last wrote about them, they had a fixed menu; you'd pick what meals you wanted and they would be delivered on Wednesday and Friday. They've revised their delivery schedule to be Tuesday and Thursday, and they've introduced some set items that are always available, like their yummy veggie sushi and garlic long beans. They still have a few unique dishes every week, but you can pick when you get them. They are still using recyclable and compostable containers, but items are packed individually, rather than the older paperboard split containers. July's menu is still in progress, but they hinted that we'd been seeing poblano enchiladas soon.

I do miss a few of the small things from the old way; I've got a stack of the colorful cards that came with each meal talking about what's in it and how it was made, and they always packed in some little candy to complement the meal. There's also a minimum delivery amount of $15 plus a $2 delivery charge, so you'll need to order several meals. However, the added flexibility of the new menu makes up for that, and if you're near their kitchen, you can pick up food yourself to save some money.

I really like the Chow Baby! concept -- good gourmet vegetarian and vegan food made from fresh ingredients and delivered to your home or work in a sustainable fashion. It's a great alternative to going out to eat for busy people like me. Jen and Reyna also are available to cater events; if I ever have a Veg Out! party, I know who I'll call.