have had an aversion to potbellys ann arbor for no particular reason except that they're on the verge of chain-dom. but i finally gave in and went there tonight for a sandwich and, golly, that stuff is good! i got the pizza sandwich (sans pepperoni). mmm!

and so many other exciting things i have eaten in the past who knows. went with lrg to Prickly Pear for her birthday earlier this week! gotta love fusion south american/southwest yuppie food. the waiter gasped and warned us not to when we told him everything we wanted and we DID have enough food for three additional meals, but it was good good good: plantain cakes (perhaps of the wrong genre?), jicama salad, sweet potato enchiladas, and more. awesome!

one of those potluck things last night. i am firmly of the opinion that potlucks always work themselves out and, therefore, one should do the most minimal planning re:who brings what. fifteen or so people prodoced the following:

entrees

• savory portabello cheesecake (my contribution, using the portabello mushroom relish from american spoon--it was heavenly)
  
• endive, blue cheese and dried cherry salad (lrg's tasty creation)
  
• veggies with annie's goddess dressing
  
• vegan lasagna
  
• potato, squash, tomato and feta cheese stuff (lrg's other tasty creation)
  
• wheat-free bread with tapenade and goat cheese
  
• mixed green salad
  
• spanish tortilla, which my roommate makes all the time but never ceases to wow me--i could eat the stuff every day, easy.
  
• guacamole bean dip with chips
  

dessert

• marzipan
  
• apple tart
  
• apple crisp
  
• apple pie
  
• pumpkin pie
  
• pecan pie
  
• angel food cake with superchunky apple sauce and fresh whip cream
  
• little candies
  
• wheat-free cupcakes
  

beverages

• 10 bottles wine, mostly red
  
• 1 40oz. malt liquor
  
• 1 bottle non-alcoholic heifeweizen
  
• water
  
• coffee
  

see? perfection!

after ten minutes of sampling the various jellies, jams, chutnies and marinades at american spoon, lrg and i went to seva for breakfast. she got a yummy omelette. i got the tofu scramble with soy sausage, potatoes and toast. she observed that the whole thing would've been better with some veggies mixed in. the "breakfast feast," as it is proudly declared on the menu, is tasty and all but so very dry. it just needs a little oomph and some broccoli and mushrooms would have oomphed it in just the right way. i felt, oddly, like i was eating a pile of dust, even though the tofu was moist enough. they mix it with tumeric and chop it so it actually looks like scrambled eggs. cute. i guess.

they do, though, have some of the best coffee in town, in my opinion. and the breakfast potatoes are divine!

now to the grocery store to buy ingredients for the savory portabello cheesecake i'm making for tonight's potluck! yay! potluck!

best lunch ever

leftover homemade beet borscht with a dollop of plain yogurt and fresh dill, lettuce-less salad (tomato, olives, cucumber, chickpeas, annie's goddess dressing), pumpernickel bread from zingermans. and beautifully colorful, too. so i took a picture. and hung it on my wall.

and eating in new york was fabulous, mostly. a big bowl of noodles at republic, tasty january 1st vegan breakfast at organic cafe with service that was so horrendous it was charming, late night pizza in the east village after a mediocre "fusion" meal at a trendy restaurant, tiramisu souffle and creme brulee in park slope at 5pm and best of absolutely all without a question:

lard bread!
oh, precious lard bread! mazzoula's special italian bread with provolone, chopped pepperoni and pepper mixed in, coated (we think) with lard to produce a crispy croissant-like crust. and this available just feet from our borrowed cobble hill apartment. we have one loaf left, sitting in my freezer. if you are ever in new york city--no, if you are ever on the east coast and you eat the meat, get yourself to union street in cobble hill, brooklyn for lard bread and i promise with all my heart you won't be disappointed. nothing is more heavenly than lard bread.