The Vintage Garden Kitchen

The Vintage Garden Kitchen is one of those places that could easily fly below the radar. I'm not sure where I heard about it, but I've known about the VGK for quite a while now. It has a very robust website, but there was always an air of mystique surrounding this business. I remember calling and leaving messages but never received a returned telephone call. This week I made a diligent effort to find out what this place is all about. Now I'm hooked.

There are a few things about VGK that make it unique. First, it is not a restaurant but a "soup to go" establishment. It offers limited delivery to certain zip codes. The location is a little out of the way, on Labarre south of Airline Highway across the railroad tracks. There is a big sign that says "We Make Soups" which points in to a fenced off parking lot. The soup can be picked up between 8am-4pm Monday through Friday. The pick-up is located in a nondescript building that looks more like an office building than a soup vendor. The staff is very nice and enthusiastic. Not to mention the menu is filled with many different options including meat and vegetarian friendly.

The soup is sold in pint and quart sized mason jars. If you keep the jar and return it you get a punch card. For every 10 returned jars you receive a free pint of soup. I decided on the Moroccan Chickpea Stew, the Fiery Shitake Mushroom and Barley, and the Rustic Vegetable and Bean. It didn't take long to finish off a jar of soup, and the remaining soup will likely be eaten within a few days. The VGK grows most of its ingredients on its organic farm. What it doesn't grow it obtains from local producers.Another great aspect of the VGK is it that it is partnered or working closely with Arc of Greater New Orleans which is a 501(C)(3) organization. Arc is dedicated to the empowerment of adults and children with intellectual disabilities and supplies labor to the VGK for farming and producing the soups.

In my opinion the VGK gets a high score for several reasons. First, the soups are absolutely delicious, seasoned to perfection, and prepared with fresh, hearty vegetables. Another plus, the ingredients are mostly organic which makes me feel better about eating it, and which means VGK is dedicated to sustainable practices and outputting the highest quality of foods. Additionally, its cooperation with Arc of Greater New Orleans is a great way of empowering those with intellectual disabilities. Therefore, the VGK is not only producing great soups but it is doing it through positive social impact and change. A little out of the way, but well worth it.

Wandering Buddha: Is NOLA becoming more veg-friendly?

It seems as if there has been a sudden growth of vegetarian-friendly restaurants in New Orleans. For years we used to complain that there was no "healthy" options (besides getting a salad at Cafe Raine for $40) for dining out. There is no doubt New Orleans has an eclectic dining scene that produces delicious, original, and thoughtful, plates of food. But until recently there did not seem to be much by way of vegetarian options. I'm not a vegetarian or a vegan, but me and my wife both prefer to eat mostly a plant based diet. So now the prospect of veggie dining in New Orleans that isn't just mushrooms sauteed in butter, or steamed broccoli, or cheese pizza, makes me quite excited.

Last night we had the joyful opportunity to try the Wandering Buddha. It is operating out of the back of the Hi-Ho Lounge with the efforts of only two people. The menu does not suffer from "too many" options, as so many restaurants are oft to do. The server is one of the geniuses behind this operation (his girlfriend is in the back cooking) and he does an excellent job of explaining the dishes. For appetizers we had seaweed & rice rolls and the scallion pancake. The former was like sushi rolls but without the sushi. The latter was a savory pancake cooked until the onions caramelized and the cake is a golden brown. Both were delicious.

For entrees we had stir fried glass noodles and braised tofu. The stir fried glass noodles was similar in taste to a vegetarian pad thai. The noodles are actually made of sweet potatoes, but you would never know unless told. The braised tofu was prepared more thoughtfully than any tofu I have ever tasted. It was accompanied with seasoned spinach, spicy cucmbers, and kimchi. Overall the food was exceptional. If you're in to trying different ethnic foods and you enjoy vegetarian this is the place for you.

The real gem about this place is that you are eating vegan and you're not sacrificing the flavor or satisfaction. This is a place you could bring your parents and they probably wouldn't realize it was vegan unless you told them. Of course, assuming they enjoy Korean food which is spicy and consists of many pickled dishes. The Wandering Buddha gets a good review because the food was spectacular. The negative to this place is the location, it is in a bar and there was smoking. I imagine that soon this place will outgrow itself and find another location. Finally, they accept cash only, and do not accept the restaurant.com coupon that everyone has been talking about.