All that to say, I’ve wanted to go to Cafe Momo for quite some time now (and my desire to go doubled when I discovered that they won the Hippo’s award for Best Vegetarian Food in Manchester a few years back!).  I realize that Manchester, NH is one of the least likely places on the planet you’d expect to find authentic Nepalese food.  But, surprise!  Here it is.  I hit up Momo one night a few weeks ago with my (omni) mom and (vegan) sister and we were all super-impressed.

Cafe Momo is tucked way waaaay up on Hanover St by the highway.  There isn’t much to see on the outside (it was too dark when I went — check the Yelp page for pics) but they make up for it with the super-colorful interior:

Interior of Cafe Momo -- sorry for spoiling your evening with my camera flash, you two!

I’ll say right up front that it is DIM inside.  I don’t know if it’s any better at lunchtime with the natural light helping, though the Yelp page seems to suggest it is, since other people seem to have gotten some food pictures that didn’t need to be heavily desaturated, lightened and adjusted for temperature.  (And mine STILL look orangey-purple…) So if you have an intense need to see all the details of your food, this is not your best pick for restaurant.  Or at least not your best pick for dinner.

Mom and I kicked things off with some soups:

Bamboo soup. Menu description: "This soup is loaded with hand cut vegetables, textured soy and marinated bamboo shoots."

This was my mom’s choice so I didn’t have much of it, but what I did have was tasty!  At first (aka before I checked the menu) the TVP scared me off — I thought it was meat.  Fortunately, I verified that all the soup choices are vegan!

Gundruk soup

I was more drawn to the Gundruk, advertised as being a traditional homeopathic soup.  It was spicier than I was expecting (the theme for the night!) but I ate it all up anyway.  The stuff floating around the top is soy nuts — a weird addition to soup, I thought, but it worked.

The Momo Mojito: "A balance of fresh lime juice, mint leaves, and rice wine."

I don’t drink, and my sis is only 19, but Mom said this was good!

Flat herbed bread appetizer

My sis, ever the carb lover, opted for the unassuming “flat herbed bread” appetizer.  At $3 this is the least expensive thing on the menu (besides the undescribed “Pickle,” which they curiously charge $2 for) but I’m pretty sure it was the favorite plate of the night!  We all LOVED this bread!

Since we’d all gotten appetizers and the entrees were more expensive here than those at the restaurants we normally go to, the three of us decided to get two to share.  I’d heard great things about their curry, and the Katmandu Thaili sounded like a must-have (“A crepe made of black lentil flour with cilantro and scallions steamed into it… filled with seasoned sauteed vegetables cooked to perfection! This filling entree is topped with avocado cilantro sauce.”).  So we were all set to order one curry and one order of the Thaili… when we received word from the kitchen that the Thaili was all out!  Which leads me to my one complaint: For a cafe that was honored for having the best veggie cuisine in town, there was precious little food we could eat!  There are only 5 entrees on the vegetarian menu: two curries, the Katmandu Thaili, a paneer dish (not vegan), and the Tarkari Bhat — described as being “seasoned vegetables and a serving of basmati rice.”  We were down to two curries or the Bhat, which — no offense — sounded more or less ordinary.  So we decided to split the two curries.

I didn't write down the name of this one! Bad Katy!

Mushroom Curry: "Portobello mushrooms cubed and bathed in a curry along with seasoned vegetables."

Both of these were awesome, tomato-based curries (and they get bonus points for including plantains, which I LOVE!).  The avocado cilantro sauce perfectly accompanied the rice, too!  But the entrees were both pretty similar, and I really wished the crepe had been available.  Also, we ordered “medium” spiciness and it came out so hot I had to take a forkful of rice between pretty much every bite.  Beware!

We also hoped to order a dessert but discovered that there were no vegan options available that day.  Alas.  Probably for the best, though, since we were pretty full at that point.

The bottom line is that Cafe Momo serves great (great!) unique food.  It’s worth a visit (or two, or three!).  Just don’t be fooled by the Hippo award to go here and expect vegan heaven.  The options, though awesome, are limited.

Whatever else you order, though, get the bread!

Cafe Momo is located at 1065 Hanover Street in Manchester, NH near exit 7 on 101.  http://www.cafemomonh.com/

Bad: After one week, I still haven’t received any word about my camera.  At this point I think I’m just going to have to accept that it’s gone (along with the memory card, carrying case and two pairs of extra batteries).  I’m a little sad about this, because along with the camera the case also contained a Groupon with my name and email address on it.   I was able to re-print and use the Groupon, so that’s fine… but it means that whoever found the camera was just not interested in finding its rightful owner and returning it.  Sigh.

Good: I’m not quite as spacey as I thought!  I found the Cafe Momo pictures I wrote about last time — evidently I did upload them after all!  So I’ll be able to put that review up sometime before the end of the day today.

Necessary: Having resigned myself to the fact that my camera is gone, I just ordered a replacement on Amazon.  So have no fear — the pics will continue :)

Stay tuned for that Momo post later tonight!

I had some mouthwateringly fantastic pictures of a dinner at Manchester’s Cafe Momo for a review that I was going to post to kick off the new year.  But then yesterday I went and lost my camera and, naturally, the memory card inside it!  So I guess I will just have to go back to Momo another time to get more pictures.  Just so the suspense doesn’t kill you, here is the gist of my review: AWESOME.   Tasty Nepalese food.  Go!  And don’t miss the deceptively unassuming flatbread.  My sister, a true bread enthusiast if there ever was one, completely adored it.

Actually, I still have all my notes from the Momo dinner, so I could still do a writeup if you guys wouldn’t be too terribly bored reading an all-text review.  Hmm.  I guess I will have to think about that one.  Comment if you have an opinion on this!

For now, though, here are some non-Momo pictures I managed to import prior to yesterday!

Some months ago I mentioned that Apotheca is one of the coolest and most underrated places (EVER) in southern NH.  (This is still true.)  I also mentioned that they carry one of my favorite baked goods (EVER), namely, the “Vegan Delight” bar from Country Life Bakery in Harrisville.  Well, even though I haven’t written about them since May, rest assured I’ve been steadily eating them all that time.  And, as promised, I finally managed to get some glamour shots of one of them in before devouring!

These bars are HUGE and come in all kinds of flavors (some seasonal) including blueberry, raspberry, date, cherry, apple, strawberry, and pumpkin.  I seriously can’t wait for them to be noticed and picked up by other markets so they’d be more accessible across the state — though I’m sure Apotheca doesn’t mind the steady stream of business from me!  Here’s the same bar, unwrapped:

blueberry bar, unwrapped! I have pics of other flavors too but they all look pretty much the same...just slightly different in color of filling.

Oh man.  I can’t stand it.  I’m actually blogging from out of state at the current moment, and these pics are making me consider an early flight home ;) Go get ‘em!

Find Country Life Bakery’s “Vegan Delight” squares at Apotheca Flowers and Tea Chest, 24 Main St, Goffstown, NH. http://www.apothecaflowershoppe.com/

Here is an excerpt I completely identify with:

“Although my veganism started from a selfish perspective, it morphed into something greater, which I think is true for a lot of people. … Many of us come to veganism for one reason, but then find ourselves caring about the other reasons once we get here.”

Definitely worth reading!

Vegans for Health Are Still Vegans

Anyway, all that to say… CSD has now seriously outdone themselves with the invention of the vegan mozzarella stick. I’m not talking string cheese (although that’s surely next) — I mean the breaded, herbed, oily, tasty thing that as a child I used to get an order of EVERY TIME my parents took me out to dinner.

I’m usually hesitant to suggest such blatantly unhealthy food, but the throwback (and, ok, the delicious picture) convinced me I had to share.

Restaurant-style vegan mozzarella sticks! Image from VeganEssentials.com

Check it out at VeganEssentials!  Currently the price is set at $5.99 for a bag of 15 sticks (frozen, dur), which is way, way cheaper than the dairy ones go for in any restaurant.  So go to!  I expect a report from whoever tries it out first! :)

According to various reports, the store will stock conventional grocery products as well as natural and organic foods, and the sandwich selections will include vegetarian and vegan choices.  The best part is that the market will be peddling treats from Cafe Indigo, so you can get a cookie bar to go with that cruelty-free sandwich!

Here’s my favorite quote from the South End Patch article I linked above:

“You can come in here and get Pepperidge Farm cookies or you can get a vegan cookie or gluten free,” Gretchen said. “Residents have made it clear they really want vegan, they really want all-natural.”

Yay!  A similar bit from the MySouthEnd article:

“We’re nervous, of course,” Gretchen said, though she added the focus on low-cost, non-organic and organic foods would help in drawing a wider range of people in.

I find this really interesting, since even I am old enough to remember the days when advertising natural, organic, vegan food would certainly NOT help a store draw a wider range of people — and in fact actually might hurt business with its associations of hemp and granola (both of which are things I love, incidentally).  So that’s exciting!  People are starting to care about this stuff.  It’s a good time to be vegan!  And it’s a good time to realize that cheezy poofs aren’t really food.

The Maax deli is open for sandwich business already, though no word yet on when the CI stuff will get there.  If you’re in the area, though, stop in and say hi to the owners, Gretchen and Carl Blomendale.  They’re welcoming menu input, so if you’ve got any killer vegan sandwich ideas, why not put in your two cents?  And while you’re at it, let ‘em know they made the right choice in stocking vegan cookies!

Maax Market is located at 682 Tremont Street in Boston.  No Web site yet but of course I’ll keep you posted!

Cafe Indigo is located at 128 H Hall Street in Concord, NH.  http://www.cafeindigo.com/

OK.  So, much to my annoyance and irritation, and in spite of my repeated requests via the “suggestions” form, Whole Foods has still not yet opened a location in the entire state of New Hampshire.  What’s a Manchesterite to do?

As I’ve mentioned previously, A Market in Manchester is a pretty decent option if you find yourself in desperate need of Daiya, Field Roast, nutritional yeast, seasonal Silk flavors…you know the stuff I’m talking about.  But, recently I’ve found that I prefer the Concord Co-Op even more!

Entrance to the Concord Co-operative Market

I am not a member of the Co-op, but if I weren’t planning on moving to Massachusetts soon I would seriously think about joining.  It’s a wonderful way to support local farmers as well as the local economy.  There is a one-time cost of $100 per household to join (and you get it back if you ever decide not to be a member any more, so there’s really very little to lose and a lot to gain).  Check out the conditions as well as the perks of membership here.

The Co-op offers many of the things I like best about Whole Foods, with the benefits of being closer and more locally supportive.  Some examples: a wide array of natural and organic products as well as locally-grown produce; an impressive bulk foods section; catering services; a calendar of events, classes, and tasting events; and — one of the best things about WF of course — a hot food bar and prepared foods section, rounded out by an area where you can sit and eat your food after checkout!  They also offer a sales/coupon flyer called Co+op Deals, similar to the “Whole Deal” flyer.

The area is open and, with the exception of the natural healing section, never feels anything but spacious (a nice change, since most health food stores in New Hampshire are tiny and make me feel a bit claustrophobic).

SPACE in the aisles!

Lately, the incentive to take the short trip up the highway to the Co-op has been what is probably the best variety of non-dairy dairy options I’ve seen this side of the Mass border:

Just a piece of the Co-op dairy case -- and unfortunately, YES, much of what's pictured is cow dairy, so don't get your hopes too high.

Here you can see the milk and yogurt options, including my favorite yogurt, Wildwood Probiotic Soyogurt, which is nearly impossible to find around here outside of WF.  But check it out — not all the vegan options even fit in the picture!  Outside of the picture’s scope to the left is the non-dairy cheese including both kinds of Daiya, FYH, and all the single-sliced kinds, as well as soy-, almond- and coconut-milk based coffee creamers and Soyatoo whipped cream.  To the right of the picture is all the Tofutti, Vegenaise and EB varieties I could think of, so probably all of them!

Prepared foods case at the Co-op

The prepared foods case at the Co-op can usually put the case at any small WF to shame, though it was a busy Sunday afternoon when I snapped this photo so it looks a little understocked.  There are always plenty of vegan options here, including stellar mini-versions of Cafe Indigo‘s award-winning cakes, ready-to-go combo meals from SamosaMan, and delicious-looking sandwiches (in the mood for a vegan BLT?  egg-less salad sandwich?  how about broccoli-tempeh wraps?) made under the name of their in-house cafe, the Celery Stick.

Don’t expect a WF-sized salad bar at the Celery Stick — it’s a small operation.  Still, they manage to fit in a hot bar, a salad bar, 2-3 soups and a decent-sized bakery case!

Offerings at The Celery Stick Cafe

Celery Stick bakery case -- typically contains 2-3 vegan options

The one complaint I have about the Celery Stick is that generally only one option in the hot bar (and sometimes no option!) is vegan.  There’s usually plenty of tasty stuff in the prepared section to take care of me.  But, if you’re planning to have lunch here, I’d still recommend you check their Twitter feed first (@celerystickcafe) to find out what’s on the hot bar menu.  The bakery case always has something vegan, though — the last time I went, there was a vegan blueberry muffin as well as cookie bars from Cafe Indigo.  At least they’ve got those of us with a sweet tooth covered.

Though A Market is closer to my house, I think the slightly longer drive up here is worth it.  I’ve never compared prices, but I do know the selection is better, the prepared foods are better, the overall experience is just…better, and knowing I’m directly supporting the local community seals the deal.  In the wintertime especially, when all but a few farmer’s markets go into hibernation, this is a great way to show our New England vendors some love!

The Concord Co-Operative Market and the Celery Stick Cafe are located at 24 South Main Street in Concord, NH.  Check Web site for hours and menu.  http://www.concordfoodcoop.coop/

I’m almost always on the hunt for a really tasty, really healthy go-to nutrition bar.  I rarely eat bars, but when I do, I want one that’s vegan, delicious, and of some nutritional value (and preferably minimally processed).

There are a few that fit the bill.  Larabars and Raw Revolution bars are good but so greasy (not added, just naturally from the nuts)!  So I have to be in the right mood for those (read: have napkins handy).  Clif bars are good but a little calorie-heavy for a snack, unless I’ve been working out hard that day.  Their Zbars (marketed toward the kiddies, but good for us too!) are lighter, but careful — several Zbar flavors contain honey.  Sadface.

My favorite bar of all, though, is the Gnu bar.   By far.  These little buddies have a lot of things going for them.  All-natural, all-vegan, minimally processed, and packing 12 grams of fiber per bar (nearly 50% of the RDA, so make sure you drink lots of water with these!) — plus many of the ingredients are organic.  And on top of that, they taste REALLY, REALLY GOOD.

Gnu's 7 flavors! Image from Gnu Web site

I first discovered the Cinnamon Raisin and Chocolate Brownie flavors at Trader Joe’s when I was in school in Chicago around 2006 or 2007, but I just recently found out that they sell many more flavors at Whole Foods and on the Gnu bar Web site.  The site is pretty sexy — along with both individual and by-the-box purchasing capability, there is a “Joy of Fiber” club (a similar idea to Amazon’s Subscribe and Save) that offers a 30% savings and free shipping if you sign up for at least one month of bar delivery, commitment-free.

I was so excited to discover that there were more flavors than the two I’d been buying that I immediately ordered the 7-bar sampler, which is just what it sounds like.  It cost me $13.95, but they recently dropped the price down so just $9.95 will get you one of each bar (plus free shipping!  one-time only).  This is a super deal, since the bars regularly retail at $1.99 each.

Here are my thoughts:

• Chocolate Brownie – My absolute favorite.  I am so impressed with how delicious this tastes for something that is such a health food!  This can pass as dessert for sure!
• Banana Walnut – A little more dry than the other flavors, but very banana-bread tasting!
• Orange Cranberry – Not my fave — surprisingly super-orangey.  Might be good to kill the occasional scone or muffin craving, but I wouldn’t stock up on these.
• Cinnamon Raisin – JUST like an oatmeal raisin cookie!  This is coming from someone who loves oatmeal raisin cookies.  This flavor especially is good with tea!
• Lemon Ginger – Eh.  Not great.  Wrong taste for the texture (the psyllium and flaxseed especially), I think.
• Peanut Butter – Not quite peanut-buttery enough to satisfy a PB cookie craving, and a little dry.  Still tasty in its own way.
• Espresso Chip – I love this one!  It definitely tastes like coffee, though, and does contain caffeine, so this one is best saved for the A.M.

Overall: My faves were the Chocolate Brownie, Cinnamon Raisin and Espresso Chip.  Without being gross, it’s also worth noting that the Gnu slogan (“It works!”) may be cute but it’s also TRUE — so if your body’s not used to lots of fiber at once, maybe start with just half a bar a day, or split the bar between a.m. and p.m.  I’d also recommend NEVER eating more than 2 bars a day — eek!

Stock up on Gnu Bars (or try the sampler!) at http://gnufoods.com, or purchase them individually at most Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s (and I’ve seen them in other stores too! — so check out your local grocer or health food store).

11/30 NOTE: I discovered JUST TODAY while I was perusing Gnu’s About page that the company is open about the fact that the sugar in their chocolate chips (found in the Brownie and Espresso flavors, which were my faves — boo!) is processed with bone char.  Bad that they use it, but good that they post a warning about it on their Web site so you can eat with full consciousness, whatever your decision.

Vegan Essentials is offering a new deal each day this weekend!  If you’ve had stuff hanging around in your VE cart for ages but were waiting around for prices to go down before you ordered (*cough* like me), now’s your chance.  Follow them on facebook for more updates, and check out their deals below:

11/26 deal (today!): Enter code “BF1″ to save 15% your entire order, ANY SIZE. Expires at 11:59p Friday (doesn’t say what time zone, so I’m assuming their local Wisconsin time).

11/27 deal: Enter the appropriate code and receive free shipping on your order — applies only to orders of $50 or more.  Enter “BF2A” for free shipping on orders of $50-75, “BF2B” for $75-100, “BF2C” for $100-125, “BF2D” for $125-150, “BF2E” for $150+.  This code will only work on 11/27 and expires Saturday at 11:59p.

11/28 deal: Free Veganu soap with any order (no code required), and free bag of Dandies marshmallow with your order of $50 or more (enter code “dandies”).  Deal only valid 11/28 and expires Sunday at  11:59p.

E.L.F., for Eyes Lips Face, is an almost entirely cruelty-free cosmetics retailer.  They offer super-affordable (one entire line is $1/item) makeup, brushes, and bath items that are not tested on animals and contain no animal products.  Their stuff is legit, too — their $1 regular/waterproof combo mascara is my go-to mascara for everyday use, and it doesn’t clump, it looks great and a tube lasts for 2-3 months.  There are also more “upscale” lines of mineral-based makeup and “studio” makeup, which cost a little more, but still way cheaper than buying something at the department store counter.   Here’s their deal for today:

11/26 deal: Enter “BOGO50.”  Buy one item, get the next 50% off, sitewide.  Plus free shipping if your order tallies over $30.

EDIT! 11/29 Cyber Monday deal!: Enter code “55WIDE” to receive 55% off your order over $25!  This is a great offer!

Hope something in here helps you!