By Maggie Nevens
Revolution Kitchen
I came to Revolution Kitchen with an extra chal- lenge…to impress my steak and eggs loving boy- friend, who scoffs at every vegan meal I make him try. All I wanted was a “this is delicious” or even a simple “yummy” and I would never let him live it down. It would become the end of the countless arguments of “But don’t you miss bacon and cheese… they’re so good.” Revolution Kitchen’s impressive reputation holds countless vegetarian awards by using mostly local produce. If they couldn’t impress him I’d have to give up.
The busy inside contrasted the quiet and empty Pingala. Revolution Kitchen sits inside an old garage on Center street that opens up on warmer nights. Youfirst walk past the open and very tiny kitchen whoseworkers might glance up to welcome you with a hello. The rustic inside, old glass windows, and dark candle lit room creates a romantic environment.
We started with the guacamole filled wontons ($9)with black beans, a dollop of cashew cheese, and pea shoots to top. The crunchy wonton held the dense and creamy guacamole that broke apart upon impact. The smoky black beans accompanied by the sweet cashew cheese swirled together, like a whole taco in one bite. Our only criticism focused on stingy por- tions for the high prices. The four medium sized wan- tons, two for each of us, barely dented our pre-dinner hunger.
The service was very attentive and warming. We had a main server then multiple members of the waitstaff helping out. I never once looked around searching for assistance. Our lovely server relayed all the specials and beer and wine lists without a hitch. However, later on my partner’s main dish got mixed up for a thai stir fry hindering the almost perfect service.
When he finally received the mozzarella and red pepper ravioli ($17) after five more minutes, he wasunfortunately disappointed. He poked at the under- cooked ravioli containing the chunk of mozzarella that refused to melt apart. He wished to switch his oily and tasteless sauce for my lemon and caper dressing. This almost shattered my dreams of chang-ing his stubborn mind. Barely able to finish his meal,he snagged some bites of mine to take a break from the disheartening crunchy ravioli.
My dish, the seitan picatta ($18), became the starof the show. The use of fake meat is usually for extra texture and pizazz to throw into a stir fry or for veggie sausage on the side. However, Revolution Kitchen’s bold move of using a gluten cutlet as a cen-terpiece shows confidence in their recipe. The seitanpicatta laid delicately over a pillow of stark white mashed potatoes. The crispy sear held in the smokyflavor. I could pull apart the cutlet with a slight tug ofmy fork experiencing a tenderness that seitan rarely achieves. The delicate inside melted into a warm blanket that held the light lemon and caper dressing.
So far my mission was not complete. Unhappy with his main dish, my boyfriend did express small gratitudes for the guacamole starter and seitan picca- ta sauce. While we debated whether the dessert was worth it, I knew this was my last chance to impress. We went for the maple cake that arrived with maple syrup drizzled over a golden fluffy slice lightly covered with an airy vanilla frosting and dusted with baked pecans. I tried it first and looked at him with intense and wide eyes. The spongy cake holds the Vermont maple that dissolves instantly like a sugar maple candy. The almost unnecessary vanilla frosting acts as a glue for the crunchy pecans. The cake was a winner and as soon as he saw my look and dug in he exclaimed, “This is the best cake I’ve ever had.” No eggs, no butter, no milk; just a little slice of heaven that needs no explanation or vegan label.
Revolution Kitchen’s rule breaking seitan piccata truly upgrades the standard of sophisticated and cre- ative vegan meals. The magic behind the restaurant’s outstanding reputation lies in their ability to lure even the most stubborn of customers.
Pingala
You know you are at Pingala when dozens of yogis with their multicolored mats and lulu leggings walk past you as you’re sipping on your “Berry Bliss” smoothie. Its yogi charm and laid-back vibe attracts the casual customer. The restaurant itself sits right next to the roaring Winooski river that you can view through giant old windows.
I went to Pingala with a fellow vegan friend. She happens to also be highly allergic to almost everykind of nut, adding an extra challenge to find ac- commodation. The restaurant’s silence created an awkward space shared with only one other couple in the room. The underwhelming initial atmosphere suggests that maybe lunch and breakfast are their specialties. Two of the three specials were out for the day, so we both decided on the special siracha and maple glazed veggie burger with dumplings to start.
The broad menu contains a large amount of smoothies, from “Peanut Butter Jelly Jam” to “Green is Good”, a great breakfast lineup with every- thing from rancheros to ben- edict, a few appetizers, some veggie bowls, and sandwich- es… all ordered at the counter. Pingala takes its inspiration from food trucks and they even travel to festivals and gather- ings with their broccoli bar.
All of our food came at once so we had to let our delicious looking burgers sit while we tried the dumplings. The amber glaze laid upon the six medium sized translucent dumplings($8.75) with sprinkles of chivesand nutritional yeast. The tender texture inside created more of a firm vegan meat rather than a bundle of hard veggies. The sauce had small pepper flakes that struck me with their strong Szechuan flavor. The heavy dumplings alleviated the small sting of spice. The rubbery skin of the dumplings were more like a thick pasta than the admirable delicate dumpling shell.
The veggie burger’s ($12) local sandwich shop vibecame with greasy potato chips and a pickle all con- tained in a crinkled basket. We dived into the burger and quickly found ourselves unable to put it down. The Sriracha and maple glaze was as sweet as it was savory. The burger itself emulated the dense texture and crispy outside of a grilled meat patty without
the blood. I would argue that Pingala’s homemade burger could easily compete with the infamous and frozen Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger, a staple for most vegans. The thick top layer of garlic herb aioli cooled down the Sriracha spice. I would add this aioli to any sandwich or even dip some crackers in as a tasty alternative to goat cheese or cheddar. While I am a huge avocado fan the smear almost felt unnec- essary compared to the aioli. The siracha and mapleglaze burger’s creative flavors and textures satisfy mycraving for a savory burger that goes beyond bland.
For a casual bite I would highly recommend Pin- gala but bring a book with you to save yourself from the often unimpressive ambience. If you’re willing to drop some cash on a night out, make a reservation to Revolution Kitchen and stay for desert…you won’t regret it.