vegansaurus!

Awesome vegan food trends: Vegan seafood!  »

In news that is not actually new and still very depressing, seafood is terrible for human consumption and the environment. These studies serve as such crucial reminders for me, as seafood has been the hardest non-vegan food for me to stop dreaming about. I loved the stuff. I won’t bore you with the gory details of my obsession with raw oysters, but an obsession it was.

Lately, however, I’ve been noticing a plethora of vegan “seafood” around me. I couldn’t be more excited about this! (Maybe with more veggie seafood options, we can lobby for this whole “pescatarian” thing to go away. Every time I check, seafood is still considered meat.) Let’s go over some options, shall we? In pictures, because we all love looking at pictures of food! Isn’t this why we’re all on Pinterest, styling our future parties, houses, and weddings? Yes it is.

Ocean Basket from Loving Hut. Those seaweed patties are my favorite! 

You can add soy shrimp to any entree at Thai Idea. Don’t forget about those scrumptious and completely necessary Firecracker balls—they are the best appetizer in San Francisco! Have you been to the new location in the Mission yet?

Fish and chips from Weird Fish in the Mission. Not actually fishy-tasting, yet the batter is perfect, and just what I remember being the best part of traditional fish and chips!

Sea Cake from Real Food Daily in L.A. I don’t know what it’s made out of, but I want it!


What is that, amid all the brunch food at Mohawk Bend in L.A.? HEARTS OF PALM CRAB CAKES. Get me on the next plane to SoCal, I’m sold.

Where else can I get my fix, beautiful readers? What else is out there? I must know! And when do we get a creamy soup in a bread bowl here in San Francisco? Preferably one that rivals clam chowder and is served at Pier 39.

[Photos from Real Food Daily and Mohawk Bend are by my girl Marie Ferrier. Follow her on Instagram @kweenmahreeh!

Weird Fish is delicious; forget anything else you may have heard!  »

Recently, you may recall that I said some unflattering things about San Francisco’s Weird Fish. I may have said these things, even though I hadn’t eaten there in over a year and a half, since it became Dante’s Weird Fish. I may have posed the questions “Is there any reason to go to Weird Fish these days? Are any vegans enjoying themselves there?” I’m back to clear the air: The answers are yes! YES ON BOTH ACCOUNTS. 

Last week, my friend Robert was in town, visiting from Chicago. Seeing as how he gets to eat at Native Foods and the Handlebar anytime he wants, I wanted to bring him to what I though might be the S.F. equivalent. And I selfishly wanted to try their fish and chips, and what better excuse to gorge on a basket of fried food than having a visitor in town?

It was awesome. We ordered almost every vegan thing on the menu! And we loved all of it—it was a fried food frenzy! Hey, sometimes you gotta treat yourself (even if on the same night you have your three roommates plus three house-guests with only one bathroom in the apartment, whatevs).

We didn’t actually try the Buffalo Girls, which is what started my snark-fest in the first place, but we did eat EVERYTHING else. I’m officially Team Weird Fish! The seitan fish and sweet potato chips were better than ever! The fried pickles were delectable, juicy spears, and the yam and spinach taco was colorful and tasty! We were so stoked, Robert wanted to go back before he left.

Tender, perfectly battered seitan “fish” atop sweet potato fries.


Fried pickle spears—my favorite!


Spinach and yam taco, topped with guacamole and pumpkin seeds!

Mission Mission reviews vegan cuisine in, wait for it, the Mission!  »

Our friends over at Mission Mission have a review up of the Buffalo Girls at Weird Fish, and they are none too pleased! Have you been there, since they brought back the Buffalo Girls? What do you think? I feel like I haven’t heard anything positive said about Weird Fish for the last two years. I had the vegan fish and chips basket there once, on an OK Cupid date, but then I stayed away for a year because that date made me feel awkward (as everything in life does) and so over internet dating (Lie—I went on three more Ok Cupid dates before I came to that conclusion). But the basket was delicious! Eventually I went back, with a guy I was actually dating, and the basket was off the menu! I was so sad. Then the relationship ended and I didn’t need to be reminded of our awkward (See! I think it’s me) yet endearing date there, so I haven’t been back. OMG I’m going to die alone but also, is there any reason to go to Weird Fish these days? Are any vegans enjoying themselves there?

[“Then” photo via To Live and Eat in LA; ”Now” photo via Mission Mission]

Weird Fish brings back old menu! FRIED SEITAN, OH HELL YES  »

We’ve been in love with them in the past. And annoyed with them in the past. But now, they’re back with new owners and the old menu? Kind-of? I guess? And anyway, seitan is back and front and center WHERE IT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS on the regular menu and now it’s called Dante’s Weird Fish and um, I guess that’s it. Anyone been?? Thoughts? Here’s a delicious picture of Buffalo Girls from Yelp. That’s all, let’s eat!

Weird Fish’s fried seitan recipe!  »

If we can’t have it at the restaurant, at least they gave us the recipe. I will refrain from further comment because I don’t want the internet police to rape me with their billy club of street justice but WHO WANTS TO HAVE A FRY PARTY!? That was rhetorical, obvs.

Mix in one big bowl:

• 1/4 cup lemon pepper
• 1/4 cup Spike seasoning
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 5 cups water

Mix and separate into four separate bowls, Then add:

• 3 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten to each bowl (14 cups total)

Mix in 3 1/2 cups of water to each bowl and mix into a firm ball or loaf. In a large pot, boil:

• 10 cups water
• 4 cups veg stock
• 1 cup veg base powder.

Simmer the loaves on the stove; keep seitan covered with liquid, adding veggie stock as it boils. Stir at least once every 20 minutes to prevent sticking and burning. Cook for one hour and 10 minutes. Cool and wrap in plastic.

BAM!!!! Kevin at Uptown Almanac made these and professes them to be the bomb. That kid is a skinny white dude so I think he knows from food, OKAY?

WEIRD FISH BRINGS BACK VEGAN OPTIONS (that people actually want to eat)!!!  »

Let’s all fuck in a bucket of deep-fried seitan! Or make love, if you’d prefer DANG FANCY. Uptown Almanac has the scoop, including a picture of the new old menu. High fives team! What should we take on next? House of Prime Rib?

UA also has the scoop on the city of Las Vegas totally ganking our look. I’m pretty sure we have a restraining order against that chester the molester dino.

An update on the Weird Fish menu: Weird Fish responds  »

This was posted on the Bay Area Vegetarians Yahoo group:

As many of you may know, Weird Fish in San Francisco used to have amazing vegan treats on their menu. Some local vegan favorites were the buffalo girls, hell fish tacos and seitan fish and chips. Their vegan brunch was also great. They have recently updated their menu and removed all the dishes that many of us loved so much. I updated my review on Yelp to reflect my dissatisfaction (as many others seem to have done) and I got a response from Timothy, the owner.  Yes, I may have been pretty upset when I wrote my review, but I stand by it.

Timothy stated:

“Please allow me as a person to expand my palate. I am not the same person I was three years ago. Also, I am not vegan nor vegetarian. Now I am a farmer, a father and now since I have taken over Weird Fish from my partner, dedicated and truthful about being a sustainable restaurant. I have served the same menu for 3 YEARS! I am bored with it and want to bring a new feeling into the restaurant. We have 25% of our new menu dedicated to Vegans. Chef and I agreed that the vegan options we had were horrible. “

Personally, I don’t find their new vegan options (all starters, sides or salads) appealing. There are other restaurants in SF that already cater to those needs. Gracias Madre serves amazing vegan tacos. There are countless Thai restaurants that offer salted mango dishes and coconut soups. Most of the vegans who loved Weird Fish loved it for the buffalo girls, hell fish tacos and seitan fish and chips. I can’t believe that he could call those items horrible. It’s beyond my comprehension. I know many omnivores who would go to Weird Fish just for the buffalo girls and seitan fish and chips.

I think it’s important to let Weird Fish know how great those items were (as I have done in my response to Timothy—he has chosen not to engage further) and the fact that many people (vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike) went to Weird Fish because of those items. Maybe if they hear from enough people they will realize how amazing those dishes were and bring them back. They don’t have an email address, but they do have a Facebook page and they certainly read their Yelp reviews.