Day 9: An old standby

Sometimes in an effort to modify our routines, we go a bit too far, and forget about the simple things we may have done before we started the program. Allie and I eat lunch frequently at a restaurant called Plant on Steiner St(http://www.theplantcafe.com), which focuses on organic, sustainably farmed and primarily vegetarian or vegan cuisine. They have several locations in the city, but we've only frequented the one in the Marina. The menu at Plant does folks on a restricted diet a HUGE favor by specifying vegan dishes with a (V) and gluten free ones with (gf). They also have a wide variety of desserts that are either vegan, or gluten-free. Sadly, they have no dessert options which are both, though I'm not sure it's even possible to create decent dessert with no flour and no butter...
We started with the crunchy thai salad, which was essentially a fresh green salad with a bit of cabbage, carrot, pepper and tomato, dressed with a spicy keffir lime vinaigrette. I liked the spiciness of the dressing, as it's not common to feel that "bite" when having a bowl of greens...definitely a winner.
My favorite dish here has always been the Spicy Thai Red Curry Bowl, and I was thrilled to see the (v) and (gf) under the description of the dish. I've had it at least two dozen times and the amounts and types of veggies vary by season, which is great because every time you return, the dish is slightly altered, but always delicious. Loads of spicy red currry over brown rice with whatever veggies are in season, peppers, carrots, broccoli, string beans, etc...Under normal conditions, I would have this and add on grilled chicken, but given the no meat thing, I opted for baked tofu. This is a slightly more palatable version of tofu, as the texture is firmer and the flavor a bit more...well, baked. It has a sort of toastiness that's pleasant and somewhat savory. All in all, a very solid offering for being vegan and gluten free. It's a meal I could have when I'm done with the cleanse, but I might switch back to the grilled chicken...