Eclectic eateries elate vegetarians
In Dallas it’s hard to find a restaurant that stands out from the rest because many are painfully similar. There are, though, those few that offer menus that deviate from the typical Tex-Mex, Italian or American cuisines so frequently encountered.
Kalachandji’s, for example, is a vegetarian restaurant in East Dallas that doesn’t serve up the typical dining experience. The buffet-style restaurant, which averages about $10 or less per person, is the only one in Dallas located in a Hare Krishna temple. Those dining at Kalachandji’s are welcome to tour the incense-filled sanctuary but must take off their shoes before doing so.
The unique menu items are made without any meat, fish, animal products, onions, garlic or eggs. Also, there is no smoking, alcohol or caffeine allowed in the restaurant. A typical meal is a vegetarian salad, with ordinary ingredients including lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cabbage, sprouts, green and black olives, and three dressings, two of which are non-dairy.
Hot meals are also served, but vary from lunch to dinner. At lunch you can expect to find dishes such as curry-flavored eggplant, tofu and green peas mixed together in a mild tomato sauce. In the evening a warm, saucy mix of yellow squash and red and green peppers is served.
Lunch is served Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. Dinner is served Tuesday through Sunday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The restaurant also has a gift shop offering translations and commentaries on spiritual literature by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The shop also sells devotional items, incense, japa beads and ayurvedic treatments. For more information call (214) 821-1048.
If a Hare Krishna temple doesn’t tickle your fancy then maybe one of the hour and a half yoga classes offered at Cosmic Café, formerly known as the Cosmic Cup, will. Though the yoga classes are free, donations are appreciated. Classes are offered Monday through Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Saturday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and Sunday 5 to 6:30 p.m. This café; is also vegetarian. It is located in what used to be a house and provides a rather quaint and cozy environment. The carpeted yoga room occupies the upstairs and the downstairs and patio make up the café.
Some of the uncommon items on the menu include the “scared cow pie,” an Indian pizza with fresh tomatoes, onions, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers and mozzarella on nan bread, and spinach enchiladas topped with chili-cheese sauce, served with black beans, rice and salad. For those who opt for something light there are soups and salads.
Entrée prices do not exceed $10. Cosmic Café; is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. Call (214) 521-9195 for more information.
Sankofa Arts Kafe, a vegetarian café, derives its name from the Akan word meaning, “We must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward; so we understand why and how we came to be who we are today.” Damond Fields and his sister Joslynn Fields opened the café; in July of 1998 because of the difficulty they faced finding vegetarian menu options. Ms. Fields also owns and runs a catering business, which serves customers like Erykah Badu, who eats strictly vegan, meaning no meat, dairy or any other animal products. Sankofa offers a black bean burger, with a black bean patty served on a whole-grain bun with mustard and ketchup, for only $3. They also offer faux fish and chicken, as well as tacos and chili. Lentil chili and vegetable soups are also available for $3.50. Since its opening, however, Sankofa has become almost better known for its poetry readings, musical performances and installations by local artists than its food. On Saturday and Sunday night GNO (pronounced “Gino”) and Emotion Brown, two members of the Ordained in Lyrics (OIL) spoken-word trio, host an open-mic spoken-word event that begins at 8 p.m. A live band also plays its own set and backs the open-mic vocalists. OIL sometimes performs at these Sankofa open-mic events addressing issues concerning black cultural issues and conflicts. Erykah Badu has also been known to stop in on occasion to practice new songs or lyrics. Sankofa is located on Martin Luther King Boulevard in South Dallas and is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 p.m. to midnight; call (214) 421-0013 for more information.
