So what do you do for date night when one partner has joined the Vegan Pledge and the other has not? Interestingly enough, topics like this were covered at one of our Weekly Meetings. A panel of long-term vegans answered questions like, “Do you only date vegans?” One young panelist answered something along the lines of, “If I did, I’d be single for the rest of my life!” Another panelist noted that, while she doesn’t date vegans exclusively, a prospective date’s response to her lifestyle can be a good litmus test. In other words, if you potential date says, “I hope you like ketchup and fries, because we’re going for burgers!” you might want to pass. In other words, regardless of the issue, a red flag is a red flag. Lucky for me, my steady date isn’t a very picky eater and is usually game for any new food experience.
So last week we decided to pay a long overdue visit to Mama Palma’s Gourmet Pizza, an intimate brick-oven pizzeria with an extensive and eclectic menu that offers everything from Peking duck to cajun shrimp to smoked asparagus tips on a pizza. Mama Palma’s also happens to be owned by the family of one of my most energetic and enthusiastic Sunday 9 am fitness participants (her mama is the Mama). And since Brunella’s photo stream suggests that she has enough energy to work out all day (that’s us in the photo below) and then work all night (she’s their hostess), you know there must be magic in those carbs.
Like many small restaurants in Philadelphia, Mama Palma’s allows patrons to bring their own wine (they also have an extensive beer list). In keeping with the spirit of the Pledge, I decided to bring a bottle of Vegan Vine Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany our meal. Vegan Vine wines are produced by Clos LaChance Winery, a family-owned and certified sustainable operation in Northern California. Right now they seem to be producing 2 varieties of 100% vegan wine: Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. This Cabernet was more fruit-forward, less tannic, and overall less complex than that varietal is capable of producing. I’d place it in the “easy drinking” category with plenty of bright fruit on the palate but not much in terms of a finish. In all honesty, I had wanted to bring a Brunello di Montalcino or even an old-vine Zinfandel, but I had a horrible time cross-referencing Barnivore’s list with what was available and appealing via the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s product search page.
As we browsed the menu and sipped our wine, Brunella sent over one of the evening’s specials: an overflowing plate of fresh asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, and olives all sautéed over the oven flames and accented with garlic and fresh basil. I could easily have made a meal out of the vegetables, but I had spent so much time ogling Brunella’s food photos on Facebook that I couldn’t not order pizza. Since Mama Palma’s offers pizzas in three sizes, my boyfriend and I decided we’d each order an 8″ pie. I went with the Grilled Eggplant Parmesan and simply asked them to replace the mozzarella with non-dairy cheese and hold the grated parmesan. My boyfriend ordered the Nonna, also a red-sauced pie, topped with grilled eggplant, grilled chicken, capers, homemade fresh buffalo mozzarella, and garnished with basil.
We had strategically used the appetizer’s cornucopia of vegetables as an excuse to order pizzas that featured grilled eggplant, which we both love. As you can see from the photo, the crust was thin and temptingly charred and the eggplant beautifully browned. Ladling the sauce on top kept the crust crisp and the eggplant moist.
As we bicycled home full and happy, we started listing the pizzas we wanted to try during future visits. “I want to try that one with the lemon and wine roasted garlic.” “The polenta bread, people keep raving about the polenta bread online!” “Did you see that guy’s salad?” “Did you see the piece of vegan cake at home in the refrigerator? I got it for us to share.” “I’m too full to eat dessert.” “Me too.”
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