Advertisements

Tag Archives: vegan

Monarch Diner (Glassboro)

April 6, 2019 By in Diners Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Monarch Diner (Glassboro)

Recently I was at the newly opened Monarch Diner. The Monarch Diner was updated from PB’s Diner and Taproom. New ownership and brand new look.  Typically I’m confused about whether an updated or new ownership diner should be considered, “new,” but I’ve come to terms with if it has a new name and new owner, it’s new.

Atmosphere: A
I arrived on a Friday for dinner, and it was busy. There was already a wait. The outside is a cobblestone building with a touch of modern flair, while the inside has plenty of booths, tables, and a full-length bar. It’s much brighter than PB’s Diner and Taproom, and it’s much more “diner.”

Coffee: B
The Monarch Diner serve local Lacas coffee which was excellent. I could have used more refills, but other than that, it was good.

monarch diner glassboro

Food: B
The menu at the Monarch Diner is vast. It’s also one of the most unique diner menus I’ve ever seen. If you are vegan or vegetarian, there is an entire page of options.  The Monarch Diner also has the ability to sub regular bread for cauliflower bread. I’ve never seen that a restaurant, let alone diner, so I had to try it.

For my appetizer, I decided to order the grilled Meditteranean platter. It came with grilled squash, eggplant, cauliflower pita points, hummus, and tzatziki sauce. It was good. The vegetables were cooked perfectly. I didn’t know what to expect from the cauliflower pita but it was delicious, and I have no complaints.

monarch diner glassboro

For my entree, I ordered the BLT on cauliflower bread.  It was a $3 upcharge, but I was so fascinated by it, that I decided I had too. The BLT was stuffed with plenty of bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and even avocado. The cauliflower bread was good, and truthfully I couldn’t taste much of a difference.

monarch diner glassboro

I asked to substitute the fries for a side salad, but they said that wasn’t an option, so I just chose one of the side vegetables. I was surprised I couldn’t but not the end of the world.

monarch diner glassboro

Dessert: A
I chose a chocolate pie to go. The chocolate pie was delicious. It had plenty of whipped cream and pudding, and I have no complaints.  While not cake, and not usually something I would order, the whipped cream called my name. We all know if it has whipped cream, I will probably like it.

Service: A
The waitress was nice, and our food came out quickly. In all, it was a great diner. I always appreciate it when the manager (or maybe owner) walks around to see how the meal was.

Cost: $$
For the appetizer, meal, coffee, and dessert, it was $40. This isn’t an inexpensive diner, but the food is good.

Overall Thoughts/Would I Come Back?
I liked the Monarch Diner, dare I say it, better than PB’s? I would go back, and it’s one of my favorite in the area.

Atmosphere: A
Coffee: B
Food: B
Service: A
Dessert: A
Cost: $15-30
Overall: A

You Can See All 237 Diner Reviews Here.

Questions for you:
What is your favorite dessert?

Have you tried cauliflower crust? I don’t love or hate cauliflower crust. To me, it’s not a substitution for bread (and I don’t need it), but I do like the flavor and having it once in a while.

Advertisements

Saving Time with Sweet Earth

February 22, 2019 By in Sponsored Tags: , , , , , , , , 27 Comments
Saving Time with Sweet Earth

Recently I was given the opportunity to try Sweet Earth burritos and bowls.  Between life and work, there are some days I’m out of my house for 12+ hours a day.  Am I the busiest person? No. But do I find myself stopping somewhere and spending 20+ dollars for a meal if I don’t pack enough food? Always.

When Sweet Earth gave me the opportunity to try their burritos and bowls, I jumped at it.  Storage is easy, and they sit in my freezer until I pack one.  The burritos take about 2 minutes to cook in the microwave, and the bowls take about 3-4. It’s not like you’re taking time to cook.

Curry Tiger Sweet Earth

About Sweet Earth:

  • All foods are vegan/vegetarian and packed with plant-based protein.  I’m not vegan or vegetarian, but it’s nice to occasionally have a meatless meal.
  • Sweet Earth is environmentally friendly. They only choose ingredients that sustain and protect our coast. Along with good tasting products, the food is also sustainable.
  • Sweet Earth also listens to customer feedback. They’ve grown and adapted with new flavors, vibrant colors, and complex textures.

So Anyway a Few Products I’ve Tried:

Curry Tiger:

My favorite is the Curry Tiger which contains lentils, curried seitan, red peppers, and potatoes.  Lentils are one of my favorite foods, so I enjoyed it. It keeps me full for a while thanks to the potatoes as well.

Chana Marsala:

My favorite bowl so far has been the Marsala which has turmeric rice with chickpeas, curry seitan, potatoes, and peas all in an Indian Marsala Sauce. I had never had seitan before this, and it was good!  I found myself full for most the day. Sweet Earth food

They have dozens of more products to try, and all are vegan and vegetarian, made from sustainable and healthy good. Fast doesn’t mean unhealthy, and that is something I appreciate.

Saving Time Other Ways:

When I have a full plate of things to do during the day, saving minutes even hours, has helped me.

  • Eliminate all distractions for a set time:  If I’m working on important information or even writing, I turn off distractions. I put my cell phone in another area and turn off any notifications.  I’ve found I can get work done 50% faster and save minutes or even hours just by putting my cell phone somewhere else. Thank goodness, I went to college in a time cell phones weren’t “a big thing.”
  • Plan each day: Every morning before I go for a run or leave, I write down what I want to accomplish for the day. It takes 5 minutes but my mind is clear, and it’s much easier to get things done when I have a plan.
  • Small Tasks First: Anything I can do within 5 minutes, I do first. I might cross ten things in 20 minutes and then spend 2 hours doing the next.
  • Stop Multitasking: It seems counterintuitive, but for me, if I focus on one thing at a time I get it done much faster. Focusing on multiple things at once, means I slowly finish things.
  • Set a Timeline for Research: Often I don’t know the answer to something, so I need to research. That can lead to mindless internet browsing…how did I get on this cat webpage? Something I recently started was setting a timeline. Once my set limit is done, I go back to doing what I was doing. It’s amazing how you can somehow complete a task in less time when you give yourself less time.

Thanks to Sweet Earth Enlightened Foods for sponsoring this post!  You can find Sweet Earth at your local Kroger (my favorite grocery store LOL), Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Frys, King Scoopers, Marianos and more.  Plus nationwide.

Questions for you:

How do you eat healthy while out?

How do you save time during the day? 

Shamong Diner

December 5, 2015 By in Diners Tags: , , , , 2 Comments

Shamong Diner

shamong diner

Image via here

A few weeks ago I headed instate to the Shamong Diner in Shamong. The Shamong Diner is closer to where I previously lived two years ago when I moved to NJ. It was nice to be back in the farmlands and open roads. It does feel like a very long time ago since I lived out that way!

Atmosphere: B
The Shamong Diner is easy to get too and located directly off of 206. It’s well marked. It reminds me more of a restaurant than a “traditional” shiny NJ diner.  It’s like the log cabins of diners.  Different isn’t a bad thing, though. The inside is cramped, but there were plenty of tables open. It appeared they had a salad bar, but it wasn’t being used.

Service: B
When I arrived, my table was the only party in the restaurant.  It was like they saved the restaurant for us!  For being empty, the service was a little bit slower than I would expect. At several points, I needed drink refills but the waitress was nowhere to be found. They were friendly, but the waitresses seemed to disappear frequently.

Coffee: A
The Shamong Diner uses the local Lacas coffee brew. I have no complaints, and it was great. Any diner with Lacas coffee is a winner in my book. Plus the waitress added whipped cream both times she refilled it, so I couldn’t go wrong.  As I mentioned I wish there had been more refills of both the coffee and water. shamong diner coffee

Food: A
The Shamong Diner is known for their vegan and vegetarian options. I found that fascinating because it is a diner. I don’t know why diners that are known for their vegetarian options. They have everything from traditional breakfast staples to seafood as well as their vegan menu.

I ordered their vegetarian wrap that consisted of mixed vegetables in a wrap. It was excellent.  The ingredients were all fresh and it tasted great.

mushroomwrap

Cost: $$
For my wrap and coffee, the cost was $14. That’s a little more expensive than what I would guess, but it still wasn’t bad.  The ingredients were fresh but I was still hungry after the meal.

Overall thoughts/Would I come back?
I enjoyed my meal, and I would return. The Shamong Diner has a lot of unique options that I haven’t seen at any other diners.  I have a few friends that I believe would enjoy the food.

Summary:
Atmosphere: B
Service: B
Coffee: A
Food: A
Cost: $12-20
Overall: B

Questions for you:
Do you have a favorite vegetarian dish?

%d bloggers like this: