20 March 2011

dining at the spiral (diner)

after spending the morning at a "hoarder's" estate sale (i always like when that word is included in the ads because there's bound to be some pretty great stuff amongst, well, junk), keith and i headed to the spiral diner in oak cliff (very south dallas).

isn't it cute? i love the pink and yellowish-green with hints of turquoise. sigh. color makes me so happy.

the spiral diner & bakery specializes in organic and 100% vegan food (no meat, milk, eggs, honey, casein, etc.), all made from scratch in an atomic-era diner setting. how could it not be great?

to clarify, i'm not vegan or even vegetarian. i eat meat on a regular basis and enjoy dairy immensely, but it's always good to explore and expand one's palate, yes?

before we even discuss the menu, let's just take a second and admire the houndstooth tablecloth. along with color, i am a fan of classic patterns.

i started with the bottomless fair trade ethiopian coffee, sweetened with a hint of vanilla agave nectar.

keith chose the oogave watermelon cream soda. isn't it beautiful? near the end of the meal, we both got refills on our drinks and switched. so tasty.

keith knew what he wanted before we even got there: nachos supremo. queso, soy beef, tomatoes, black olives, green onions, jalapenos, guacamole, and sour cream towered over corn chips. it was delicious (yes, i took a bite. or two. all in the name of blogging, i assure you).

meanwhile, i'm the boring person who orders a "safe" meal the first time at a restaurant. there were so many options and so many incredible-sounding dishes that i was a bit overwhelmed and ended up ordering the spiral diner soy burger.

a burger's the natural choice at a diner, right? yes. i added avocado and cheese and chose the potato salad as a side (and i've had this song stuck in my head ever since - this diversion is well worth a four-minute break, i promise!). everything was amazing! the patty was juicy and though the cheese isn't looking too hot in the photo, it tasted divine.

before ordering dessert, i snuck over to the restroom to get a picture of the restroom signs. keith helped me out with the men's. what a guy!

are these not amazing? i love little touches like this in a restaurant!

we both enjoyed a chocolate chip cookie for dessert. it was fluffy and moist and oh-so-good.

other dessert options included brownies, fresh cinnamon rolls, and coconut cupcakes. they also have killer shakes and malts, apparently. there's even one called martha the librarian, which i am definitely going to get next time!

the building had so much charm, i couldn't stand it. i loved the colors, the fabrics, the furniture, the windows, and especially the ceiling: all shiny silver vintage tin. beautiful.

it was a great lunch date with one of my favorite people. how was your weekend?

4 comments:

  1. That place looks great! And I'd love to go to a vegan/vegetarian place with such delicious food. I'm not a picky eater, but it's gotta be good, regardless of what it's made of. ;)

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  2. i can't wait to go back and try something a bit more adventurous. even a nut-loaf burger would be more daring than a soy burger. lots more daring, actually.

    are there any good vegan places near you?

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  3. I'm sure there are, but I've never really ventured out. I know Kerbey Lane (an Austin staple) has a lot of vegan options, and I've eaten there with vegan friends.

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