Hidden Gem: Sprig & Vine (with tips)

Every time I visit Sprig & Vine, I think about how many people I know in New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S&V is located in New Hope, just over the bridge from Lambertville) that have never been to this all vegan, culinary gem.

We like to go for lunch best; that menu always seems to float our boats more than brunch or dinner.

Tip: no matter the weather or time of day, the restaurant looks dark from the outside. In addition, the entry door is ridiculously heavy. This is all to say: do not assume they're closed and the door is locked, just give it a good yank.

On our most recent visit, VM & I started with the black bean & sweet potato griddle cakes with smoked paprika aioli and apple radish salsa. There is usually a variation of potato/pea cakes on the small plates menu and I urge you to order them in any iteration; summer 2012 version was our favorite thus far (yeah, we're serious about these; this is our all-time favorite).

Tip: we generally visit in the spring/summer/early fall so that we can dine al fresco with 89 in tow. This visit, we noticed that they let a small dog in a bag into the dining room- not sure what that situation was, but will investigate.

Next we shared the chopped cauliflower & baby spinach salad with red pepper, cucumber, pickled red onion, smoked paprika-lime dressing, and oven-dried black olives. VM always requests that we include a salad as part of our feast because she's like the little angel on your shoulder urging you to do the right thing.

Tip: if you are going to dine outside, get there as early as hours allow so that you're in the shade. Later in the afternoon the sun will creep in and you'll be sweaty & sunburned before you know it.

We always labor over whether or not we should orderd two different sammies to share, but 9/10 times we each get our favorite: the cauliflower banh mi with red chile sauce, pickled carrot & jalapeno, cucumber slice (new addition), cilantro (NO for me, yes for VM) & mint, lemongrass aioli on a baguette. I make a version of this at home, but it sure is nice not to have to turn the oven on when it's so hot outside!

Tip: don't order your entrees at the same time as your appetizers or they'll wind up coming out within minutes of each other- even if you specify that you'd prefer they didn't.

trust me on this one

Because it's too hard not to order everything on the menu, we also ordered some sides. First, the baby bok choy, mushroom & root vegetable stir-fry with lemongrass ponzu and toasted sesame. We spent a lot of time marveling over how astounding this seemingly simple dish was. I pointed out that it would make an amazing lo mein. VM decided it would make a great anything. I cannot stress how delicious it was.

Tip: a lot of the S&V offerings are seasonal, so keep in mind that something you see on one visit may not necessarily make a repeat performance on the next.

And, of course, we can never resist their fried fingerling potatoes with urfa biber chile aioli because no matter how hard VM tries to duplicate this dish, it's never quite as decadent as S&V's version.

Tip: ask for a little ketchup. The aioli that comes with these potatoes is always out of this world, but it's nice to have a palate cleanser in between.

This is the point in our meal where I've always eaten my half of everything and VM has packed at least part of hers to go. So, when I ask for the dessert menu, I am clearly the little devil on her shoulder, urging her to do the bad thing. I always win. This time we I chose the flourless black cocoa torte with almond, beet ganache, caco ice cream, and hazelnut candy. Listen; I am not opposed to ordering a dessert based solely on a single candy element; this was one of those times and it was a decision well made. I'm pretty much a purist when it comes to desserts, so you will not be surprised when I tell you that the cake was decadent in a dense, but fluffy brownie/not brownie way. The ice cream was refreshing and delicately flavored. The candy was pure heart-eyes emoji and I was dreaming of a million of them arranged in little cookie sandwiches filled with chocolate. The ganache was, I'm afraid, too beety for me, but it was easy to eat that part sparingly. More adventurous diners may find it more appealing; I would have preferred a simple drizzle of it on the plate. No harm, no foul.

Tip: if you've consumed anywhere near as much as we do in a sitting (we consider it our meal for the day), definitely consider sharing a dessert. I know, I know; it sounds crazy coming from me, but their savory offerings are so impressive that I know when to err on that side for a change.

Final tip: if you sit in the outdoor seating section, you may want to tell the host inside that you're there they request that you alert them of your presence. Really. 

The tables are just outside the doors and windows of the restaurant, but I've been told that "they're too busy inside" to look out. I can see how that could be the case, HOWEVER...once, a server attending to the other tables walked by us twice without so much as looking in our direction. When I said, "excuse me," and asked her if we could see menus, she said, "Oh; I had no idea you were eating here.  Sometimes people just sit." AND SHE NEVER THOUGHT TO ASK. I should note that this seating section is specifically for Sprig & Vine, in front of Sprig & Vine; they are not flanked on either side by another restaurant.

On this visit, a server who was already helping other outdoor diners approached us with trepidation just as we'd gotten ourselves situated and asked if we were eating. We said yes, and she asked if we'd already notified the host inside. We said no (she'd literally appeared within moments of us sitting down) and she kind of sighed in a way that seemed to admonish us for the oversight. I couldn't help but to ask why else we'd be sitting there and she explained to us all the reasons why S&V seems to feel that the onus is on the diner to announce their arrival, while the staff operates under the default assumption that you're not a diner. Before I go any further, let me note that- as is usually the case, she went on to be totally great and pleasant server to spend the afternoon with and this was not a confrontational conversation; I just truly find this practice fascinating (and frustrating) and was trying to understand.

I don't know about you, but when I'm dining outside- particularly with my dog in tow, I'm not really in a terrible hurry; I figure you'll see me when you see me. However, if S&V finds it imperative that customers formally notify the host inside of their arrival, I'm happy to do so. But, maybe they should consider putting a friendly sign to that affect on the tables? Because starting off on this foot with the server isn't always the most positive beginning to a meal- and it's kind of unfair to the server to have to be so confrontational.

Not to mention that, from a business standpoint, wouldn't it make far more sense to assume that anyone who sits at your tables is dining with you? Greet them with friendliness and a menu and I'll bet you might attract these people who you say "just sit." I'm no restaurateur, but it seems to me that it would make more sense for your default to be to treat all people like customers rather than non-customers. A non-customer isn't going to begrudge your friendliness and offer to dine, but a customer could certainly begrudge being ignored or approached in a confrontational manner.

All this is to say that Sprig & Vine is great; we don't get there nearly enough, but we wish they'd work their quirks out.

does this look like a dog who's just taking a load off, or does this look like a dog who's ready to chow down?

Funny story: our server found this tiara a few tables down and asked us if it was ours "because it looked like it would be." The surrounding diners agreed. It wasn't, but when no one claimed it, she kindly presented it to 89 & it was a perfect fit. We've been blinging it out and it will make a reappearance shortly.

It's Sprig and Vine Season for the Beans

When the weather warms, that means it's time for us to visit our favorite place for outdoor dining: Sprig and Vine.

 

We always order the same lunch, so why don't we just get that deliciousness out of the way.

Two Vietnamese cauliflower banh mis: pickled carrot and jalapeno, shredded lettuce, cilantro and mint, lemongrass aioli.  Best sammie in PA!

And kennebec potato wedges: grain mustard aioli to share.  As good as always.  Ok, maybe better.

What makes up the element of surprise is our appetizers and sides, which vary by season.  On this day, we chose a side of red chili coconut broccoli rabe: with roasted peanuts as an appetizer. As broccoli rabe tends to be, it was a little unwieldy; not exactly date food.  But, although we have very different spice tolerances, we both really enjoyed the sweet/spicy balance of this dish.  My only complaint is that it was served at room temperature when I expected it to be hot.

We also ordered the seared potato pave appetizer with pickled asparagus, grilled ramp, cashew, saffron aioli.  The waitress recommended it, but had a hard time explaining it; we immediately saw why: there was just too much deliciousness on one plate to put into words.

Ramps don't really do it for me, but the aioli (they're heavy on aioli at S&V) and the pickled asparagus were perfect taste and texture complements to the gorgeous brick of uniformly-sliced potato that was crisp on the outside and almost creamy on the inside.  It was as yummy as it was beautifully presented.

With no arugula in sight, 89 was extremely bored.

Luckily we were spied by some old friends and that perked her right up!

The very many benefits of dining al fresco.  Thanks for a wonderful afternoon, Sprig & Vine!

Recipe Test Kitchen Fusion: Vegan Banh Mi

As you know, I recently conducted recipe testing for two highly anticipated cookbooks: one round was sammies from The Cinnamon Snail and the other Ethiopian food from Kittee Bee Berns.  The testing required a considerable investment of time and effort, but the return in skill, knowledge, and inspiration was astounding.

 

One recipe I was particularly enamored with was Kittee's awaze tofu recipe; I made it so many times that I didn't always have stews or injera on hand for accompaniment.

a tower of tofu!

So when I spied a banh mi on Epicurious Vegan's instagram I had an epiphany.  Hint: it involved a baguette.

I immediately grabbed some carrots and jalapenos...

it's the carrots she's after

and got to pickling via The Cinnamon Snail method.

 

 

I grabbed some Vegenaise and excitedly assembled an awaze tofu banh mi.

 

I'd had an uncharacteristically big lunch the day I planned the amazing fusion sammie for dinner, so when I realized how exquisite it was I found myself wishing I was hungrier just so I could eat more.

 
I had enough for plenty of sandwiches, but regardless of my adulations I can't get VM to eat tofu (it's all in her head).

Timberly is kind enough to sub avocado in her sammies from the Snail, but I didn't think avo would work in this instance.

89 likes tofu so much she carries some around in her beard.

And then I considered cauliflower.  

How I had not already made the association when we are both so enthralled by the illustrious cauliflower banh mi from Sprig and Vine, I can't tell you.  But, I got to work immediately.

I cut a medium head into small florets and included the stems chopped into smaller cubes (That's for GS/VCC!).

looks like popcorn!

Then I tossed the florets in the marinade and other ingredients used in the awaze tofu.

 

I roasted the cauliflower for 40 minutes in a 400 degree oven on a lightly oiled pan, stirring every ten minutes.  Warning: the sauce may burn onto the pan a little, so when you open the oven there may be a considerable amount of smoke expelled.  I'm not saying this will definitely set off the smoke detector, but it could. 

cauliflower for days

I assembled the cooked cauliflower with the same pickled carrots & jalapeno and Vegenaise- this time also adding arugula.

I dare not venture to guess how the Sprig & Vine cauliflower banh mi is prepared, but this was equally decadent.  I really impressed myself.

It was so good that I did it all again for dinner guests, this time with home-made bread!

 

Much more pickling:

 

A bored-with-it-all pooch:

 

And a build-your-own sammie presentation (with string bean accompaniment):

ugly (but delicious) bread

  

It was another delicious success:

I sincerely hope you're all waiting for these cookbooks with as much anticipation as I am.

It will definitely be worth the wait.

What A Difference A Day Makes at Sprig and Vine (Vegan MoFo 2013)

We recently had a particularly outstanding experience at Sprig & Vine.  As you know, the food is consistently delicious; but, as I've mentioned, the service can vary drastically.  Here are two contrasting examples and my plea for Sprig & Vine to offer consistent service that matches their terrific food.

 

Visit wonderful:
On this day we were served by a new (new-to-us?) waiter, Jason.  He was friendly, efficient, and enthusiastic about the menu; we knew from the start it was going to be a great visit.

For an appetizer, we tried another iteration of the S&V pea cakes; this time: zucchini & black eyed pea griddle cakes: with smoked chili-kohlrabi slaw.  You just can't go wrong with pea cakes, but the original version with the spicy corn remoulade is still our favorite.

The waiter explained that there was a zucchini-based tasting menu and, although we were tempted, decided to just choose one item.  So, a new special appetizer: stuffed zucchini blossom tempura: scarlet runner bean filling and chilled cold zucchini soup.  Look at that presentation!  However, I think I liked the idea of this better than the reality.  The delicate zucchini blossoms were overwhelmed by the generous bean filling.  Otherwise, I loved the light and authentic tempura coating and, surprisingly, the soup. 

We both enjoyed a seasonal beet lemonade; there was only a faint earthy taste and it was worth enduring for the color nutritious impact.  Actually, VM started with coffee but then I made her taste my lemonade and she couldn't help but to switch beverages mid-meal.

For lunch, we both went with...the Vietnamese cauliflower banh mi: pickled carrot and jalapeno, shredded lettuce, cilantro and mint, lemongrass aioli.  What can I say that I haven't already said?  It's remarkable.  It's outstanding.  It's easily the best sandwich in Pennsylvania.  I urge you to embark upon a road trip with this sammie as your destination.

Just keep in mind that there's a 50/50 chance that the experience will leave you annoyed.


Visit-not-so-good:
The experience began when we chose an outside table and noticed that it was coated in pollen and speckled with bird terd; it hadn't been cleaned since the previous day.  The people dining next to us asked the server to wipe their table, but when she proceeded to spray cleanser too close to their water glasses for my comfort, I decided to just clean ours myself.

Even after I did so, the waitress walked by us twice without so much as looking in our direction.  When I asked her if we could see menus, she said, "Oh; I had no idea you were eating here.  Sometimes people just sit."  I suppose it would be crazy to ask?  Such a better idea to ignore potential customers.

We ordered the pickled local vegetables: wild ramp, sunchoke, gold turnip, carrot, radish, cabbage; they were a terrific snack.

They had yet another variation on their black-eyed pea cake.  Instead of the corn remoulade version that I loved (hint, hint), it was now served with apples (gross) and cilantro (gag) as black eyed pea and sweet potato cakes: cilantro-apple salsa, smoked chili aioli.  Of course we still ordered it.  I bypassed the salsa, but found the pea cake as good as ever (thank goodness for smoked chili aioli). 

Not halfway done with our appetizers, our lunch arrived: the server- with her hands full of our sandwiches, stood staring at our table of partially-eaten  appetizers as though someone else was going to figure out what to do.  Here's a hint: keep track of the pace of the meal and, at very least, clear one course's plates before presenting another; Sprig & Vine's food was not meant to be scarfed down and no one was waiting for our table.

Vietnamese cauliflower banh mi: pickled carrot and jalapeno, shredded lettuce, cilantro and mint, lemongrass aioli.  Natch.

At the last minute she remembered our fry order had been forgotten (blasphemy!).  Kennebec potato wedges: grain mustard aioli (I shall never attempt to make fries again):

Of course I had to stare at my dirty appetizer plate for the rest of the meal; I presume because the server was annoyed that I had requested it to begin with?

Everything was washed down with a housemade lemonade and natural root beer, but I still left with a bad taste in my mouth.

They've finally added a couple of new desserts to their menu, so I tried the blueberry buckle: spiced crumb topping, lemon cashew cream, and vanilla bean ice cream.

I really enjoyed my cake, and the cream was unexpectedly delicious.  I still don't love their ice cream (not sure if it's house made?), but overall this was a very nice choice.  The only thing wrong with dessert was that, for some reason, the server felt it necessary to deliver the dessert to the table at the same time as the bill, which she inexplicably propped up around my cake. Nevermind that the bill-holder is full of germs I don't want hovering around my dessert, it was just plain rude and unnecessary.  Why, Sprig & Vine, why?

I've no idea why, but service just doesn't seem a priority for Sprig & Vine even though they are an upscale establishment.  A great start would be for all members of the waitstaff to consistently start with hello, rather than, "Do you want anything to drink?"; to take our order by saying, "What have you decided?" rather than with an expectant, "Okay?"; to have my meal come out when I've finished my appetizer; to be given plates and have them cleared as appropriate; and not to given the bill while I'm nowhere near through.  Maybe I want a second dessert.  It's been known to happen.

Sprig & Vine has some of the best food in the NJ/PA area (it's right over the bridge): that's why it's so frustrating that they often exhibit service not befitting their impeccable food and beautiful restaurant.  I know they can do better!