A quick stroll through the food court today provided a stark reminder of just how many foods are off limits for the next 30 days. While hamburgers and pizza both come in meatless varieties, can they actually elicit the same satisfaction as their delicious, meaty counterparts?
The first meal in my life that I purposely picked to be void of meats was pizza from Famous Famiglia Pizzeria. I selected a slice of their Pizza Fresca (tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil) and a slice of spinach and mushroom. The tomato slices on the former were fashioned in such a way that they would appear at a glance to resemble slices of pepperoni. A cruel deception as the taste is in no way comparable. “Eww, it even smells vegetabley,” remarked the owner of the turkey sandwich in the background. Overall, the meal was underwhelming and without a doubt had a sense of incompleteness.
This evening, I ordered a Veggie Burger from BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse. I have no idea what the patty was made of but it was certainly shaped like a hamburger patty and there were definitely grains of rice in it. At no point during the meal did I ever think that I was eating an actual beef patty, but at the same time, I did not gag once. While the $10 price tag gives me a confused look on my face, I will definitely eat this once more during the month.
So the rice burger sounds like it was tastier than the pizza. Personally I don't get La Famiglia pizza regardless of topping choice but yes, the fresh tomatoes are a terrible option. Not only is it vegetabley but juicy too when you're really looking for the greasiness of cured and sliced pork products.
ReplyDeleteI was actually vegetarian by accident for the last few days and had a medium rare burger today at one of Philly's premier hole in the wall places. Yes, it does make me feel a little nauseous even 6 hours after the meal because my body adapted to the vegetarianism but the memories of taste and texture are worth it!