The Digs: Situated across from Gaston
Edwards Park and
The Dish: There's all kinds of
definitions of what makes something vegetarian and what makes something vegan.
The Ethos definition of a vegan diet is one that excludes all animal products
and is comprised of vegetables, vegetable oils, grains, legumes, nuts, fruits,
and seeds. There's no meat, eggs, dairy products, or other animal derivatives
consumed.
You might
guess that such constricts would make for bland fare, but that definitely
wasn't the case with the tasty, mouth-watering food served at Ethos. I had high
hopes for the "What's the Dilly,
Philly?" sandwich ($6.95) I ordered, and it actually exceeded my
expectations. Seitan, which research tells me is a form of wheat gluten, is
substituted for meat, and it's sautéed and marinated along with onions, red and
green peppers, mozzarella, and mayonnaise substitute veganaise. There was a
choice of bread, and the ciabatta I chose served the rest of the ingredients
perfectly. I particularly enjoyed the veganaise. But I will say that the couple
of seitan chunks that fell out my sandwich weren't as exciting without the
bread and condiments. There was a choice of a side as well, and I selected the peanut pasta salad, rotini with
broccoli, peppers, and Thai basil, in a mild peanut sauce with cucumber. This
subtle pasta cup was fresh, smartly prepared, and a fine compliment to the
sandwich. I also ordered and enjoyed a side of mashed potatoes with gravy ($2.50), which didn't seem to stray far
from traditional mashed potato concoctions. The sandwich was so large and the
pasta serving so generous, that the additional side was overkill and would
likely be too much for most eaters.
I also
sampled the delicious pecan-encrusted
eggplant ($12.95), a moist, thin slice of eggplant served with mashed
potatoes and asparagus. I thought the serving size was a bit smaller than it
should have been, so I only tried a couple bites of my dining partner's dish.
It looked like there was maybe eight to 10 bites altogether of eggplant. I
can't say that any kind of pecan flavoring really impressed upon me, but
everyone at the table enjoyed sampling the eggplant.
I also
tried very small bites of a massive serving of yummy pumpkin seed and pesto penne pasta ($10.95) and a sheep's pie ($9.95), a vegetarian
variation on shepherd's pie with sautéed broccoli, carrots, peas, and onions in
a brown sauce buried under mashed potatoes and then baked. The vegetarians in
my party raved about these two dishes.
I washed
my meal down with Natural Brew root beer
($1.75), a bottled root beer that's also sold at many local health food stores.
It's a complex blend of root beer and herbs that went great with my meal. I
also tried a bottled grape soda that wasn't as thrilling.
The only
disappointing item I came across was the chocolate
chip cookie ($1). I was expecting something as inventive as the rest of the
food, but the cookie was bland and basically screamed out all the non-vegan
ingredients it was missing.
The Damage: Just about every item on the menu is
fairly priced. The Dilly Philly sandwich with a pasta side is an absolute steal
at $6.95. The sandwiches are all $5.95 to $8.95. A 10-inch pizza with three
toppings is a fair $10.95. The small serving of eggplant isn't worth $12.95;
perhaps the cost is in the preparation.
The Deduction: Ethos is a great idea executed well.
It's a cool, fun, and relaxing place in a great location, the recipes are
inventive and smart, the food is delicious, and the prices for the most part can't
be beat.
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