Vegetarian Eats: Dean and Deluca

Dean and Deluca is a very new addition to the growing list of restaurants deemed vegetarian-friendly by moi. I went to their branch in Rockwell the other day, a two-storey structure whose front is dotted with shrubbery and guarded by trees (as you can see in the photos directly above and below). It almost seems like they meant for it to be hidden from the public.

Yet, there never seems to be a shortage of people who want to eat at this establishment and I don't blame them. The food is delicious and the ambience just screams BRUNCH! And who doesn't love brunch? Although most of the food aren't vegetarian-friendly, I was able to weed out a select few menu items that I absolutely loved and was capable of eating, of course.

1. Arugula, Pear, & Gorgonzola Salad

I honestly found the serving size for this appetiser a little too diminutive. Perhaps it was because I shared the salad with my brother and dad, which left us with only a few bites each to eat. The salad was definitely more on the bland side. Then again, maybe it's because I've had my fair share of salads in different restaurants. However, I'm all for nutritious food! The bitter taste of Arugula points to the fact that it's packed with nutrients. Otherwise, why bother eating it right? To end on two very positive notes: first, the ingredients in the salad complement each other very well. Second, the salad was so beautifully presented! I couldn't resist taking multiple shots of it before my dad and brother got annoyed and started pecking away at the poor thing. Hopefully, you like the pictures I took.

2. Organic Avocado Tartine with Scrambled Egg 

Tartine was not part of my vocabulary until I ordered this lovely meal. It was right under the 'Sandwiches' category but of course I had to look up 'tartine' to make sure it wasn't some type of meat (I tend to overlook fancy words like this, especially in Italian restaurants). I found that 'tartine' means a fancy French open-faced sandwich topped with spreadable ingredients. The definition was enough to get my attention. And of course, I could not resist the fact that it's organic. I'm a sucker for organic vegetarian food. Oh and hey, scrambled egg makes a reappearance here, which shows my growing acceptance for eating eggs. The meal was delicious and quite filling! I was the last to finish at the table because I felt like I couldn't eat the whole thing. But of course, I hate wasting food so I cleaned my plate spotless. It wasn't that difficult a chore to do because I enjoyed every bite of it.

I really love coffee, which is why I had to grab a Cup of Joe at Starbucks afterwards with my dad and brother. Since we were already having coffee, we decided to pick up some dessert at Paul. This included two decadent tarts that I really enjoyed. I just wanted to share some pictures of that happening.

I'm definitely coming back to Dean and Deluca to try the pasta and dessert next. I heard they have pretty generous servings especially for pasta, which I will probably have no regrets indulging in. For now, I'm going to have to work off the calories in preparation for my next visit to my two new friends, Dean and Deluca.