Alright, you know how excited I become when I don't have to work too hard to get what I need and want at a restaurant. Not that I resent educating a server to champion my vegan cause, but sometimes when I get all gussied up and go somewhere fancy to be served a lovely dinner, well, I just want to be served a lovely dinner -- lovely by MY standards that is.
After the USA v. England party, my husband thanked me by taking me out for a nice meal. This time we chose Milton's, a wonderful restaurant built from an historic farmhouse in Milton, GA. We had been to the place a couple of times before, but had always met friends in the bar area, where we sampled hors d'ouvres instead of eating a full meal (I had enjoyed a mediterranean crostini without the feta). This time my husband got us a table so we could eat a proper meal. Milton's expanded from the original farmhouse in a beautiful manner, with a series of small rooms up or down a few stairs, following the topography of the land. All the new construction honors the integrity of the style of the original so that the expansion is seamless to all but those with a construction background. Last year, on a vacant portion of the restaurant's property, evidence of old plowed rows of a garden was discovered. So Milton's vegetable garden was revived and it provides lovely fresh veggies for most of the meals served at the restaurant.
I opened my thick menu, preparing to try to speed-read for my best choices (phooey -- forgot my glasses again!) but on the second page, as my eyes adjusted, under the "Lighter Fare" heading was "Chef's Vegetable Plate" -- yay! I did the responsible thing this time and asked about any dairy or animal products included with this feature. The server explained that feta cheese was used in the fried green tomato batter (darn -- I love fried green tomatoes!). She did assure me that I would love the dish without the FGT's, and that whatever hole was left from their absence would be filled by a wonderful varied selection of vegan foods.
Mmmmm -- boy did this dish knock my socks off! Tender sauteed spinach -- fresh from the ground outside and bejeweled by roasted garlic cloves, sauteed young green beans, fresh off the vine, roasted asparagus, roasted tomatoes, roasted fingerling potatoes, and to round out this bounty, a very pleasant bean, corn and vegetable pilaf, heavy on the veggies, light on the rice. I was a member of the clean plate club that evening, and after dreaming about the meal, woke the next day feeling a little sad I had no leftovers in the fridge. You can bet I will be back at Milton's before too long ordering exactly the same thing!
I opened my thick menu, preparing to try to speed-read for my best choices (phooey -- forgot my glasses again!) but on the second page, as my eyes adjusted, under the "Lighter Fare" heading was "Chef's Vegetable Plate" -- yay! I did the responsible thing this time and asked about any dairy or animal products included with this feature. The server explained that feta cheese was used in the fried green tomato batter (darn -- I love fried green tomatoes!). She did assure me that I would love the dish without the FGT's, and that whatever hole was left from their absence would be filled by a wonderful varied selection of vegan foods.
Mmmmm -- boy did this dish knock my socks off! Tender sauteed spinach -- fresh from the ground outside and bejeweled by roasted garlic cloves, sauteed young green beans, fresh off the vine, roasted asparagus, roasted tomatoes, roasted fingerling potatoes, and to round out this bounty, a very pleasant bean, corn and vegetable pilaf, heavy on the veggies, light on the rice. I was a member of the clean plate club that evening, and after dreaming about the meal, woke the next day feeling a little sad I had no leftovers in the fridge. You can bet I will be back at Milton's before too long ordering exactly the same thing!
Sounds absolutely delicious! Cheers! :)
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