Along with countless of other Americans, I made the choice of making my New Year's Resolution affect the way I eat. It's time to be more conscious of what I put in my belly. The plan is to have less meat and carbohydrates in my diet, and have more vegetables. Hopefully I will be able to outlast my belly's desire for a late night fast food run. Historically, the cards are stacked against me.
After some research, I've come to realize that it's good to immerse yourself in positives of your resolutions. It's no good to suffer through the first few months surrounded by misery and self doubt. For example, if your goal is to, let's say, have a more optimistic outlook on life; I would stay away from listening to Louis C.K.'s standup. The man's hilarious but he can really dump on the human condition.
So in order to keep with this resolution, I stepped into the better side of eating healthy. A side that isn't full of bland salads and protein bars. I wanted to start it off right with a trip to a little vegetarian cafe on Tharpe St. called Sweet Pea Cafe.
I must have driven past the place hundreds of times and the adorable pea green sign always piqued my interest. I had always wanted to try it out but my carnivorous lifestyle didn't permit it. The closest I had been to the cafe was going next door to the meat market to maintain my non-vegetarian diet.
The thing that stands out the most about Sweet Pea Cafe is its incredible amount of charm. The white picket fence that surrounds the outside eating area brings me back to a childhood I never had. One that was full of backyard lunches in the cool summer afternoon. This familiar feeling goes nicely with Sweet Pea's menu of vegetarian renditions of home cooked delights.
Walking into the place you first notice how proud they are to promote the origins of their ingredients. Hanging on a post near the entrance is a blackboard that displays the homeland of the day's ingredients. All of them are grown organically by independent farmers in the areas in and around Tallahassee. I was happy to see a few names I recognized like Tomato Land and Best Little Greens.
I got the Spicy BLT sandwich (instead of bacon they use blackened tofu and some Poutine (fries topped with cheese and gravy). I was glad the tofu was blackened, both for the sake of the acronym and for the flavor. The BLT was delicious. The spicy mayo added some tasty heat to the blackened tofu and I was overjoyed that it wasn't globbed on. I could definitely see myself trying my hand at cooking with tofu. It's pretty darn tasty.
The poutine added to the heartiness that I once thought was reserved for dishes of the meat variety. I demolished the mound but I didn't feel any of the same guilt I usually get from finishing a get from finishing a plate of fries. It seems like I could get used to eating like this more often, which means I have to learn how to make vegetarian gravy.
I would recommend stopping by Sweet Pea Cafe for a healthy alternative to a burger and fries. For around 7-10 bucks, you can easily walk away with a full belly and some leftovers, all without having that urge to take a nap.
Tags: Cafe, Food, Local, Sweet Pea Cafe, Tallahassee, Vegan, Vegetarian
Pedro SemperteguiPedro Sempértegui is a recent graduate of Florida State University's English department. After growing up in the quiet suburb of Coral Springs, Fl, he moved to the capital to pursue writing. Since Tallahassee's nightlife has introduced him to new music, awesome food, and delicious microbrews, it's only right that tries to pass on that knowledge.
