Hey friends! While Matty and I are vacationing for three days in the Hamptons, I have a stellar line-up of guest posts scheduled for you! I’ll still be Tweeting and Instagramming, though, so you can keep up with me there!
I am so, so, so (have I said “so?”) excited for you to read this post! Not only is Cait one of my very best blogging blends but she is also reviewing two of my absolute favorite vegan-friendly eating establishments in my neck of the woods. Her reviews are fantastic and so phenomenally detailed. It’s a must-read, peeps. Without further ado, I give you the genuine and wonderful Cait!
Heather’s Favorite Places
I’m thrilled and ecstatic to be guest blogging for my BB (best blend) this week while she is away having a much-deserved vacation with her gem of a man, Matty. Trust me folks, I’ve met this guy, and he’s even more amazing than he seems on the blog. I may accuse Heather and him of being puke-inducing, but it’s more often “aww” than “blech” 
So if you are a regular reader of Heather’s blog (and why wouldn’t you be?) then you are probably familiar with both Garden Grille and Wildflour. She frequents these two treasures, which are right next door to each other (well, they sandwich a Dunkin Donuts, blech) in Pawtucket, RI. The first is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant, and the second is a vegan bakery and juice bar. When I stayed with Heather for the first time for #RBKFITBLOG, I was so psyched to have the chance to try the places I’d been hearing (and seeing) so many good things about on her blog. She and I opted for a dinner time tasting of Garden Grille first.
Borrowed her scarf and cardigan!
My bb always looks cute.
I was in love with Garden Grille the second I stepped in and absorbed its calming, friendly, open atmosphere. The place is TINY and there is often a wait, but we really lucked out when two seats at the bar opened up after only a few minutes!
The lamps made it seem magical inside!
BREATHTAKING bar – so thankful we sat under this.
A very nice setup was waiting for us!
It was nearly impossible for me to decide upon a unique, fresh cocktail…but I managed. At a place with offerings like this, I couldn’t settle for just wine. I ended up remembering a recommendation I’d received from my friend Kevin, and ordered the Moscow Mule: vodka, lime, and ginger beer served in a copper mug (the traditional, RIGHT way).
A decision-anxiety-inducing drink menu!
It was perfectly refreshing and just the right amount of ginger. It also stayed super chilled thanks to the copper mug!
Dinner was also, oh I don’t know, IMPOSSIBLE to decide upon. But after hammering a bunch of questions at the waiter (per usual), I decided on the Charred Leek Risotto Cakes, accompanied by brown rice, baby spinach, oyster mushrooms & shallots, roasted beets, and smoked walnuts, all served over a carrot puree.
OH MAN I was happy with my decision, and cleaned every last morsel off of my plate. The cakes themselves were fabulous but the accompaniments? Out of this WORLD. Perfectly sauteed greens, tender mushrooms…and that carrot puree? Honestly one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. The purest PUREe I’ve ever had (hardee har) that’s for sure.
Heather ordered the special veggie, grilled local asparagus, and one of her favorites, the chipotle seitan. I always love asparagus but the seitan was special. It tasted so much like General Tso’s chicken too!
My BB and I had an amazing dinner and I could tell Heather was lighting up as she watched me take in and enjoy one of her favorite places. But it wasn’t over yet!
The next morning, I had just one thing on my mind after Heather and I completed a Tone It Up Beach Babe DVD workout – a vegan scone from Wildflour (I’d already sampled one once but wanted to try a new kind). Oh, and their legendary coffee wasn’t far from my mind either.
Haaaaallelujah!
We were there to blog, so were unable to sit outside, but I adore the wooden chairs!
The atmosphere inside was conducive to creativity – and blogging – just like Heather said it would be.
The post-its on the wall seemed so whimsical.
The post-its circling the sign answered its question: “What does Wildflour do?”
The chalkboard-style menu and hanging lamps felt very welcoming. PS I spy Matty!
Check out the sprout decor!
I could hardly believe my eyes at all the vegan goodies!
Granolas and kale chips (I took home a bag of the garlic variety).
Pre-bottled juices and cold lunch items. I took home the cauliflower tabouleh (left) and vegan lasagna (right).
I’m not a juice gal, but Heather went with Watermelon Pineapple.
The basil flavor of this lasagna is to die for!
I took home a cup of the chili and tried to make it last as long as I could in my weekly salads. So filling! I need to try that cornbread (love the option for gluten free customers).
The famous vegan baked goods! Jenny had that lemon iced blueberry scone last time we were there.
You might have thought all the choices would overwhelm me, but I knew what I was there for – a freshly baked mushroom and spinach scone.
This is what dreeeeams are made of.
I also got the largest size in existence of the slow-brewed coffee. Each order is individually made by a barista who hand pours hot water through a coffee filter positioned above the customer’s cup.
I settled in with my piping-hot coffee and dipped each sensational scone bite into my brew, happy as a clam. I’ve always thought that was a random phrase, but it really is how I felt!
The best blogging fuel.
Honestly, I know it’s just a scone, but I have yet to find and don’t know if I ever will find one THIS good. Something that’s meant to be savored.
Thank you, Wildflour and Garden Grille, for being just as amazing as Heather promised you’d be!
I think it’s love.
Thank you Heather for letting me guest post today and share from a visitor’s perspective the beauty of these special places that are famous on For the Love of Kale!
Are there any restaurants or cafes near you that are truly special and unique? Are they places you try to bring visitors?
Those places look so good! I always wonder how Heather always finds the best restaurants to go to! Wildflour looks crazy good! I will have to try to make it there sometime! Awesome guest post!
Thanks Danielle! Heather really does seem to have a lot of wonderful places near her. But then again she also gets pumped about places near me. It’s all about what we don’t usually get to do I guess!
I want to visit both those places!!! We don’t have even one vegan restaurant in Ireland! It’s ridiculous! The food all looks amazing, I think I would have either went with your option or the burger with one the spelt roll! Yum!
That stinks Michelle! I hope that Ireland gets some good vegan eats soon. VeggieNextDoor.com did a recap of her travels in Ireland and she did manage to find some OK options, but they were vegetarian, not vegan.
Heather told me that burger is amaaaazing!
Ummmm, I want to go there! Yum!
You make me want to travel up there just for the basil lasagna! YUM
Thanks for sharing !
Please do then we can hang out again
Will you be around NYC the first weekend in August for BlogHer?
HAVE FUN ON VACATION!
I’m so glad you were able to do a guest post while Heather is gone!
Can I seriously come visit you two so that I can go to both of those places?! Everything looks amazing! Especially all of those vegan baked goodies and the raw lasagna…mmm…
We should all meet up at a vegan hotspot fo sho!
Love this guest blog post! And give me, give me, give me the kale chips!!!! All flavors please.
Ok so Cait, this was YOUR BEST REVIEW EVERRRRRR I think I think this because I know how much these two places mean to Heather???? She talks about them all the time and now I actually FEEL like I have been there too!!!!!
I totally loved your “happy as a clam” comment. You are way too cute my darling <3
You WOULD love a clam comment, you seafood lova! Yes it’s so awesome to see for yourself something that someone else is so passionate about. Love it!
Wow these places look amazing ! I’m so jealous I have never been to one or even seen one that size in person! It’s great to see more cafes and restaurants are going vegan these days. It gives hope x
As they become more common I hope you can go, Lisa!
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