Type: Veg Friendly
Meal: Lunch
Price: $$

I love salads so I decided to visit a new salad place that I had heard about in downtown Detroit. 7 Greens Detroit Salad is located at 1222 Library St. near the McGregor Branch of the Detroit Public Library. Boy, has that area changed over the years. As we approached the restaurant, we noticed that there is outdoor seating as well as indoor seating, and since it was a warm day, they opened the entire wall window on Library so that the people sitting at the counter could also enjoy the nice weather. You order your meal cafeteria style.

When we walked in, there were no other people in line but the people that worked there seemed a little uninterested in their customers. Eventually, they asked us what we would like. I chose a ‘Fashion Your Own’ salad which means you can select up to two greens and 4 toppings. Each veggie topping beyond that is fifty cents extra except for the avocado along with some other” premium” toppings which is $1.50 extra. I like a lot of toppings and made my selections. The base $7.35 salad ended up costing about $11.00 because of the number of extra toppings I ordered. You also get a slice of bread, which is a really delicious nutty wheat type of bread. I got the Sesame Garlic dressing which was excellent. There were several other vegan dressings such as Spicy Cashew, Spicy Korean and Walnut Pesto which I plan to try in the future. The service was pretty quick, since there is very little prep work other than chopping up the salad. We ended up eating outside which I enjoyed since it was a beautiful warm day. Since it was lunchtime, I believe most of the customers walked on over during their lunch breaks as it was getting more and more crowded.

Along with a build your own salad menu option, there are several ‘Classic Salads’ which are static and are always on the menu such as:

• K Foxy (romaine, parmesan, and Caesar sauce)
  
• Detroit Greek (typical greek salad)
  
• Kale you Later (Kale, green apple, onions, raisins, almonds, parmesan with a tahini sauce)
  

 It looked as if there was one Classic Salad that was vegan (the Yoga Girl).  You can also order your salad in a wrap which is what my husband did.

All in all, the atmosphere and the vibe there was very nice and I look forward to going back in the future.

http://7greens.com

Pilar's Tamales has since been closed in Warren, MI. However, they still have a shop in Ann Arbor!

Type: Vegan Friendly
Meal: Dinner
Price: $
 
I had heard about a Tamale place called Pilars in Warren that does not use lard in their Tamales and got very excited! I finally made a point to go there for dinner shortly before they were to close (they close relatively early for dinner; at 6:00PM Tuesday thru Thursday and at 6:30 on Friday and Saturday).

We were greeted by Juan, the owner of Pilars and his adorable son. The restaurant is small, with only a few tables. We went to the counter to order tamales. I ordered one vegan black bean tamale and one tempeh tamale. The homemade tamales both come covered with delicious homemade sauce and served with a side of curtido (similar to cole slaw). Juan also gave us several levels of hot sauces to add to the tamales in case they were not spicy enough. Although my tamales were delicious all by themselves, I did try each of the hot sauces which were a bit too spicy for my liking.
Other items on the menu include:

Pupusa – handmade tortilla filled and grilled.
Quesedilla dessert  (Vegetarian)
Chocolate Chip Bliss Bar - Vegan

Juan told us that his tamales are a traditional Salvadoran recipe, his homeland which he left in 1984 at the young age of 14. Juan and his wife Sandy, who is also a yoga instructor along with other relatives work at the restaurant. Although they always have a variety of tamales on the menu, Juan told me that during the summer and fall months, they will use whatever vegetables (such as squash varieties) happen to be fresh in their tamales, particularly the vegan tamales. Juan also said that his sister had opened the original Pilar's in Ann Arbor on Liberty which is still in operation. Pilars also sells their food at the Royal Oak Farmer's Market. I was very impressed with the taste of the tamales as well as the price.

http://www.pilarstamaleseast.com/

Type: Vegetarian, mostly vegan
Meal: Dinner
Price: $$
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The saying goes “Everything gets better with time”. The Chicago Diner, which touts that they’ve been “meat-free since ‘83”, is pure proof of this saying: that the longer a restaurant has been open, the better its food will taste.
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This restaurant is completely vegetarian, but apart from the bright “MEAT-FREE” sign at the back of the restaurant, you wouldn’t be able to tell. The restaurant is contemporary, as opposed to an earthy or Zen-focused atmosphere you get at some veg restaurants, and this made it more comfortable for your run of the mill patrons. Exposed brick wall is complimented by unique light fixtures and wooden floors. To add a level of community, the middle of the restaurant is home to long booths that can be used for large parties or multiple parties.

On a Friday night, it was bustling. Before being seated, we sat at the bar to glance at the drink menu. Though all the cocktails seemed interesting and diverse, ranging from Lavender Gimlet to Vegan Russian, we didn’t end up getting alcoholic drinks. Their menu highlights their award winning vegan milkshakes, which we tried and which lived up to the hype. The chocolate peanut was luscious, creamy and thick, the perfect consistency for a milkshake. The chocolate chip cookie dough had the rich taste of cookie dough blended into a smooth milkshake. Both were topped with vegan whipped cream, which hit the spot.

We started with the BBQ Wings, which tasted eerily similar to conventional wings; at points while eating them, I had to take a step back to remind myself that they were indeed vegan. They tasted spot-on with the slight crunch and chewiness of wings and were topped with a delicious sauce.
Other notable appetizers included:

• Poutine
• Chimichurri Plantain Cakes
• Toasted pumpkin ravioli

For our entrees, we chose the Truffle Mushroom Lentil Loaf and the Country Fried Steak. The Truffle Mushroom Lentil Loaf was flavorful and little peppery. Served with potatoes and green beans, it was a very filling and dense meal that continued to get better bite after bite.  However, the best meal we tried there was the Country Fried Steak. The steak had just the right amount of chewiness and crunch on the outside, was topped with a rich peppery gravy, and was served with a side of mashed potatoes. If this didn’t scream “classic comfort food”, I don’t know what does.

Other notable entrees included:

• Shepherd’s Pie
• Pierogi Quesadilla
• The Radical Reuben sandwich
• Titanic BLT Burger

After these options, we were completely full and had no room left to try dessert. However, some items stuck out to us:

• Fudge Brownie Sundae
• Carrot Cake
• Cocoa Mousse Cake

Despite not trying these desserts at the restaurant, Whole Foods in Detroit actually sells slices of some of these desserts. The Carrot Cake and Cocoa Mousse Cakes are both available sometimes at Whole Foods and are both delectable with smooth, creamy frosting and fluffy cakes.

The pricing for our meal was reasonable. We both ended up taking home leftovers which ended up being a little more than a meal. Considering the amount of food on top of the quality of the food, I can’t complain about the slightly higher prices.