Being the laid back pair we are, we didn't head anywhere fancy. Rather, we went to the local Zizzi so I could expand my experience of their vegan menu and Mr Bite could enjoy his usual pizza favourite.
Zizzi paved the way for vegan pizza a few years back, offering any of their pizzas with a 'vegan mozzarella alternative' instead of regular cheese. Said 'alternative' is made with coconut oil and I liked it well enough when I tried it, which is significant given I don't usually like cheese or non-dairy cheese. However, for me, I still prefer vegetarian pizza without cheese at all.
More recently, Zizzi has gone a step further and ensured that vegan customers can choose from a range of options for starters, mains and dessert. For some time I've wanted to try their sticky chocolate and praline torte, and last week was my opportunity.
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| Green goddess salad |
To ensure I had room for dessert, I bypassed vegan pizza or pasta for the green goddess salad with broccoli. Despite sounding super-healthy, this is a delicious salad full of flavour and contrasting texture. It includes tenderstem broccoli, cannellini beans, tomatoes, mixed leaves, crunchy 'winter slaw' and a pesto with purple basil, pea shoots and toasted seeds. It's a salad, but a hearty one.
Fortunately, it isn't so hearty that dessert can't fit in too. In addition to the vegan torte, there is a vegan dessert calzone on offer and one day I will try this too (it features banana, berry coulis and crushed honeycomb). However, I had my heart set on torte this time around. It consisted of a super creamy, mousse-like chocolate cake on top of a date, hazelnut and walnut base and it came with coconut and chocolate ripple gelato. Both components were utterly delicious and enjoyed by me as well as Mr Bite.
All in all, it was a wonderful meal out and has motivated us to try Zizzi again before too long - even if the next visit may be a lunchtime with a toddler in tow!
On an unrelated but timely note - wishing all of my readers a very happy start to 2018 and a wonderful year to come.
Have you enjoyed any recent meals out?
I went to Zizzi not so long ago with a friend, and was really impressed with their vegan offerings. I'm equally impressed that they're doing a proper cake, and not the usual sorbet nonsense. I'm glad your mini bite-less night was a success!
ReplyDeleteIt's great, isn't it! I hope they inspire others :-)
DeleteIt's so nice you were able to get a meal out to celebrate with your husband. They don't have them in the states but Zizzi's sounds like a great place.
ReplyDeleteI kind of want a piece of that torte right now.
All the best for 2018!
Thanks Mary Ellen and happy 2018 to you too!
DeleteHow lovely to have babysitters - we don't have babysitters on tap here but Sylvia now has sleepovers - which is why I have some time tonight!!! But I still appreciate a child free night. Glad your dinner was up to scratch when you have so little opportunity - I like your thinking of a good salad and room for dessert!
ReplyDeleteAh, sleepovers - all to come! Even a play date would be a revelation at this stage of our parenting life ;)
Deleteit must have been a novelty to have a date night without Mini Bite. Your chocolate praline torte looks devine.
ReplyDeleteDate night! How wonderful =)
ReplyDeleteAnd this place sounds really nice. I wish more non-veg restaurants in my area had more vegan options on their starter and desserts menu sections - they usually just give a main and don't bother with anything else. The salad actually sounds pretty good. Especially followed with that dessert!!
Love to try this salad.. I am salivating now ;)
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