Body Science

This article is part of Amanda Maguire’s Vegan Guide to Boston, which profiles Boston’s best vegan products and businesses. One of the biggest concerns in going vegan is the prospect of having to give up your favorite comfort foods: the baked macaroni and cheese, the burgers with all the toppings, the old-fashioned milk shakes too thick to drink with a straw. Fear not, because Veggie Galaxy Diner & Vegan Bakery (450 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge) has you covered. Owned by Adam Penn, Veggie Galaxy serves up plant-based meals that will take you right back to your childhood. Well, assuming your childhood included delicious meals made from scratch, right down to the burger buns and ketchup. I paid a visit to Veggie Galaxy to chat with Penn about his epic diner food and what makes it so noteworthy. GROUPON: What is Veggie Galaxy's best-selling menu item? ADAM PENN: Our best-selling item since the beginning has been the Kendall Square Burger. [Editor’s note: It’s a black-bean or mushroom-chickpea burger topped with beer-battered onion rings, roasted red pepper purée, roasted garlic mayo, and baby arugula.] G: Could you tell us a little about the inspiration behind this dish and whether you initially expected it to be so popular? AP: As a vegetarian/vegan diner, we knew from the beginning that there would always be some tension regarding … healthy food versus traditional comfort food. The Kendall Burger, topped with giant deep-fried onion rings, was our nod to the comfort food side of things, and it quickly became clear that that's what most of our customers are looking for. We still try to provide some healthy options as well, but most of our customers come to us because we're first and foremost a diner. G: Are there any new menu additions you're particularly excited about? I noticed you offer Blue Plate Specials each week. AP: Our most recent weekly Blue Plate Special is vegan chicken and waffles. It [was] a customer request a while back, and we finally got around to doing it. It's been more popular than we even imagined, so we extended it to a second week and are now planning to put it on our late-night menu. … We also recently added a Meatless Monday meatball sub, which is one of my personal favorites. G: What makes Veggie Galaxy's food taste like home? AP: Pretty much everything is prepared from scratch, including items that people at home would normally just buy from the grocery store, like our condiments, our seitan, and our burger buns. So, in our opinion, it's better than home. G: Why did you opt to go plant-based with your menu and strictly vegan with your baked goods? AP: The reasons for going vegetarian and vegan are pretty well known at this point, and it's not something we like to preach about. We're providing vegetarians and vegans the opportunity to enjoy classic diner foods without the meat. While we do have dairy and eggs on the menu, pretty much anything can be made vegan. We wanted to make sure vegans could enjoy our desserts, too, so we left the eggs and dairy out of those altogether. G: What has been your best moment as a business owner at Veggie Galaxy? AP: I don't know if I can point to one best moment. When we have a full dining room of happy customers, I can look back on all the effort that has been put in to get to this point and feel content in knowing that we're doing exactly what we set out to do. G: When you're not making french toast stuffed with vanilla-nut vegan cream cheese, grilled corned-beef seitan reubens, and lemon meringue pie (my personal favorite), what are you cooking at home? AP: Neither my wife nor I are really cooks. When we do cook, we keep it simple—herbed roasted vegetables over couscous is a favorite. I'm personally a big fan of pasta, so pasta and veggie meatballs are a favorite of mine. Though I have to admit that at home, as opposed to at the restaurant, we just buy the meatballs from the store. Still hungry? Check out Groupon’s latest deals on vegetarian restaurants in Boston. Photos: Aaron Scott

While we all lament the end of summer, it does have a pretty incredible silver lining- the start of “real” baseball time!  All summer teams all over the US have been battling for top spots in their leagues and now its crunch time.  September is notoriously the hottest time in baseball, when teams become great, or fall into oblivion.  The Boston Red Sox have done both over the years- risen to extreme greatness, poised for excellence during the October playoffs, and they fallen to depths of their league, their dreams of championship play dashed.  With it all on the line, the last two months of the season are critical, and here in Boston, that means our attendance to cheer on our boys is mandatory. The question then is, where do you eat before a game?  Sure there are the standard ballpark foods located just beyond those ticket checkers- the far too expensive hot dog passed to you by your less than compliant seat mates, the soggy burger….I like to opt for something truly tasty, and luckily, just outside the Park limits there are bountiful options. First on the list is so close to the park it’s actually basically inside it- you just don’t need a ticket to enter!  Bleacher Bar converted former batting cages located under the bleacher seats of the park and opened its doors as a restaurant in 2008.  Utility doors still in place, this space opens on to the field itself giving patrons an incredible view of the game while they dig into some serious eats.  How about a stacked high hot pastrami sandwich before a game?  Or a perfect club sandwich with crisp bacon?  Bleacher Bar is preparing simple classic foods, perfect for setting the base for a great evening of cheering and indulging in ball park beers. Next up, veers to south of the border charms, offering a true diversion from the classic baseball foods.  La Verdad, owned by famed Boston Restaurateur Ken Oringer, is a classic Taqueria, and is widely regarded as some of the best Mexican street food in Boston.  Their menu is plentiful with tacos, my favorites include their Carne Asada, which combines smoky grilled skirt steak with sweet caramelized onions, creamy guacamole and acidic salsa arbol, as well as their pork belly which layers the decadent meat over pureed garlic and avocado.  Their guacamole , rich and full of   spices, is served with thick, crisp and salty fresh chips.  La Verdad has long been a pre-game spot for me, there is something so right in tossing back a couple of tacos and a Pacifico before cheering on our boys of summer. Final on the list is the Lower Depths Tap Room.  Located a bit further away from the park, and therefore from the crowds, the Lower Depths sits on Commonwealth Ave.  Here, its hideaway below sidewalk level, the kitchen is preparing good, classic, comfort foods, including those famed Fenway Franks at much reduced prices, and has a beer list that far outnumbers the players on the teams.  I would definitely opt for a hot dog from the Lower Depths.  They use the same Kayem dogs from inside the park, but here they are toasting and buttering the classic roll, and you have your options of creative and delicious toppings.  We’re busting way past ketchup and relish here with beer cheese dip, bacon, sautéed mushrooms and onions…or you can opt for one of their signature dogs like the Boston Strangler which pairs Sautéed Onions and Mackin’ Cheese, or the Belgian which tops the plump hot dog with Garlic Mayo and Fries.  I personally love a good mix of crisp bacon and spicy ale mustard. No matter where you go ahead of game time this fall, Fenway is sure to deliver both in quality eats and excitement throughout.  That is one great way to end a beautiful summer.

One of the most fabulous parts of Boston is its sheer beauty.  All over the city proper there are lovely spots to pull up a spot of grass, relax and watch time pass by.  Of course, doing so with a lovely bite of food is ever more attractive.  So, I’ve compiled my go to list of the best spots to sit, relax and enjoy a picnic in this great city! The Esplanade.  The Esplanade refers to a section of the Charles River, on the Boston side, in Boston proper.  It is the site of our beloved Hatch Shell where we celebrate the 4th of July with the acclaimed Boston Pops, and where numerous other summer concert series happen.  It houses multiple boat docks, running/biking/ walking trails and, of course, gorgeous views of the Charles River.  Pull up a spot of grass, or claim some space on one of its many docks for your perfect picnic. The Esplanade connects easily to Beacon Hill’s iconic Charles Street, home to a plethora of shops, and, more importantly, restaurants and food stores.  Looking for a light snack to enjoy while watching the boats float past?  Savenor’s Market (yes Julia Child’s old haunt) has an incredible selection of fruits, cheeses, cured meats and bread from which to make a feast.  If you’re looking for a more substantial meal, I’d suggest Panificio whose list of freshly prepared sandwiches, piping hot pizza, salads, and a fine tomato soup will arm you with enough goodies to feed an army.  Those with a sweet tooth, have no fear, Isabelle’s Curly Cakes owned by the daughter of the culinary legend Todd English, has a bounty of cupcake creations to pick from, and Café Vanille is offering up French style pastries. Fort Point Channel.  Fort Point Channel, located on the westernmost side of South Boston, was long ago abandoned to cargo ships and their freight.  Over the past several years however the area has been refurbished, and now, lovingly referred to as Fort Point Channel, it is a bustling hub full of restaurants, hotels and condos.  It has fantastic views of the channel, providing a continuous dance of charter boats, personal vessels, commuter boats and cargo ships.  The perfect location to view all of this activity and enjoy some delicious treats sits just behind the Joseph Moakley Courthouse; an area designed for outdoor dining with plenty of benches and tables.  Another favorite spot, for me, is on the steps behind the Institute of Contemporary Art.  Though it may not have been designed for the random picnic-goer its slightly secluded, architecturally intriguing space is ripe for lingering.  Additionally, there are plenty of spots along the boardwalk that runs perpendicular to Congress and Atlantic Streets, offering incomparable views of downtown Boston and the Financial District. Just a block down Congress Street from the boardwalk sits a small street named Farnsworth.  There, on little Farnsworth Street, exist two perfect gems for picnic dining.  Recently opened this past March, the Bee’s Knees Supply Company has made quite a splash.  House cured meats, pate’s and even burrata cheese are just the start of its selections.  The team has a menu chock full of artfully prepared sandwiches, salads using fresh, healthy ingredients, and homemade classics like hamburgers and calzones.  They are also, let it be known, making their own chocolate confections in house.  The team at Bee’s Knees will happily let you wander through their store picking out your own provisions, or they will create a perfect basket for you to take along on your journey.   If, in some strange world, you don’t find what you’re looking for at Bee’s Knees, take a wander just next door to Flour Bakery.  Owned by one of Boston’s greatest chefs, Joanne Chang, Flour offers up a wide selection of sandwiches and soups, all made to order, as well as a very full selection of Chang’s incredible pastries (i.e. her widely acclaimed cinnamon bun). Christopher Columbus Park.  The Christopher Columbus Park sits just at the crossroads of bustling Faneuil Hall and the equally busy North End.  It provides a bit of an oasis from all of the hustle with its covered walkways, gentle fountains and rolling lots of grass where invariably cute dogs are found frolicking.  The real beauty here though, beyond the panoramic views of the harbor, is the proximity to the North End making this the perfect spot to enjoy all of those amazing Italian delights al fresco! Just down Richmond Street towards the heart of the North End lies Salumeria Italiana, an Italian grocer that seems to transport every customer to the hallowed streets of Italy as they enter through the door.  Cured meats, and cheeses seemingly overflow from their cases, and freshly prepared Italian delicacies like octopus salad can be found amongst such other favorites as pasta salad and caprese salad.  They’ll prepare heaping full sandwiches for you to take on your way and their store offers a bounty of other hidden treats.  Of course if you travel just a bit further up to Hanover Street, the bounty lies ahead of you.  Pick up made to order cannolis or a slice of ricotta pie at Modern Pastry.  Head down to Galleria Umberto for a Sicilian slice or two, and then find that perfect spot in the oasis of the Christopher Columbus Park and indulge, away from the crowds, but with all the benefits of the true North End experience. It is safe to say that this is not an exhaustive list. Boston offers perfect picnicking locations throughout its limits with fantastic views, sweet breezes and even some good people watching.  Get on out there and find your spot!