Monday, May 5, 2008

Vegan Paella at The Maiden



My friend Mel hosts a reading every two months at The Maiden (previously called The Maiden in the Mist) at 639 SE Morrison. More info here: 1,000 Words. I highly recommend this event -- local writers and musicians, always good stuff.

Tonight was one of Mel's 1,000 Words readings, and that's what brought Nigel, Claire and me to The Maiden for dinner. I was a little worried that, under new ownership and with a completely new menu, The Maiden wouldn't be as vegan-friendly as when it was Maiden in the Mist. I just love it when my worries prove unfounded! The Spanish, tapas-inspired menu had plenty for me to choose from. In fact, the only paella on the menu was vegan! All three of us ordered it, and we all loved it. See the large orange thing on top of the rice? It's not a carrot, it's grilled cantaloupe, and it was divine. The dish also included potatoes, mushrooms, peas, red peppers, and of course saffron-infused rice. I also ordered warm bread and olives as a starter, which you can see in the second picture. And the pomarita (pomegranate margarita) really hit the spot.

I know we'll be back to The Maiden for the next installment of 1,000 words, but I hope to return even sooner than that.

5 comments:

MeganFabulous said...

Wow that looks fantastic! The management change must have happened recently because it wasn't six months ago that I was there when it was Maiden in the Mist!

Bobbi said...

Hey Megan! Yeah, the change happened in the past two months, since the last 1,000 Words event, and Mel was happy that the new owners wanted her to continue hosting her event there. (Makes sense, it draws a crowd!) I liked Maiden in the Mist, but I like it even better now as The Maiden. The menu is more interesting.

Unknown said...

What a neat evening! I noticed a week or so ago that it was now 'The Maiden' and was trying to see if the awnings still said "vegan friendly". Thanks for the encouragement to finally visit!

julie hasson said...

Thanks Bobbi! I love learning about new places, especially vegan-friendly ones. It sounds like a fun evening and event.

Bobbi said...

I'll post something on ppk before the next 1,000 word event, which should be sometime in July. They're fun -- four writers read their stuff, and live music too!