Vegetarian Restaurant: A simple name for simple, fresh, vegan fare near Doral
sourceBy LINDA BLADHOLM
Juan Francisco Cabrera starts his day shopping at the Allapattah Produce Market at dawn with a menu percolating in his head. As he picks through the tubers, tomatoes and peppers, he decides on the daily special at his juice bar and natural-food place: Vegetarian Restaurant in the Holiday Shopping Plaza on Southwest 107th Avenue between Doral and Sweetwater. It might be seitan stir-fry with cauliflower and broccoli, tofu with spinach or corn pie.
Customers call to find out and come to eat at the counter or pick up food to go. Most also get fresh-squeezed juice or batidos (shakes) of banana, mamey (the soft, dark reddish-orange fruit tastes like sugary sweet potato) or papaya, whirled with oatmeal instead of milk.
Cabrera, 37, was born in San Francisco Macori in the southern Dominican Republic. At 17, he moved to New York, where his family opened a clothing alteration shop. He got into natural foods through a cousin a few years later, eventually becoming a vegan.
In 2002, the cold drove him to Miami, where he worked in a warehouse by day and took yoga classes at night. He cooked vegetarian meals for friends and family, and when the yoga place moved he rented it and set up shop in the bare-bones space. The pale green and yellow walls are augmented by floral displays.
Cabrera operates on the premise that it is better to eat whole fresh foods than processed products or nutrient-enhanced foods. That means as natural as possible -- and no eggs or dairy, as this is a vegan kitchen.
It's hard to resist his whole-wheat crust pizza scattered with tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic with soy cheese (available daily) or his rotation of specials. On a recent day, it was boiled and mashed yuca with onions sautéed in olive-oil ''butter'' (a thick emulsion) and annatto (a small red seed that adds color) with soy hot dogs steamed with cabbage and peas, brown rice and a side of guacamole. Diners also had the option of lentil soup with cilantro or a salad tossed in oil and vinegar.
Other specials include lasagne made with eggplant, tomato sauce, soy cheese and stewed garbanzos and tofu curry with spinach and mushrooms in white sauce made from soy milk and ground almonds.
Mangu is a Dominican favorite consisting of boiled green plantain mashed with grated soy cheese and olive-oil butter, giving it the traditional rich, creamy flavor without the unhealthy fats. It is served with red beans and brown rice.
Papas rellenos are mashed potato cakes stuffed with a vegetable mixture, while pastels are entree-size whole-wheat pies stuffed with a savory blend of spinach, cauliflower and soy protein. Or get smaller empanadas stuffed with spicy textured soy protein -- so good you might not miss the meat.
Picadillo is made from the same TVP steamed with celery, onion, garlic, collard greens, carrots and parsley -- a sum of ingredients that tastes much better that it sounds. There's also good old spaghetti (whole wheat) with tomato sauce and soy cheese and cannelloni stuffed with spinach. End with homemade apple or pineapple cake washed down with fresh strawberry or carrot juice.
Place: Vegetarian Restaurant.
Address: 115B SW 107th Ave., Miami, FL (Holiday Shopping Plaza).
Contact: 305-553-0078.
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Prices: Juices $3-$4, daily specials $4-$7.
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