La Macarena Pupuseria

Pupusas are a staple dish in El Salvador, and La Macarena Pupuseria whips up vegan and vegetarian fare from El Salvador that highlights this Central American classic.

Pupusas are a less famous cousin of the arepa. It's more of a dumpling or pancake than an arepa, which has more in common with a sandwich than a dumpling. There sometimes are subtle differences in the corn flour used to prepare arepas and pupusas. It's safe to say that if you like one, you'd probably like the other.

The staff at La Macarena is fun and friendly like the decor. The menu offers tons of vegetarian and vegan options, and the daily specials often include a meatless option.

The guacamole tostadita showcased fresh avocados and cilantro. The crushed red pepper adds an interesting spicy touch to a fantastic starter.

There were a few different vegetarian combo plates. I sampled one with a tamale, plantains, black beans, cheese pupusas and curtido, a Mexican/Salvadoran cole slaw. The tamale was soft. The plantains were starchy with a hint of sweetness. The pupusas were stuffed with a little bit of cheese that was sweetened up by corn. It paired well with the slaw and the hot sauce.

One other interesting item at La Macarena is the tableside condiment. There is a mild tomato and pepper sauce from El Salvador that is more tomato driven than its hot sauce relatives from other countries. This is another touch that adds an authentic flair to this restaurant.

Vegans, vegetarians and those who like international flavors all should find plenty to like at La Macarena. It's a family owned gem in Uptown New Orleans that is well worth a stop.

La Macarena Pupuseria

Schneider's Bakery

Schneider's Bakery has been satisfying the sweet tooth of Uptown Westerville since the good old days when the suburb was a virtual palisade of prohibition. No matter your opinion of alcohol in Ohio's capital of temperance, everybody agrees that a run to Schneider's is always a sweet proposition.

Schneider's offers a wide range of baked goods including cakes, cookies, pies and danishes, but Schneider's earned its reputation with the doughnuts. The 1 am weekend doughnut runs have created miles of smiles for bleary-eyed Otterbein College students for generations.

Although Schneider's is notable for sweet baked goods, they also make tasty loaves of bread, rolls and buns that are every bit as good as the sweets.

But as I said before, if you have only one option, make it a doughnut. And the extra added bonus is that you can feel good supporting them because they are a locally-owned family operation.

The glazed doughnut has a light, flaky dough that melts in your mouth. The balance of sweetness is tempered by a rich savory mouthfeel.

Schneider's prices are very reasonable when you consider the quality of food it offers. Some of the specials they offer include a doughnut and a drink for $1, and a danish and a drink for $1.75.

Schneider's Bakery

Sucre

On top of all of the rich food and booze and general debauchery that characterizes the New Orleans experience, the trip just wouldn't be complete without dessert. New Orleans just wouldn't be New Orleans without beignets, pralines and Bananas Foster.

Now keep in mind that I am in no way criticizing the merits of New Orleans' signature desserts. However, if you take a trip down the Mississippi River, Sucre will give you a clue as to how many other ways sweets can be amazing beyond the realm of the traditional.

Sucre is captained by Chef Tariq Hanna. Hanna applies his passion for pastry arts to create a abundance of savory sweets to satisfy a sweet tooth of any shape and size. He'll throw in a few hints of pralines and bananas to please the purists, all the while combining new elements that make you think deeper about dessert.

The storefront is located on the busy Magazine Street thoroughfare. Sucre makes ice creams, gelatos, pastries, candies, cookies and cakes. The artistry of the fare is breathtaking.

I enjoyed the sugar-free raspberry sorbet. It was a deeply sweet expression of pure fruit. Another Columbus resident reviewed the (non-vegetarian) macaroons. She enjoyed them, but gave a slight nod to local favorite Pistacia Vera.

I'm hardly the first to notice Sucre. It seems that everybody adores the macaroons. See O Magazine, the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN and even Maxim extolling the virtues of the sweets at Sucre for proof. I particularly like Hanna's quote in Southern Breeze Magazine: "Everything in moderation, as long as you moderate frequently." Check me off in the box as another adoring fan.

Sucre

Jacques-Imo's

Amid the hustle and bustle of Uptown New Orleans, it's hard to miss the activity at Jacques-Imo's, the flagship operation of high-energy chef Jacques Leonardi. Jacques-Imo's offers new spins on Creole and Cajun delicacies, all prepared under the watchful eye of one of the city's most talented and idiosyncratic gourmands.

It's very easy to get a feel for how Jacques-Imo's operates. The animated Leonardi roams the floor checking on customers. These same customers are ushered into the restaurant right through the kitchen, giving them an insider's perspective on operations at one of the busiest restaurants in the city.

The colorful decorations match the spirit of the restaurant and the cuisine. Signs order patrons to "Be nice or leave," although the hospitality is far more gracious than the signage would suggest.

The meal is supplemented by small plates brought out between starters and the main course. The corn bread muffins were divine. They were drowned in a bath of garlic butter and tasted good enough to justify me eating three plates worth of corn bread.

The vegetarian delight was an acorn squash stuffed with broccoli, cauliflower, black beans, sweet potatoes and onions in a coconut curry. The presentation was a beautiful array of colors. The flavors ran the gamut from sweet to spicy to rich to vegetal. Many of the sides are vegetarian, as well, including mashed potatoes, okra and collard greens.

Dessert was a bread pudding that was like a liquid version of a cinnamon roll. It was a savory take on delicious.

The bar does a fairly brisk business. Jacques-Imo's doesn't take reservations for parties less than five, and patrons wait patiently at the bar for tables to open up.

My personal highlight from the bar was the special Jockamo IPA from Abita. The aggressively hopped brew was a perfect foil to the spicy food.

One of the other highlights at Jacques-Imo's is the two top truck. Two patrons may sit at a table in the back of a Jacques-Imo's pickup truck in front of the establishment and enjoy the atmosphere of Oak Street.

Jacques-Imo's

Michael's Pizza

Michael's Pizza is a Westerville destination for a number of reasons. I dig it because it was one of the first restaurants to serve alcohol when Westerville finally voted down their longstanding prohibition initiative.

The beer and wine is just window dressing to well made thin crust pizza and traditional Italian offerings, however. Pizza Mike was recognized as making the best pizza in the U.S.A. at the World Pizza Championships in Italy. I would have figured that this was a fake award, except for the fact that Avalanche Pizza in Athens (another great pizza shop) also won this award, so the award seems to be a pretty good indicator of quality.

The pizza has a fantastic crust I would describe as similar to a puffy flatbread. It is neither traditionally crispy of outright chewy--it is a happy medium between the two.

The tomato sauce is tangy and definitely not from a can. The toppings are also high quality, from the button mushrooms to the green peppers to the sweet, mild onions. The cheese is a blend of Romano and provolone, and each pizza is topped with additional grated cheese and spices.

The side dishes are also very good. The cheese sticks were very tasty. The menu also offers a few other vegetarian appetizers, a veggie sub and a few assorted pasta dishes.

Michael's Pizza

Manhattans

Unfortunately, I was lazy and didn't take my camera to dinner at Manhattans last night. You are just going to have to deal with my descriptions and memories, plus the picture I took of my to-go box.

Manhattans is owned by the same person who was in charge of the last establishment. The old place, Tirado's, was named for owner Rudy Tirado, and it featured soups, sandwiches, salads and ice cream in a fairly disorganized interior.

Manhattan's is a huge upgrade stylistically over its predecessor. The interior is stylish, clean and classy. It definitely shows a keener eye to detail than the slapdash Tirado's did.

The menu is classic American bistro fare, with soups, salads, pasta and a cornucopia of appetizers. There are a few vegetarian items that are clearly marked, including the vegetarian pasta, which consists of a linguini base topped by mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, squash, onions, broccoli and red pepper in a reduced sauce with notes of red wine and garlic. I didn't inquire, but this seemed to be a vegan dish...check with the staff to be sure.

The entree also came with a choice of soup or salad. The house dressing was a smoked ranch that was interesting if slightly less than traditional. I probably would have preferred something else as a dressing, but the salad was at least well made.

I started with a pepper jack queso dip which was served with a mountain of tortilla chips. This dish came highly recommended by the jovial man at the bar who extolled the dish's beguiling character.

Manhattans shows far more promise than the last venture did. It isn't a place with tons of vegetarian options, but there are options for vegetarian diners that are well made and presented. The wine list is also small but features a few nice choices.

The staff was attentive if not exceptional. The place filled up quickly after 6 pm Friday night (as you'd expect it to do), and there was also a fairly sizeable bar crowd. My original intention was not to dine here, but it was a pleasant surprise.

There is also another location in historic Delaware, Ohio if you prefer your dining a little bit country rather than a little bit rock and roll like it is in uptown Westerville (the virtual Bacchanalia capital of Franklin county).