Sandwich Quest: HipCityVeg's Crispy HipCity Ranch

My vegetarian Sandwich Quest search has finally found a sandwich worth recomending to omnivores. The Crispy HipCity Ranch from HipCityVeg more than met my expectations for a solid sandwich. Period. Veggie or not.

Unlike the disappointing vegetarian cheesesteaks from Govinda's and Blackbird, the battered "chick'n" didn’t leave a bland aftertaste and the chick'n was solid enough to sink your teeth into. The batter was even extra crispy like the name implies. Plus the peppercorn ranch sauce was excellent - and I do not care much for ranch flavors.

At $8.50, the crispy chick'n is not cheap, but still comparable on price to other good sammies such as Paesano's Bolognese at $8.

Three Observations of Vegetarian Cheesesteaks

The second stop on the vegetarian portion of Sandwich Quest was Blackbird Pizzeria at 6th and Lombard. Several people suggested Blackbird after reading about my disappointment with Govinda’s “chicken cheeseteak."

This post has been a battle to put into the right words and clearly articulate my feelings. I also expect to see some tough comments and reactions. Before you read on, know that I have a completely open mind to trying new things and put forth a lot of effort to understand the food of each culture and type of eater. We write this blog as a way to share some of those discoveries.

It's also one of the reasons why I wanted to tackle some vegetarian "cheesesteaks." I hoped for the chance to share a positive experience with skeptics and explain why you should try them. Sadly, that has not turned out to be the case after stops at two highly recommended places. The vegetarian cheesesteaks have been a disappointment.

Sandwich Quest: Govinda’s Vegetarian Chicken Cheesesteak

Vegetarian food has intrigued me in recent months. The interest mainly lies in expanding my cooking abilities by learning other techniques and recipes. What better way to learn which vegetarian food I like than by sampling some on Sandwich Quest.

Counter at Govinda's

So far, the only vegetarian fare on Sandwich Quest has been the falafel from Magic Carpet. This is not a real test of vegetarian food from my perspective. Give me the “chicken” and “steak” concoctions.

In the comment section of the first post about Sandwich Quest, reader Kristen said we had to try the “chicken cheeseteak" at Govinda’s Gourmet Vegetarian at South and Broad. You got it, Kristen.

This non-vegetarian was very disappointed. The consistency was fine, the bread was great, but the sandwich lacked all flavor. My food endorphins were nowhere to be found.

Night Market: Crepewalk

Crepewalk's veggie crepe from the Chinatown Night Market. Onion, red/green peppers, spinach, broccoli, cheese and feta sauce...

Ohhh the feta sauce, you made my night. Good crepe made even better with a delicious light sauce. LOT of onions, probably could have skipped a handful and gone with more peppers.

Here is the chef at work and some food shots. Sorry for the partially eaten shot but crepes don't look like much on their own!