Satisfying Salad

The Chefs: Elizabeth and Herbivore

The Menu: One of my all-time favorite salads: Herbivore's mixed green salad with grated beets, bean sprouts, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, and grilled vegan chicken, all topped with a Dijon dressing.

The Goods: Yes, I could pretty much totally eat this salad every day. You know what makes an already-fantastic meal even better? When you get to share it with someone wonderful. Today I had the pleasure of dining with my mom and my sweetie, and couldn't have asked for a better lunch. Here's hoping everyone had equally great meals!

Hot Pink Soup!

The Chefs: Abby and Susy

The Menu: One of the most colorful ways of using Thanksgiving leftovers we've ever seen! Though the photo doesn't quite do it justice, this soup—which was an amalgamation of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and roasted root vegetables—was hot pink in real life, thanks to the roasted beets it contained. Susy (aka Elizabeth's mom) brought the soup makings, some stuffing, and a highly delicious cranberry-Cabernet sauce from the Castoria family Thanksgiving. Abby whipped up her signature biscuits and a big, beautiful salad.

The Goods: Today we had the pleasure of Susy's company and celebrated the birth of our beloved Frankie. OK, so technically Frankie's birthday isn't until tomorrow, but she has celebration plans that don't involve coming into the office, so we took the opportunity to whoop it up with her today. Fun ladies and great eats? We like that.

Tacos de Joe

The Chef: Joseph

The Menu: Can you really go wrong with rice and beans tacos? We think not, as evidenced by today's lunch. Joseph whipped up a rice and amaranth medley, and topped it with black beans that he simmered with bell peppers and spices. Decked out with avocado, these corn-tortilla-wrapped treats really hit the spot. We also enjoyed a huge mixed-greens salad with halved cherry tomatoes, raisins, green onions, and just a tad more avocado. Is there ever enough avocado? No, in fact, there isn't.

The Goods: Today we were not only treated to a rare Chef Joseph appearance, we also had the very enjoyable company of one Mrs. Susy Castoria. Giving birth to a member of the VN staff is pretty much a sure-fire way to get invited to lunch here, though it does take just a little planning ahead. If you didn't happen to have this clairvoyance, don't worry, you can still feel like you're hanging out with the VN gang by checking out the Press Pass entry about our amazing Music Issue Launch Party!