Restaurant Review: The Fiction Kitchen
I'm bringing you more from Raleigh today and tomorrow and then things are back to "normal" for a bit. ("Normal" in scare quotes because what is normal for me is a constantly changing equation right now.) Today, I'm reviewing a Raleigh vegetarian restaurant that is mostly, though not completely, vegan: The Fiction Kitchen. They also have a lot of gluten free options.
Unlike the Living Kitchen, which is pretty close to the Fiction Kitchen geographically, the Fiction Kitchen seems to focus more on vegetarian and vegan versions of classic Southern fare. So what else to get but a fried "chicken" sandwich with a side of fried green tomatoes?
Take out, of course. Because I was feeling far too tired for dine in. I'm still learning about my limitations and I can tell travelling is going to be a lot different in my future.
The sandwich was pretty good, and the various condiments that came along with the meal, especially the sorghum molasses dijon, went very well with it. The onion jam was a nice complement to the flavors, too. Unfortunately, that was where the flavor came from--the condiments. The rest of this was pretty bland.
The fried green tomatoes left a lot to be desired--they were soggy on top of being bland, and I didn't finish them--but I did like the sort of spicy red pepper relish that seemed to go with them (I didn't find that on the menu, so I'm not positive how that was supposed to be served).
General thoughts: I like that the Fiction Kitchen takes on classic Southern fare--sometimes when you travel you just want to sample the flavors of a place, not focus on how health-conscious the food can be, and that can be hard with many vegan restaurants. There's a lot they have going for them, but I'd like it better if the food itself were more flavorful rather than relying on sauces and jams. The staff was accommodating and service was prompt, which helps a lot. 3.5/5
Unlike the Living Kitchen, which is pretty close to the Fiction Kitchen geographically, the Fiction Kitchen seems to focus more on vegetarian and vegan versions of classic Southern fare. So what else to get but a fried "chicken" sandwich with a side of fried green tomatoes?
The sandwich was pretty good, and the various condiments that came along with the meal, especially the sorghum molasses dijon, went very well with it. The onion jam was a nice complement to the flavors, too. Unfortunately, that was where the flavor came from--the condiments. The rest of this was pretty bland.
The fried green tomatoes left a lot to be desired--they were soggy on top of being bland, and I didn't finish them--but I did like the sort of spicy red pepper relish that seemed to go with them (I didn't find that on the menu, so I'm not positive how that was supposed to be served).
General thoughts: I like that the Fiction Kitchen takes on classic Southern fare--sometimes when you travel you just want to sample the flavors of a place, not focus on how health-conscious the food can be, and that can be hard with many vegan restaurants. There's a lot they have going for them, but I'd like it better if the food itself were more flavorful rather than relying on sauces and jams. The staff was accommodating and service was prompt, which helps a lot. 3.5/5
It's hard doing fried food take out style so I definitely can see how it would be disappointing to have softy tomatoes. Bland food is disappointing as well but that sandwich does look good. Too bad the flavor was lacking in the actual food.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you were feeling tired. I know that you said traveling would be different for you in the future. I would love to hear some of your tips as you make your changes. I think it will be really helpful for others that are dealing with chronic illness. <3 Hope you are feeling ok!
Haha I meant soggy, not softy… although I guess softy works ;)
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