pink rickshaw

spiral diner

"The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man."-Charles Darwin

When some people hear the term "vegan", they immediately think of bizarre seeds, crazy grains and generally unappetizing food (can we say a 1001 ways to prepare tofu?). Spiral Diner, a vegan, organic restaurant and bakery is proof that absolutely delicious food can be free of animal sources. The Fort Worth Star Telegram says, "Understand that you need not be a vegetarian to enjoy the meals at Spiral Diner. The only requirement is that you have an appetite for fresh, healthful food--that more often than not is packed with flavor." The flagship diner is located in Fort Worth, Texas with another location in Oak Cliff near South Dallas.

Spiral Diner offers an expansive menu from migas, burritos, sandwiches, salads, and pasta to unlimited brunch pancakes and tasty non-dairy ice cream. The beauty of the logic behind Spiral Diner is the simple understanding that in order to get people to consider a Vegan lifestyle (or meal), you need to provide them familiar food options. As a result, the diner offers several comfort food classics (meatloaf, spaghetti and "meat"balls, chicken salad (chik'n-less salad) sandwich) that anyone (vegetarian, vegan and none of the above) would find delicious. Spiral Diner also concentrates on utilizing ingredients that are fair trade, and is committed to using recycled, earth friendly materials.
Beyond providing yummy vegan fare, the establishment also offers select cooking and baking classes. SD and I attended the June desserts class and were delighted (and a little surprised) by the vegan sweet delights (chocolate moose, brownies, blueberry and apple pie) covered in the class. Although the class participants do not bake during the two-hour session; the class was still interactive and very informative in terms of techniques and key ingredients and even brand recommendations. Executive chef James M. Johnston (his wife Amy is the owner) started off the class by answering the one question that everyone who bakes wants to know: how in the world do you bake without the eggs? The secret was surprising simple – just don’t use eggs, and the results were delicious. The best part of the class was a sampling of the desserts (including a blueberry pie that I am still dreaming about). We left the class armed with recipes for us to recreate and an understanding that animal sources were not a requirement for delicious baked goods. The July class is comfort foods, supper style and includes meatloaf and gravy, mac and cheese, stroganoff, rolls and corn bread and will be held on July 26 in Dallas and July 27 in Ft. Worth. Sign up by phone or at the diner.

PR rating: A manicured thumbs up. Regardless of your eating lifestyle, delicious food simply has no label. Try a meal and if you looking for a fun activity, try one of the upcoming classes. Sign up soon, they fill up quick.

image source: spiraldiner.com

-RW

4 minutes: kayu sunglasses

"With my sunglasses, I'm Jack Nicholson. Without them, I'm fat and 60." -Jack Nicholson

Things whose 15 minutes are definitely up: Speidi, designer bottled water and your old, trendy sunnies from last year. We'll leave the first two has-beens alone; but if you're looking to give your old shades the boot and try some new sun eye wear, KAYU has the perfect solution. The company's glam and chic sunglasses are made from eco-friendly, sustainable bamboo. But that's not the only thing that will help your karma; purchasing one pair of glasses may just help someone across the world see again.

According to the KAYU website, "80 percent of blindness is curable or preventable, yet 36 million people are needlessly blind. Avoidable blindness is the most common in the poorest of the poor, and has far reaching implications that touch on all aspects of human development-social, economic and quality of life. Eliminating preventable blindness is one of the world's most urgent problems and one that persists due to a lack of funds." So, KAYU founder Jamie Lim (born in Texas and raised in Malaysia and Hong Kong) decided to help make a difference and left the corporate rat race to make ethically produced eyeglasses with sustainable materials while bringing the gift of sight to those around the world. KAYU is in partnership with the non-profit organization Unite for Sight and promotes the elimination of preventable blindness by contributing $50 from each pair of glasses sold. That $50 is enough to fund a sight-restoring cataract surgery. According to Ode magazine (where the sunglasses made their Organic Top 20 list), many of these sight-restoring operations KAYU helps fund are done in Africa where mortality rates for the blind are four times higher than for sighted people. KAYU's mantra is "one pair of sunglasses=one sight-restoring surgery". Now, that is definitely worth more than 15 minutes of fame.

image source: kayudesign.com

-SD 

june super six

"I liked the choreography, but I didn't care for the costumes." -Tommy Tune on why he never played basketball

Our male (and yes..often gal) Pink Rickshaw readers often politely suggest we should cover more sports. They are usually met with a blank stare and silence. However, RW and I will admit to tuning into the recent excitement of the NBA Finals. What's not to love? The drama, the tattoos, and more celebrities courtside than at The Ivy. So, inspired by basketball's big event, we looked to both coasts and found this month's super six.

  

Lakers Coast
1) Kobe meet Kogi
Los Angeles has become synonymous with the immensely popular Kogi Korean BBQ Taco Trucks. Here's how it works. Find out the truck's location via Twitter. Proceed to location (which may require a GPS or an exceptionally keen sense of direction). Be surprised at how many other people are there. Wait in line (yes..it's that good). Chow down on some Korean inspired Mexican fare and make the rest of us not in LA super jealous. Kogi is doing so well that they plan on expanding their taco truck business to other major cities including NYC.

2) Laker Girls--Bollywood style
Do those Laker Girls just make you want get up and dance? You don't have to be Paula Abdul to get your groove on but why not add some Eastern pizazz? With the popularity of Slumdog Millionaire and Bollywood routines on shows like So You Think You Can Dance; Bollywood dance classes are drawing big crowds. Try a class in LA at NDM Dance Studios (considered one of the best in the nation) or near you:
NYC: Naya Dance
Houston: Rhythm India
Denver: Bollywood West School
Chicago: Bollywood Rhythms

 

Magic Coast
3) Florida fashion
Matthew Williamson's collection for H&M just screams fun in the Florida sun. Both the much coveted Spring and Summer collections are hot and perfect if you're planning a trip to Miami or Palm Beach. Rumor has it the peacock dress pictured above seen on celebs Nicky Hilton and Katy Perry is already sold out; so it may require some real magic to get a hold of one. But hopefully, you can still check-out some of Williamson's fun bikinis and tunics at your local H&M.

4) Save the Manatee
On a recent trip to Belize, I was lucky enough to spot the very lovable sea cows. After seeing one (or even a picture of one), it's hard to not want to take action to help save the docile creatures (they're almost as cute as Dwight Howard). The population of Florida manatees is thought to be between 1000 and 3000 with the number of deaths caused by humans up to 20-40%. They are vulnerable to extinction due to being hit with boats or slashed by propellers. The Save the Manatee club has an Adopt-a-Manatee program whose proceeds go towards efforts to help protect the manatees and their habitats. Makes a great gift and you can even see your manatee at one of three locations in Florida.

 

5) A mustache like Van Gundy
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy may be touted in the press as being ordinary, but PR loves his mustache. Why not show your support for the Magic by growing one of your own? Ladies, no reason to feel left out. The ever popular finger mustache is all the rage (recently making an appearance on The Bachlorette). Need ideas? Check out the ultimate fingerstache website. Maybe "mustaches for the Magic" is just the kind of support that will get them a win in Game 5.

Winner takes all
6) Off the court bling
At the end of the grueling series, regardless of who wins, one team will walk away with a prize. And don't you deserve one too for being a fan? Why not treat yourself with some fun Indian inspired jewelry from fabsugar.com find, Tejani. The pieces are handcrafted by artisans in Mumbai and include fun stacked bangles (the style featured above was in the Oprah Magazine O List) and glittering earrings. Most pieces include semi-precious stones. After all, basketball players have their bling..you should too.

Have a suggestion for the super six? Post it in the comments or email us at [email protected]. 

image source: kogibbq.com, bollywood dancing: huffingtonpost.com, Matthew Williamson collection: hm.com, manatee: iguanacreek.com, mustaches: fingerstache.ning.com, bracelets: tejanibridaljewelry. com

-SD

4 minutes: major drama

"I love acting. It is so much more real than life." -Oscar Wilde

 

No one has ever accused you of being a wall flower. Growing up, you pretended you were a fairy princess while your poor rugrat sister was forever cast as the warty witch. As a teenager, you were able to avoid extreme punishment by walking with an Oscar winning limp after wrecking your Mom's mini-van. Last year, when the love of your life broke up with you because "you deserved better", you re-enacted Bridget Jones' vodka/Chaka Khan scene with painful precision. You are, without a doubt, a major drama queen.

If you are interested in meeting or supporting others who have your flair for dramatics, consider checking out the Fort Worth Theatre. It is the oldest community theater in Fort Worth and dedicated to providing a local outlet for non-professionals to participate in the arts, as well as providing the community with fine theater. The theater recently put on the comic play, Hay Fever. You can even involve all of your pals who may not enjoy the lime-light, by enlisting their support as a volunteer or sponsor for the organization. The Fort Worth Theatre is a 501(c)(3) organization, and is dependent upon the donations and sponsorship of the community to operate. This Saturday, the group is hosting their annual fundraiser at Rahr Brewery to raise funds for next year's shows. Silent auctions, unlimited Rahr beer and barbecue, and live music are just a few of the perks of this event. Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door. So, don't save the drama for your momma--supporting local community arts and unlimited beer is the perfect scene for any drama queen.

image source: fortworththeatre.org, imageguy.wordpress.com

-RW