Monday, September 26, 2011

It's The Final Countdown: R.I.P. Evergreen

Kung-Pow Wow Soybean
AKA The Number 14
    I always decided that having theme music at work would make the day more awesome. While I haven't figured out an arrival song, I decided that Europe's "Final Countdown" would make for a perfect departure, complete with a fog machine and a disappearing stage. I'm still waiting to hear back from my boss, maybe it's the fog machine that's holding it up. But cross your fingers for me! It's also the song that should be playing at  Evergreen House Cafe. After 13 years, Evergreen House will be closing its doors THIS Friday, September 30th. (It's also the last week of Union Street so put that apron down and get eating!). I know first Horizons closed, now this!
          Fresh For You Hoo Spring Wraps
Hands Down The Best Spring Rolls In This Town.
       Maybe I have a predilection for restaurants named Evergeen. South Jersey's Evergreen, which closed many years ago, beckoned me to cut class once or twice to devour the best scallion pancake I ever had, filled with lettuce, tomato, plum sauce and vegan ham. Oh, the memories! I still carried these when I found out Salt Lake had their own Evergreen. The first time I visited Salt Lake it was closed the entire time I was here, such a disappointment. When I moved here, it was the first restaurant I visited and it's been a staple ever since, especially in between my college classes. It's the place I went to eat after a dump truck barreled down an off ramp into the bus I was riding in. That should say it all pure comfort food.          
Open Sesame Mushroom Stem
AKA The Number 14
     Evergeen house serves pretty standard asian inspired cuisine, but the best part is that everything, from the fortune cookies to the entrees, is vegan! The only thing that wasn't vegan was the mushroom stem, but the recipe was recently veganized! It's also the one place when I can order with just a single number. It's pretty rad and makes me feel like I'm on "Cheers" even if they don't know my name.
Red Bean Bao

     So if you're looking to feed your belly or perhaps buy an entire restaurant (It's for sale along with the entrees), come down to State Street, where the sign in the window beckons vegetarian and vegan food to Salt Lakers pretending like they're not cruising State Street for a date, which is prohibited anyway. I;ll try and snag a photo of the sign next time. Anyway, if you have never been before might I recommend the #7 Curry Potato Soybean or the #12 Black Pepper Soybean. It's what I ate for years (and just had today), but never got any pictures. On  my last visit, the special one and I decided to tackle something new with Kung-Pow Wow and Sesame Mushroom Stem, which were awesome, but left me longing for the comfort of number 12. Or just another reason to go back, I can't decide. Oh, and just a tip order the Red Bean Bao for a dessert, not an appetizer it's the perfect compliment to a meal. Just forget the dipping sauce. No matter what you try, be sure to visit to show the Tu's, who will be moving to California, how grateful we are for opening the first all vegetarian restaurant in the city. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Tu for helping to tame my stomach's growl time and time again!

Ever Green House on Urbanspoon

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