Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
The blog is soylentilgreen.com. Note here from loyal reader and fellow blogger Julia:
My name is Julia Dennis, and I’ve been a vegetarian for going on twelve years now. My husband Sean, has been a vegetarian for more than twenty years. I have worked at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston–not as a chef, but I was around cooking a lot while I was working there and got to meet a lot of the more well-known chefs and spend time in some of the famous kitchens of Charleston.
Every time my husband and I travel to a new place, I always do advance research to see what vegetarian options we’ll have. Some places have great vegetarian restaurants; others, you’re lucky if you can find one or two good items on a menu. My partner and I thought Soy Lentil Green might be a fun resource for tourists, visitors and local people. We have lots of vegetarian restaurants in town, but I’m sure there are many vegetarians who are scared away by places like Burgermeister’s or the Admiral because they don’t know they’ll be able to get vegetarian food there. (In the case of the Admiral, especially, you can get great vegetarian food there if you just ask.) One of the things I learned from working at Johnson & Wales is that, by and large, most chefs love a good challenge. As long as you don’t come in on their busiest day or the busiest time of the evening, and you can be flexible with the ingredients, most chefs are willing to accommodate you. (It also doesn’t hurt to call ahead and let them know you’re coming, and how many vegetarians are in your party.)
The other thing we like about our blog is that the reviews are coming from two completely different viewpoints. I like spicy, exotic, flavorful, well-plated items; my partner prefers to look at the energy of the food, how well it’s prepared, and nuances of ambiance and service. Hopefully people will get something out of both of our perspectives, but some might gravitate towards one of our opinions or the other.
