Local Food Finds

Asian Vegan Restaurant, New Italian Brunch Spot, Teacher Tuesdays, Lobster Rolls, and Half Pints Club

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All photos courtesy of Sarah Amyot

• Calling all my vegan (and non-vegan) friends – Cisu Vegan House in Hanover offers a mouth-watering, all-vegan Asian menu. Highlights include their salt and pepper tofu, crispy Korean vegan beef, vegan beef chow fun (stir-fried flat rice noodles), and coconut fritters with peanut sauce. For beverages, they have boba drinks, Baltimore’s Wild Bay Kombucha, ICARO Yerba Mate, and Asian bottled drinks like aloe vera. There’s even a vegan snack corner with several types of vegan jerky and dried tofu if you need a snacky snack to-go.
  • Mark your calendars – on Saturday, April 20, Cisu Vegan House is hosting an AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat) vegan buffet for $25. There will be fun card and board games and free raffles, with prizes that include a $50 Cisu Vegan House gift card, a zero-waste kit from Bmore Vegan Block Party, a 30-minute free nutrition counseling session with Mark Rifkin (a vegan-registered dietitian), and a $25 gift card for Land of Kush Vegan Soul Food Restaurant.
• New brunch spot alert! Usually offered only on special occasions, Carpaccio Tuscan Kitchen now serves an Italian-inspired brunch every weekend (yes, that includes both Saturdays and Sundays) starting at 11 a.m. Highlights include the buon giorno pasta (spaghetti pasta tossed with bacon, sausage, and mushrooms in a light cream sauce; topped with poached eggs and parmesan cheese) and the kid-favorite, breakfast pizza (Nutella spread with mixed berries and bananas). Don’t forget to order a $6 mimosa or $7 bloody mary. Buon appetito!
• If you can read this, thank a teacher. Seriously. We appreciate teachers out here, being rockstars and inspiring our next generation. If you’re a teacher (or know a teacher) – Neo Pizza has Teacher Tuesdays – bring your ID and get 15% off your meal. My favorite is the Goodfellas pizza (signature red sauce, mozzarella, Italian sausage, applewood bacon, pepperoni, and meatballs topped with ricotta cheese, fresh garlic, and basil) and my son’s favorite is a make-your-own PPP (pepperoni and pineapple pizza – don’t judge the toddler!). They also have beer on tap, and you can make your own beer flight.
• Ready to party like a “lob”star? Cousin’s Maine Lobster food truck is visiting Annapolis and its surrounding areas this month. Whether you’re a Maine lobster roll versus Connecticut lobster roll person, you can order in-person or via mobile app. They do not accept cash, so bring your card or a contactless form of payment. Below are places where you can spot them:
  • Wednesday, April 10 from 12 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. @ Comptroller of Maryland (110 Carroll Street, Annapolis, MD 21411)
  • Thursday, April 11 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. @ David’s Natural Market (871 Annapolis Road, Gambrills, MD 21054)
  • Friday, April 19 from 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. @ Gold Leaf (2029 West Street, Annapolis, MD 21401)
  • Sunday, April 28 from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. @ Naptown Vinyl Record Show (801 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD 21401)
• Did You Know? Annapolis Whole Foods hosts a Half Pints Club every Tuesdays and Thursdays, twice a day. The AM session is from 11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. and the PM session is from 1 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Kids ages 3 – 5 learn how to make a delicious snack using all-natural ingredients, followed by a store tour and samples. Tickets are $5 per child and they go fast! On the menu in the coming weeks are pigs in a blanket, Earth Day dirt pudding cups, very veggie English muffin pizzas, cereal yogurt parfaits, turkey roll ups, and teddy bear rice cakes.