{craving} tacos

Photo from Don't Look Back's Facebook Page

It is that time of year again, time for my semi-annual “cleanse”. Kind of like the Victoria Secret semi-annual sale, but with less bras and more vegetables. Ok, so it’s not like the sale at all, except that it happens semi-annually.

This year, I am not taking any supplements, but relying totally on diet to “cleanse”. The reason this is in quotation marks is because what I am actually doing is just eating really healthy. In my life, eating healthy is “cleansing” when you compare it to what I normally eat. Ok, I’ll stop with the quotations.

This go-around I am adopting a vegan diet in addition to cutting out anything with white flour, fried, or overly oiled. When I tell people this, they usually come back with, “What CAN you eat?”

The Answer: Tacos!!!

And boy, am I glad for that. We have some great taco spots in the city that serve vegan tacos that you don’t have to plug your nose to swallow.

Tio Pablos –is one of my favorite restaurants in Richmond whether I am cleansing or not. They serve only corn tortillas, so the entire restaurant is gluten free. The vegetables are always fresh and the servings are just the right size. I get their taco plate, with “de legumbres” which means sautéed vegetables, with guacamole and rice on the side. If you are eating things that used to walk, get “de cesina” thinly sliced cured beef or “de pollo chipotle”. I have had them both in my former life (a week ago).

Don’t Look Back – has more than one option if you are looking for meatless dining. Their bean tacos with Costa Rican style black beans or Santa Fe style pinto beans are sure to pack on the protein. If you are ready to go to the dark side (and by the dark side, I mean the place where they eat fake meat type things), order the “TVP” which stands for textured vegetable protein. It sounds scary, but is actually not bad at all. When my cleanse is over, I will be getting them with sour cream on top.

Pasture – I have written about Pasture’s Mexican Monday here if you are not familiar. Know that they don’t always serve tacos, but when they do, they usually have a vegetarian option that is worth the drive downtown. They post on the Mexican Monday special on their facebook page, so you can check it out before you go.