Think Food for Thought!

Where there are exams and major essays, there is unequivocally studying, ceaseless revision and stress.  All of which put a damper on the whole cooking shin-dig.  In my pursuit to find a distraction-free haunt—that also made sure I kept well fed :P—I found my new favorite diner in Missoula.  The two major selling points: 1) It is literally a 3 minute walk across the street from my dorm and 2) they serve scrambled tofu and vegan omelets until 2 in the afternoon + endless coffee.  I am a pig in poo.

As you may already notice from the pictures, the University (if not all of Missoula) is a bastion for bicyclists.  The bike racks outside of the dorms and along the streets are congested with two-wheeled pedaling machines like macaroni and cheese in an artery.  Parking your bike can be just as bad as trying to park your car around here!  An they keep on coming.....

I figured that I would spare you pictures of my books and study-gear, so I have just included a sampling of photos from the inside of Food For Thought (FFT).   I love how their menu is displayed: a bunch of black-boards hung hodge-podge about the ceiling. If you are into the tofu and beans, there's a blackboard for you.  If you are there for eggs and breakfasty type times.  There are 3 whole blackboards for you.  Chicken? burgers? salads? sandwiches? COFFEE? There's a blackboard filled with creative combinations to choose from.

For breakfast here, I usually order only eggs, toast and a vat of raspberry jam.  Although, last Thursday I figured that I should try their 'taters' that everyone goes on and on and on about.  Apparently their browns are the best in the city.  The FFT people cut up huge wedges of potato, toss them liberally in oil and seasonings and then broil the little puppies until crispy.  Not sure if I am a tater kind of girl...but I believe I will be sticking to my toast and eggs from hence forth.  If you like your hash-browns, then FFT's version will probably taste like ambrosia (as I am led to believe).

 Art changes every few months.  Local artists put their works on display for purchase and admiration. While I will never fall into the former category, I always sit at the same table at FFT because of a particular painting.  It has a striking blue background splashed with crimson poppies.  Very cheery.  Exactly what I need while trying to tackle the less-than-merry prospect of studying.

 I practically did the little "Snoopy dance" when I saw a vegan quesadilla on the menu.  Instead of cheese, FFT uses a mixture of tofu and hummus-garbanzo-bean-mush.  Sounds bizarre, but crazy yummy.  I could eat one of these every weekend.  (I thought it was ironic that the dish is labeled 'vegan' but sour-cream still comes as an accompaniment haha).

Outside the diner, Summer flowers are still in full bloom.  Sunflowers, holly-hocks, poppies and different vines litter the garden along the South side of the restaurant.  I am not much of a plant photographer, but these orange-splattered sunflowers were something special.  That pumpkin-spice ring around the bloom's nucleus is probably my favorite color.  Memorizing, eh?

 Technically the study-fests never cease. They just come in "aaah, I can't look at another problem or analyze another frexing poem" waves and "There is much light at the end of the tunnel" waves.  At least while I am in hiatus mode, I will post blog entries.  Is there anywhere in Missoula anyone would like to here about?  I can just do general "travel log" posting about different restaurants/places as I discover them . . . or not.  Let me know what you want to hear and/or see.  (I like NOT writing about campus specifically as I spend nearly every freaking hour there.  It would be like blogging about your bedroom.  Here is my bed. Here is where I listen to lectures by Dr. Cracolice.  This is the food zoo; I don't eat hear as often as I should.  Over there is the Liberal Arts building where I have never been as I am a science major. Really? Do you want to read about that?)

Comments are appreciated!  The idea machine needs a direction to run with once and awhile, less this turn into a Mad Hatter blog.

Cheers, kaite ;]