I am a big fan of happy hour.  Let's face it ~ it was named that for a reason!  I don't get to enjoy it too often, but when I do, it's definitely all it's cracked up to be.

This past Friday I met my friends Heidi and Robyn at a place called Don Emilio's in Chappaqua, NY.  We hadn't been together in far too long, but the timing was great as Robyn and I were both celebrating a birthday, so it gave us a good excuse!

First thing's first ~ Heidi had a patron silver margarita on the rocks, no salt, waiting for me at the bar.  I'm not a sour mix kind of girl (yuck) so I prefer the tequila with a little cointreau and some fresh lime...perfection.

Don Emilio's has award-winning guacamole and warm tortilla chips, so we had plenty of delicious fare to keep us company while we had a chance to catch up.  That guacamole is a meal in itself...if you live in Westchester and have not yet frequented this restaurant, you need to schedule a date there...now!

You may think for vegan fare that's as good as mexican food gets, but you're wrong.  Nachos!  Ok - so they aren't slathered with cheese with a generous dollop of sour cream on the side, but you can still enjoy them.  Heidi ordered the nachos, half non-dairy, and those warm chips with refried beans, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and extra guacamole were exactly what I needed to round out this great hour with such close friends.  

For mexican food at home, you can add sliced olives, salsa, non-dairy sour cream and cheese, and whole kidney or black beans to the nacho ingredients above (or try the dip on the Being Kind page.)  You can also cook up a box of spanish rice, sautee up some colored peppers and onions in a little chili seasoning (salt to taste), slice some olives and jalopenos (wash your hands thoroughly before touching your eyes!), dice tomatoes, shred some lettuce and put some of each of these ingredients together in a burrito shell...with some of the non-dairy sour cream, guacamole and salsa on the side, it's a surefire hit, and a well-rounded vegan meal, all in one!




Veg and the City