Citizen Eatery Inspires with Beautiful Vegetarian Fare

Citizen Eatery

5011 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78756
http://www.citizeneatery.com/

I am trying to turn a new leaf and eat more veggies, guys. Pun apologetically intended. I’m not someone who minds her health when she eats but I want to become that person. More plants. Less fried things. So it was with curiosity and slight trepidation, I went to Citizen Eatery, a new vegetarian establishment with an airy interior. I left feeling silly for my initial reluctance, proud of eating my veggies, and excited for the delicious and healthy addition to the neighborhood!

The Nest; two poached eggs over fried veggie noodles, over wilted kale; $8.5

I kept stealing bites of the fried veggie noodles from this dish while it was being photographed by me and Austin Food Magazine. I know I said less fried things but they use olive and coconut oils and it’s served on a bed of wilted kale! I could happily make this entree a meal any day. You can request a side of their house-made green chili sauce to give it an extra kick.

Californian Toast; avocado, aspargus, and fried egg; $5

This was my safe order. Adding asparagus to the on-trend avocado toast is a good move.

Smoked Green Chili Burger; burger patty made with white beans, hatch green chilis, mushrooms, and Citizen grain mix, &9; ordered with added fries for an extra $2.5

Even if you don’t order a burger, definitely order some fries for your table. I got the mix of russet and sweet potato fries and kept snatching the fries in between photography shots. I also loved their vegan ketchup. I could make a meal of these fries too! The burger, though perfectly fine, was my least favorite. (Most vegetarian burgers just make me crave the real thing.)

Bitters Salad; salad with rocket (arugula), endive, radicchio, chick peas, olives, citrus vinaigrette; $10

Last, and most surprising is the Bitters Salad. One of the owners, Aimee Walden Moyer brought this to our table. It was a work of art. The colors and the edible flowers were beautiful. I told her honestly that my favorite lettuce is arugula, and she told me in England they call it “rocket”, which is a superior name. She playfully commanded us to eat this salad before leaving us. I looked at Hayden of Austin Food Magazine and sighed. “Great, now I’m pressured to like this salad.” I used to call salads without meats or croutons “rabbit food”. So I forked some rabbit food and tasted the salad. With shock, I could not stop shoveling this leafy salad into my mouth. I made perfect bites of leaves to balance the salt of olives and chickpeas. This salad made me revel in the joy of discovering new pleasures.