Soul food, vegan eats and a fantasy bar

Journalism is hard work. In the past few weeks, we've send our intrepid reporters out to a soul food restaurant, a Buddhist-inspired vegan eatery and a hookah bar. Our reviewers came, they saw, they ate.

This week, it was Andy Nguyen's, a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant. Inspired by Buddhist thought, Andy Nguyen's menu offers intriguing culinary delights like Transformation of the Mind, a grilled Hanoi-style soy meat dish in a lettuce wrap. Though a vegan paradise, our reviewer says meat-eaters should be wary.

Layalina offers a bit of Far East exoticism, too, albeit fewer references to the Dalai Lama. A smoker's delight, the hookah bar, restaurant and club offers everything from baba ghanouj to a DJ spinning beats. Our writer says get there stylishly late to enjoy the DJ and stop by on Thursdays for a hip hop-themed night.

And then there's Table 260, which serves up Southern-fried soul food with a twist. Mouth-watering chicken and waffles, jambalaya, pulled-pork sandwiches and ribs are all on the menu, but, our reporter warns our readers the prices may be a bit high for the average college student.

For more dining reviews, visit The State Hornet and get the skinny. We'll figure out which restaurants are worth the time of your taste buds.

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Quick Bean Fajita Burritos

This is something that I throw together on nights that I want something filling but don't have a lot of time (like when I'm running late for my horror film class), and a plus is that it is vegetarian. All it is is a bean burrito with some sauted onions and bell peppers. Yesterday this recipe took twenty minutes from start to finish.

All you need to make these burritos is a can of refried beans, a quarter of a sliced yellow onion, one bell pepper, olive oil and tortillas. If you are concerned about the recipe being fully vegetarian, pick up the refried beans that say "vegetarian" on the can. Some other optional ingredients you can use are sour cream, grated cheese and salsa. Also, I use whole wheat tortillas, but any tortilla you prefer will do.

The first step is to chop the bell pepper and the onion into strips, and then put them in the pan with the olive oil on medium high heat for about ten minutes.

While the bell pepper and onion are cooking, heat the refried beans according to the direction on the can. Once those are heated, place the number of tortillas you want to use between two paper towels and stick them in the microwave for about a minute and a half.

To serve, scoop some beans onto the tortilla, add some of your bell pepper and onion onto the beans, and garnish with the toppings of your choice, like the cheese or sour cream.

This recipe should serve two, so if you are making this for one, you'll have leftovers which never hurts!
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