Veggie Grill with Nathan Barnatt

"Veggie Grill with Nathan Barnatt" is Episode 47 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Veggie Grill with Nathan Barnatt" was released on April 3, 2016.

## Synopsis

The ‘boys review up and coming vegan fast food outlet Veggie Grill with the help of actor, comedian, and the man behind Keith Apicary, Nathan Barnatt. Mitch and Nathan compete in Wiger’s piping hot new segment, Pie In This Guy.

*[Feel free to start this episode at the 4:05 mark. -ed.]*

## Nick's intro

"*We believe the spiritual destiny of man is such that in time he will view with abhorrence the idea that men once fed on the products of animals' bodies.*"

So said a Yorkshire teacher and woodworker named Donald Watson, who in November 1944, having avoided service in World War II as a conscientious objector, founded The Vegan Society.

Like many Westerners, Watson was simply borrowing and naming a concept from the East where many observant Hindus and Buddhists had avoided meat and animal byproducts for centuries. By giving English-speaking animal activists a unifying identity, Watson birthed a movement that took hold in the U.S. during the counterculture era of the 1960s. As the decades passed and more and more people became vegetarian and vegan, they couldn't shake the cravings for the meaty textures of their youths, leading to oft-derided meat substitutes like tempeh bacon and Tofurkey.

Then, in 2007, a vegan fast-casual restaurant in Irvine, California managed to break through, offering meatless dairy-free versions of such traditional comfort fare as nachos, Buffalo wings, and cheeseburgers. The concept saw rapid success, distinguishing itself by coming eerily close to the real thing in both flavor and price.

Now with twenty-six locations up and down the Left Coast, does this garden of eatin' deserve a visit from omnivores?

This week on *Doughboys*: Veggie Grill.

## Fork rating

* B.T.L.A.
* Crispy Fries
* Fresh Asparagus Soup
 Mike Mitchell
* Buffalo-style Wings
* Santa Fe Chickin'
* Crispy Fries
 Nathan Barnatt
* Moroccan Lentil Soup
* Chocolate Parfait

With these scores, Veggie Grill joins the Golden Plate Club. (However, it would be removed a few years later.)

Side note: Mitch, still upset about the Burger Brawl, demotes his In-N-Out score to 3 forks. However, Nick says because it won the Burger Brawl, it has permanent member status in the Platinum Plate Club and cannot ever be removed.

## Pie In This Guy 🥧

Nick introduces a new segment in which he brings in a mystery slice of pie and Mitch and the guest crack a series of clues to guess what it is. They have the help of a lifeline: smell test or phone-a-friend.

The winner of the contest receives the mystery pie. The loser goes home empty-stomached.

Today's mystery pie was a McDonald's Apple Pie.

 "*You don't need utensils to eat this pie.*"
Banana Cream
 "*New York is the big one, this pie is a little one.*"
Juicy Crabapple Cake-Pie
 (Here, Wiger proposes they both try again without a clue.)
 "*This pie rhymes with 'schick bonald's mapple'."* |  | McDonald's Apple

## Quotes

**Mitch**: Oh my God, yes you *are* as boring as Finn and Rey.

## #hashtags

* #Ithaca
* #FastestToTwo
* #ScoringLadder
* #LittleGreenStumper

## The Feedbag

Have you ever wished you liked a food that you otherwise don't enjoy?

 Mike Mitchell
 Nathan Barnatt
* arugala

## Restaurants

 The Alamo
 Moosewood
 Chandni
 Clara Cakes
 Gracias Madre

## Drops and Plugs and Themes

* Lily Allen "Silver Spoon"
* Harry Chapin "Cat's in the Cradle"
* Steve Martin "Grandmother's Song"
* *Borderlands 2*
 *Kirby Buckets* (tv)
 Warrant "Cherry Pie"

## Related Episodes

* 344. Veggie Grill 2

## Photos (via @doughboyspod)

Santa Fe Chickin'B.L.T.A.Avocado SoupChocolate Parfait