d'Sozo, I Think I Love You.

OK, so this is supposed to be a restaurant review...but it's more like my biased butt praising the very ground on which d'Sozo sits.

You see, d'Sozo and I had our vegan-beginnings around the same time last year. One could say we were twins destined for a long and loving life together (so far it has been great!). I don't get to visit d'Sozo as much as I would like because I have other obligations, but we still meet up every now and then.

The staff is friendly and congenial; the food is beyond yummy. Their professionally trained chef hails from Martinique and is forever creating wonderful daily specials (he'll even bring your food out when the waitresses are busy, score!). And the fare on their regular menu is pretty fab, as well. I think The Hubs and I have tried most of the menu over the course of the past year. We've even brought cookies from d'Sozo to a pool party.

Recently, I had a curry, which was the daily special. I HATE curry. But this was so sumptuous and flavorful. The Hubs kept stealing bites of my food, too!

The last time we were there, I tried the daily special again. This time it was Spinach Manicotti Pesto with a side of Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Roasted Red Peppers. AND it came with a COOKIE for dessert. I didn't remember this until the waitress brought me a cookie, and my face lit up like a kid in a candy store!

I would also like to extend my sincere 'Thanks!' to d'Sozo for inspiring my husband (fiance at the time we began eating there) to eat things that are GREEN. It all started when, on our first trip, one of the kind waitresses brought us samples of the Jurassic Green Smoothie (leftovers from someone's order). I was hesitant, being a new vegan, and I almost refused the good woman. My curiosity prevailed, and The Hubs and I tried some and were instantly hooked. It's so simple, but we get it almost every time we are there.

d'Sozo is the only purely vegan restaurant in Wichita, KS. There are other restaurants that are vegan-friendly: Zen Vegetarian (they used to have vegan meals labeled on their old menus, but I didn't see that distinction the last time I was there); O'Naturals (part of the Genesis Gym complex on Rock Road); Wild Thyme (brand new!); and Lotus Leaf Cafe in Delano (also new, haven't been to either yet). Maybe I will review them sometime soon.

And on that note, I would just like to say "Hey VegNews! Check out Wichita!"

If you don't believe me, look d'Sozo up on yelp.com or urbanspoon.com. Rave reviews, for the most part.

The restaurant also has their own bakery which provides all of their bread and baked goods for the day. They have a small store area, and they even offer cooking classes.

Seriously, can I just marry this place??

Check out their newly-redesigned webpage and a link directly to their menu.

People, I say this in all seriousness: If you are planning on driving through Kansas (because that is all people do here, right?), stop in Wichita and eat at d'Sozo. More than once. Make a trip of it. Stay for a while, and while here, have a wonderful meal and great experience.

Jes