NACHO DADDY INNOVATES VEGAN STYLE

It has been some time since my last actual writeup. With good reason of course. I took on the title of flight attendant and lived out of a suitcase for 3 years. You have no idea! I’ll be sure to expound on that in a future entry.

The pandemic gave me time to really stop and shift my thinking. I’ve been a pescatarian since 2004. It took years of falling off the wagon for me to get it right. I thought I would never be able to give up chicken. But I did it!

Covid made me stay inside and cook more. While I wasn’t consuming red meat or poultry, I was still frying up eggs with cheese like nobody’s business. Boiled eggs, fried eggs, custards and the list goes on. I’m a girl from the south so catfish is a must. I had no problem feasting on all kinds of seafood too. I was eating pretty good.

I began having health issues and did not know what to do. With the recommendation of my physician, I decided to go plant based. No eggs and definitely no dairy. No animal byproducts. It sounded impossible. But in all honesty, it wasn’t that hard to find options. It was a challenge that I was up for.

Nachos have officially been innovated. Nacho Daddy is totally the culprit. The home of the original Scorpion Shot is known for having the freshest ingredients on the plant! They’ve won countless awards for their house made margaritas. But few, like myself, knew about their tasty vegan options.

Someone shared with me that Nacho Daddy had opened a location in Downtown Duluth Georgia. This took me back to fond memories in Vegas. When I was stationed there, we would often hit the Nacho Daddy located on the strip quite frequently. Cocktails there were always perfectly crafted but the nachos always stole the show!

After having Chris Thompson (from Nacho Daddy Corporate) on my podcast, I knew that I would have to make my way there. His enthusiasm about the brand got me excited. Their roots came from Georgia but they broke ground in Vegas first. They use only top notch produce, which makes ALL the difference. And they had many extensive non-meat choices.

I explained to him that I was new to the plant based life and was nervous about their specialty menu. So much has changed since I last dined out. And now I have dietary restrictions. He assured me that I would be thoroughly impressed with the flavors as well as the quality of the food. Items are made to order and not reheated from a package.

It had been well over a year since I sat down at a restaurant. Nacho Daddy Duluth was about to change that for the better. The atmosphere upon entry was similar to the one on the strip. Very warm and welcoming. The interior decor was very similar as well. Every single worker that I saw wore a genuine smile. I love that! It shows that they love their job and make sure that you enjoy your visit.

Meeting Chris Thompson in person was awesome! We’ve spoken many times on my podcast show. But finally seeing him in real life was like reconnecting with a long lost relative. As soon as I sat down the dishes expeditiously made their way to the table. This was going to be marvelous!

First out was the Vegan Triple Dip. This appetizer consists of salsa, guacamole and a house made vegan queso. OMG! These three lit up my tastebuds. The salsa was fresh and hit all the right notes. The guacamole was the best guac I’ve ever had at a restaurant. But the vegan queso takes the cake!

I had to know how this queso was so velvety smooth, packed the punch of the best cheese dip and was vegan. Chris clued me in on a few things. Their supplier is a company named Teese Vegan Cheese Alternative. If I had reservations about leaving dairy cheese behind, Teese has reassured me that it’s for the best. I was so intrigued by the taste and texture. I have tried vegan cheese before. None of them can compare to this!

The Mexican Candy Margarita was so happy to greet me. And I was so happy to see it. The flavors were a magical mango symphony. The jalapenos mixed in this cocktail give it just enough spice. I love that I could actually enjoy the flavors. The tequila was not overpowering.

Soon we moved on to entrees. The Vegan Loaded

Nacho was a mountain of deliciousness! House made corn chips, black beans, that vegan queso I Love, vegan sour cream, salsa, fresh guacamole and pickled jalapenos. This was so good! I’ve never had vegan sour cream before. Now I’m hooked!

Next up was the Vegan Chick’N Nachos. The Chick’n is marinated and placed on a bed of corn chips. Topped with black beans, red & green bell peppers,

mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted corn and pico de gallo. I love that everything, down to the chips, was seasoned to perfection. And nothing was salty.

As if I wasn’t stuffed enough, they brought out something else for me to try. The Flaming Vegan Chick’N Fajitas. They marinate the Chick’N strips and place them on a bed of onions & peppers. They were accompanied by wild rice, guacamole, black beans, vegan sour cream, cherry pico de gallo and corn tortillas. You have to ask for this dish when you go. It's a whole show! You’ll see.

The infamous vegan s'mores closed it out for me. Crispy flour rounds sandwiched with vegan marshmallows (also from Teese) and chocolate sauce. Topped with fresh raspberries. This is by far the show stopper. Delicious perfection crafted on a plate.

I was tremendously impressed with this experience. The green pot holders were a nice touch on the vegan entrees. I did not know what it would be like going plant based at a restaurant. It's not scary at all. It's actually quite filling. Fresh ingredients make a colossal difference in food quality.

Nacho Daddy Duluth absolutely gets the Ash Said It Stamp of approval. The workers love where they work, the food cannot be compared to others and who knew eating vegan would taste so good. FYI: Ash does not waste anything. I boxed up the remainder of the food and enjoyed it days later. Yes. Days later. That vegan queso is something else.

Kudos to the whole Nacho Daddy Duluth team. You all are doing a phenomenal job! I will definitely see you soon!