Guest Post: Lauren and John Visit Guilford, CT’s Shoreline Diner and Vegetarian Enclave

Hi all!  I've had a mini blog hiatus due to the fact I STILL don't have my camera cord. Unfortunately I won't know if I left it at the beach until my sister in law gets there on Friday because no one is there during the week (since...*sigh* we all have JOBS!) 


I do have 2 good posts lined up for you including some sweet treats and a great spaghetti squash dinner I made for my mom and stepdad last night, but until then I have something even better....a guest post! 


One of my very bests emailed me today because she went to an great restaurant off of I-95 and she wanted to tell me about it since we loveee the same kind of food. She's very well versed in I-95 since her family lives up in RI and she lives in NYC. I told her I would LOVE it if she wrote a guest post because I have no pics to put up.  Lauren has a very cool, busy job working at GLAMOUR magazine (you can even see her name in the magazine!! I love looking for it.) Lauren is going to share with us what a girl who works at GLAMOUR AND a bride to be looks for and finds while searching for a meal on a road trip.


So take it away Lauren....

Restaurant Review and Guest Post in ONE: Lauren and John Visit Guilford, CT’s Shoreline Diner and Vegetarian Enclave
Hi Everyone!
Lauren (Cole’s college pal) here. When it comes to food, Cole and I are similar in many ways (love food, love eating—healthy things that is), which is why I’ve been DYING to share this little, just-off-route 95 gem with her, and now, all of you! My fiance and I live in Manhattan, but travel up to Rhode Island to see my family all the time, usually leaving on Friday’s after work. After about two hours of driving (which falls at around exit 59 on I-95N) we’re both starving and looking for dinner, but not willing to sacrifice our hunger or week of healthy eating to one of the bazillion McDonalds rest-stops along the way. One night last summer we saw a sign for the Shoreline Diner and Vegetarian Enclave  (conveniently at exit 59!) so we took a chance on it. Who wouldn’t be enticed by a restaurant with “enclave” in the name? Let’s just say that we were pleasantly surprised and now, look forward to the drives because of it.

We started our meal with the kalamata olive hummus, whole wheat pita bread, and cucumber and tomato salad. YUM.

When it was time for dinner,  John was feeling unhealthy, so he got a bacon cheeseburger and fries—which by the way, was not a “good choice” technically/by a nutritionist standards, but he looked happy, right? So it was a good choice for him! Giving in to cravings every once in a while isn’t a bad thing—otherwise you’d go crazy!

Me, on the other hand? I’ve been on a “limit the bread, cheese, and sweets” kick lately which hasn’t been easy.  I just like them all too much! It was easy here though, as they have my FAVE on the menu: Taco Salad. The best thing about this taco salad is that it sounds super-unhealthy, but isn’t. I ordered mine with sour cream, cheese, and dressing on the side (which, except for a mini sprinkle of cheese, went untouched throughout the entire meal!) and vegan, three bean chili as the topper instead of chicken or ground beef. With the peppers and avocado already on the salad, I was full halfway through eating it and didn’t even want to touch the tortilla bowl (can’t say the same for John though, he ate most of it after I was done, but that’s usually the way things go at dinner time for us). 

Something that could be so unhealthy, turned into a fantastic-tasting, healthy choice.

So now that I’ve shared my good choice for eating on the road that satisfies healthy and unhealthy eater’s alike, what’s yours? We know Cole likes to pack her snacks, what do you usually eat (or bring with you) when you’ve got a long drive ahead? And next time you’re driving on I-95N, check out the diner and share your thoughts...and of course, what you ordered!


Thanks for sharing Lauren! I need to go to that place on my next drive up! Next I'll have to get her to do a post on how she's coping with the stress of a full time job at an amazing magazine and planning her own wedding! Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with regularly scheduled programming!