Restaurant Dining, Vegitarian Style

Sept. 19, 2007

Restaurant dining can certainly be a tricky thing for those with specific food needs, such as diabetics, those on weight-loss diets, those looking for Kosher dishes, or even those avoiding alcohol (which can often surface in gourmet dishes with little or no notification.) But for those who are vegetarian, at least, things are looking up a little. With vegetarianism becoming more mainstream, restaurants are finally picking up on the trend, and many are including vegetarian or vegan offerings on their menus.
It gets a little tricky, though, as there are a lot of different dietary practices that can be classified as vegetarianism. Just in case you’re wondering about those differences, here are the basic four: Lacto-Ovo vegetarians (No meat, fowl, or fish, but dairy, eggs, and honey are okay), Lacto vegetarians (No meat, fowl, fish, or eggs; yes to dairy and honey), Ovo vegetarians (No meat, fowl, or fish and no dairy, but they will eat eggs and honey), and Vegans (none of it - no meat, fowl, fish, eggs, dairy, or honey.) The reasons for choosing vegetarianism are even more varied. There are plenty of other breakdowns of types of vegetarianism, too, such as Pollotarians and Pescetarians - who will only eat, respectively, fowl or fish as the animal component of their diet - but for the sake of brevity, we’ll base this article on the basics. And remember, even if you’re not a strict vegetarian or vegan, vegetarian meals are often a great way to go for both health reasons and because well-prepared vegetarian foods simply taste darned good.
Getting Things Started
A great way to begin is to simply dig out your phone book to check out the restaurants listed as vegetarian in your town. If you’re patronizing restaurants who already bill themselves as vegetarian, obviously it’ll be easier to find things that you like on the menu. The Yellow Pages are often a decent resource, and if your town has a vegetarian society or food co-op, they can also often help steer you in the right direction. There are probably more vegetarian or at least vegetarian-friendly places than you might think - a few that spring to mind just in Traverse City alone are The Dish Cafe (Union Street), Mustard’s (State Street), Homegrown Organic Eatery (Grandview Parkway), and the Green House Cafe (Front Street.) In Petoskey, the new-ish Feast (Howard Street) and Julienne Tomatoes (also on Howard Street) are two places you might want to try - Feast’s Grilled Vegetable Sandwich on a baguette is delicious, and can be ordered without goat cheese, and their Middle-Eastern Fattoosh Salad includes pita chips, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and mint. Julienne Tomatoes offers fresh soups and salads daily, plus their standout Drew’s Delight sandwich, which features hummus, roasted red pepper, marinated artichoke hearts, and spinach on grilled Pepper-Parmesan bread (you can, of course, change the bread if you’d like.)

Meat Alternatives
Some restaurants that are more sensitive to vegetarian needs will offer meat-alternative versions of some of their dishes. Veggie burgers - burgers comprised of chopped and pressed vegetables - can be quite tasty, as can things like Portobello mushroom burgers (in which the giant cap of the Portobello mushroom is used instead of a burger patty) or hot eggplant sandwiches. Even things like chicken patties, bacon, and lunch “meats” can be found in vegetarian form - great for those who are transitioning into a meatless lifestyle and may not quite be used to giving up their bacon n’ eggs breakfasts just yet. Certain restaurants will also utilize tofu in soups or stir-fry dishes; do not fear the tofu! It may have a rather dour reputation, but, in reality, tofu - actually a soy product - is high in protein and is known as the “culinary chameleon” because it takes on the flavor of whatever is being used to season it, whether that be a sweet and sour sauce or a variety of spices; tofu can be eaten raw, grilled, baked, sauteed, or fried.

Worldly Dining
It’s just a fact that certain kinds of restaurants are going to be more conducive to vegetarian foods than others. For instance, you wouldn’t take your veggie friends to a steakhouse (duh), but if you know of another restaurant with a hearty (read: not all iceberg lettuce) salad bar and house-baked breads, that could be a good choice. That doesn’t mean that a vegetarian diet, contrary to popular belief, has to be all salad and celery sticks, though; try thinking globally when you’re searching for vegetarian food.
Many Japanese restaurants are known for their terrific Tempura (battered vegetables that are deep-fried; great with a side of rice), and most Asian restaurants in general make loads of items with vegetables, rice, and noodles, often also favor soy, and will generally showcase a lot of dishes that are meatless. Italian restaurants are another good stop. Pastas can usually be ordered vegetarian; just make sure that you’re getting a meatless sauce, and if you’re Vegan or Ovo, avoid the cream sauces and tell them to skip that sprinkled flourish of grated cheese. Mexican restaurants might seem forboding at first, but there are likely going to be plenty of black bean dishes, cheese quesadillas are always good (just check, if you’re particular about this, to make sure that the tortillas weren’t made with lard), guacamole is a given, and burritos, tacos, tostadas, and enchiladas can all be made with veggies or even spinach and cheese. Most Mexican sauces, including basic salsa, verde (green) salsa, and ranchero (made with tomato and chili peppers) are usually meatless as well.

Double-Checking
If you’re unsure of what might be in the dish you’re ordering, just ask. Some dishes that appear vegetarian at first glance may include meat, beef or chicken broth, eggs, or milk products. Any good restaurant will not be annoyed by the fact that you’re asking questions; after all, you’re choosing to dine there, so it’s their job to make sure you’re happy. On the other hand, don’t get too upset at the hapless waiter if the menu isn’t chock-full of vegetarian options; back to our first suggestion, try to make sure that you choose your restaurants carefully in the first place, and be patient - things are definitely improving on the restaurant horizon regarding vegetarian dishes becoming more mainstream, so keep that in mind when you’re ordering salad... again. It will change. And, while you’re at it, if you do dine somewhere and you’re pleased with their vegetarian offerings, definitely let them know - the more people that mention it, the more likely a restaurant will be to keep the vegetarian dishes on their menu, and they might even add more delicious foods for you to try on your next visit.