Vegetarian Friendly Spot for Special Occasion?

I'm looking for a new (to me) spot to try for an upcoming celebration and am getting a little stuck. My guest and I are, I guess, foodishs (not quite foodies), and have been to a lot of places I frequently hear mentioned such as Feast, Hammerheads, Blind Pig, Eiderdown, etc. I know a few places have opened since these and am interested to try one for a "something special," probably no higher than the range at Harvest. Any ideas? (Game is out.)

Mayan Cafe is fabulous for a special occasion ( or anytime); while not dressy, I think the intimate location and vibe make it very special. The vegetarian offerings are key to their menu ( not an after thought) and delicious! The prices are reasonable for the quality. Be sure to make a reservation- it's very small. http://themayancafe.com/

Deb

Thanks so much, Deb! Can you believe that in all my years living here I *still* haven't checked out the Mayan Cafe? I'll put it at the top of my list.

I ate with a friend at Roots for the first time last week and it was pretty amazing. I think they have a private dining area in the back for special occasion dining as well (but don't quote me on that).

Peg,

You are welcome! Their food really is wonderful. A close ( vegetarian) friend's husband took her there for a 5 course tasting for her 40th birthday recently; she declared it awesome. ( Make sure to get the Lima bean side- they'll make a Lima Bean lover out of anyone. )

Deb

Mayan Cafe definitely a great choice. Lima beans for sure even if you think you don't like them.

IMHO

Roots > Mayan

http://www.heartandsoy.net/

Zen Garden is still a solid choice. In addition, you don't have to scan the menu for vegetarian items since everything is vegetarian.

I absolutely love the food & atmosphere at Roots/H&S and at Zen Garden. But the major fly in the ointment no one has mentioned so far is that they do not serve adult beverages. If the poster is looking for a place for a celebration with exclusively teetotalers then that's great. If not then those are not options.
My wife & I would eat there probably five times as often as we actually do if that were changed. My personal preference for most meals is vegetarian but for an evening meal my vegetarian meal, if at a restaurant anyway, is an occasion for an adult beverage which, incidentally, is a vegetarian product. That said, I respect the owner's choice as it is for what is for her ethical reasons. The food is healthy, so tasty it promotes grasping & our city is so much richer for these eateries. And bars in proximity to Roots/H&S and Zen Garden get a pre-dinner business boost. We normally get carry out or, as recently, had a couple rounds nearby at Nowhere before eating at Roots. BTW, the barkeep at Nowhere is also a Roots/H&S fan as we found when we told him we were having a couple of apertifs at his establishment that we can't get at our dining destination. The meal at Roots was so fine! Fried tofu squares, potstickers, mushroom & sundried tomato pate with toasted bread & crispy avocado & tomato rolls. You must go there, but not expecting to have the adult beverage options customary in our culture.

Thank you all for the input. We have been to Roots as well as Heart & Soy and have also been to Zen Garden. I am not a fan of Zen Garden but my boyfriend *loves* it so maybe we can do there for lunch and elsewhere for dinner. Need to make a reservation soon though! (Could also take him to Four Sisters!)

Reading between the lines it sounds like you meant 'exclusively vegetarian' rather than 'vegetarian friendly' so Mayan Cafe would be off the list. Oh, yes, do take your group to Four Sisters if you have all been to ZG/Roots/H&S! It sounds like your group is OK about no adult beverage options. Four Sisters has quite fine choices in the tea & coffee area. Try the marvelous iced coffee. The crepes are amazing and we've not even sampled the sweet ones yet! If he likes Zen Garden it won't be hard to find Four Sisters. I hope to get bored with Four Sisters at some point because I find myself waking up in the middle of the night while dreaming about a dish I had there. Man, if that's not a testimonial I don't know what is!

[Robin Garr]

Reading between the lines it sounds like you meant 'exclusively vegetarian' rather than 'vegetarian friendly' so Mayan Cafe would be off the list. Oh, yes, do take your group to Four Sisters if you have all been to ZG/Roots/H&S!

Just for the record, Lonnie, Four Sisters is not exclusively vegetarian. There are plenty of meatful dishes on their menu. Great place, though! I concur with everything else you said.

Reading between the lines it sounds like you meant 'exclusively vegetarian' rather than 'vegetarian friendly' so Mayan Cafe would be off the list

LOL, nope. I'm definitely a meat-eater, especially when we are out instead of cooking. He has decided he wants to go to Feast, which is a little bit of a let-down since we've been there before several times, but you don't have to twist my arm much to eat BBQ. Hopefully we can try these other suggestions in the future, though.