Is a Vegetarian Dish by Request Enough?

Consuming Louisville, an excellent local blog, (http://www.consuminglouisville.com/2008/08/is-a-vegetarian-dish-by-reques.php), posed this question, and has gotten some thoughtful responses. I agree with my son, Jonas, that any good restaurant should offer vegetarian options, not just for those who avoid meat, but for those of us who sometimes just don't want it. We often don't, and we have vegetarian friends who can be made to feel like downers if they have to make a deal out of what is a very simple expectation.

I am not a vegetarian and there have been MANY times I would prefer to eat a meatless dish for dinner and often times do.

[Robin Garr]

Although I'm an omnivore, I deeply respect a restaurant that gives more than mere lip service to quality, interesting and creative vegetarian fare, not only for veggievores but for all of us who love food and enjoy the occasional switch to a good, even exciting dish that harmed no animals in its preparation.

Zephyr Cove used to be excellent at this, and its sort-of offspring L&N Wine Bar still is. Jack Fry's almost always has at least one interesting meatless dish on the menu. Additional props to Club Grotto not only for its notorious "vegetable orgy" main course but for treating vegetable accompaniments as something given as much attention as the meat and starch, not merely a handful of lackluster grilled veggies tossed on the side of the plate.

Just to name a few: But my short answer is that I *strongly* favor restaurants making meatless alternatives available daily on the regular menu, and not as afterthoughts but as creative dishes at a flavor and interest level to match the rest of the bill of fare.

Consuming Louisville, an excellent local blog, (http://www.consuminglouisville.com/2008/08/is-a-vegetarian-dish-by-reques.php), posed this question, and has gotten some thoughtful responses. I agree with my son, Jonas, that any good restaurant should offer vegetarian options, not just for those who avoid meat, but for those of us who sometimes just don't want it. We often don't, and we have vegetarian friends who can be made to feel like downers if they have to make a deal out of what is a very simple expectation.

Bourbon's Bistro does a great job of this also.

Thanks for posting this Ken. I love the responses here and hope some will join the conversation over at Consuming Louisville as well.

Obviously most of the asian ethnic places in town offer great veggie options. My son does not eat meat (he will eat some fish) and we limit are choices to places he can eat. Actually it's quite a sizable list. BBQ joints are pretty much off the list.

We offer 4 items one of which is vegan. Many of our appetizers are veg as well. I curious, is this a big enough selection to satisfy the vegetarians out there?

We offer 4 items one of which is vegan. Many of our appetizers are veg as well. I curious, is this a big enough selection to satisfy the vegetarians out there?

Will,
I've been a vegetarian for about 4 yrs or so (no fish either). I haven't been to your restaurant yet but after reviewing your on-line menu I would have no problem going there. There is a good choice in entrees--not just a portobello mushroom sandwich like many places do, or a simple 'veggie plate', but a viable pasta, black-eyed pea stew, eggplant dish, as well as your salad and sides that sound satisfying.

North End cafe has some great vegetarian dishes.

There is no question that a lot of restaurants in town have great vegetarian options. What prompted this conversation though is a restaurant that has no vegetarian entrees on its menu and instead says "Chef will create vegetarian dish upon request." To me that indicates that vegetarian dishes are kind of an afterthought. Knowing the time, attention and care that goes into developing the dishes that make it onto a restaurant's menu it sends a signal to me that vegetarian dishes aren't important enough to that restaurant to warrant that same development. And I've had way too many boring pasta and "Spring vegetables" dishes from restaurants that don't normally do vegetarian food to last a lifetime.

211 Clover Lane usually has a lovely vegetarian selection. With advance notice they prepare wonderful vegetarian and vegan dishes. To celebrate a dear friends birthday, we chose 211, our favorite. With a few days notice, we had a wonderful vegan tasting supper. Upon seeing me eating a vegan meal, Andy got a perplexed look on his face. Knowing that I love beef and really only have beef cooked so as to not offend others. At the end of the evening, Andy presented me with a beautiful ribeye steak, cooked rare, to take home. He said he knew what a sacrifice I had made not eating a steak.

My first time at a restaurant I always look to see how many vegetarian options are offered on the menu, even though I do eat meat on occasion. And I do tend to think differently of a place that offers only one option or less. However, that doesn't mean I will boycott the restaurant or anything like that.

I am a little biased though. At Sweet Surrender, our lunch menu is entirely vegetarian (and includes vegan options). So I know for a fact that it isn't that difficult to come up with tasty and creative vegetarian options.

The problem with some vegetarian choices on the menu is that they do not get rotated enough. If you go several times, you will exhaust the choices.
Park Place has a vegetarian choice of the day, depending on the local "catch" of fresh veggies of the day.
My wife is a veggie and the 2 times we were at Park Place, Jay Denham, the chef, came out and talked with my wife to get an idea of what she liked. Both times the creation was fabulous. It would be rare to get the same dish again.

I love to eat meat, but I also love vegetables so every time I work on my menus I like to have a good selection of vegetarian dishes at Mojito or H. RUMBA not just salads. Fernando.

I must apolagize for my late post on this thread. I was amazed to find out this blog was about our restaurant. I am going to tell everyone our approach to this subject and let you make up your own minds. You will find that the only thing we do a bit differently is how we handle vegetarian requests tableside. By the way, this post is unsanctioned and I'm gonna take some heat for it, but sometimes certain things have to be said.

We have a nice variety of vegetarian items and items that can be converted to vegetarian on our menu. The Feta Queso, Hummus, Taboulleh appetizer, the ceviche (sans shrimp,) all the salads (of course,) the veggie sandwich (monster portion- nobody ever finishes it,) two pastas (I often have the Angel hair Sicilian- style. I would love to show you our FOH menu test and point out there are two questions regarding our vegetarian options. We have even begun offering guests the opportunity to customize their meals. Chef or Hollis (our sous) are always available and willing to please any guests.

The Vegetarian Request dish, at $13 is a steal. Chef offers a choice of local, seasonal and organic produce that we bring in for our specials that range generally in the $22 to $40 range. A great deal of time and care is spent on these recipes. Just off the top of my head, and recent: Goat cheese potato cakes, Dau Miu salad, fried squash blossoms, vegetable latkes (I forget the Lebanese name,) parmesean gnocci, charred scallion, chilled heirloom tomato salad with fresh mozzarella and gin- spiked cucumber dressing, tuscan white beans, corn fritters, panzanella ratatouille, scented jasmine rice, the mango/ passionfruit 'relish,' the black bean sauce, numerous rissotos, etc, etc...

With 3 gardeners on staff and our beloved 'hippy farmer,' we have a good time with this subject. Baby plums, fresh blackberries, exotic herb varieties like ginger mint and pineapple sage. Got peaches in now (I made the case for the gazpacho, Deb!) One member of our staff also makes homade compost from kitchen leavings. What would you expect from a restaurant who's bill of fare is 'eclectic meditteranean?'

Ask yourself this: would you prefer the porto burger/ veggie pasta/ veg ragout options that are notorious for 'that not so fresh feeling,' Or would you prefer fresh, seasonal, organic variety brought in at some expense for our specials and vegetarians? I know what I'd choose.

It could be said that the vegetable side dishes on our main menu are 'ubiquitous,' as a flamer did last year about this time. In spring, 'hairy coverts' (inside joke, had to do it, hehe,) spring veggies and asparagus, in summer, the tomato crop, ratattouille, zucc and squash blends, green beans with carmelized onion. Fully expect to see us working with root veggies and winter squashes later in the year. We follow the land's abundance and do our best to create side dishes that are both tasty and control the cost for our guests. If you aren't thrilled with a vegetable side dish, say something. Our standard fall- back is sauteed spinach, but if that still doesn't grab you, Chef will happily make something for you. Not 'on- the- fly,' but quite planned. Daily.

Michelle, I find your blog about my restaurant both surprising and incredulous. We have been open a year and you haven't dined with us, but yet you feel you can slam our commitment to our vegetarian guests. Simply put, you don't know, now do you? I encourage you to stop by anytime, I will personally buy you a drink, app, dessert, whatever as added motivation. I am sure you are a very nice person that didn't fully understand how we approach this subject and look forward to meeting you.