For our Mother’s Day brunch (without our mothers), my companion and I decided to visit Smith. To our vegetarian surprise, the delicious veggie omelette was no longer on the menu! Craving eggs and hashbrowns, we quickly paid for our coffees and left. Coincidentally, this was the second Capitol Hill restaurant I abandoned this week. On Thursday, I left Than Brothers on Thursday after waiting 25 minutes for veggie pho. After being told “it was on its way!” at least 3 times, I finally gave up when I heard a server admit to another table that they were out of veggie broth.
I certainly don’t think that I have a constitutional right to a decent vegetarian dish at every restaurant, but I admit that I’m surprised by the neo-Capitol Hill trend of meat-centric menus. Doesn’t it make business sense to offer at least one or two veggie entrees that are comparable in size and flavor to the meaty choices (e.g., Honey Hole, Annapurna, Bimbo’s)?
I definitely share the disappointment that all of the oh-so-trendy restaurants opening recently have virtually no choices for veggie lovers. Almost all of the current hot spots have nothing that my partner and I can eat. Coupled with the continual loss of veggie restaurants on the hill, it makes for a rather monotonous palate of dining choices.
Hey, lazy restaurant-menu makers! I’m a veggie who loves good food and actually has some disposable income during these lean times. Offer a few creative dishes and you’ll win a good bit of business!
David
We’ve been similarly let down by the meat-focused trend, even though I’m “only” a pescetarian.
I often with Yelp would track our diet preferences so business owners could see how many local diners they’re missing out on.
They have several locations in the suburbs, and the one close to my work quietly started putting non-vegetarian broth in their “veggie” pho. Some of my coworkers called them on it because it was obviously not vegetarian by taste. I don’t know whether they’re doing that at the Broadway location, but I won’t support such an unethical business.
They don’t offer veggie options because there isn’t that much demand for it.
I really like the veggie pho at Pho 900. It has tons of veggies and is always fast. They also infuse their ice water with lime which is a nice touch. The place is always clean as well in case that makes a difference.
because i know of a handful of places that offer vegetarian options.
poppy – their thalis always offer an option for vegetarians
cafe presse – looking at their menu now and there’s a vegetarian omelet option along with a handful of other vegetarian options
tin table – a whole section dedicated to vegetable dishes
spinasse – while mostly meat focused there are a couple of pastas that are meat free and four sides that are vegetarian
via tribunali – at least 6 vegetarian pizzas
barrio – has a vegetarian taco option, vegetarian enchilada and the ubiquitous salad options
lark – while they’ve been getting press about their serving of foie gras i know they have a list of vegetable options that they call out
this of course isn’t counting vegetarian restaurants like cafe flora, hillside quickie, teapot, in the bowl and all the vietnamese, thai and indian places that make vegetarian options.
it sounds like there are plenty of options and you’re either not looking hard enough or just want something to complain about. granted none of these are solely vegetarian focused but paraphrasing a comment from above, “if there were more demand then restaurants would offer more of it.”
I do get out but most of my friends are carnivores (OK technically omnivores). I don’t like to be picky about where to go but lately it seems there are more places that are no-go’s for vegetarians. It runs counter to my expectations for Capitol Hill – I always thought veggie friendly was sort of par for the course around here.
The most exciting menus will always cater to omnivores. Give a painter a palette and tell him to stick to primary colors (no mixing!) and see how he likes it.
That said, a couple of token vegetarian items on the menu is a nice thing to do, not just for vegetarians, but also for the struggling dieters who accompany their meat-eating friends and want to try to behave themselves. ;)
@jonglix
i’m sorry but i challenge you to list 3 mid to high-end restaurants that don’t have at least an item or two on their menus that are vegetarian friendly. and i mean places other than quinn’s; there’s a sheep on the sign after all so the assumption is that it’s a carnivore’s paradise.
your assertion that “…it seems there are more places that are no-go’s for vegetarians.” just strikes me as false. even bars on the hill that i’ve gone to cater to both omnivore and vegetarian alike; more-so even than other neighborhoods in town. though seattle in general is much more accommodating than most of the rest of the country to vegetarian options.
i think vegetarians tend to confuse a few well talked about meat dishes as synonymous with an entire restaurant’s menu. in my comment above i listed seven well known hill eateries that offer vegetarian options. i’m not sure what the “veggie” community is looking for; is it an all vegetarian menu? because i listed a few places that do that too. i’m just not understanding where the “no-goes for vegetarians” is coming from.
For example, the mac’n cheese at oddfellows tastes like bacon.
The new Smith menu has lots of veggie options. In the sweet family, they have waffle with rhubarb syrup or french toast. They also have delicious little gems (salad) or house made granola with yogurt. I was just there Sunday — the new menu is amazing. Try the brisket!
http://joeyveltkamp.blogspot.com/2009/05/smith-brunch-menu.h
Meat is edgy and hip in a town that’s know for its veggie leanings. I’m pretty sure bacon actually makes it all the way to ironic.
We are not trendy, but, we offer lots of vegetarian and vegan options and have no problem creating something off of the menu to suit any dietary needs.