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When people ask us (as they do, with surprising frequency) why we don't eat meat, we often answer "because we can." We consider ourselves very lucky to be living in a city that offers indulgence to many a less-common political, dietary, and spiritual bent, as we get to consume the results.
In fact, it's pretty easy for the garden-variety lacto-ovo vegetarian to find something to eat on almost every menu in the Bay Area. No more are the days of having to settle for a salad as an entree, as pretty much everywhere but House of Prime Rib offers a politically and culinarily acceptable entree.
In fact, it's our somewhat depressing experience that for the ovo-lacto consumers among us, a better meal is to be had in the restaurants that also serve meat. We've had some of the absolute worst meals of the past year at vegetarian restaurants Geranium (the food was, in short, inedible and their service very rude) and Greens (not very good food served cold, and we waited nearly 20 minutes to order). Dude, this sucks! We so want our money to go to supporting joints that don't use meat, but the only way we can actually do that and get a good meal is to buy a bunch of food at the excellent Rainbow Grocery, which our s.o. will magically (at least, to us) transform into an actual meal.
It's even stranger, then, that our Bay Area vegan restaurants are so muce better than their ovo-lacto (distant) cousins. We'll contentedly settle for Herbivore, will let Shangri-La scratch our Chinese food itch, and, when we're feling flush, only Millennium will do. But we're looking for the best, right? Here's what we got:
Best Vegetarian Breakfast: Dining out for breakfast is tough for the vegan, as everything is egg, cheese, butter, meat, or all of them at once in a big skillet. We were happy to discover Feel Real Cafe in our Outer Sunset neighborhood. Yes, it's a seriously hippie-style place (you pick how much to pay, the place seems decorated by the set designers from Half Baked, and the hours can be...inconsistent. Somehow, we forgot all that when we bit into one of their exceptional potato pancakes. The service is friendly, the food is made with care, and the coffee's fair trade. Check it out at 4001 Judah at 45th Ave, but before you make the trek out, we suggest that you give them a call (504-7325) to make sure they're open.
Best Vegetarian Restaurant: OK, we're creeped out by the culty verbiage on their site, and they should technically be disqualified by the use of honey in some of their dishes, but we can't help but give this award to the increasingly ubiquitious (they've recently opened another restaurant on 9th at Irving, and are moving into Berkeley) and SFist reviewed Cafe Gratitude. Their food works so well because they try less to make a non-animal version of what you're already used to eating, as much as they are showing you a new and different way to eat. Special props go to their dessert menu, which offers vegan delights (try the coconut cream pie) that frequently surpass non-vegan versions served in other restaurants. Try out Gratitude at 2500 Harrison or 1336 9th Avenue.
How about you? We know we have plenty of veg*ns out there, because we've heard you pipe up in the comments. Where do you go to get your non-meat on? Let us know in the comments!
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Have you actually eaten at Cafe Gratitude? In addition to the annoying hippie dish names and attitude, the food is just plain bad. Not only OK, bad. Greens isn't perfect, but it's certainly better than that. And Millenium turns out creative non-meat-imitative dishes with far more consistency than CG.
I think we need to face the unfortunate fact that most vegetarian restaurants are still putting philosophy before taste. Anyone who truly wants vegetarianism to become more mainstream needs to realize that most people want to leave satisfied more than they want to support a particular political ideal. Look at what places like Delfina and Universal Cafe are doing with their vegetarian dishes: even with its limited selection, Delfina is the best vegetarian restaurant in the city.
Ananda Fuara's Neatloaf is very tasty:
http://www.themenupage.com/anandamenu.html
I disagree with Kenneth - I AM HAPPY with the two meals I've had at Cafe Gratitude. And I kind of get a kick out of the AFFIRMATIONS.
Millennium trumps Greens, I agree, cold food & service or not. (I would send a cold meal back to the kitchen at any restaurant.)
"Their food works so well because they try less to make a non-animal version of what you're already used to eating, as much as they are showing you a new and different way to eat"
I haven't eaten at CG yet, but I think this is how raw/vegan/vegetarian restaurants can shine. I don't want "fake steak" because it doesn't matter how good it is, it can never compare to a real steak. But a rich portobello mushroom, cooked in a reduced wine/veg stock? That's pretty hard to beat, and you don't need to call it "vegan beef bourguignon" or anything silly like that. That's one thing I like about Millennium.
That said, I like Ananda Fuara's neatloaf as well.
Eve
Have you tried Alive on Lombard yet? That is top of my list for places to try in 2006. Especially in January when I will be looking for a cleaner, fresher more healthy taste after the excesses of the holiday period.
I tried a couple of their desserts when they were doing a promotion at the Ferry Building and they were stunningly delicious.
I ate at the recently opened restaurant Medicine -- http://www.medicinerestaurant.com -- which serves vegetarian Japanese Shojin cuisine -- the style that originated in Buddhist temples. As a poster in the restaurant says, it's a "500 year old fad diet." It was a really nicely prepared meal of seasonal vegetables and grains.