Vegetarian peeve

Sez · Jun 27th, 2008, 05:52 PM

I've been vegetarian for about 10 years, and there is one thing that really bugs me: why is it that so many restaurants think vegetarians don't deserve a choice?? I am sick of going places that have one 'token' veggie meal and that's it. [And why is it almost always goat's cheese or risotto?] Obviously I know of lots of good places that do cater well for us veggies, which is fine if I'm planning a meal out myself. But if it's someone's birthday meal or whatever I don't get a choice...

Does anybody else sometimes find themselves sitting looking at a menu and wanting to SCREAM??

lelgin · Jun 27th, 2008, 06:39 PM

Well, I'm thinking so few people are vegetarians that it really isn't cost effective for a restaurant to offer more than one vegetarian option on there menu. Just a thought.

SPOILEDkiwi · Jun 27th, 2008, 06:50 PM

I went vegetarian for a while for health reasons. I just ordered what I would normally get but without the meat. Almost every restaurant has salads that you can get without meat. I also got pasta or certain soups. Yes there isn't much variety, but vegetarians are such a small percentage of people that eat at restaurants that it wouldn't make sense to add a lot of extra things to the menu

Sez · Jun 27th, 2008, 08:04 PM

In London (where I live) vegetarians account for more than 10% of the population. That's a lot of people. And it's not as if non-veggies can't eat veggie food. I have several friends who are not veggie but will often order a veggie option if it is available.

Ordering something without the meat is not as simple as it sounds. One, a lot of places will use things like meat stock in sauces etc. And two, that generally leaves you with only a minimal amount of protein.

ilovepinkhearts · Jun 27th, 2008, 08:09 PM

i see how that would be very frustrating. i've never been a vegetarian...i like meat too much [sorry]. my mother in-law had cancer and she went vegan...so she would prepare and take her food with her everywhere...that would also be a pain. but i guess that way you know for sure that it's truly "vegetarian".

schadenfreude · Jun 27th, 2008, 11:37 PM

It is a total pain in the ass sometimes. My DH and I are both veggies but deal with it differently... I will compile something edible out of a salad, veggie sides, and bread and be happy -- but I don't need a huge amount of food. He on the other hand likes to directly ask the server what he or she would recommend for a vegetarian.... they usually come up with stuff that's not even on the menu.

keya · Jun 28th, 2008, 09:09 AM

This is a huge peeve for me too. A lot of places here don't even have the "token" vegetarian dish, and I'm usually stuck with having to order a salad (and ask them to hold the meat that is often included) I eat fish, though, so when eating out I usually go for a fish option since it's usually the only thing available. If it wasn't for the eating out dilemma and the fact that I love sushi, I probably wouldn't include fish in my diet. I tried being vegan for a short period a few years back but it made it virtually impossible to eat out with friends (of course, there are designated vegetarian or vegan restaurants, but I think I have a better shot at converting the pope than getting my friends and family to accompany me there, as they're all meat eaters)

titania029 · Jun 28th, 2008, 10:22 AM

DH is a vegetarian. We run into this problem all the time. I think we hardly try new places anymore. A lot of the restaurants that we frequent still only has 1 or 2 choices, but at least he knows he likes them. Last year for a birthday dinner, the guest of honor chose a steak house. Yikes! Poor DH could only order 3 side dishes. And I stole one of his green beans

kbell · Jun 28th, 2008, 10:35 AM

I think restaurants should be able to and serve whatever they want.
If your primarily serving say Italian - than that's what you serve - there are plenty of choices without meats. If you're aiming at a certain clientele & it isn't vegetarians than why would you have tons of vegetarian choices?

Lots of restaurants around here will do vegetarian meals on request that aren't on the menu. I don't think it's that the restaurant thinks you don't deserve a choice - I think that vegetarians aren't their target clientele. You have the right to eat whatever you want or not, and wherever you want - and they have the right to choose what they're serving. Can't please everyone and with limited budgets & menu options it's probably more profitable to go with what the majority likes.

louis loves fendi 818 · Jun 28th, 2008, 04:04 PM

Have you tired veg/vegan and or raw food restraunts? I understand when you go out with friends that might not be their 1st choice but its nice to expose them to something new. I totally feel you pain as I was vegan for nearly 5 years. And yea salad get DAMN old fast. Some places I couldn't eat ANYthing at all.

Sez · Jun 29th, 2008, 08:12 AM

kbell I'm not asking for tons of choices. Just a choice. Such as two options.

and keya I am lucky, quite a few of my friends are veggie, although some of the ones that aren't wouldn't eat veggie food unless on the brink of starvation! And I know exactly what you mean about family! My Dad and brother are total carnivores! Case in point: my Mum loves veggie food, and my Dad once paid for the two of us to go to a really nice veggie place near me on the basis that if he paid, he didn't have to come!!!

I think I would be happier with regular salads if I lived somewhere that salads are GOOD. But on the whole we are rubbish at salad in the UK - usually it's just a bunch of leaves and some tomato. Last year I went to LA on holiday and had some AMAZING salads. If they served stuff like that here I would be biting restaurants' hands off for it!!!

BalenciagaLove · Jun 29th, 2008, 09:24 AM

Oh you should move! I live in the SF Bay Area, there are tons of vegetarian restaurants here. High-end non-veggie type restaurants have plenty of veggie options as well. I think it's based on the culture of where you live. Now Vegan is a bit tougher here.

exotikittenx · Jun 30th, 2008, 09:49 PM

What kinds of restaurants do you go to? The places I go usually have lots of options, and most places do not seem to have a problem making a variation on an order.

Do you have Middle Eastern restaurants around? The ones I've been to have lots of choices. I am not even vegetarian but many times will choose options with no meat at all just because I prefer vegetables over meat or sometimes am not in the mood for it. Just make a special request. If you're talking about Applebees and TGI Friday's, etc... the choices may be limited but you just have to get a little creative and see what they can do for you. I tend to steer clear of chain restaurants, though. I find that there are more healthier and veg options at non-chain restaurants and they are happy to accommodate.

Asian you can get lots of vegetable dishes, Italian has pastas and eggplant and vegetables mixed with pastas, salads, cheese... I think it all depends on where you go.

exotikittenx · Jun 30th, 2008, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BalenciagaLove

Oh you should move! I live in the SF Bay Area, there are tons of vegetarian restaurants here. High-end non-veggie type restaurants have plenty of veggie options as well. I think it's based on the culture of where you live. Now Vegan is a bit tougher here.

Exactly! Good point. Or come to the Boston area!

AnimalCrackers · Jul 2nd, 2008, 11:10 PM

Just ask! My whole family follows a strict diet of some form or other (I don't eat dairy). I usually find that most places are willing to work with you to make something up or modify an existing dish to suit you're needs.

Jun 27th, 2008, 05:52 PM	#1
Sez Bag lady Location: London	Vegetarian peeve I've been vegetarian for about 10 years, and there is one thing that really bugs me: why is it that so many restaurants think vegetarians don't deserve a choice?? I am sick of going places that have one 'token' veggie meal and that's it. [And why is it almost always goat's cheese or risotto?] Obviously I know of lots of good places that do cater well for us veggies, which is fine if I'm planning a meal out myself. But if it's someone's birthday meal or whatever I don't get a choice... Does anybody else sometimes find themselves sitting looking at a menu and wanting to SCREAM??

Jun 27th, 2008, 06:50 PM	#3
SPOILEDkiwi not a kiwi! Location: NYC/Long Island	I went vegetarian for a while for health reasons. I just ordered what I would normally get but without the meat. Almost every restaurant has salads that you can get without meat. I also got pasta or certain soups. Yes there isn't much variety, but vegetarians are such a small percentage of people that eat at restaurants that it wouldn't make sense to add a lot of extra things to the menu __________________ “It is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure.” --Coco Chanel

Jun 27th, 2008, 08:09 PM	#5
ilovepinkhearts hi, i'm danielle Location: Texas	i see how that would be very frustrating. i've never been a vegetarian...i like meat too much [sorry]. my mother in-law had cancer and she went vegan...so she would prepare and take her food with her everywhere...that would also be a pain. but i guess that way you know for sure that it's truly "vegetarian". __________________

Jun 28th, 2008, 10:22 AM	#8
titania029 Member Location: Dallas	DH is a vegetarian. We run into this problem all the time. I think we hardly try new places anymore. A lot of the restaurants that we frequent still only has 1 or 2 choices, but at least he knows he likes them. Last year for a birthday dinner, the guest of honor chose a steak house. Yikes! Poor DH could only order 3 side dishes. And I stole one of his green beans __________________ I learned to think of shopping as the frosting on a cake. By itself, frosting is unfulfilling. It cannot be consumed on its own or turn a dry cake into a gourmet dessert. Frosting is meant to make what is already delicious and carefully prepared look finished and taste a little sweeter. In the same way, shopping is the polish. It's the final touch-up on your prudently taken-care-of mind, body and soul. - Retail Therapy: Life Lessons Learned While Shopping

Jun 28th, 2008, 10:35 AM	#9
kbell Member Location: MA	I think restaurants should be able to and serve whatever they want. If your primarily serving say Italian - than that's what you serve - there are plenty of choices without meats. If you're aiming at a certain clientele & it isn't vegetarians than why would you have tons of vegetarian choices? Lots of restaurants around here will do vegetarian meals on request that aren't on the menu. I don't think it's that the restaurant thinks you don't deserve a choice - I think that vegetarians aren't their target clientele. You have the right to eat whatever you want or not, and wherever you want - and they have the right to choose what they're serving. Can't please everyone and with limited budgets & menu options it's probably more profitable to go with what the majority likes. __________________ Heal quickly & come back soon!

Jun 27th, 2008, 06:39 PM	#2
lelgin Member	Well, I'm thinking so few people are vegetarians that it really isn't cost effective for a restaurant to offer more than one vegetarian option on there menu. Just a thought.

Jun 27th, 2008, 08:04 PM	#4
Sez Bag lady Location: London	In London (where I live) vegetarians account for more than 10% of the population. That's a lot of people. And it's not as if non-veggies can't eat veggie food. I have several friends who are not veggie but will often order a veggie option if it is available. Ordering something without the meat is not as simple as it sounds. One, a lot of places will use things like meat stock in sauces etc. And two, that generally leaves you with only a minimal amount of protein.

Jun 27th, 2008, 11:37 PM	#6
schadenfreude Ca va, ca va	It is a total pain in the ass sometimes. My DH and I are both veggies but deal with it differently... I will compile something edible out of a salad, veggie sides, and bread and be happy -- but I don't need a huge amount of food. He on the other hand likes to directly ask the server what he or she would recommend for a vegetarian.... they usually come up with stuff that's not even on the menu.

Jun 28th, 2008, 09:09 AM	#7
keya Member	This is a huge peeve for me too. A lot of places here don't even have the "token" vegetarian dish, and I'm usually stuck with having to order a salad (and ask them to hold the meat that is often included) I eat fish, though, so when eating out I usually go for a fish option since it's usually the only thing available. If it wasn't for the eating out dilemma and the fact that I love sushi, I probably wouldn't include fish in my diet. I tried being vegan for a short period a few years back but it made it virtually impossible to eat out with friends (of course, there are designated vegetarian or vegan restaurants, but I think I have a better shot at converting the pope than getting my friends and family to accompany me there, as they're all meat eaters)

Jun 28th, 2008, 04:04 PM	#10
louis loves fendi 818 ~Avantay Garday~! Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota	Have you tired veg/vegan and or raw food restraunts? I understand when you go out with friends that might not be their 1st choice but its nice to expose them to something new. I totally feel you pain as I was vegan for nearly 5 years. And yea salad get DAMN old fast. Some places I couldn't eat ANYthing at all. __________________ Quickly developing an unhealthy obsession with Hermès ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ and Latté Art 由三个方法我们也许学会智慧: 首先, 由反射, 是最高尚的

Jun 29th, 2008, 08:12 AM	#11
Sez Bag lady Location: London	kbell I'm not asking for tons of choices. Just a choice. Such as two options. and keya I am lucky, quite a few of my friends are veggie, although some of the ones that aren't wouldn't eat veggie food unless on the brink of starvation! And I know exactly what you mean about family! My Dad and brother are total carnivores! Case in point: my Mum loves veggie food, and my Dad once paid for the two of us to go to a really nice veggie place near me on the basis that if he paid, he didn't have to come!!! I think I would be happier with regular salads if I lived somewhere that salads are GOOD. But on the whole we are rubbish at salad in the UK - usually it's just a bunch of leaves and some tomato. Last year I went to LA on holiday and had some AMAZING salads. If they served stuff like that here I would be biting restaurants' hands off for it!!!

Jun 29th, 2008, 09:24 AM	#12
BalenciagaLove Plisse Me! Location: SF Bay Area	Oh you should move! I live in the SF Bay Area, there are tons of vegetarian restaurants here. High-end non-veggie type restaurants have plenty of veggie options as well. I think it's based on the culture of where you live. Now Vegan is a bit tougher here. __________________ If I could remember all the names of these particles, I'd be a botanist! - Enrico Fermi

Jun 30th, 2008, 09:49 PM	#13
exotikittenx Ooh la la! Location: The City of Plain 'n Proper	What kinds of restaurants do you go to? The places I go usually have lots of options, and most places do not seem to have a problem making a variation on an order. Do you have Middle Eastern restaurants around? The ones I've been to have lots of choices. I am not even vegetarian but many times will choose options with no meat at all just because I prefer vegetables over meat or sometimes am not in the mood for it. Just make a special request. If you're talking about Applebees and TGI Friday's, etc... the choices may be limited but you just have to get a little creative and see what they can do for you. I tend to steer clear of chain restaurants, though. I find that there are more healthier and veg options at non-chain restaurants and they are happy to accommodate. Asian you can get lots of vegetable dishes, Italian has pastas and eggplant and vegetables mixed with pastas, salads, cheese... I think it all depends on where you go. __________________ Please check out my collection! Click here.

Jul 2nd, 2008, 11:10 PM	#15
AnimalCrackers Pumpkin Carver Location: In Busyvilllllle.	Just ask! My whole family follows a strict diet of some form or other (I don't eat dairy). I usually find that most places are willing to work with you to make something up or modify an existing dish to suit you're needs.