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Funny you mentioned this....I was in Ohio last week and went to a Big Boy restaurant in Dayton. There was a special section of the menu with their new items. One was a "portabello burger" and I happily ordered it. When I gave my order to the server she asked me if I realized that it wasn't actually a burger, just the portabello mushroom, and said that many people expect it to be a burger with a mushroom on top.
It was an excellent sandwich, the portabello mushroom was huge, and perfectly grilled.
At a BIG BOY? WOW, I'm impressed! Vegetarian foods are really becoming mainstream!
I love to buy veg at mainstream restaurants and stores!
At a BIG BOY? WOW, I'm impressed! Vegetarian foods are really becoming mainstream!
I love to buy veg at mainstream restaurants and stores!
I always try to follow through with an email to the company telling them how happy I am to find vegetarian choices at their restaurant.
Just yesterday we went to a new, very nice pizza and Italian restaurant where 8 of their featured specials were either vegan or vegetarian. Our group ordered all of them and then shared between us. In addition to the veggie pizzas they had entree salads, calzones, and appetizers that were vegan and vegetarian.
We were so excited and loved everything we tried.
As soon as I got home I sent an email to them telling them how much our group of vegans and vegetarians loved our meal. Just a couple hours later I received an email from the CEO of the company thanking me for taking the time to write. So my email had been forwarded to the CEO on a Saturday evening, and he replied promptly!
I also received a reply from the restaurant manager.
I always try to follow through with an email to the company telling them how happy I am to find vegetarian choices at their restaurant.
Just yesterday we went to a new, very nice pizza and Italian restaurant where 8 of their featured specials were either vegan or vegetarian. Our group ordered all of them and then shared between us. In addition to the veggie pizzas they had entree salads, calzones, and appetizers that were vegan and vegetarian.
We were so excited and loved everything we tried.
As soon as I got home I sent an email to them telling them how much our group of vegans and vegetarians loved our meal. Just a couple hours later I received an email from the CEO of the company thanking me for taking the time to write. So my email had been forwarded to the CEO on a Saturday evening, and he replied promptly!
I also received a reply from the restaurant manager.
I do the same! All that these companies want to do is make money. If they know they are doing that, they will be happy and instead of selling meat they will sell a plant based food.
The more we let them know that we like it and are buying it, the less animals that will be bread and raised for slaughter.
At the same time those of us who put animals first need to lobby for humane treatment of Animals raised for food.
I ordered a salad at a local diner today, that was just vegetables, with olive oil, vinegar, and gorgonzola crumbles. This was one of those normal "used to be a dining car in a choo choo train once" kind of greasy spoon sort of diner.
The waitress didn't batt an eyelash, and only asked if I wanted bread and butter with the salad on the side (I did).
Not vegan, but certainly vegetarian. And no one cared.
In fact, any time I ever order any kind of vegetarian food at any restaurant at all, I'm usually met with whatever personality the waitress has for everyone else. If she's a grump, I get a grump. If she's happy and pleasant, I get happy and pleasant. No one ever questions or challenges my order, unless it's something not on the menu or I'm asking for substitutions that they can't accommodate, or that comes with an extra charge (like the gorgonzola instead of a regular italian, which I don't like).
It's not very adventurous, around here. But if it makes people better to know that there are some pockets of the world where people really don't care what kind of food you eat, or don't eat, then I'm happy to share.
I ordered a salad at a local diner today, that was just vegetables, with olive oil, vinegar, and gorgonzola crumbles. This was one of those normal "used to be a dining car in a choo choo train once" kind of greasy spoon sort of diner.
The waitress didn't batt an eyelash, and only asked if I wanted bread and butter with the salad on the side (I did).
Not vegan, but certainly vegetarian. And no one cared.
In fact, any time I ever order any kind of vegetarian food at any restaurant at all, I'm usually met with whatever personality the waitress has for everyone else. If she's a grump, I get a grump. If she's happy and pleasant, I get happy and pleasant. No one ever questions or challenges my order, unless it's something not on the menu or I'm asking for substitutions that they can't accommodate, or that comes with an extra charge (like the gorgonzola instead of a regular italian, which I don't like).
It's not very adventurous, around here. But if it makes people better to know that there are some pockets of the world where people really don't care what kind of food you eat, or don't eat, then I'm happy to share.
People have been ordering just salads for years.
In fact, it's the one option veg*ns can almost always count on finding in a regular restaurant. I'm not sure how it relates to "vegetarian dining" .....
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Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 08-11-2012 at 01:54 PM..
In fact, it's the one option veg*ns can almost always count on finding in a regular restaurant. I'm not sure how it relates to "vegetarian dining" .....
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Well, the OP told us about how she ordered a salad - something that typically comes with chicken in the place she went, minus the chicken. So it ended up being "just" salad. I was agreeing that you can do this in other places, and not get looked at funny or criticized for doing so.
It's not "just" salad. It's a salad with all kinds of vegetables (I don't "do" iceberg). I'm not sure why my choice for vegetarian dining is being challenged. It is a no-meat option and is therefore (by definition) vegetarian.
Well, the OP told us about how she ordered a salad - something that typically comes with chicken in the place she went, minus the chicken. So it ended up being "just" salad. I was agreeing that you can do this in other places, and not get looked at funny or criticized for doing so.
It's not "just" salad. It's a salad with all kinds of vegetables (I don't "do" iceberg). I'm not sure why my choice for vegetarian dining is being challenged. It is a no-meat option and is therefore (by definition) vegetarian.
I re-read the OP's post and didn't see anything about asking people to validate her experience. <*shrug*>
And, as I said, salads have been the fallback option for many veg*ns for years. I don't consider it "vegetarian dining", but if it works for you .....
I lived in Portland (OR) a few years ago and there were seemingly endless opportunities for vegetarian dining -- it was wonderful. Now I'm in a much smaller community with limited options. There's a Chinese restaurant which offers a vegetarian menu (in addition to its regular meals) -- when I first tried their food more than decade ago it was pretty good; now it's merely so-so. Some local restaurants have one or two veg*n items on the menu and I think there's one all-vegetarian restaurant, but that's it.
Unless a restaurant offers veg*n dishes beyond just salads (I refuse to pay good money for a salad I can make better at home), I typically won't patronize them.
Of course, that means I don't eat out much.....
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