Rant: the chef-to-vegetarian chasm
A few more general comments before we start dissecting restaurants...
Foremost on my mind as I think about getting vegetarian food in nice restaurants is the difficult chasm between producer and consumer. Namely, if I as a vegetarian call a restaurant and say "Hi, there are a few vegetarians in our party, will you be able to accomodate us?" I am speaking to a server or host who really is in no position to respond with anything more meaningful than a recitation of the menu. Now, odds are I have already looked at your menu and know that you have exactly one vegetarian entree, which makes for a dull evening if 3 of 4 people in my group are vegetarians. But I listen patiently as you try to make your salads sound like an adventurous option, totally off the culinary beaten path. I will then ask gently if your chef would be interested in making some extra vegetarian entrees, or if I could talk to him or her about it. Usually at this point, the person on the phone will get a little panicky and give me an excuse about the chef being too busy right now, and so I give up.
But the sad punchline to this skit comes from talking the chefs who are thoughtful enough to come through the restaurant. Almost invariably they show interest in making vegetarian entrees. I suspect part of the interest comes from an excuse to experiment within the confines of somewhat repetitive work making the on-menu recipes. However, reaching those chefs when it comes time to make a reservation requires more than merely repeating the chef's interest to the hostess. Obviously, the chef often really is busy, and those taking reservations have reason to keep every whiny diner from reaching the chef's ears. Which leaves me back where I've been for 10+ years of fine dining: wishing for a way to reach the wild diversity of vegetarian food I know Portland's chefs are capable of creating.
Maybe we need a Vegetarian Club card.
Foremost on my mind as I think about getting vegetarian food in nice restaurants is the difficult chasm between producer and consumer. Namely, if I as a vegetarian call a restaurant and say "Hi, there are a few vegetarians in our party, will you be able to accomodate us?" I am speaking to a server or host who really is in no position to respond with anything more meaningful than a recitation of the menu. Now, odds are I have already looked at your menu and know that you have exactly one vegetarian entree, which makes for a dull evening if 3 of 4 people in my group are vegetarians. But I listen patiently as you try to make your salads sound like an adventurous option, totally off the culinary beaten path. I will then ask gently if your chef would be interested in making some extra vegetarian entrees, or if I could talk to him or her about it. Usually at this point, the person on the phone will get a little panicky and give me an excuse about the chef being too busy right now, and so I give up.
But the sad punchline to this skit comes from talking the chefs who are thoughtful enough to come through the restaurant. Almost invariably they show interest in making vegetarian entrees. I suspect part of the interest comes from an excuse to experiment within the confines of somewhat repetitive work making the on-menu recipes. However, reaching those chefs when it comes time to make a reservation requires more than merely repeating the chef's interest to the hostess. Obviously, the chef often really is busy, and those taking reservations have reason to keep every whiny diner from reaching the chef's ears. Which leaves me back where I've been for 10+ years of fine dining: wishing for a way to reach the wild diversity of vegetarian food I know Portland's chefs are capable of creating.
Maybe we need a Vegetarian Club card.
posted by Mateu at
4:38 PM
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