Veggiest Looks at Vegan Fine Dining

Unfortunately the world of vegan gourmet dining is a small one, with most restaurants concentrated in the Veg-friendly cities of New York, San Francisco, and Portland.

While visiting San Francisco, Veggiest was able to dine at Millennium, which is consistently rated among the very best veg restaurants in the country. Everything about the experience was impeccable, the decor, staff, wine, and of course FOOD, were all top-notch. We dined on avocado and endive salad, cornmeal encrusted oyster mushrooms, risotto tamales over broccoli rabe, and a host of other amazing dishes. To top off the culinary tour we grabbed breakfast the next day at Herbivore - The Earthly Grill and enjoyed a vegan breakfast that completely blew our minds, and mouths, away.

Boston has quite a ways to go before it can stand toe-to-toe with other vegan-friendly cities, but a few recent developments are a step in the right direction. The Boston Vegan Association continues its great work by teaming up with Cambridge's Upstairs on the Square to provide a delicious four course vegan meal. Check out the menu on the BVA's site and remember to RSVP if you'd like to attend. Chez Henri hosted a similar event last month that proved to be a big success. The willingness of local restaurants to provide these great events to the veg community is heartening, and Veggiest hopes to see more follow suit.

Some of the biggest buzz in Boston's veg community lately has been generated by the opening of Grezzo, a 100% raw and vegan eatery in the North End. Our city has been in need of a high-end vegan restaurant, and to have one open in the heart of its traditional culinary center is a bold and exciting development. We encourage you to try out Grezzo to support a great business and show other vegan chefs that Boston is an attractive market.

Finally, on a recent night out Veggiest was impressed to find that Petit Robert Bistro, an authentic French restaurant that focuses on meat dishes, offered both a fully vegan appetizer and entree. Another example that a host of different dishes and culinary styles can be made vegan without compromising tradition or taste.

Image of place setting by Flickr user Leonid Mamchenkov under a creative commons license