3
2009
Vegetarian Picks for Columbus Restaurant Week
An article by 
I am really excited about Columbus Restaurant Week. I am telling everyone I know. I even gave my brother in law some Dine Originals gift certificates for watching our dogs in the hopes that he will go support restaurants next week.
There’s only one problem. I don’t eat meat. Fixed price meals usually don’t work out so well for me. I rarely ask for exceptions for prix fixe menus because the whole idea is to serve a standardized meal.
However, among the 42 restaurants participating in restaurant week there are some excellent meat-free choices. Here’s my guide for vegetarian* choices:
The Best – three vegetarian courses:
Barcelona – 7 course tapas meal, vegetarian option
Betty’s – all choices appear to be meatless
Black Creek Bistro – four courses including mushroom stew I’ve been wanting to try
Bodega – Bruschetta, veggie pizza and panini, beer
Cafe Corner – choose two items plus dessert, many breakfasts are meatless and a few sandwiches too
Elevator – salad, vegetable strudel entree, dessert
Handkes – vegetarian option available
Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls – appetizer basket, salad, roasted red pepper linguini, dessert (four courses for $30 sounds like a great deal)
Katzingers – 2 small Vegetarian sandwiches, two sides, dessert
LaScala – salad, eggplant parm, and tiramisu (two diners for $30!)
Maca Cafe – Two veggie courses and wine
Pistachia Vera – mmmmm….tastes of 7 meat free sweets…
Press Grill – Salad, pizza, and dessert, two people for just $15
Rigsby’s – skip pancetta on salad or hope for meat-free soup du jour, veggie pasta entree, dessert
Surly Girl – all choices appear meatless
Tasi – Breakfast or Lunch dish + drinks, $15 for two
Tip Top – salad, veggie roast entree, dessert
Tratorria Roma – manicotti, fresh greens, glass of wine
Tutto Vino – 3 veggie pizza choices plus salad and cheese course
Worthington Inn - salad, garden vegetable plate, dessert
Z Cucina – salad, pasta with pomodoro sauce or eggplant parm, tiramisu
Good Possibility -
Alanas – meatless salad, risotto du jour could be meatless
*My definition of vegetarian is no red meat, white meat, or fish. Eggs and dairy OK.
I still can’t decide where we’ll go. I’m thinking Trattoria Roma for lunch one day and something else for dinner another day. Maybe I’ll even arrange a girl’s night out at Surly Girl or Tip Top.
Have you decided where you’re going yet?
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Hi! I am Rachel Tayse Baillieul, a home-cooking, backyard-gardening, unschooling, earthy homemaker in Columbus Ohio. Hounds in the Kitchen is where I share my family's adventures. Thanks for joining us!
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Thanks for this list! We will be vegetarian for at least the next 39 days…and it is good to know where to eat..
Thanks for helping Dine Originals Columbus spread the word about Restaurant Week and share what’s on our menus! We’re all really excited about it, and hope that you all are too…
Thanks for sharing this, Rachel. My wife’s all over this.
FYI:
Katzinger’s added a veg option:
2 small Vegetarian sandwiches (#57 and # 73 http://www.katzingers.com/sandwichmain.html), a side of hummus with pita bread, one small side of house made classic potato salad, 1 homemade fudge brownie.
Thanks, Diane!
Great list! I bet if you called any of the restaurants in advance they’d be more than happy to take care of vegetarian options or any other dietary needs. They’re all good places like that.
Handke’s just added this:
‘Vegetarian Option Available Upon Request’
And Diane sent out an email to all the restaurants, so there may be a few more (hopefully).
Thanks so much for posting this information!
One of Betty’s pasta specials does have bacon in it but you are more than welcomed to request it without.
Walker is right, most restaurants are happy to accommodate your veggie requests and it’s good to make your needs known, it often changes the way that owners design their menus. At Tip Top we serve a soy beef sandwich. Vegan customers began clamoring for soy cheese on it so we brought it in. I get really excited when I see restaurants move toward more veg-friendly menus.
I’ve been meaning to gather some sort of data about the number of vegetarians we feed at the Betty’s Family of Restaurants. Veggie diners are great customers!
Please don’t forget about Northstar Cafe! I love and crave that place daily! The burger, which is vegan, RULES!
Except Northstar isn’t a member of Dine Originals, Kristy… And that’s who’s putting on Restaurant Week.
That being said, the burger’s top-slot, no doubt.
Tomatoes are always present as garden vegetables because they are easy to grow.-~.
the best garden vegetables are tomatoes and potatoes, they look great and you can eat them too.,`,
the garden vegetables that we put at home are usually cabbages and tomatoes“-
Awesome! I’ll add the Katzinger’s meal above too.
And I forgot to mention I’ll add more veggie choices as restaurants post menus.
Perhaps Northstar will consider joining Dine Originals and participate in the next Restaurant Week!