chelsea Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Been looking all day for a lovely romantic restaurant/bistro locally to celebrate our wedding anniversary/my birthday for a special meal. I've looked through Devon and Cornwall and I am truly exasperated at the poor dish choices for vegetarians Do we only have goats cheese down here to satisfy one's tastebuds?....'cos that is all that's on offer! I do not want - Starter - Blue cheese with pine nuts and some poncy dressing followed by Mains - Goats cheese dressed with something else! Surely in this day and age some chefs can come up with something more imaginative than a menu full of cheese. Im not kidding you in Cornwall every vegetarian dish was goats cheese.....they must have a lot of goats there. Do any other veggies suffer the same fate in other parts of the UK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Chelsea, I'm not a veggy but will quite often eat vegetarian dishes when we are out. Do you like Indian as they always cater well for vegetarians. Well, the ones round here do anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 4, 2008 Author Share Posted November 4, 2008 never thought of indian Anne, thanks! Not sure hubby would be too keen though. Will have to run that one past him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miffy Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 just a thought, why not contact a hotel with a restraunt, they may be more up to speed with vegetarian food, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Forgot to say I hope you find somewhere nice to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egg Lou Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I have similar issues here! But do find Italian somewhat better for choice even if pasta does get a bit boring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I adore goats cheese and would eat it anytime! We have a wonderful local restaurant called The Fat Cat and it has some beautiful vegy dishes on their menu. Sometimes local independant restaurants do better vegy dishes than chain ones. I do hope you find a good place to enjoy your special night out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I'm surprised you even found the goat's cheese! - around here it's always pasta in some form of tomato sauce! Some hotels may be better than others - often the answer will be "tell our chef what you would like and he/she will cook it" - I reply that what I'd like is to be tempted by a choice like everybody else! Christmas menus are my big bugbear - a poor meal but charged at the same rate as the other meals I choose Italian when eating out and usually have something like Gnocchi with a creamy sauce and loads of vegetables. Good Luck! - I hope you find somewhere nice. There is a thread on River Cottage forum where people have listed favourite eateries.....you may find something there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 4, 2008 Author Share Posted November 4, 2008 a poor meal but charged at the same rate as the other meals agree with that Lesley.. its really poor. We went out on Sunday night and there was just one veggie main course and that was a caesar salad at over £7, not exactly hearty and seasonal on a chilly day. :roll: Good Luck! - I hope you find somewhere nice. There is a thread on River Cottage forum where people have listed favourite eateries.....you may find something there. Off to check it out now...thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I wish I was looking to go to Devon or Cornwall for dinner I LOVE goats cheese and rarely seem to see it on the menu here. I am sick of the vegitarian option being lasagne that Bechemal sauce is disgusting! Mum just got back of a cruise where there was a Marco Pierre White resturant on board and tried to eath there twice and both time perfectly nice dishes were served smothered in cream, after the second time she asked the maitre d if everything was served with cream as the menu didn't mention it and he said "pretty much". Not much use if you are on a diet or trying to keep weight off - fortunately on the cruise you are not paying so Mum just didn't eat it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenGirl Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I can empathise, having been vege my whole life i have eaten more vege lasagne and goats cheese than i can shake a stick at Thai and Indian normally do good vege options without any hassle for religious reasons. Otherwise, i have taken to finding somewhere and going in and asking them in advance or calling, particularly now I can't eat gluten. If the restaurant is any good, they should welcome the chance to do something interesting for once - if you had an allergy they would have to so don't let them treat a vege any less hope you find something nice for your special day x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I wish I was looking to go to Devon or Cornwall for dinner I LOVE goats cheese and rarely seem to see it on the menu here. I am sick of the vegitarian option being lasagne that Bechemal sauce is disgusting! Mum just got back of a cruise where there was a Marco Pierre White resturant on board and tried to eath there twice and both time perfectly nice dishes were served smothered in cream, after the second time she asked the maitre d if everything was served with cream as the menu didn't mention it and he said "pretty much". Not much use if you are on a diet or trying to keep weight off - fortunately on the cruise you are not paying so Mum just didn't eat it! Don't let your Mum go to Bulgaria, Pengy.......large slabs of deep-fried cheese We did also have some lovely stuffed peppers but mostly cheese...........and a very odd salad with a hot boiled egg which we had to wait about half an hour for - everyone else had finished their barbecue food by then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 4, 2008 Author Share Posted November 4, 2008 I wish I was looking to go to Devon or Cornwall for dinner I LOVE goats cheese and rarely seem to see it on the menu here. It must be a south west thing then Peng. Honestly, I must have trawled through loads of hotels and restaurants today on trip advisor and it was goats cheese galore! Maybe we should come up country for some proper food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missuscluck Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 my oh vas veggie for years. I seem to remember cheese omlet featured quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 If I had a pound for every mushroom risotto I have had to eat when dining out I'd be a rich woman. I'd be glad of a bit of goat cheese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lydia Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I'm not veggie but I can sympathise. I'm an Event Manager in real life and if we are serving a dinner or lunch for an event, part of my job is to taste all the dishes first (and the wine and champagne too - it's a tough job but someone's got to do it ) Usually the vegetarian options we get offered do tend to be very cheese or pasta based and very very samey, and I often wonder how vegetarians put up with it. However, we have a big Awards Ceremony on Thursday and the vegetarian main course this year is "Pithivier of spinach and pumpkin served with a mushroom sauce, parship puree and savoy cabbage parcels". It was absolutely lovely at the tasting and I've definitely chosen to go veggie for one night. In fact it's the one bit of the evening I'm really looking forward to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little jerry Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Watch out that you dont get charged a fortune for a supermarket frozen meal. I am sure my expensive christmas veggy dinner last year at works night out was a £1 findus veg lasagnefrom farmfoods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 The choice of veggie meals is shocking in restaurants. I am no t veggie myself,but often prefer a veggie meal, & when we have an indian I always have veggie stuff - they do it so well We are lucky in that the local pubs around here all seem to have extensive & ever changing veggie menus (apart from AWT's funnily enough ) One pub/bistro in particular, The Crooked Billet whre Kate Winslet famously had her bangers & mash wedding reception,does truly fabulous & very imaginitive veggie food Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonix Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I usually prefer veggie meals BUT i hate when you go to that sort of place where everything veggie on the menu is very samey - and MUSHROOMS!!! why does everything have mushrooms in - i HATE them! xXx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 I was veggie for 8 years, and one of the things that drove me back to eating meat was the boring choices available when eating out! That was about ten years ago though, it's disappointing to hear that it's still the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 I usually prefer veggie meals BUT i hate when you go to that sort of place where everything veggie on the menu is very samey - and MUSHROOMS!!! why does everything have mushrooms in - i HATE them! xXx ....and raw peppers!!! I hate raw peppers! That veggie choice sounds lovely Lydia - I would choose that, but not at Christmas. For Christmas all I want is a different choice for the meat part..........I don't want something tomatoey and with salad.....I would like something like Nut Roast or the Pithivier to replace the meat but to have all the usual accompaniments.......roast potatoes, roast parsnips, lovely vegetables, stuffing, cranberry sauce........ ....we just don't go out for Christmas meals anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodge Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Thought for the day If God had wanted us to be vegetarian, then why did he make meat taste so nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 I'd run for cover now if I were you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Thought for the day If God had wanted us to be vegetarian, then why did he make meat taste so nice especially bacon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Thought for the day If God had wanted us to be vegetarian, then why did he make meat taste so nice especially bacon I was veggie for 5 years, and it was a bacon sandwich which caused me to fall off the veggie wagon Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...