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There are some really great vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Vancouver, and as a vegetarian, I love them. My meat loving friends, not so much. As the veggie, a lot of times when dining out you have to suck it up and hope that there’s more than a lame iceberg salad on the menu. If you’re a meat eater, it may be annoying to worry about the vegetarian in the bunch. So, let myself and my carnivorous friends eat out for you! With the veggie option, my hope is to give you a review of the meat free options available at restaurants around the city.  A meat lover will weigh in on their dishes as well. Then we can be happy and eat together in harmony, give peas a chance, blah blah nom nom. Please note, I am a food enthusiast, not a trained chef. I also may have a drink or 4 while eating these meals. User discretion is advised.

Restaurant: The Corner Suite Bistro Deluxe, 850 Thurlow Street  www.thecornersuite.com

Eaters:  Lana, the vegetarian who’s never met a cheese she didn’t like.
Shane, who believes in the 5-second rule and is on the hunt for the best burger in the city.

The Corner Suite is a new gem in the West End. Their cocktail list and cheese menu are very impressive, and the kitchen will gladly whip up a vegan or gluten free meal upon request. They are also Ocean Wise.

This bistro is perfect for an after work drink or a well-crafted meal, lunch, brunch or dinner.  The space is really  inviting, with a lot of attention to detail. If you’re a veggie bringing a meat eater out on a date, the Corner Suite is an ideal place with a great atmosphere to kick start conversation. For example, their chairs were hand dipped in ‘Tiffany Blue’ rubber, and they have the same limited edition espresso machine as the Vatican (and who doesn’t enjoy a good Papal coffee joke in life?).

There are daily vegetarian specials and the kitchen will create a custom meal to accommodate vegans. Other than salads, which are made with hand picked greens, there are few vegetarian items on the dinner menu. Keep in mind some dishes can be altered (ex. Croque Mademoiselle minus ham) and please don’t forget about that gorgeous cheese list. Once I went and ate nothing but cheese, true story. The St. Honoré and Lambchopper are a dream.

Should you have a finicky vegetarian or vegan in your group, you should call ahead to ask about the special. If you can, make reservations for dinner, and don’t fear sitting at the bar, it is comfortable and spacious.

Notable beverage: Caesar’s come with a hard-boiled quail egg wrapped in bacon

What we ate:

Lana: The vegetarian special, Gnocchi with kale and fig with hollandaise, topped with a poached egg

Shared: Green salad with hemp hearts, triple cream Brie, candied pecans, sherry vinaigrette

Shane: Station 7 Burger, thick cut bacon, aged cheddar, tomato, onion, bbq sauce, frites

Meat eater mentions: “The burger is really juicy and …READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

There are some really great vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Vancouver, and as a vegetarian, I love them. My meat loving friends, not so much. As the veggie, a lot of times when eating out you have to suck it up and hope that there’s more than a lame iceberg salad on the menu. If you’re a meat eater, it may be annoying to worry about the vegetarian in the bunch. So, let myself and my carnivorous friends eat out for you! With the veggie option, my hope is to give you a review of the meat free options available at restaurants around the city.  A meat lover will weigh in on their dishes as well. Then we can be happy and eat together in harmony, give peas a chance, blah blah nom nom. Please note, I am a food enthusiast, not a trained chef. I also may have a drink or 4 while eating these meals. User discretion is advised.

Restaurant: Grub, 4328 Main Street www.grubonmain.ca

Eaters: Lana, the vegetarian who wishes bacon grew on trees.
Shane, the guy who will eat almost anything. No really.
Marlis, the prairie girl who only eats fish on the West Coast.
Ken, a carnivore through and through. Grew up eating moose.

Meat eaters, veggies & vegans will get along swimmingly here, you really can’t go wrong (unless you can’t get a table, but then that’s your fault. Make reservations, it’s a small place.) Order off the menu or choose from a 3 course meal off the Fresh Sheet at $30 for meat eaters, $27 for veggie or vegan.

With a wide range of salads and antipasto plates, there are enough options to share. Definitely check out the daily special boards, which include multiple meats dishes, a vegetarian & also a vegan entrees. They even have vegan dessert and drink specials, bless their hearts.

The atmosphere is quaint and hip, but not pretentious. When the weather is warm, be sure to eat outside on the back patio. Our server was lovely, informative and didn’t judge when we asked what the ‘fenugreek scented rice’ really smelled like (bad joke, funny at the time).

What we ate:

Lana: Leek, gruyere & cheddar filo pie, lemon potato & corn hash, cucumber salad with mint yoghurt dressing

Marlis: Seared lemongrass sable fillet, fenugreek scented black rice pilaf, papaya salsa, lemon peashoot salad

Ken: Sweet Italian sausage pizza with …READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>