Boston Area News & Reviews on Vegetarian and Vegan Dining

 

Radio Boston, "Seitan, Tempeh, And Tofu, Oh My! Boston’s Vegan Scene Is Growing" (1/21/11)
"Most of us can agree that Boston’s restaurant scene is hot... The Boston vegan scene is also growing. In the last 18 months, four new vegan restaurants have set up shop in the area. We’ll be joined in the studio by two local chefs who put their own signature on vegan cuisine."

Stuff Boston, "True Bistro" (1/10/11)
"... the inventiveness of higher-end vegan cuisine does a great job chewing up and spitting out that lingering popular preconception that animal-free eating limits you to heaping plates of lawn-mower litter. But since its November opening, True Bistro has taken up the mantle of proving such notions false."

Boston Herald "Vegans' Pulse quickens" (6/18/10)
"The menu skips around the world for inspiration... Vegans and nonvegans alike can dine here without feelings of deprivation... excellent... pleasant... delish... thumbs up... a tasty treat... it's quietly addictive.  Of course, for vegans, it’s the depth of the menu and the purity and taste of the food that’s most important. On these factors, the Pulse Cafe scores winning marks... This is a hit."

Boston Phoenix, "Red Lentil Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant  No meat? No problem."  (3/24/10)
"By now everyone knows Red Lentil is dog-plays-the-piano good.  It’s the best all-vegetarian and lots-vegan restaurant Boston has ever had. The question before us is: is it actually good-good?  Would a carnivore in the mood for vegetables go there?  I think so."

Boston Globe, "Refuge for vegetarians"  (3/24/10)
"The Pulse Cafe is as much a safe haven as it is a restaurant. Not only can vegans and vegetarians dine without worries at this organic eatery, but also those on dairy- or gluten-free diets can take refuge within its cheery yellow walls.  From the cheesy nachos and fabulous 'Reuben' sandwich to the creamy chocolate mousse, the menu is vegan and much is gluten-free. It’s the kind of open-armed cooking that warrants forgiving a few kinks."

Boston Globe, “Men leave their own mark on veganism”  (3/24/10)
“…the new face of veganism: men in their 40s and 50s embracing a restrictive lifestyle to look better, rectify a gluttonous past, or cheat death.  They are hegans.  They are healthy.  And they are here to stay. … One thing he would like to change is the misconception that being a vegan means being on a diet.  ‘The thing I hear all the time is: ‘Are you still on that diet?’  It’s the farthest thing from a diet.  I don’t feel limited at all.  If anything, what I eat has expanded not contracted,’ he says.  ‘I will never diet ever again.’’’

Weekly Dig, "Red Lentil paints you green"  (3/10/10) (PDF)
"This vegetarian gem will satisfy taste buds, diets and wallets alike... It’s like a vegetarian world map, representing everything from Indian and Latin cuisine to American comfort food... I start with the Gobi Manchurian... This dish is light and flavorful, leaving me muttering, “Wow,” after every bite... This place knows fresh food, flavor and hospitality. It just so happens that it’s veggie-vegan-gluten-free friendly."

Boston Globe, "Red Lentil is a savory haven for vegans"  (11/25/09)
"When their food arrives, diners here sit and stare at their plates, which are colorful, architectural, and beautiful... Pradhan’s savory food is made with extraordinary care.  It’s such a small place, you have to wonder if he can make it.  'I’m not here to become Bill Gates,' says the chef.  'I want people to be happy.'  Judging from the early crowds, they already are."

Stuff Boston, "Cool cuisine" (6/15/09)
"She maintains that in addition to being delicious, raw rood promotes weight loss, slows the aging process, makes digestive problems disappear, elevates mood, and boosts vitality and focus in a big way... the pair jumped at the chance to educate others about raw vegan food by serving up I-can’t-believe-this-is-good-for-me fare like burgers, burritos, pizza, eggplant parm, lasagna, and to-die-for desserts like chocolate cake with crème anglais, along with the juices, smoothies, and salads you might expect."

Boston Phoenix, "A tasty vegetarian/vegan cart sneaks past the Back Bay’s guardians of dullness" (6/10/09)
"You may choose between two vegan sauces: creamy lemon or chipotle/lime. Both add essential complexity, but I think the lemon's assertive tanginess makes a bigger impression, a rounder complement to the other savory flavors...  Altogether it's fresh, colorful, and surprisingly filling — a healthy-tasting deal... for Back Bay workers starving for good, cheap lunch options, especially the grossly unreserved vegetarians and vegans among them, this Little Cart That Could is a winsome addition to the neighborhood."

Boston Globe, "A tranquil space for lunch or tea"  (5/27/09)
"'You can sit in the teahouse: watch people go by, bring a book to read, or chat with friends,' says the affable nun, a graduate of Queens College in New York...  The center offers dim sum-like snacks, including turnip cake, dumplings, and spring rolls. Lunch, a mainstay of the teahouse, is $6.95 for soup, brown rice, and four side dishes. Initially patrons were encouraged to leave a donation instead of paying a fixed price."

Boston Globe, " A vegan respite" (4/1/09)
"Bouley turns his organic ingredients into well-made, flavorful food that even nonvegans will find appealing.  Caesar salad ($7) is an enormous plate of romaine, grape tomatoes, red onions, chickpeas, and croutons, tossed with an amazing dressing that Bouley makes from ground almonds, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and nutritional yeast to give a cheesy flavor. We have to make ourselves stop eating to save room for entrees." 

Boston Globe, "Have your vegetables and your cake, too" (6/29/08)
"Masao's Kitchen proves that even a meat lover can truly enjoy a vegetarian meal. The storefront restaurant on Moody Street in Waltham has gained a cult-like following, and after spending time there, I understand why."

Boston Globe, "Raw food restaurant makes going green a pleasure" (5/7/08)
"The raw food diet is heavy on fruits, vegetables, nuts, sprouts, and seaweed - 'living' foods - and adherents claim it brings substantial benefits for health and well-being. Where the diet may once have seemed solely for hippies and Californians, it has gained traction in the mainstream... As a restaurant, there is no doubt that Grezzo succeeds, appealingly and sophisticatedly packaging a lifestyle."

Boston Globe, "How'd They Do That? A raw-food chef turns nuts into cheese (and performs other delicious miracles)" (4/20/08)
"Its owner, Alissa Cohen, ... prescribes eating only fruits, vegetables, sprouted grains, and nuts, with nothing cooked to temperatures above 112 degrees... Yes, it sounds odd. But the food at Grezzo is complex and delicious. Using a dehydrator and an amped-up blender to create textures and deepen tastes, [they] manage to produce an ever-changing menu of imaginative and flavorful soups, 'pastas,' and 'cheeses.'... The simple fact is, the food at Grezzo is wonderful, and isn't that the best reason to go out to eat?"

Boston Phoenix, "Raw Power" (3/19/08)
"Grezzo, which means “raw” in Italian, is an upscale vegan restaurant specializing in “raw and living food.” No heat above 112 degrees is permitted, so the only cooking appliance is a dehydrator... since there’s no dairy, the ice cream and cold sauces are made from nut milk... The compensation for all of these limitations is the ingenuity..., plus an enormous variety of top-of-the-line vegetable ingredients... So how’s the food? Well, fabulous... There are certainly some things here that other chefs are going to steal."

Weekly Dig, "Some like it raw: The crisp arrival of the uncooked" (2/28/08)

"You won't find baking lasagna, boiling pots of pasta or simmering sauces at Grezzo. However, the one-of-a-kind restaurant blends into the North End dining scene as smoothly as one can imagine shaved truffles and chervil atop a bowl of vanilla parsnip and green apple soup."

Boston Herald, "Boston Vegetarian Food Festival gives fresh look at meat-free eating" (10/10/07)
"Just because something is labeled 'vegan' doesn’t mean it’s health food,” insisted Colleen Patrick-Goudreau in a telephone interview from her San Francisco home... She’ll be in Boston with scores of other vegetarian vendors on Oct. 20 for the 12th annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival at the Reggie Lewis Center."

MetroWest Daily News Front Page, "A taste for change at vegan potluck" (7/16/07)
"Sherborn Mass - The Boston Vegetarian Society held its annual potluck yesterday at the Peace Abbey, where guests enjoyed more than 200 dishes of lush vegan cuisine displayed on tables outside and in various rooms throughout the center."

Boston Globe, "A place to rustle up some vegan grub"  (6/17/07)
"Order a pizza or a sub at T.J. Scallywaggle's in Allston, and you'll get soy-based cheese, or mock meat made with soy protein, but no animal products... 'This looks like a small business, but deep down, it's really a social project,' said Karian."  This article, subtitled "Slaughterhouse site gives way to 'cruelty-free' fare," outlines the sad past of the neighborhood that has been enlivened by the presence of two thriving vegan eateries.

stuffatnight, "Veggies delight: You don't have to be a meat eater to enjoy fine dining" (6/1/07)
"Incompatible palates can put surprising strain on a relationship. I learned this the hard way when I, a fine-dining fanatic and wannabe foodie, found myself smack dab in love with a vegan... Thankfully, some of the best chefs in Boston find vegetarian and vegan cooking to be fresh, exciting, and challenging — and they offer menus to prove it."  

Boston Globe Calendar Cover Story, "Easy as v-e-g-a-n"  (5/17/07)
An interview with BVS.  "If you think you need to go to great lengths to follow a vegan diet, think again.  Being vegan doesn't require unusual or hard-to-find products. In many cases, you only need to tweak recipes or menu items slightly to create a vegan meal... There are really no obstacles or sacrifices involved in being vegan... We have a wide range of fabulous vegan foods that are healthy, delicious, and don't cause any harm to the environment or to animals. So what more could we want?"

Boston Globe Calendar Cover Story, "What vegan looks like"  (5/17/07)
"Going without meat and dairy products no longer means you have to go without great taste.  Like yoga and vegetarianism, vegan eating has moved more into the mainstream in recent years."

Boston Globe, Life Alive Review (5/9/07)
"In Lowell, they're lining up for Life Alive cafe's raw deal.  In the city's renovated arts district here, Heidi Feinstein has set up shop making vegetarian dishes with healthful ingredients and some Asian overtones. At her spot, Life Alive Urban Oasis and Organic Cafe, she is offering unprocessed, mostly organic, preservative-free food, all made from scratch."

Boston Phoenix, Buddhist Tea House Review (3/14/07)
"At the International Buddhist Progress Society’s kitschy café, your server will likely wear prayer robes; after all, the space itself is decked in fresh flowers and filled with the scent of incense wafting from the adjoining meditation room and library.  Serving simple but tasty vegetarian fare, the IBPS brings monastery food into modern times... always appealing."

Boston Herald, "Living on the veg: Boston's restaurants embrace meat-free options"  (2/21/07)
"Boston is a 'very vegetarian-friendly city.' That's the assessment of Samir and Mona Sanghani. The couple (he manages an investment fund and she's a doctor) should know -- they're both lifelong vegetarians, and Samir is treasurer of the Boston Vegetarian Society."

Weekly Dig Magazine, "Rabbit Foodies, Rejoice!"   (1/17/07) (PDF)
A WEEKLY DIG writer digs out some very tasty vegan dishes in unexpected places.  "Behold these untraditional, local, upscale-yet-still-vegan-friendly stops where herbivores and bloodhounds alike can share a menu; where resourceful chefs celebrate produce and vibrant seasonings; and where bees, we hope, buzz happily unexploited outside."

Boston Phoenix, My Thai Cafe Vegetarian Review  (12/27/06)
[Update: location is now 3 Beach St., 2nd floor, Chinatown]
"Thai-food connoisseurs are plenty familiar with tofu- and vegetable-heavy menus, but Coolidge Corner’s latest window into Southeast Asia takes that theme one step farther. Instead of noodles, curries, and stir-fries peppered with beef, poultry, and seafood, My Thai serves everything from veggie-chicken, veggie-duck, veggie-shrimp, veggie-scallops, and veggie-squid, to — you guessed it — barbecued gluten. And tofu, of course... After a gulp of the slurpee-like Thai bubble tea, I was already planning my next visit."

Boston Globe Magazine, "Green Plate Specials"   (6/3/06)
"Fine vegetarian dishes can now be had at some of the toniest spots in town, with fixed-price menus that let chefs be inventive and offer diners surprising variety... more and more of those restaurants are vying for our attention, most notably by offering fixed-price multicourse vegetarian dinners. They usually feature dishes that don't appear on the regular menu, they can often be made egg- and dairy-free, and they change from night to night."

Weekly Dig, Veggie Planet Review  (2/4/04)
"Comfort foods are one thing, conscience foods are quite another. That's the lesson at Veggie Planet, where every ingredient of every meal is selected by chef Didi Emmons to reflect the restaurant's social commitment to organic, locally grown foods. The result is a dinner that leaves your belly full but your consciousness wracked with guilt over the veal chop you had two years ago... these are no ordinary tomato pies - these are organic flatbreads topped with fresh, inventive ingredients."

Boston Phoenix, Grasshopper Review  (4/23/98)
"Who needs meat when you've got wheat-gluten pork?  My usual line of questioning about restaurant names -- how come there aren't any grasshoppers on the menu? -- doesn't apply here. Grasshopper is about eating like a grasshopper, if one can imagine an Asian vegan grasshopper who lusts for spring rolls made with taro root... diners will be pleasantly surprised by the elegance and excellence of this place."