Burton's Grill

Normally when a friend makes a suggestion to dine at an American restaurant, I cringe at the thought of eating boiled vegetables and baked potatoes. However, when my friend suggested Burton's Grill, I knew from a prior visit that this was going to be a good evening.

Burton's Grill is an American restaurant that actually has a separate vegetarian menu, with 5 substantial vegetarian dishes, Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Vegetable Risotto, Assorted Vegetable plate, Grilled Vegetable Sandwich and Angel Hair Primivera.

There are actually more vegetarian offerings at Burton's than the average Italian restaurant.

The ambiance of Burton's Grill is very lively and elegant, a nice place to meet up with friends to grab a drink and/or a few good bites.

We started the evening with the Grilled stuffed Zucchini ($7.95), made with thin slices of zucchini, stuffed with herb cheese,topped with tomato sauce, all I can say is yum yum!

For the main entree, I knew I had to order the vegetable risotto ($14.95), I love veggie risotto and it is very difficult to find a restaurant that makes it without chicken broth. The risotto was excellent, very creamy and filled with flavor. Needless to say I did not have any left overs.

Burton's also has an eclectic drink menu, that keeps changing depending on the season. I ordered the Autumn Appletini,a martini, made with vodka, red and white cranberry juice,lemon and caramel. I am usually hesitant to order apple martinis as they tend to be tart for my liking, but I loved the taste of this drink and ended up having two of them.

There are four locations in the Massachusetts area, one in Boston, North Andover, Peabody and Hingham.

I really enjoyed my night at Burton's Grill and look forward to going back in the future.

Burton's
1363 Boylston St
Boston MA

Myers & Chang

It was Saturday night and I was in the mood for something trendy and Asian. I had spent my Saturday lazing around, and was looking forward to dining somewhere fun and lively. I did some research and found some great reviews on Myers & Chang in the South End, it was just what I was in the mood for.

I loved the upbeat atmosphere of Myers & Chang. Its cozy and small,  but it has this retro diner feel to it. We were able to find a table near the window, and were seated without a wait. There was a separate vegetarian menu and the service was wonderful. Our waitress was patient with all of my standard vegetarian friendly questions and offered some great suggestions. 

The evening started with an Asian Mojito ($9) made with junmai ginjo sake, fresh mint syrup, and lime. It was a nice refreshing treat, one of the best Mojitos I have had in a long time.

For dinner, I ordered the red Kuri Squash soup (9), a thick creamy pureed soup.  I was a bit disappointed with dish, as it was very bland and it could have used a few spices. In addition to lacking flavor, for $9 I was surprised it was served in such a small bowl.

For my main entree, I had the rainbow tofu ($10) made with peppers dressed in a hot bean paste.  The vegetables tasted barbecued and the sauce had a tasty smokey flavor to it.

The dishes are smaller and pricier than most Asian restaurants and a point worth noting is the dishes are made to order so they come out as soon as they are ready. This took a bit of getting used to as my entree came out before my soup.

Overall I enjoyed my night out at Myers and Chang and definitely think it is worth another visit.

Ufood Grill

The other night I went to the Red Sox game leaving a little hungry. I love Fenway Park but other than greasy pizza and popcorn there are not too many vegetarian friendly options. I was in the mood for a real meal. I was heading towards my car when I stumbled upon a place called the Ufood Grill on Brookline Ave in Boston. Formerly KnowFAT, this place changed to Ufood Grill a few weeks ago. The bright colors at Ufood Grill give this place a happy feel. I loved the fact that they have free Wi Fi which is great for anyone looking to have a bite and get online. The menu is quite interesting and there are many vegetarian options ranging from soups, salads and rice bowls. Their food is fresh and healthy as their menu mentions that they steam and grill but never fry there food.

I ordered their “tofusion”, a dish made with organic tofu, steamed veggies topped with a sweet spicy ginger soy sauce. This dish maybe healthy but I missed the taste of stir fried veggies being cooked in the sauce with the rice. This dish tasted like steamed veggies on top of brown rice with a sweet and spicy sauce on the top. It was something I could easily make at home in a few a minutes. I prefer my veggies being sautéed rather than steamed.

For dessert I had the original tart soft serve frozen yogurt. The first few bites, as the name suggests, tasted quite tart. The server said that it was made with plain yogurt; hence it was not the usual sweet vanilla frozen yogurt that I was used to. However the more bites I had, the better it tasted. This dessert is an acquired taste and is a healthy option to traditional frozen yogurt. The menu states that the yogurt has live active cultures and there is only 90 calories in a 4oz serving. Although I prefer vanilla frozen yogurt I could see myself getting used to this healthy treat.

The service at Ufood Grill was very friendly and they are more than willing to explain any of the dishes to you. I do not think I would order the “tofusion” again but I may try their other vegetarian options such as the Hearty Three Bean Chili. Ufood Grill is a healthy alternative to traditional fast food but I think I like stir fries too much to be a regular here

Strega

Strega
379 Hanover St
Boston, MA 02113
(617) 523-8481
Cuisine: Italian
Vegetarian Options: Vegetarian Selective
Price: $15 - $35
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My friends and I decided to head out to the North End for dinner. We did not have any reservations but we wanted a good and inexpensive meal. We passed by Strega and it seemed cheaper price-wise (for the vegetarian dishes) than the surrounding restaurants and had a few vegetarian options so we decided to check it out. I’d noticed Strega advertises a lot (good restaurants are usually recommended by word of mouth) and because of this I have always been a bit skeptical about the quality of food at this establishment but to my surprise we actually had a decent meal and a fun time.

The ambiance of Strega is fun, lively, colorful and maybe even a bit flashy. The restaurant is loud so if you are looking for a quiet romantic evening than this might not be the place for you. The place is small and the tables are fairly close together but you just can’t help but smile at the singers who come to your table and try to serenade you. I thought the live music was a nice touch and I have not been to many restaurants in the area that offer this.

The service was okay, it was prompt, but when we asked the waiter a few questions about vegetarian options, he did not seem to understand us.

I ordered the Casarecci Di Marina (15.95), a baked pasta dish with sun dried tomatoes, eggplant and fresh mozzarella in a light tomato sauce. The dish was good but very simple and the only thing wrong with it was the cheese. It was a bit hard and instead of being baked in the dish it was placed on the side. The pasta however tasted fresh and the sauce was sweet and flavorful.

Overall Strega is a good choice if you are looking for a relatively inexpensive meal in the North End and want a festive and fun dining experience. The food here is good, not excellent, but the live music adds to the ambiance.

Sorellina

Sorellina
1 Huntington Ave
Boston Ma 02116
617-412-4600
Cuisine: Italian
Vegetarian Options: Vegetarian Selective
Price: $25-$50

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Sorellina, located on Huntington Ave in Boston, serves Italian-Mediterranean food in a trendy setting. I went to Sorellina for a work meeting and had a delightful experience. The décor of Sorellina is old Italy meets contemporary America - the restaurant screams sophistication. The mural at the back of the restaurant adds a sense of mystery to the dinning experience.

As an upscale restaurant, I was surprised to see a few good vegetarian options on the menu. The waitress worked with me to create a meal that was overall exquisite. For an appetizer I opted for the Mushroom brodo soup for $14, a mushroom broth based soup with spring vegetables that can be made vegetarian upon request without the prosciutto. The soup was okay as it had a tad too much oil, making it too greasy for my liking. It reminded me of a soup that you could buy packaged in a supermarket. The Insalata, for $15, was a mixed green salad with goat cheese and walnuts was pretty standard.

Now the pasta at Sorellina is where this restaurant separates itself from the rest. Instead of getting one pasta dish, I ordered two different half orders of pasta, each for $17. The fettuccine mixed with mushrooms, black truffle butter and parmesan cheese was simple yet fresh and tasty. The Ravioli stuffed with a smooth blend of mint and sweet pea, bathed in a light tangy cream sauce with almonds was outstanding. This dish is normally made with crab meat but it can be made vegetarian upon request. I was amazed with this dish; the stuffling of the ravioli reminded me of a mild sweet version of the Indian mint green chutney.

I had a great time at Sorellina and although the restaurant is expensive I would be back for a special occasion or nice night out on the town.

http://www.sorellinaboston.com/

Tapeo

Tapeo

http://www.tapeo.com/

266 Newbury St. Boston MA

Cuisine: Spanish Tapas

Vegetarian Options: Vegetarian Friendly

Price: $7-$10 per tapa

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Tapeo’s, a two story restaurant located on trendy Newbury Street, offers tapas in a rustic Spanish tavern like setting. The downstairs, is cozy and intimate with pots and pans on its brick walls. The upstairs of Tapeo’s is vibrant and lively and has a nice view overlooking Newbury Street. During the summertime, the outdoor seating at Tapeo’s is the place to be. There are only a handful of vegetarian friendly restaurants on Newbury St and Tapeo’s offers several tasty vegetarian tapas.

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As a vegetarian, I love tapas and depending what you order, it can be a healthy low carb meal (a difficult find for a vegetarian). For mother’s day, I took my parents to Tapeo’s for dinner. Both my parents are vegetarian and between the three of us, we had six vegetarian tapas and one dessert. Generally I would recommend 2-3 tapas a person but we were looking for a light dinner. The vegetarian tapas are very similar to its sister restaurant Dali, but what is great about Tapeo’s is they do accept reservations and you generally do not have to wait long for a table. The garlic soup, my favorite, was off season and was thus not available. We instead opted for the asparagus soup, a thick creamy soup, which was too bland and needed a bit of spice. The sautéed artichoke hearts and portobello mushrooms were simple but filled with flavor. I really enjoyed there Queso Con Miel, a fried goat cheese mixed in a sweet onion and honey sauce. We were glad we saved room for dessert, the tarta de chocolates, was a rich chocolate delight.

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Service was great for the most part. Our waitress did forget to bring us our bread at the start of the meal but she was very friendly and helpful with the menu. However she did seem a bit rushed with the bill.

We had a fun time at Tapeo’s and I will continue to return for great food and a chance to dine on Newbury street.

Pros: Great food, Reservations accepted, Outdoor seating available during warm months, Several Vegetarian Tapas

Cons: Street Parking, Tapas can be expensive

Teatro

Teatro, 177 Tremont St, Boston MA
http://www.teatroboston.com/
Cuisine: Italian
Vegetarian Options: Vegetarian Selective
Price: $15-30

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Last night I went to Teatro, an upscale Italian restaurant overlooking Boston Commons. Renovated from a synagogue, Teatro’s décor is elegant yet trendy with an arch like ceiling that gives you the feel that you are dining in an ancient Roman theater. Located in theater district and next to a movie theater, Teatro makes for the perfect date spot.

Teatro offers unique yet tasty cocktails, and I ordered the White Grape Cosmo, which as the name suggests, is made from white grape juice and the green grapes in the drink was a nice touch.

For appetizers we had the arugula salad with lemon, and olive oil and the Eggplant Francesca with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. The arugula salad was nice and light, pretty standard, but I always like to have some greens with my pasta. The eggplant Francesca, a side dish, (also served as main entrée) was excellent! It is an eggplant dish ( similar to eggplant parmesan) that is lightly breaded and baked with cheese in a fresh tomato sauce. I am not usually a fan of breaded eggplant because it always tastes fried and heavy but in this dish the eggplant was soft and juicy.

Teatro's menu has a few vegetarian dishes and I had the Spinach and Mascarpone Ravioli with crème Fraiche & Parsley. The ravioli tasted fresh and was filled with spinach and a touch of mascarpone cheese. The sauce was smooth and silky and was not heavy like most cream sauces. My friend who is non vegetarian ordered the Chicken Marsala and said it was one of the best Chicken Marsala dishes he has had in a long time. For dessert we had the Pineapple Gratinata with Pineapple Sorbet and Passion Fruit Syrup. This dessert was okay, not too heavy making it a nice healthy option.

The service at Teatro was a bit slow. Our waiter was friendly, but was not very attentive and was slow in bringing and clearing our dishes.

Overall I enjoyed my time at Teatro, a great date spot, that offers a few good vegetarian entrees in an upscale elegant setting.

Betty's Wok and Noodle Diner

Betty's Wok and Noodle Diner, 250 Huntington Ave, Boston MA 02115
Cuisine: Asian
Vegetarian Options: Vegetarian Friendly
Price: $12 -$20

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I really wanted to like this place. I went to Betty’s Wok and Noodle Diner with a friend this past weekend and was completely disappointed with the service at this restaurant. My friend and I were looking for a nice evening but instead we felt condescended by the owner and a waitress at this establishment. First, I will say their menu does offer a wide range of vegetarian friendly options, but because of the poor service that we experienced, I unfortunately will never be back to Betty’s Wok and Noodle Diner.

My friend had accidentally spilled his drink on the table. To begin with, the table near the window was not sturdy and he apologized and even helped the owner clean up the mess. Since the table we originally sat on was dirty, we switched tables and the owner and the waitress then acted annoyed with us. They also never brought my friend another drink which he hardly had two sips of. We were given another waitress and told her what had happened and this new waitress was very nice and understanding and finally brought us another drink. Our night might have been better if we had this new waitress all along. The manager nor the old waitress never came to apologize.

We ordered the appetizer Cool Cuc’s and Weed, a cumber and seaweed appetizer dish made in a ginger-wasabi dressing that was tasty. For the main dish, I had the broth noodles with the Asian pesto sauce on the side and ordered it will soba noodles. The dish was okay, a bit on the bland side even with the Asian pesto sauce. However noodle soups at most restaurants tend to be on the blander side. The restaurant has a nice drink menu, I ordered Loca- Motion which was delicious.

Overall the food here is okay, and the ambiance is fun, yet casual, but I was mainly disappointed because of the service. The food is a bit expensive for the price. There are other Asian restaurants in Boston area that serve just as good food for cheaper prices.

Wagamama

Wagamama Quincy Market Building, Boston MA
http://www.wagamama.us/
Cuisine: Japanese
Vegetarian Options: Vegetarian Friendly
Price: $10

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This London based branch now has two locations in Massachusetts, one in Fanuel Hall in Boston, and the other in Harvard Square in Cambridge. The two locations are similar but I prefer the Cambridge location for its beautiful view overlooking Harvard Square. I enjoy Wagamama for its inexpensive good food and its array of tasty vegetarian options. The atmosphere is modern, yet casual and I thought the ledge under the table for your pocketbooks and other belongings was a nice touch. Green tea is complimentary with the meal but is only available upon request. Wagamama offers wonderful fresh juices and I recommend ordering their Fruit Juice for a refreshing treat. The Ysai Goyza, their version of vegetable dumplings, I felt was pretty standard. However, I enjoyed their Miso Soup with pickles on the side.

There are six different vegetarian entrees, my favorite being the Yasi Yaki Soba, a whole wheat vegetable noodle dish made with a touch of vinegar. I have tried the Moyoshi Soba, a vegetarian noodle soup dish ( a hard find in the Boston area) and thought it could have been more flavorful but perfect for a cold winter night. I wasn't too impressed with the Yasi Chili Men, a whole wheat noodle dish cooked in a spicy sauce. I felt this dish was too heavy and the sauce didn't blend well with the noodles. I also tried their Chocolate Fudge Cake which was okay but I was happy to see they offered a wide range of dessert options.

Service can be a little slow depending on the night. Overall Wagamama serves good food for the price and the ambiance makes for a fun dining experience.

Tantric Bar & Grill

Tantric Bar & Grill, 123 Stuart Street, Boston MA
http://www.tantricgrill.com/
Cuisine: Indian
Vegetarian Options: Vegetarian Friendly
Price: $12-$14

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This Indian Restaurant, located in the theater district, is a nice alternative to the standard pricey restaurants that you will generally find in this area. This is one of my favorite Indian restaurants and its trendy sheik ambiance separates it from the rest. In the summer outdoor seating is available, but I always prefer to sit inside and enjoy the atmosphere. My favorite dish at Tantric is the Paneer Makhni for $12.95 , which is very creamy but truly an enjoyable treat. Tantric offers two tasty appetizers which are unique to the restaurant. The Paneer Achari, is perfect for paneer lovers (like myself) it's a tangy dish made with bell peppers, onions and is sauteed in an Indian pickle sauce. The Gobi Maunchurian is a spicy Indian Chinese dish made with Cauliflower and is their take on a popular entree that can be found in many Indian Chinese restaurants in India. This restaurant also offers South Indian dishes, a difficult find in the Boston area. If you get a chance, check out their unique drink list which features drinks such as the Mango Clove Martini and the Kama Sutra. Depending on the week night service can be slow and the bathrooms could be cleaner, but I still keep coming back for their great food and ambiance. Tantric is a trendy, modern Indian restaurant with a unique twist on Indian food.

Addis Red Sea

Addis Red Sea, 1755 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge MA
http://www.addisredsea.com/

Cuisine: Ethiopian
Price: $10-15
Vegetarian Options: Vegetarian Friendly

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This was the first time that I had tried Ethiopian food but it is surely not the last. Addis Red Sea has two great locations, one in the trendy South End Boston as well as the artsy Porter Square in Cambridge MA. I dined at the Porter Square location (decided to avoid the parking hassles in Boston) and had a great experience. I ordered the vegetarian combo for $14.95, comprising of small vegetarian dishes and a tangy tomato salad. The dish I enjoyed the most was the Yesmir Wot, a spicy lentil dish. The other dishes were tasty but maybe a bit on the bland side. Addis Red Sea has a great selection of beverages including a tropical guava juice. The atmosphere was exotic with dimmed lighting, and small woven Ethiopian tables, a perfect place for a date. Be prepared to get your hands dirty, all these dishes come with Injera, a tasty sponge like bread that soaks up the juices from the dishes. Be sure to check out Addis Red Sea for a fun, ethnic, dining experience.

Radius

Radius, 8 High St, Boston Ma
http://www.radiusrestaurant.com/
Cuisine: French Modern
Vegetarian Options: Vegetarian Selective
Price: $32-60

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This French Modern restaurant is located in the financial district and is truly a luxurious experience. I recently went here for a friend's birthday and was very impressed with the food, the ambiance, and the service. The urban décor is stylish, trendy and sophisticated, a restaurant that would be approved by the characters in Sex in the City. The prices are very expensive but a great place for special occasions. We were both a little nervous that the portions would be small being a French restaurant but to our surprise this was truly not the case. For an appetizer we ordered the Gnocchi and requested it without the bacon. I am usually not a fan of Gnocchi but I really enjoyed this creamy dish. For dinner I enjoyed the Vegetable Five tasting menu for $32 which was made with five different vegetables prepared in ways that I have never experienced before. The other vegetarian option is a four course vegetable tasting for $60, but I was glad I ordered the $32 entrée which was one of the most delicious dishes I had ever had.