Tuesday, January 28, 2014

What Does A Vegan Eat At A Steak House?

VeegMama's vegan dinner at steakhouse, BOA



I recently visited BOA in Santa Monica for a celebration dinner with my parents, sister and her boyfriend.  As it was a celebration for my dad (a huge meat lover), we chose this restaurant as a treat for him.  As our date neared closer, I admit I was a bit worried about what I would eat (as I always tell everyone, "Don't worry about me.  I always can find something to eat.")  Turns out, I had no cause for concern.  I had a beautiful and delicious dinner at BOA.  Here's what I ate:

For starters, salads are a vegan's best friend.  Mostly all can prepared without cheese (added in many on the BOA menu), and can be served with a dairy free vinaigrette (or try fresh lemon juice and sea salt if all else fails).

For the main course, get to know the veggie section of the menu.  Most steakhouses serve a robust variety of veggies in a variety of sophisticated preparations.  True, some of the items on BOA's menu were not adaptable (such as the bacon Brussels Sprouts that my hubby loved), but I had a lovely choice of mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, steamed veggies, and farmer's market veggies that all could be prepared vegan if not already done so.

To complement my veggies, I ordered a baked potato (toppings on the side) and piled my veggies on top.  Steakhouses also have these plump, large Russet potatoes that are such a treat to eat.

If you are looking for something heavier, you can also look for ingredients on the menu that they can prepare special for you.  For example, BOA's menu had a spaghetti with bolognese sauce and meatballs.  I am sure they would have been able to prepare the spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, and some of the veggies from their menu instead.

Eating at a steakhouse is far from impossible.  It just takes a bit of creativity and flexibility by the waitstaff.  Bon appetit!

No comments:

Post a Comment