thePULSEIndulging in Vegetables?
A tour of Worcester-area vegetarian-friendly restaurants.
August 2004 – There are all different brands of vegetarians – lactos, lacto ovos, vegans, macrobiotics and fruitarians. Whatever your type, there is something for everyone (even the carnivores) in this tour of exceptional vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants in the Worcester area.
Cedar Street Restaurant
12 Cedar Street, Sturbridge
(508) 347-5800
www.cedarstreetrestaurant.com
If you want to make a day out of dinner, head to Sturbridge where you can stroll through the historic village and then visit the Cedar Street Restaurant, which offers fine seafood, steaks and vegetarian meals. Just minutes from Old Sturbridge Village, the restaurant is located in a village house that dates back to the early 1900s. Double French-doors, large paneled mirrors, lush draperies and fresh cut flowers from the property come together to create an ambiance of elegance and country charm.
The menu changes seasonally; this summer vegetarians can choose from an array of posh salads. Enjoy the complex flavors of the baby arugula salad topped with cumin-spiced pecans and pungent blue cheese or, for a lighter summer salad, try the sweet and citrusy baby greens.
Cedar Street boasts an “innovative menu with international flare” and creative dishes are what they do best. Skip the bland Farfalle and instead go for the bold and spicy flavor of the Island Jerk Marinated Grilled Tofu over lemon-kissed Arugula.
Friendly and knowledgeable servers give you plenty of time to linger over a glass of wine from Cedar Street’s impressive wine list. They even offer a vegan dessert of Wild Maine Blueberry Crisp. Reservations are highly recommended.
India Masala Grill
59 Pond Street, Ashland
(508) 879-6800
You would never think to find London caliber Indian food next door to a Dunkin Donuts in a small Ashland strip mall, but that’s exactly what you’ll get when you visit the India Masala Grill.
Voted best Indian Restaurant in Ashland by Readers Choice in 2004, Masala Grill features North and South Indian selections, of which the South Indian are purely vegetarian. The spices are prepared fresh and ground individually for each dish. Anyone who experiences the Novratana Korma, one of the many delicious vegetarian selections, can taste this artful authenticity in the subtle, but sublime combination of spices. Also a must try is the Maharani Thaali, a traditional vegetarian meal that comes with naan (Indian bread), basmati rice and five different dipping options from sweet and creamy coconut to hot and spicy purees.
Friendly wait staff are forgiving if you butcher the pronunciation of menu items and help guide you through the extensive offerings. Whatever you order, each dish comes out hot, delicious, and as authentic as you would find in an Indian home.
El Basha
256 Park Ave and 424 Belmont Street, Worcester MA
508 795 0222 (Park Ave) • 508 797 0884 (Belmont St)
www.elbasharestaurant.com
El Basha, located on Park Ave and on Belmont Street in Worcester, offers Middle Eastern and Lebanese cuisine at reasonable prices. At the Belmont Street location, the dining room is casual, but pleasant with colorful murals, Persian carpets and an ornate chandelier which hangs from the painted ceiling. This vegetarian friendly restaurant has many great meat-free options such as homus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with fresh chopped parsley or tangy and tender grape leaves wrapped around hot seasoned rice. Specialties of the house include falafel and tabouli.
Living Earth Garden Cafe
232-234 Chandler Street, Worcester
(508) 753-1896
The Living Earth Garden and Café on Chandler Street in Worcester is a vegetarian haven. Have lunch and do your grocery shopping all in one stop at this organic food market that features a small, but sunny café. Their menu features many diverse vegetarian and vegan options. Weekly specials might include a Buffalo Tofu Salad and the vegan items on the regular menu are remarkably enjoyable. The Tofu-Garlic dip is rich and creamy and the T.L.T (quinoa-soy tempeh cutlets, lettuce and tomato) has a nutty flavor and pleasing texture livened up by a tangy tofu mayo. The vegan burger is also a popular choice and is just one more tasty reason why the Living Earth Garden Café was named best vegetarian food in 2004 by Worcester Magazine’s Best of Worcester Readers Poll.
Da Lat
425 Park Avenue, Worcester
(508) 753-6036
The pizza joint of Vietnamese food, Da-Lat on Park Ave in Worcester serves up hot and spicy dishes full of fresh veggies. You can use a fork if you like, but this casual college hangout is the perfect place to hone your chopstick skills. Vegetarians can enjoy soups, appetizers and any of the flavorful tofu dishes. Flavorful tofu you say? Sounds like an oxymoron. However, light, flavorful sauces and slime free tofu are combined into delicious dishes. Da-Lat doesn’t accept credit cards, but who needs plastic when the most expensive item on the menu is $8.50?
Quan Yin
56 Hamilton Street, Worcester
(508) 831-1322
If you’re looking for some spirituality with your faux-beef, head to Quan Yin on Hamilton Street where everything, including the fried lobster, is vegetarian. Quan Yin was inspired by the Supreme Master Ching Hai who believes that “to raise cattle and animals for meat has caused our economy to go bankrupt, in all aspects. It has caused hunger of the world.” Whether you believe that vegetarianism can contribute to world peace or not, the food at Quan Yin is worth sampling, even for us meat eaters! So what if the chicken doesn’t really taste like chicken, it still tastes fantastic. Plus everything on the menu is low fat and cholesterol free.
Even better, these delicacies are served up with a price tag that won’t raise your blood pressure. The most expensive dish on the menu is $6.95. Quan Yin is predominantly a take-out restaurant, but they do have a few eat-in tables. My recommendation: enjoy these vegetarian delights in the comfort of your own home.
