I am really feeling like a Negative Nelly lately! Since I started this blog, I have had a couple of rude awakenings. One is that I really never go out to eat because there is nothing to eat on the menu, and two is that I don’t really like most restaurants because there is really nothing to eat on the menu. I guess I am hoping that this blog will get into the hands of those who cook, so that they can start cooking for people like me. We’re hungry!
Saturday is our night to go out. Jeff and I have a sitter and we could go anywhere we want. I’ve been searching the restaurant listings, and have read through the blogs I have linked in this site, but nothing inspires me.
Some restaurants don’t offer inspiration because I know I will have but one little thing to choose from – one little pasta entree. For a lovely date night experience, we could go out to eat with the intention of enjoying a fabulous space or wonderful service. I’m thinking Masa, Cue or the Craftsman, but there would be nothing over-the-top on the menu to choose from. We’d be the weirdos requesting a smattering of sides or making special orders. Wonderful is Thai or Indian food as there are typically many vegetarian options on the menus, but for a date night, many of those places don’t inspire. Service is often lacking or the restaurant itself is somewhat unsavory, if you know what I mean.
I’m looking for new menus, people. I’m looking for chefs who are creative and have a little more variety on their menus. Mainstream meat-eaters are all about Sushi right now, and lucky, to boot! At least they have some interesting restaurant options to choose from. Lyn-Lake just opened Tiger Sushi 2 in shi-shi digs overlooking the Midtown Greenway, and man, would I love to go there! I’m not a fan of sushi, but the space looks fabulous and the sushi rolls look yummy. I’m blown away by what can be done with rice, sesame seeds, avocado and mango. Pasta never looked that interesting. Just leave out the tuna or salmon, give me a rich, but vegetarian sauce, turn my sushi roll into a caterpillar on a plate and you might give me a reason to want to come back. How difficult is that?
My friend Kate has become an avid reader of my blog (bless her heart), and she has introduced me to a restaurant in Ireland where her friend, Glory worked. It’s a vegetarian restaurant with a very interesting menu.
http://www.cafeparadiso.ie/dinner
Glory saw my blog and sent the web address of another friend, Amanda Cohen, who opened a vegetarian restaurant called ‘Dirt Candy’ in NYC last October. She has an interesting perspective that vegetarian restaurants usually are lifestyle driven and not chef driven. She has had some of her best vegetable dishes in non-vegetarian restaurants. That’s exactly my point! I don’t want to be excluded from fabulous restaurants because they have limited vegetable offerings. I want restaurants to make delicious food for everybody, and I want menus that provide variety to keep the customer coming back.
I’ve made my decision. We’re going to Tiger Sushi 2 to see what kind of caterpillar sushi roll they can whip up for vegetarians who dislike fish! I hope that have good drinks!
