SPECIAL EVENT RESTAURANT FOR VEGETARIAN BOYFRIEND?

[heavymeta1]

Can anyone recommend a great (not necessarily fancy, but GREAT food!) place to take my vegetarian boyfriend for his birthday (he does eat eggs & dairy, thank god, or it would be too much for me to take!)?

I am not veggie, so it could be either an all-veggie place or a place with a significant amount of veggie choices that he doesn't end up in the "veggie ghetto" he so often does when i drag him around to my favorite holes-in-the-wall!

Japanese, Indian are special areas of interest (though we have been to Paru's too many times for it to be a special occasion place, and i was sad to see that tofu specialty place Umenohana in Bev. hills closed bfore i could try it, as that would have been perfect...) but all suggestions welcome. No adventurous outlying suburb too far!

Thoughts???

[Jerome]

Problem if it's just the two of you, but if it's a party, happy family in monterey park (new location). the mockmeats are very good - the straight vegetarian has lots of interesting ingredients (ask about the monkeyhead mushroom [houtougu] soup). My vegetarian friends love this place, one adores the hunan veg. ham sandwiches, the veg. goose is good, and my fave soup right now is their lily flower (and enoki mushroom) soup.

They use no meat, fish, or garlic or onion or alcohol. All following buddhist standards.

[amie32]

go to Fatty's in Eagle Rock. It's totally veg but you won't even notice. They also have a good wine list if you are into wine.

[banquisha]

I have many vegetarian friends that love Mako. I'm not sure but, I believe that there is a menu online? Check their website... which I think is www.makorestaurant.com
Also in the same neighborhood that you wanted to go to originally... Beverly Hills.
Or, another popular destination for veggies on special occasions is "Inn of the Seventh Ray." I hear it's very romantic. I haven't been.

[Bria Silbert]

I believe that La Cachette in Century City (on Little Santa Monica Blvd.) has a vegan menu, even though it is typically a French restaurant. Also, Joe's on Abbot Kinney in Venice has a vegetarian menu.

[Chowpatty]

Grace has some nice vegan dishes, check the menu, and you will have lots of tasty meaty dishes as well.
If someone took me to Inaka for my birthday I would break up with them. It's a little too austere, not to mention bland, for a celebration.

[JudiAU]

Chowpatty is right here. I don't know why I didn't think of it. Grace would be an excellent choice.

[JudiAU]

You might want to look at chameau. There are many veg options and all of them are thoughtful options.

[ceegee]

There's Asia de Cuba (asian fusion), which is part of a chain and is on Sunset so it could be a bit of a scene, but they have many veg options and I've always been happy with the drinks, food, and service. It's a nice place to eat outside!

http://www.chinagrillmgt.com/adecLA/main.cfm

Tantra (Indian) in Silver Lake has a nice atmosphere. I've never loved the food, but it's not bad...

I really like Inaka on La Brea (just south of 1st)...it's Japanese macrobiotic, so it's vegan plus fish...it's good, but healthy, so may not be what you're looking for as a special occasion place.

I've only been to these other two places once, but the vegetarian dishes I had were great and they both seemed like the kind of place that would be willing to make modifications if necessary.

Chaya Brasserie in Beverly Hills

http://www.thechaya.com/bhindex.htm

Pace on Laurel Canyon

http://www.peaceinthecanyon.com/