Vegan on the Vineyard: Where to Eat?

Holly Nadler's recent column "Starving Vegetarians on Martha's Vineyard" struck a resonant chord with Martha's Vineyard Patch readers, who chimed in with responses and suggestions.

"You hate us. And who are we? We are the plant-based dieters, some of us vegetarians, some of us vegan, most of us somewhere on the spectrum between the two," Nadler wrote.

"(M)ost of the time when vegetarians go out to eat on the Island, we get shafted," she added.

Local chef and writer/blogger Marnely Rodriguez-Murray was quick to respond with a view from the kitchen:

"Chefs don't hate vegans/vegetarians, at least I don't. What I do hate are vegans that call in ahead (good) and say they are coming in and want a vegan menu. They come in to this awesome menu we've put together, enjoy it from top to bottom and then orders fruit sorbet with a side of FUDGE. Yeah, fudge is butter and cream, and lots of it. It's definitely not vegan.

So that might be one point when I do hate vegans. When they make me go out of their way to make awesome vegan food and then end up eating a bucket of fudge.

Also, I think vegans should just come in with authority into a restaurant. You know we have tons of vegetables, pastas, whole grains, fruits, etc....so just tell the chef exactly what you want! I do think restaurants show cater to what the customer wants, since they are why we are in business - but within moderate limits."

An apparently ex-vegan reader named Bennett commented, "I agree with Marnely, when I was vegan I found that the chefs on the island were always super accommodating and cooked up some seriously delicious veggie dishes." 

Reader Kristen Conklin generously offered a whole list of restaurant suggestions: 

• "Little House in VH has some great veggie options
• (Red Cat Kitchen at) Ken 'n Beck of course,
• Mocha Motts makes a fantastic hummus and veggie bagel,
• 7a Foods has a nice Greek veggie wrap with tzatziki sauce
• Tropical has a plethora of salads and rice and bean options
• Scottish Bakehouse has not only veggie options but gluten free as well!"

Other reader tips included:

• "Slice of Life has a veggie dagwood and a portobello mushroom that you can get without the cheese." 
• "I sent someone who was vegetarian to Ken N'Beck the other night ... She said it was THE BEST vegetarian meal she had ever had in her life. There ya go!"
  
• "Not your Sugar Mama's and Blissed Out (Vineyard Haven) are great options for snack time!" 
  
• "Lucky Hank's Farm option: really tasty, although the portion size has gone down since the winter. but they have Gluten free bread!!!!"
  
• "The Scottish Bakehouse does a superb job and is my go to place when I want healthy belly warming vegetarian food. But it's more of a take out place."
  

Now it's your turn: Where on Martha's Vineyard do you go for good food free of meat, fish and dairy? Tell us in the comments.

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