Amazon.com Review
Travel's not easy for the vegetarian voyager--at least the dining aspect isn't. Sure, you know where to go in your own home town for good vegetarian fare, but eating on the road is often fraught with unpleasant surprises (such as the meat stock in an allegedly vegetarian dish) or culinary disappointments (another meal of bread and cheese, how thrilling). The Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Natural Foods Restaurants in the U.S. & Canada is a godsend for vegetarians away from home, listing more than 2,000 restaurants, spas, vacation spots, inns, camps, tours, and travel agencies that cater to herbivores. Alphabetical organization brings order to the listings. It's arranged alphabetically by states for the U.S. and by provinces for Canada, then alphabetically by city within each state or province, and alphabetically again by restaurant within each city. And for each spot, the authors provide the necessary information in a few pithy lines. Not every restaurant is strictly vegetarian, so along with address, phone, hours of operation, price category, and which credit cards are accepted, they list the vegetarian details you need to know, such as how Minga's Mexican Restaurant in Glendale, Arizona, does not use lard in their vegetarian burritos or fajitas, but that the rice may contain chicken, so you need to ask first. Restaurants that are strictly vegetarian or vegan are marked as such, as are the places the authors specifically recommend. As for the rest, it's good just to know in advance that Bongkot Thai Express in San Rafael, California, offers 17 vegetarian dishes; that the China Pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia, uses vegetarian broth for all its vegetarian menu items; and that the No Pop Sandwich Shoppe in Whitehorse, Yukon, makes veggie burgers, pastas, and salads--but eschews soda pop. Reliable and dependable, this guide to vegetarian dining frees the spirit and lets you take to the road without fear of starving or compromising your vegetarian values. --Stephanie Gold
