In a gastronomic hub and hipster hot spot like Seattle, finding delicious vegetarian and vegan options is no problem.
The beautiful city offers an abundance of options, no matter your taste or dietary preferences (Photo: Tiffany Von Arnim)
Seattle is known for more than its seemingly daily rain and for being the setting of today’s hit TV hospital drama. This Northwest mecca for food and culture offers memorable eats regardless of your culinary lifestyle. That’s right — it’s not all fish markets and Starbucks. The city is filled with vegetarian and vegan options that are on the cutting edge of meat-free culinary trends. Try one of these seven options the next time you’re in town.
Harvest Beat
Harvest Beat is lauded as one of the favorite vegetarian restaurants in the city, and it’s easy to see why. The restaurant offers a prix fixe menu with five delectable courses. The meal kicks off with a glass of Riesling and a lemon basil cucumber lemongrass elixir, followed by a Moroccan pomegranate walnut pate and a spicy greens radish blood orange salad. The third course is an arrangement of peppers and cashew cheese-stuffed asparagus. The final savory dish is a morel mushroom, fiddlehead fern, grilled ramp and saffron risotto, followed by a cashew custard-filled cannoli for dessert. Each course is paired with the perfect wine choice, as well as an herbal and fruit elixir or tea.
1711 N. 45th
Tallulah’s
Tallulah’s menu is as unique as its interior (Photo: Dorothee Brand)
A stylish, yet casual neighborhood cafe, Tallulah’s has what it considers a “vegetable-driven” menu, without being completely vegetarian, so even the carnivores among your travel companions can be happy. Starters include charred asparagus with Meyer lemon oil and pecorino Romano, roasted cauliflower with pine nuts and raisins, and avocado toast with pickled onion and cilantro. Choose from a few simple salads or opt for a hearty vegetarian bowl: spring vegetable bowl (quinoa, sauerkraut, squash, avocado, pepitas, cider vinaigrette and a soft-boiled egg), sweet potato and black bean bowl (egg, quinoa, avocado, pepitas and queso fresco) or falafel bowl (romaine, green tahini, goat yogurt tzatziki, Kalamata olives, pickled herbs and fennel).
550 19th Ave.
Tulio
Tulio is frequently featured on “Best of” lists for its authentic Italian fair (Photo: Brian Holsclaw)
Tulio’s Italian menu always offers several vegetarian and vegan options. The restaurant holds true to its Italian, Old World roots, using local ingredients to create authentic experiences. The vegetarian dinner menu offers more than 15 items, including sweet potato gnocchi with sage butter and mascarpone; risotto with gold beets and sweet kumquats; and quattro stagioni with wild mushroom, onion pesto, basil and roast tomato. Don’t miss dessert here, which ranges from seasonal sorbet and gelato to tiramisu and a boozy, warm pecan tart.
1100 5th Ave.
Wild Ginger
Open in Seattle since 1989, Wild Ginger is a made-from-scratch Asian restaurant, with a focus on Pacific Rim cuisine. Vegetarian and vegan options range from lemongrass tofu satay and market vegetable satay to sayur lodeh (Javanese vegetarian curry with tofu puffs, chayote, eggplant, peppers, green beans, cabbage and okra) and Thai passion tofu (fried tofu, eggplant, soy sauce, kaffir lime leaf and basil). Wild Ginger is also celebrated for its cocktails. Try tropical-inspired thrills like the mango daiquiri, cracked coconut martini, ginger martini, Thai chili margarita and more.
1401 Third Ave.
Palace Kitchen
The cozy booths and open kitchen at this local favorite make it a comfortable spot for a family gathering or a late-night dinner. If you’re in the mood for something light, try the “enormous” garlic croutons and romaine lettuce (a creative take on a Caesar salad) or lacinato kale salad (pumpkin seed ranch, delicata squash, white cheddar and shallots). The unique goat cheese and lavender fondue is crave-worthy, as are the fried Brussels sprouts with puffed rice and the herb and parmesan Romano gnocchi, served with tomato braised kale, whipped burrata, olive tapenade and smoked paprika.
2030 5th Ave.
Stoneburner
Burrata never looked so good (Photo: Geoffrey Smith)
Located within Hotel Ballard, Stoneburner combines Mediterranean cooking styles with Pacific Northwest ingredients. Of course, as the name suggests, there’s an emphasis on stone hearth cooking. While many meals are vegetarian, menu offerings that include meat (or not) may also be attractive to omnivorous diners. Take, for example, the pea and mint ravioli, fennel sausage pizza, shaved asparagus salad and roasted beets salad. Top it off with a decadent dessert. How about a slice of warm, huckleberry upside down cake, served à la mode?
14 Ballard Ave. Northwest
Julia’s of Wallingford
Open only for breakfast and lunch, this casual joint specializes in healthy, locally-sourced, family-style cooking. All bakery items are made from scratch in house, with a mix of vegan and gluten-free offerings as well. Both the breakfast and lunch menus are extensive. For breakfast, go sweet, with a berry crepe or Belgian waffle, or savory, with a veggie omelet or frittata. The lunch menu leans more toward the savory side, with vegetarian options like house-made hummus, veggie quesadillas, Caprese salad and cashew ginger stir fry.
4401 Wallingford Ave. North