Artu

Location: Boston (North End), MA

Ambience: Upscale, energetic, and cozy. Luckily, this isn't the Olive Garden and the clientele doesn't need a lot of real estate.

Variety: What the restaurant lacked with a vegetarian section on the menu, it made up for with unbelievable service. The staff was incredibly attentive to our needs and knowledgeable about the variety of options available.

Bruschetta broccoli rabe, cannellini beans, gralic, evoo, grana padano ($7)

Melanzane Parmigiana eggplant, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce ($17)

Fusilli e con Broccoli Rabe cork screw pasta, broccoli rabe, garlic, evoo, chili flakes ($16)

Quality: The bruschetta was unbelievable as was the eggplant parm. I wasn't the biggest fan of the fusilli, but that's because I like my pastas like my women, saucy. Overall, the food was ingredients driven and the freshness made each bite a joy.

Bottom line: Avoid taking a large party (in both senses)--but go!

http://www.artuboston.com/

Top of the Hub

Location: Boston, MA

Ambience: Amazing view of Boston, but the beer selection left me parched. The restaurant is located on the top floor of the Prudential Tower (second tallest building in Boston, behind the John Hancock Tower).

Variety: There were a few vegetarian options: a tomato mozzarella flatbread, a black bean burger with homemade chips (pictured), a gnocchi salad, and a mac & cheese.

Quality: The food was decent, and reasonably priced. It was a shame that the margherita flatbread ($13) and the blackbean burger ($11) were so enveloped in cheese that I couldn't taste the other ingredients. The blackbean burger on its own was pretty tasty. They also have a separate vegetarian/vegan menu if you ask, featuring five salads and a pasta.

Bottom line: Go for the view of Boston. It's well worth it if you are only in town for a short time or have guests that want to see the city, but don't feel like walking it.

http://www.topofthehub.net/

Piccola Venezia

Before leaving for Spring Break, my boyfriend and I met a friend in the North End for dinner, and he recommended Piccola Venezia. I had a list of fancier places I was itching to try, but I was swayed as soon as I saw this one, and it didn't disappoint.

Ambiance: Appealing in a homey way. They have a big, lovely bar, dark woods, exposed brick, and just enough knick-knacks to seem lived-in, not tacky. The variety of great vintage chandeliers hanging everywhere makes up for the ceiling like an elementary school cafeteria's and unattractive ceiling fans. The place was busy at 5:30 on a Friday, but not so much that we had to wait, although it seemed like that was starting as we left around 7:00.

Variety: Fantastic. There is no separate section, but I had the run of the menu with about a third of the appetizers, one of the three risottos, half the pastas, and two different eggplant entrees to choose from.

Quality: The fare is extremely traditional - picture what you've seen people eating on The Sopranos - which is not what I expected to seek out in such a culinary hotspot. But the promise of a really comforting, homestyle Italian meal won me over the minute I saw the menu outside. My gnocchi fit the bill exactly: piping hot, the fluffiest I've ever tasted, in a huge portion with a fresh, rustic red sauce. My boyfriend and our friend devoured their food as well, so the place was officially a hit.

Bottom line: I'll be going back to try the eggplant the next chance I have. If you're ever in the mood for Italian food that your mom would cook if she were Italian, give this place a try.

O Ya

Location: Boston, MA

Last week a friend and I had dinner at O Ya and it was pretty incredible. We had high expectations for the place as it has been called one of the best sushi places and best new restaurants around by trustworthy sources like the NYT and Food & Wine (it’s not so new anymore). Sushi is not exactly a vegetarian’s best friend so I was interested to see what they’d have in store for us.

Ambience: Modern, rustic and elegant all at the same time. The place is small with only about five tables and a large bar area known as the Chef’s Counter where we sat and where you can watch some of the chefs work their magic.

Variety: Before we could even scan the menu for vegetarian options, the waiter asked us about our dietary restrictions and assured us our “vegetarian/no fish/no egg” diets would be accommodated, and with a smile! He thought we should know about the fish-based ingredient in many of their sauces and dishes and said the best option for us would be to let the chef create personalized dishes for us. What followed was a true culinary experience with 6 or 7 (I lost count) dishes ranging from vegetable sashimi and tofu tempura to a beautiful beet salad and glazed mushrooms. Every dish was inventive and presented as a piece of art.

Quality: The food was delicious and everything was prepared with great care and attention to detail. It was clear that the chef wanted us to have the “O Ya experience” despite our inability to eat fish. As far as vegetarian sushi goes, it was definitely the best I’ve ever had.

Bottom line: If you’re willing to splurge for a special occasion, go for the experience of having uniquely prepared vegetable dishes at a high-end sushi restaurant. It was pricey ($140 for the both of us) but understandably so and worth every penny. This place is always booked so make a reservation well in advance. And don’t forget to order the coconut almond gelato with a dash of warm espresso for dessert, it is heavenly.

http://www.oyarestaurantboston.com/

Sonsie

Location: Boston, MA

Took Giadda's advice and went to Sonsie last night.

Ambience: We were seated in the cafe area, with floor-to-cieling windows overlooking Newbury Street. Had it not been a cold Wednesday evening, the people watching would have been delightful. Behind us was an elegant mahogany bar, where I hear excellent martinis come from. Mahogany bars. So hot right now.



Variety: There was no separate vegetarian section, but finding veggie-friendly food was not that difficult. We split an appetizer and two of the pizzas. Our appetizer was unique: vegetable spring rolls with a spicy Vietnamese dipping sauce, lettuce wrap, and fresh mint. The pizzas were oven-baked, thin, and best described as eclectic: one had mushroom, caramelized onion, mozzarella, and brie cheese (pictured). The other was a pumpkin puree, with melted cheese, walnuts, and fresh sage. Word of caution, the pumpkin puree is good, but best shared. It starts tasting like baby food, albeit delicious baby food, after a couple of slices.



Quality: Chef Bill Poirier created an exciting menu with unique flavor profiles. The concepts are intriguing. And there's a sense of discovery! You look at the menu and think? Pumpkin on a pizza? This I must try. I'd call the food French-fusion, or international. For a $12 entree, Sonsie is definitely worth a shot.

Bonus: There is a Sai Baba picture on the wall.

Bottom Line: Would definitely go back, but I'd wait until it gets a little warmer and they open-up the cafe windows. Definitely a great spot for a first date. Seriously, you can tell a lot about a girl from what she looks for in a pizza.

www.sonsieboston.com

Photo Credit: Indulge Inspire Imbibe

Sol Azteca

Location: Boston, MA

Last night a few friends and I tried Sol Azteca in Boston and long-story short, I would not go back.

My litmus test for good Mexican food is two-fold: guacamole and fajitas. Strike one? They ran out of guacamole. We had a 7:30 PM reservation on a Saturday. That's way too early to run out of avocados.

Strike two? Underwhelming fajitas. The fajitas were the "big-ticket" item on the vegetarian menu. Listed at $14.75, my entree should have come with guacamole, rice and beans. The rice contained chicken broth and no vegetarian substitute was available other than a bland side salad with no dressing. And to make-up for not having any avocado, they provided coleslaw.

Ambience: The restaurant's decor had an urban-hole-in-the-wall feel. The tables were charmingly tiled and the yellow brick was sufficiently exotic.

Variety: The restaurant had a decent vegetarian selection of both appetizers and entrees. Points for having a section in the menu catering to our folk.

Quality: The food was not very refined. I tried a few bites of vegetarian enchiladas that friends ordered and found vegetables like cactus over-pickled and over-cooked. I would describe this restaurant in the upper-mid-range for urban dining. Most vegetarian entrees were $12.95 and the $8.50 price point for a margarita seemed to be on par.

Verdict: You can eat like a king at Chipotle for these prices. On the bright side, the chips and salsa were delicious.

http://www.solaztecarestaurants.com/