The Inn at Little Washington

Location: Washington, VA

There's a word my dad uses to describe meals so perfect that they leave you completely satisfied, or content: santosh. It's a feeling that I have previously reserved for my mom's cooking, but never managed to experience at a restaurant. That was until I went to the Inn at Little Washington.

There's a sequence in Good Will Hunting where Robin Williams tells Matt Damon about how he's just a kid. How he can read all he wants about the Sistine Chapel, quote Shakespeare and talk about Michelangelo. But Williams tells Damon: "you've never actually stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling; seen that." That's sort of how I feel about our meal at the Inn. Before I went there, I developed criteria for evaluating meals based on ambience, variety, quality... I hadn't been to the Sistine Chapel.

Some meals are experiences. The service was absolutely perfect. The staff anticipated our needs before we had them. They catered to our restrictions with pride and no sense of judgment.

I'm just going to post pictures of this meal and let you be the judge.

The meal started with an asparagus soup shot and was paired with a biscuit that was perfection.

The next course consisted of a seared tofu tartar with mango and avocado.

For our next course, we had a life-changing Virginia cheddar macaroni and a gnocchi that was divine. Every bite was inspired.

The main course was an egg-plant tortelli that was poetry.

The meal finished with a bread-pudding that was deconstructed and a butter pecan ice cream sandwich that I felt utterly complete after consuming.

Bottom line: Santosh. I truly believe that everyone should have this meal at least once in their life. If you don't trust me, trust the experts.

http://www.theinnatlittlewashington.com/

Beach Plum Restaurant

Location: Martha's Vineyard, MA

Ambience: Overlooking a grassy hill that led on to Menemsha Beach, sunset in the distance. In a word? Romantic. Also, the Obamas ended their summer vacay with a date at Beach Plum. So there's that.

Variety: There wasn't a vegetarian menu, but the mark of fine dining for me is the eagerness with which a restaurant accommodates our folk. With fine dining that doesn't have a detailed menu I've come to expect a "let me see what I can do" set of options from the chef. Didn't happen. Our only choice was the Black Pepper Fettucini (Heirloom Tomatoes, Grilled Summer Squash, Fresh Basil & Parmigiano-Reggiano).

Dessert was the high note: apple rhubarb crisp.

Quality: Martha's Vineyard and Beach Plum in particular are known for food. Maybe this was why I had such great hopes. As far as ingredients go, the place hit all the right notes. Great service, great ambience. But for a place the NYT says you cannot miss with only 36 hours on the island, I raised the bar a bit too high. It was good enough, I guess.

Bottom line: If you're in Martha's Vineyard and are vegetarian, lower your expectations. Dinner will be good, but you'll be left envying the omnivores. At least there's dessert. Be sure to make a reservation here, unless your last name is Obama.

http://www.beachpluminn.com/

Cafe Istanbul - Plano, TX

Location: Plano, Texas (north of Dallas) - The Shops at Legacy

Ambiance: Sat outside, despite the August heat. Overhead fans from the dark wood slatted overhang kept us relatively cool, but would probably sit inside next time. Outside patio sits along sidewalk in popular Shops at Legacy, great for people watching. Extra points: authentic Turkish music in the background. Major drawback: Located next to Twisted Root Burger Co., which announces whose order is ready by yelling the names of famous movie characters through a loud speaker. Creative but obnoxious after awhile!

Variety: Not many vegetarian options. The majority of the appetizers are vegetarian (think humus, babaganus, falafel), but only two dinner entrees qualified: Sebzeli pide (vegetarian pizza) and sebzeli guvec (vegetarian casserole).

Quality: I ordered the sebzeli guvec (pictured below) and it was AWESOME. The tomato broth was perfectly seasoned and simple, and the vegetables -- carrots, celery, green beans, potatoes -- were melt-in-your-mouth perfect. This is going to be a new comfort food for me.



I also had Kunefe for dessert (pictured below), which is described on the menu as an oven baked traditional Turkish dessert prepared with shredded wheat and Turkish sweet cheese, served on a hot plate and topped with ground walnuts. It is delicious (and of course vegetarian).



Bottom line: Poor variety but good quality. Go if you love the two vegetarian dishes or want to eat lots of appetizers.

www.cafe-istanbul.net

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/