As a vegetarian living in Lansing for the past six years, you may think that I live in a state of disappointment - especially after returning from Chicago this weekend and vegetarian treasures like Chicago Diner, the "meat-free since 1983" staple for many big city herbivores. However, while the Capital region may not host many
vegetarian only establishments, many of our local favorites feature some very appetizing meat free entrees.
But where does one go for the best vegetarian meal in town?
Since there are no strictly vegetarian establishments in town, I decided to test out the veggie fare at four local restaurants around Lansing, and then compare my overall experience based on taste, options, price and consistency. In order to make sure there was a consistent vegetarian option at each place, I went to each establishment twice over the past month or two.
Let’s get started with one of my local favorites …
The Soup Spoon Café
This restaurant is not only known for delicious food, but a great selection of draft beer, wine and some of the best cocktails in town. But how do the vegetarian meals fare?
The Meals: Trip One-
The Peacemaker sandwich (grilled sourdough, spicy housemade Vegan lentil patty, grilled vegetables, avocado tomato, lettuce, Vegan mayo and tamarind dressing) with a side of potato chips and
cup of mushroom barley soup. Trip two:
Bowl of tomato basil soup with the café bread (sun-dried tomato focaccia bread topped with fresh pesto, provolone and parmesan) on the side.
Overall Experience: I am a big of The Soup Spoon Café. Both meals I ate here were filling, and while there aren't nearly as many vegetarian options on the menu as meat lovers have, I always had quite a few to choose from; all between $5-$15. They always have one vegan soup option, as well as a vegetarian option most of the time, and at least two sandwiches to choose from on the lunch/dinner menu. If you happen to love appetizers as much as me, you have a variety to choose from on their small plates menu. And when paired with soup, such as my dinner on trip two, it is a lovely and filling combination. I have to also give a shout-out to the staff here, for they are very accommodating when asked to make substitutions for a meaty dish - they are willing to substitute extra vegetables in a pasta dish or sandwich, rather than the chicken/seafood it traditionally comes with.
Fork in the Road
Fork in the Road is one of Lansing’s Westside’s finest farm-to-table diners, focused on utilizing locally-sourced ingredients, prepared simply, with passion and integrity. They are also known for their smoked meats, so I was especially interested to see how this establishment would hold up when compared to other vegetarian options in the Greater Lansing area.
The Meals: Trip one: Veggie scramble (scrambled egg, roasted turnip, greens, burnt onion, fig, Pickwick cheese and potato) with a side of toast. Trip two: Assorted veggie sandwich with a side of sweet potato tots.
Overall Experience: The vegetarian fare at this place stands as my favorite tasting meal(s) of all the vegetarian taste testing I have done. While there are far more meaty options on this ever-changing menu, the flavors used to prepare each meal are outstanding. Both the scramble and the sandwich used fresh, in season vegetables (mostly root, for the season I was dining in was late winter), combined with spices to create a combination of flavor that does not compare to another vegetarian sandwich I have eaten, in the Capital region, or anywhere else for that matter. While the prices here were the highest, it was worth it for the quality of food I enjoyed. I also found the staff here to be accommodating, and willing to throw in some extra veggies as a substitution to a meaty dish if asked, and always had at least two veg options and a vegetarian salad available.
Red Haven
Red Haven is one of Lansing’s newest farm-to-table restaurants, with a menu designed for tasting and sharing, as it consists of mainly small plates. I had high expectations as I delved into some of the dishes here, for their seasonal Purple Carrot food truck not only has some delicious vegetarian foods, but one of the only tofu sandwiches in town.
The Meals: Trip one:
Carpaccio salad (beet, butternut, leek, apple, turnip, sherry, puff rice) and ravioli (asiago, kashkaval, tarragon, pistachio.) Trip two:
the fry option (potato, yolk, herbs and lemon
) and a variety of pesto and garlic spreads on fresh bread.
Overall Experience: This is a lovely restaurant to go to with a friend or two, and all try a couple of options to share around the table. While the portions are on the smaller side, there were plenty of vegetarian small plates to choose from and they are absolutely wonderful. I feel this food was on the fancier side, with the prices reflecting that, for it adds up, the more small plates you order; thus I would use this menu as one to experience on special occasions, or a night out with the ladies for one of Red Haven’s famous cocktails with homemade bitters to go along with a small plate.
Maru
Maru is one of the the Capital region’s newest sushi restaurants, located in Meridian Township, with two new locations opening up in East Lansing and Grand Rapids.
The Meals: Boogie Veggie roll (made with sprout, cucumber, avocado, asparagus, and kampyo topped with tempura sweet potato with maru dressing).
Super Mario roll (consisting of shiitake and crimini mushrooms, avocado, radish sprouts, cucumber, asparagus, red pepper, tempura crunch and a chef's salad on top).
Overall Experience: Maru has, hands down, some of the best vegetarian sushi I have ever had. The portion of sushi in each roll is huge, leaving enough to take home and snack on later. All of the vegetables taste fresh and the variety of vegetarian rolls on their menu is huge. Each veg roll has a large combination of vegetables, making each one unique and filling. However, with large rolls come larger prices, and these rolls can cost you around $10-$14 per roll.
So, how does this all add up in terms of determining the best vegetarian meal in town?
- Best bang for your buck: The Soup Spoon Café. Lot of options, moderately priced, all tasty.
- Best tasting vegetarian meal in the city: Fork in the Road; local artisan diner. This local and sustainable eatery offers incredible combinations of unique vegetables and flavors.
- Best atmosphere/variety for vegetarian meal: Red Haven. Beautiful display of food, plenty of vegetarian options, just smaller portions designed for a unique meal sharing experience.
- Best vegetarian sushi: Maru. Forget simple cucumber rolls, Maru offers unique and filling vegetarian options so that we herbivores can join our raw fish loving friends for a night of sushi.
(Originally publish Apr. 10, 2013)
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Shannon Nobles is a freelance writer for Capital Gains.
Photos ©
Dave Trumpie
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of
Trumpie Photography.