Veg Out DC!

From thoughtfully created meatless entrées to multi-course tasting menus, vegetarian dining has never been better at some of the DC area’s top restaurants. Veg out DC!

Vermilion: (pictured above) Vegetarians and vegans alike can delight in their options at Vermilion. Executive Chef Anthony Chittum offers several meatless options on his ever-changing menu. This season has brought Spring Pea Ravioli with sheep's milk ricotta, Davon Crest spearmint, lemon zest & morel froth and Path Valley Arugula served with rhubarb preserves, toasted pistachios & crispy goat cheese. In addition to the vegetarian selections always available, Chittum also adapts dishes from the regular menu for both vegetarians and vegans. In addition, with just a little bit of advance notice, he is more than happy to create vegetarian tasting menus for guests at Vermilion. Vermilion is located at 1120 King Street in Alexandria, VA. For reservations or more information, please visit the website at www.vermilionrestaurant.com or call 703-684-9669.

The Source by Wolfgang Puck: A recent, yet welcome entrant in the DC dining scene, The Source is fast turning into a mecca for vegetarians. The restaurant’s menu includes a footnote encouraging guests to inquire about its vegetarian tasting menu as well as meatless specials of the day, and Executive Chef Scott Drewno will go to great lengths to please his plant-eating patrons – even devising a vegetarian version of his signature Spicy Tuna Tartare in sesame-miso cones using a house-made vegetable tartare, avocado and asparagus. While the menu changes frequently, recent meatless options have included Tempura Tofu “3 Ways” with garlic chili, golden curry and General Tso’s and “Assam Style” vegetable curry with Bengali tomato chutney and saffron raita. The Source by Wolfgang Puck is located at 575 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (entrance on 6th Street). For reservations and information, please call 202-637-6100 or visit the website at www.wolfgangpuck.com.

Proof: Asparagus and sunflower shoot salad, Warm Hen of Woods mushroom quiche and Spring onion and ramp soup are just a few of the many meatless options that greet vegetarians at the wine-centric Penn Quarter restaurant right now. Executive Chef Haidar Karoum is known for his relationships with area farms, and these close ties are evident in dishes such as the light Potato Gnocchi with ramps and asparagus, served with wild mushrooms, spinach and Parmesan. Proof is located at 775 G Street, NW. For information or reservations, please call 202-73-PROOF (202-737-7663) or visit the website at www.proofdc.com.

2941 Restaurant: Modern French-American vegetarian fare has never tasted better, as Executive Chef Bertrand Chemel creates innovative meatless dishes that include Roasted Artichoke with braised fennel, saffron rouille and a petite salad, and Gnocchi Alla Romana with pickled ramp vinaigrette and jumbo green asparagus. He offers a daily-changing vegetarian tasting menu as well as specially created a la carte dishes, ensuring that guests at his Falls Church fine-dining restaurant never run out of meat-free choices.

2941 is located at 2941 Fairview Drive in Falls Church, VA. For reservations or more information, please visit the website at www.2941.com or call 703-270-1500.

Evening Star Café: Vegetarians need never fear the typical vegetable plate at this Del Ray neighborhood jewel. Executive Chef Will Artley trained with a vegetarian-vegan-macrobiotic chef early on in his career, and is well versed in creating thoughtfully composed entrées for vegetarians. Housemade ricotta and roasted garlic gnocchi with a mint-hazelnut pesto and carrot caramel, a flavorful Brown Rice and Tofu burger served with a fresh herb aioli and marinated tomatoes and Housemade wild mushroom ravioli served with market fresh vegetables are just a few of the many vegetarian offerings guests at Evening Star Café can enjoy. Evening Star Café is located at 2000 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA. For reservations, customers can call 703-549-5051, or visit the website at www.eveningstarcafe.net for more information.

Tallula: Executive Chef Barry Koslow’s new summer menu at Tallula is stacked with vegetarian delights, including Sunny Side Up Duck Egg with spring vegetables and rustic bread and Bibb Salad with French beans, farm egg, fried capers and a shallot dressing. Vegetarians will delight in the chef’s entrée of Pan Roasted Hearts of Palm, polenta, rapini, pistachios and pickled ramps as well the restaurant’s excellent cheese selection. Tallula is located at 2761 Washington Boulevard in Arlington, VA. For reservations or more information please visit the website www.tallularestaurant.com or call 703.778.5051.

Rustico: Vegetarians will be spoiled for choice at this Alexandria neighborhood restaurant. From a rich Cheddar & Ale soup to a variety of composed salads, Rustico’s vegetarian appetizers are a great start to any meal. Pizza-lovers will do well with the restaurant’s meatless pies, including the Roasted Mushroom Pizza with Swiss chard & goat cheese and the White Pizza topped with provolone, pecorino, mozzarella, fresh ricotta and basil pesto. Rustico is located at 827 Slaters Lane in the Potomac Plaza in Alexandria, VA. For more information, please visit the website at www.rusticorestaurant.com or call 703-224-5051.