Vegan in the steakhouse

Post Title: Getting Vegan Stuffed at Donovan’s Chop House in La Jolla

Post Date: December 4, 2014

Yes, I am going to be posting a lot about vegan dining at steak houses. Of course vegans should win gift cards to steak houses. What do you think the meat-eating prize hoarders are going to order?

So, the first time I went there I didn’t eat much. Just asparagus without the butter and some wine. I only had a $50 gift card anyway, so it was okay. The second time I went there, I had a $100 trade card. This time I prepared in advance. I made my own tofu sour cream and brought it in with my own Earth Balance. Whether the employees of Donovan’s minded me doing this, I do not know, because they say “my pleasure” to all requests. They also stand at attention by the walls like the servants on Downton Abbey.

None of the salads on Donovan’s menu are vegan, so I just requested my own spinach salad. Besides spinach, it had tomato and Italian vinaigrette (purportedly vegan-friendly). It was also supposed to have onion, but someone forgot. But I didn’t mind, because raw onion can be a bit much. So, good salad.

I ordered an à la carte baked potato without the butter. Even though the menu didn’t offer that, you can still do that. When you get your baked potato, the servant has a little caddy with sour cream and chives, and of course, I only wanted the chives. I raved to the servant that my potato was “really good with my tofu sour cream!”

He said, “I’m glad it worked out for you.”

Also got a side of steamed broccoli (nice!) and a glass of Stolpman Syrah (purportedly vegan friendly, Barnivore.com). So, after eating all that (along with the hopefully vegan bread and my Earth Balance), I was stuffed and declared to a servant, “Why would anyone order meat in addition to all that filling food?!” (At a nearby table, a woman had sent her steak back to the kitchen for more cooking because it was too bloody, ewwww!)

But I had also ordered raspberry sorbet. Before bringing dessert, the servants use a little wiper to scrape crumbs off the table. Anyway, the sorbet was delicious, but I was stuffed and saved the rest in a container provided by Donovan’s, which kept me in desserts for two more days. YUM!!!

Post Title: At Least Rubio’s Has a Grilled Veggie Burrito

Post Date: November 1, 2014

Rubio’s is not the type of restaurant I would think to go to if I didn’t have gift certificates, because the concept of a “fish taco” is a nasty one. But at least they have a Grilled Veggie Burrito. You just have to say “no cheese, no creamy chipotle sauce.” It comes with chips and you can get your own salsa from the salsa bar. The Grilled Veggie Burrito is pretty good, but I would swap out the green bell peppers for red, yellow, or orange bell peppers if I could. To me, a green bell pepper is just a red one picked too early.

On my last visit (at the Torrey Highlands location), I was impressed that a fat girl sitting behind me had ordered the same exact lunch (“Grilled Veggie Burrito No Dairy”)! But I don’t think she was vegan, as I overheard her telling her buddy that a three-year-old is “set for the day” if you feed it “mac ‘n cheese.” Huh?

Other than giving out “meal cards” on the radio, Rubio’s also gave out catering gift certificates. Earlier in the year I tried the catering for a low-key Morrissey birthday celebration. To go with the catering, I baked my own chocolate wacky cake (but didn’t bother frosting it as I am too busy for that kind of thing). Aside from the burritos, the catering meal came with black beans, citrus rice, salsa, napkins, plastic utensils, and a reusable bag. I wonder how it would go over if I brought Rubio’s catering to a vegan potluck (instead of making something delicious and packing all the necessary supplies).

Blog: Vegan Town USA

Author: Thrill Racer, Esq. | From: San Diego | Blogging since: May 2014