The Meatless Guide to Dine In Brooklyn

As a vegetarian who loves to eat out, Dine In Brooklyn can sometimes be downright depressing. Often, when dining out, vegetarians are relegated to mushroom, eggplant or pasta dishes — but during Dine In Brooklyn, sometimes it seems as though we are altogether forgotten.

We called up the dozens of Slope restaurants participating in the eating extravaganza to get the skinny on who’s offering the most interesting vegetarian entrees. And though it appears I won’t be dining at Al Di La or Stone Park Café this week, we were happy to find that a number of spots are offering great deals for vegetarians, too, this year.

Here’s the scoop on a few of the spots we found most appetizing:

It’s hard to go wrong with tacos – no matter the filling. For Dine In Brooklyn, Bogota will offer up its vegetable tacos: a medley of grilled mushrooms, poblanos, red pepper, tomato, red onion, corn kernels, jack and feta cheese, stuffed in a tortilla and served alongside a green quinoa pilaf and shredded kale. Appetizers like a chipotle salad with avocado, feta, diced egg, and tortilla strips sound pretty tempting, too.

Hidden behind Fifth Avenue’s Loki Lounge, it is safe to say that this spot is better known for its steaks that its vegetarian cookery. That said, Benchmark is dishing out a couple of vegetarian items for Dine In Brooklyn: a wild mushroom pappardelle sounds delicious, but we’re really itching to try the avocado pannacotta appetizer.

The menu at Palo Santo will change throughout Dine In Brooklyn, but Chef Jacques Gautier always makes sure to have at least a few interesting options for those who eschew the meaty stuff. Last night’s vegetarian entrée: mushrooms braised in a poblano mole and served with corn tamale.

For vegetarians sick of having only one menu option when out to eat, Fornino is the place to be. All of the grilled pizzas at this Italian spot are on the Dine In Brooklyn menu, and many of the best pizzas are, in fact, vegetarian (we love the spinach pie). There are also two vegetarian pasta options: a three-cheese ravioli and a bucatini with mushrooms, spinach, Kalamata olives and ricotta salata.

The Dine In Brooklyn menu at Juventino may not list any veggie-friendly entrees, but fret not: the eatery will whip up one of its legendary, impromptu vegetarian specials for any diners wary of meat. There are plenty of vegetarian appetizer choices, too, including a butternut squash soup and a great grain salad with farro, lentils, barley, quinoa, tomato vinegar and green apple.