RE: favorite food at restaurant/ *Barb* and everyone

[Guest guest]

Hi Barb and everyone,

 

I've been primarily a lurker, occasional poster for quite a few years

now, but I had to jump in when Barb posted. As another resident of a

small, forestry- and ranching-driven community in northern Canada

(Vanderhoof, which is in northern British Columbia), vegetarian food

was non-existent when I moved here over three years ago. In fact,

*decent* restaurant food of ANY kind was pretty much non-existent.

Here it is primarily pub and truck stop food, and a couple of greasy,

vaguely Chinese-Canadian restaurants.

 

However, because my husband's regular career is on hold while we live

here (he is a food scientist), my hubby went back to college to study

Culinary Arts for a year. Then he got himself a job as a cook at the

one decent pub in town, run by a woman who is keen on improving the

menu and overall food quality of her restaurant. Well, my husband is

not a vegetarian but he *is* married to one. After a few months,

nstead of just having chicken/pork/beef as the protein options for

their stirfries, he asked that he do a 'trial' tofu option too. No

one thought it would be successful because this is a town of meat n'

potato eatin' loggers and truck drivers, but surprise, surprise! The

pub now sells a couple of tofu stirfries a week, which is considered

*quite* good sales. Sometimes they have customers asking for the

addition of chicken, but more often without. The pub does teriyaki,

Thai, and orange-ginger stirfries, by the way, and they are all very

good.

 

My hubby also got rid of the cold " garden " sandwich off the menu (the

typical boring cream cheese/lettuce/tomato/cuke affair), replacing it

with a grilled focaccia (using fresh made bread!) with grilled

mushrooms/zucchini/peppers/etc and good cheese. They are also selling

heaps more of the focaccia sandwiches than the old garden sandwiches,

again sometimes with people requesting chicken on it, but more often

not. They are finding that most people are buying the vegetarian

options for health reasons and sticking to them, which is promising.

He is now thinking about adding something vegetarian with beans to

the menu, that could be popular with the non-vegetarians. Possibly a

chili or something else.

 

I should mention that now that my husband cooks for a living, he

*never* cooks at home (lol). However, it is good that he has helped

introduce items that probably would never have appeared on a menu in

this town otherwise. People are pretty stuck in their ways and like

their slabs of meat with a side of grease, so it is even hard to

introduce non-vegetarian items that are perceived as 'different'.

However, it goes to show that if you make something tasty *and*

vegetarian, people are willing to give it a try.

 

That was a bit of a ramble, but I thought I would share.

 

Cheers,

Kathleen

 

--- Barb wrote:

> A vegetarian Club House Sandwich is one of my favorites the

other is a Portabello Mushroom burger. I live in Thunder Bay,

Ontario, Canada and just joined the group yesterday. I have looked

at some of the recipes and hope to try some soon. My only problem is

getting some of the ingredients. The grocery stores are getting

better but some things are still hard to find. We don't really have

a lot of speciality stores here. Am enjoying all the wonderful posts.

> About the Bok Choy, I chop it up and use in salads or stir fries,

very tasty.

> Barb

[Guest guest]

hi kathleen,

 

that's so cool that your hubby is making the veggie

changes to the menu and the people are responding in

such a positive manner. kudos to him!

 

i believe that one of the best ways to promote a

vegetarian diet is through good food. i think most

people have the pre-conceived notion that vegetarian

food is bland, boring, and not substancial. i think a

wonderful vegetarian meal is more inspiring for

non-veggies than a thousand words telling them that

they shouldn't eat meat.

 

susie

--- 4streegrrl <treegrrl29 wrote:

 

> Hi Barb and everyone,

>

> I've been primarily a lurker, occasional poster for

> quite a few years

> now, but I had to jump in when Barb posted. As

> another resident of a

> small, forestry- and ranching-driven community in

> northern Canada

> (Vanderhoof, which is in northern British Columbia),

> vegetarian food

> was non-existent when I moved here over three years

> ago. In fact,

> *decent* restaurant food of ANY kind was pretty much

> non-existent.

> Here it is primarily pub and truck stop food, and a

> couple of greasy,

> vaguely Chinese-Canadian restaurants.

>

> However, because my husband's regular career is on

> hold while we live

> here (he is a food scientist), my hubby went back to

> college to study

> Culinary Arts for a year. Then he got himself a job

> as a cook at the

> one decent pub in town, run by a woman who is keen

> on improving the

> menu and overall food quality of her restaurant.

> Well, my husband is

> not a vegetarian but he *is* married to one. After a

> few months,

> nstead of just having chicken/pork/beef as the

> protein options for

> their stirfries, he asked that he do a 'trial' tofu

> option too. No

> one thought it would be successful because this is a

> town of meat n'

> potato eatin' loggers and truck drivers, but

> surprise, surprise! The

> pub now sells a couple of tofu stirfries a week,

> which is considered

> *quite* good sales. Sometimes they have customers

> asking for the

> addition of chicken, but more often without. The pub

> does teriyaki,

> Thai, and orange-ginger stirfries, by the way, and

> they are all very

> good.

>

> My hubby also got rid of the cold " garden " sandwich

> off the menu (the

> typical boring cream cheese/lettuce/tomato/cuke

> affair), replacing it

> with a grilled focaccia (using fresh made bread!)

> with grilled

> mushrooms/zucchini/peppers/etc and good cheese. They

> are also selling

> heaps more of the focaccia sandwiches than the old

> garden sandwiches,

> again sometimes with people requesting chicken on

> it, but more often

> not. They are finding that most people are buying

> the vegetarian

> options for health reasons and sticking to them,

> which is promising.

> He is now thinking about adding something vegetarian

> with beans to

> the menu, that could be popular with the

> non-vegetarians. Possibly a

> chili or something else.

>

> I should mention that now that my husband cooks for

> a living, he

> *never* cooks at home (lol). However, it is good

> that he has helped

> introduce items that probably would never have

> appeared on a menu in

> this town otherwise. People are pretty stuck in

> their ways and like

> their slabs of meat with a side of grease, so it is

> even hard to

> introduce non-vegetarian items that are perceived as

> 'different'.

> However, it goes to show that if you make something

> tasty *and*

> vegetarian, people are willing to give it a try.

>

> That was a bit of a ramble, but I thought I would

> share.

>

> Cheers,

> Kathleen

 

 

 

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