Volume 122 >> Issue 48 : Friday, October 18, 2002

RESTAURANT GUIDE

Vegetarian and Vegan Dining at MIT

Part II: Restaurants, Restaurants, Restaurants

By Sonja A. Sharpe

Staff Writer

This is the second in a two-part series on vegetarian eating options for MIT students.

This week’s installment consists of a list and brief description of restaurants in the Boston/Cambridge area that are vegetarian/vegan friendly. This list of restaurants is not comprehensive by any means. There are many great vegetarian/vegan restaurants in the greater Boston area, but this guide focuses primarily on those closest to MIT.

In addition, only those restaurants that offer a variety of vegetarian options were included. However, Italian restaurants, Indian restaurants and Asian food restaurants, all of which typically have a pretty good variety of vegetarian and often vegan dishes, were omitted for the sake of brevity, except for one or two exceptional examples of these cuisines.

Most other restaurants in the area do offer a limited number of vegetarian entrees, but typically only the standards, such as veggie burgers, salads, or pasta dishes. All of the places mentioned in the guide are accessible from MIT by foot or via the subway, with the majority of the restaurants accessible from the red or green lines.

K2 CafÉ

This restaurant offers the most variety of vegetarian and vegan foods available near Kendall Square. (Rebecca’s CafÉ next door to K2 is a close second.) There are numerous vegetarian wraps and sandwiches to choose from, and the soups always list whether they were cooked using a meat or vegetable broth. K2 also has a salad bar, veggie pizzas, and smoothies.

290 Main Street (Kendall Square)

617-583-7000

MBTA: Kendall Square (Red Line)

Hours: Mon-Thu 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Fri 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Delivery/take-out available

Buddha’s Delight

Vegan

This restaurant is a vegan’s paradise, where tofu, wheat gluten and bean curd are massaged and seasoned to approximate the taste of the “chicken, steak, pork, and shrimp” headings found on the menu. No animal products are used in the entrees, and although condensed milk may be used in the desserts, coconut milk can be substituted, if desired. The food consists primarily of Vietnamese dishes, with the spring rolls and any of the vermicelli dishes being particularly good choices.

3 Beach Street, 2nd Floor (Chinatown)

617-451-2395

$10

MBTA: Chinatown (Orange Line) or Downtown Crossing (Red/Orange Line)

Hours: Sun-Thu 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Fri-Sat 11 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Take-out available

Buddha’s Delight Too!

Vegan

Same menu as Buddha’s Delight in Chinatown.

404 Harvard Street, Brookline

617-739-8830

$10

MBTA: Coolidge Corner (Green Line C)

Hours: Sun-Thu 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Country Life

Vegan

The vegan buffet in this restaurant is spectacular, featuring a main homemade entree and sides that change daily. Call ahead to see what the menu is for the day, or visit them online at <http://members.aol.com/docvegan/clife/> to view the menu for the month. Entrees aside, the dessert bar is fantastic, with whipped soy cream, carob chips, and soft-serve frozen soycream. The restaurant can be a hassle to get to because of the Central Artery construction project, and the restaurant itself is laid out in a somewhat confusing manner, but the trip is absolutely worth it for the quality of the food. The $10 all-you-can-eat Sunday Brunch buffet is also a super deal.

200 High Street (Financial District)

617-951-2462 (Menu)

617-951-2534 (Main)

Lunch $7, Dinner $8, Brunch $10

MBTA: South Station (Red Line) or Government Center (Green Line) or Aquarium (Blue Line)

Hours: Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Dinner: Sun, Tue-Thu 5:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m.

Sunday Brunch: 10:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m. Closed Saturdays

Take-out/catering available

Greater Boston Buddhist Cultural Center

Vegetarian Restaurant/Tea House

Although it is a part of the Buddhist Cultural Center, anyone is welcome to dine in this small vegetarian restaurant or order something for take-out. The menu is entirely vegan and is centered around lunch service, with vegan dim sum and a few rice dishes offered daily.

950 Massachusetts Avenue (halfway between Central and Harvard Square)

617-547-6670

Lunch

MBTA: Central Square or Harvard Square (Red Line)

Hours: Tue-Sun 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Closed Mondays

Take-out available

Veggie Planet at Club Passim

Vegetarian/Vegan

The restaurant focuses mostly on putting ethnic food on flat bread to create delicious and unique pizzas, which constitute the bulk of the menu. Tofu ricotta can actually be substituted on any pizza that uses a real cheese as one of the toppings, which makes it extraordinarily easy for vegans to find a wide range of menu options here. The Sunday brunch also has excellent options for vegans, but the place is usually packed, so expect to wait for your food. Veggie Planet only takes cash.

47 Palmer Street (off Church Street, near the movie theater and Borders Cafe)

617-661-1513

$10

MBTA: Harvard Square (Red Line)

Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Sunday Brunch 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Take-out available

Mamma Gaia’s CafÉ

Vegetarian/Vegan Options

This coffee house serves only fair trade coffee and also focuses on making unique and delicious sandwiches, burritos, and salads. Many of the sandwiches and burritos offered are vegetarian and can be made vegan simply by asking for vegan cheese to be substituted for the regular cheese on the menu. Breakfast foods, most of which are vegetarian, are also served until 11 a.m., and various delicious vegan pastry selections from Harvest Co-op are also sold here.

401 Massachusetts Avenue (at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Main Street)

617-441-3999

MBTA: Central Square (Red Line) or just walk down Main Street from MIT

Hours: Mon-Wed 8 a.m. - midnight

Thu-Sat 8 a.m. - 1 a.m.

Sun 9 a.m. - midnight

Milk Street CafÉ

Vegetarian/Vegan Options

This cafÉ is a dairy kosher sandwich shop that offers salads and soups, which are sometimes vegetarian, but not always. However, the cafÉ does provide an excellent variety of vegetarian sandwiches, a good number of which can also be made vegan simply by omitting the cheese.

50 Milk Street (Financial District)

617-542-3663

MBTA: Downtown Crossing (Red/Orange Line)

Hours: Mon-Fri 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Catering available

Christopher’s

International

There are a large variety of vegetarian and vegan options available at this popular restaurant, which uses no preservatives or artificial ingredients, or even a microwave, in the preparation of their food. Good choices are the grain burgers, various soups, and Mexican and pasta dishes.

1920 Massachusetts Avenue (Porter Square)

617-876-9180

MBTA: Porter Square (Red Line)

Hours: Mon-Fri 4 p.m. - midnight; Sat 12 p.m. - midnight, Sun 10:30 a.m. - midnight

Take-out available

The Helmand

Afghani

This restaurant offers hearty, highly seasoned cuisine that relies heavily on vegetable-based sauces and an accompaniment of baked rice. The flat bread is typically served hot out of the oven, and is accompanied by cilantro-vinegar, chili-tomato, and yogurt-mint. Vegetarians have many options, including the popular kaddo, consisting of baked sweet baby pumpkin topped with a garlicky yogurt sauce.

143 First Street (near the Cambridgeside Galleria)

617-492-4646

$15

MBTA: Lechmere (Green Line)

Hours: Sun-Thu 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Fri-Sat 5 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Take-out available

King and I

Thai

This is a great Thai restaurant that will substitute tofu for any meat in any dish. They also cook everything to order and do not use chicken fat to cook their vegetables (unlike many oriental restaurants). The pad thai with tofu is particularly delicious.

145 Charles Street (Beacon Hill)

617-227-3320

$10

MBTA: Charles/MGH (Red Line)

Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Fri 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Sat 12 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Sun 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Take-out/catering available

Fire & Ice Improvisational Grill

Mongolian-style Barbeque Grill

This is a fun restaurant for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Patrons chose the ingredients and sauces for their meal (there is a large variety of vegetarian/vegan ingredients), and then take the food to the open grill in the middle of the restaurant to be cooked. Vegetarians and vegans should be sure to take their food to the vegetarian section of the grill, where their meal is cooked separately from everyone else’s. Best of all, the wait at the veggie section of the grill is usually much shorter than for the restaurant’s other patrons.Two locations:

50 Church Street (Harvard Square)

617-547-9007

MBTA: Harvard Square (Red Line);

205 Berkeley Street (Back Bay)

617-482-3473

MBTA: Arlington (Green Line)

Lunch $10, Dinner $16

Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Fri-Sat 11:30 - midnight

Sun 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Take-out available

The Middle East Restaurant

Middle Eastern Food

Live music and concerts aside, the Middle East is also a great place to go for home-cooked vegetarian and vegan food. They have a large variety of delicious vegetarian/vegan fare, such as pumpkin kibby, grilled tofu kabob, lentil stew, and baked eggplant. All the food is made from scratch, and the hummus in particular is outstanding. In addition, ZuZu Restaurant, which is the more upscale version of the Middle East restaurant, is located right next door and has a wonderful variety of vegetarian Middle Eastern appetizers.

472 Massachusetts Avenue (Central Square)

617-354-8238

$15

MBTA: Central Square (Red Line)

Hours: Sun-Wed 11 a.m. - 1 a.m.

Thu-Sat 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Take-out/catering available

Asmara Restaurant

Ethiopian and East African

This restaurant is a lot of fun if you like to eat with your hands. Instead of a plate, the stews are served on a large, pancake-like bread, called injera, which is set on top of a colorful woven basket-table. What makes the dining experience all the more interesting is that the bread is also the only utensil, which is used to scoop up the stew. Many vegetarian and vegan stews are available, consisting primarily of legumes and greens.

739 Massachusetts Avenue (Central Square)

617-864-7447

$12

T: Central Square (Red Line)

Hours: Sun-Thu 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.

Take-out available

Picante Mexican Grill II

Mexican

This restaurant offers authentic Mexican food complete with an extensive salsa bar. Several excellent vegetarian entrees are offered. The rice and beans are always vegetarian, and lard is never used to prepare any item on the menu. The fresh limeade is also a big hit.

735 Massachusetts Avenue (Central Square)

617-576-6394

MBTA: Central Square (Red Line)

Hours: Sun-Wed 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Thu-Sat 10 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.

Take-out/catering available