In a Vegging Out column early last year, I wrote “Although there is not a single restaurant in JP that serves exclusively vegetarian fare, Wonder Spice is as close to one as you will find.” With the opening this past October of Blue Nile, the mantle of the neighborhood’s most veg-friendly restaurant may have arguably passed to the still newish Ethiopian restaurant in Hyde Square. Restaurant owner and longtime JP resident Ellena Haile explained that the country’s tradition of vegetarianism is derived from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s obligation of fasting more than 200 days per year.  In …

From Ula Café and Canto 6 to Monumental Cupcakes and Fiore’s Bakery, to name only a few, JP is the fortunate home to a host of great bakeries.  With the opening earlier this spring of Caffè Aromi, the residents of the neighborhood’s Latin Quarter now have a superb spot where they can satisfy their caffeine cravings with more than a little Euro-flair. “Every single person has said that Hyde Square needed a coffee shop,” remarked congenial general manager Kristopher Cere, who earned his brewing badges at JP Licks before joining Caffè Aromi's team. “Business is going well,” he added.  "There's a…

I don’t shop at Whole Foods. For one thing, I live on the other side of JP in the area that Realtors and almost no one else calls “Parkside.” But there’s more to it than that. During the height of the controversy, as a freelance writer I was sometimes assigned to cover the emotional topic here on JP Patch, and I felt obliged to retain an objective viewpoint. At the risk of stirring the pot now that the heated debate has simmered down, I hope you won't object if I offer a little food for thought.  From my perspective, both sides had validity.  With some exceptions it was in many ways a classic…

It’s been more than two decades since a hamburger has passed my lips but I can’t say that I’ve been denied anything at all.  Thanks to veggieburger makers like Morningstar Farms, Dr. Praeger’s and Trader Joe’s, I’ve been able to enjoy the all-American sandwich as well as any red-blooded citizen. Although I had heard in advance that Grass Fed offers meatless options, as I approached the Centre Street eatery last Friday, I still felt a little like I was going to the Outback for a salad.  In order to avoid the crowds that have reportedly packed the restaurant since it began business little more …

Last Tuesday may have been Super Tuesday but judging from the state primary’s light voter turnout, interest was greater in JP Licks “Scooper Tuesday” of sorts, when the JP-based chain, which operates 10 Boston stores, launched a new line of vegan ice cream at all its shops, including its flagship location on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain.  Three new coconut-based flavors of the non-dairy, gluten-free and Kosher-certified products were introduced:  “Chocolate Coconut,” “Pineapple Coconut,” and “Coconut Almond Lace.”  Customers enjoyed complimentary samples of the new sweet treats. “It’s …

Located at 349 Centre Street, between Jackson and Hyde Squares, the restaurant’s unmistakable black and yellow neon sign has blazed at the same corner for over 20 years.  If you haven’t been here before, when you enter you’ll feel like you have entered a mom and pop diner somewhere south of the border. The low-lit interior looks like it’s been stocked with all of the goods from an open­-air Mexican market. The tables are decorated with colorful placemats and what appears like a venerable family collection of china.  The walls are hung with silver-embroidered sombreros, ponchos, and photos of …

It’s not easy being vegan.  The rigid but enriching lifestyle eschews, of course, all animal dietary products, including honey, as well as the use of wool and leather. On a personal note, I’ve been a vegetarian (with vegan tendencies and phases) for untold years.   I’m perfectly happy with “pleather” belts and shoes, acrylic or cotton sweaters, and I more or less regard milk as a beverage for babies.  In the early days, it used to be a challenge to find meatless meals when dining out.  Like many others, I relied on ethnic restaurants, chiefly Indian, Asian and Mexican, where the variety of …

Though the exact statistics for new business failures in their first year of operations are disputed, the rate of shuttered start-ups is disturbingly high. Nearly one year after opening, Eric Ciampa, owner of Jamaica Plain’s Slice O’ Pie, has a hit on his hands. The popular restaurant, which opened last February, has extended its hours and expanded its menu. Beginning daily at 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. Slice O’ Pie now serves a full breakfast menu of omelets, pancakes, French toast and other eye-openers.  Ciampa, who grew up working in his father’s longtime JP institution, Same Old Place, has …

Vegetarian diners at The Haven may be pleasantly surprised to learn that the Hyde Square restaurant, home to haggis and other carnivorous Scottish specialties, also serves up a wide selection of meatless dishes. Under the direction of newly appointed chef, Terri Montilio, the recently revised menu offers many fresh and delicious veggie dishes. With cooking experience that stretches from restaurants in Boston and Martha’s Vineyard to New York and New Orleans, the seasoned Montilio is now at The Haven’s helm.  “She lets the food speak for itself,” said Haven owner Jason Waddleton of Montilio’s …

The Dogwood Café near the Forest Hills station is an attractive restaurant and bar that serves pub fare, American and Italian comfort food and specializes in brick oven pizzas.  "There are lots of ways to make meatless pizzas," said manager Matt Fay.  "People around here have discerning palates. At some restaurants, the vegetarian dishes are just a consortium of side dishes." Not so at The Dogwood, which I visited for lunch on several occasions. Sure, there’s really excellent pizza, but there’s also a large selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrées for vegetarian diners to …

Perhaps more than some of Jamaica Plain’s other Latin restaurants, El Oriental de Cuba earnestly accommodates vegetarian patrons. The Hyde Square eatery, a local landmark since 1994, goes beyond the basics of rice and beans and offers a wide variety of delicious dishes for non-meat eaters. For appetizers, there’s Mofongo, Fried Yuca, Garden Salad and Cheese Empanadas. Made with mashed green plantains and plenty of garlic, Mofongo ($7.95) is a dense and starchy starter that won’t leave room for much else. Though normally prepared with pork rinds, or chicharrones, our friendly server Angie …

The mission of Community Servings (CS) is tri-fold. The JP non-profit delivers hundreds of meals each day to critically ill people, as well as to the elderly, schools and other agencies.  CS also offers a food service job training program and professional cooking experience at its Marbury Terrace facility. Under its local foods initiative, each summer CS also hosts a weekly farmers’ market on Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m. If you haven’t been to the farmers’ market at Community Servings, you are in for a treat.  You will find a fun, friendly and festive atmosphere with live music, café tables, …

Although it opened several months ago, the signs in the windows of Super Fusion Sushi still advertise “Grand Opening.”  I don’t know what took me so long to come here.  I must have walked past the newish eatery at least a hundred times since its launch but it wasn’t until this assignment that I finally passed through its doors.  I suppose I naturally presumed that seafood would be the star of Super Fusion’s menu, and that its vegetarian selections would play second fiddle.  I’m really glad that I finally paid the place a visit. As I suspected, the vegetarian choices aren’t extensive.  Over …

My first experience in a tapas bar was a formative one.  Shortly after graduating from college, and long before the tapas trend reached these shores, I found myself in the company of some accidental travel mates in a tapas bar somewhere near the touristy and overpriced Plaza Mayor in Madrid.  Whether the result of our halting command of the language or some sinister motive on our waiter’s part, I cannot say.   We were served a sickening assortment of small plates including, if I recall correctly, pig’s ear, stuffed baby squid, blood sausage, and that unappetizingly fatty and sanguine-shaded …

You probably already knew that the baked goods at Ula Café’ are outstanding. The popular popovers ($1.95) are the stuff of legend, and there are commuters who go miles out of their way to pick up one of the fresh, baked-on-the-premises delights each morning.  Ula’s also has a tasty selection of other breakfast pastries like muffins ($1.95) and scones ($2). The decadent or fatally-slim among you might elect to match your morning macchiatto with one of their delectable dessert offerings, like éclairs ($3), cupcakes ($2.25), brownies ($2) or cookies (.75-$1.65).  Personally, I’m partial to Ula’s…

Like its crosstown counterpart, Doyle's, there’s not a single cabbage dish on the menu at James’s Gate but vegetarians will have no trouble finding something tasty to eat at the Irish pub and eatery.  Jame's Gate has both a bar and an adjacent restaurant.  Each side has separate menus but diners are able to order from either menu on both sides. The lighter and more reasonably priced pub menu has a good selection of veggie appetizers, salads, soup, sandwiches, and entrees.  For starters, there are “Nachos” ($10).   I didn’t order them but the diners seated nearby certainly seemed to enjoy them…

[Editor's note: Millenium Restaurant was briefly closed last week because it opened without all the proper city permits.] It’s often not easy to eat vegetarian at many of JP’s Latin restaurants. Other than rice and beans, obvious staples of the diet, choices can sometimes be few. Such is not the case at Millenium Restaurant & Grill in Egleston Square. The cheerful, yellow-painted restaurant offers a broad and delicious selection of Dominican dishes from which vegetarian diners can choose. Most of the veggie dishes appear on the menu as apertivos or appetizers, and al lado, side orders.  But …

Located at the post-industrial Brewery complex, Bella Luna offers an elegant, candlelit ambience.  The menu is mostly Italian-influenced bistro fare with salads, sandwiches, pasta, steak, chicken, seafood dishes, and a large selection of pizzas.   A little surprisingly, vegetarian options are available but they are not extensive.  Meatless appetizers include the “Mediterranean Duet “ ($9) comprising hummus and eggplant dips served with fresh vegetables and flatbread.  “Quasar Quesadillas” ($8) are available in a roasted vegetable variety made with shredded cheddar cheese and salsa. Veggie …

City Feed and Supply is a unique concept that requires some explanation.  Is it a store?  A restaurant?  Or is it a social movement?  The answer to all of these questions would have to be, “Yes.” In 2000, founders Kristin Cortese and David Warner started the first City Feed on Boylston Street.  The tiny store in JP’s Stonybrook neighborhood offered a coffee bar, baked goods, and a small selection of freshly made sandwiches. A little like a “holistic Store 24,” City Feed also sold a selection of groceries with an emphasis on local, organic, fair trade, and natural options.  Following its …

Diners unfamiliar with JP Seafood Café may not realize that there’s much more to the popular restaurant than its name would imply.  Sure, there’s salmon, swordfish, and shrimp but the food is more accurately described as Korean and Japanese.  Vegetarians, in particular, might be pleasantly surprised by the eatery’s lengthy menu of Asian-inspired appetizers, salads, noodle dishes, and other entrées.  JP Seafoods is emphatically not a sort of "Legal Seafoods on Centre Street" where non-fish eaters are left to dine on the equivalent of french fries, cole slaw, and tartar sauce.   Veggie starters…