Question of the Day — 14 Sep 2006

With everything from graveyard ham-and-eggs specials to gourmet steakhouses and all-you-can-eat BBQ, Las Vegas has traditionally been a carnivore's paradise. And we agree that vegetarian options can seem limited and "samey" -- no one wants to eat pasta or stir-fry every night, right?

But it's getting better, especially if you're prepared to experiment with different ethnic cuisines. What follows is certainly not an exhaustive list, but rather what we hope are some creative suggestions for non-meat eaters, many of which (marked with an asterisk) have also been reviewed as "Local Corners" or elsewhere in LVA, about which members can read in the archives. From Asian to Indian, and Greek to Swiss, here are some options -- and as usual, please get back to us with other places you've tried and recommend.

• Mediterranean: This seems to be a catch-all for everything from Spanish to Lebanese food these days, but what we think of as "Mediterranean" is typically Greek/Turkish/Middle Eastern fare, featuring lots of legumes, vegetables, interesting salads and, or course, lashings of garlic and olive oil. Typical dishes include stuffed grape leaves (sometimes with meat, but often vegetarian; check), tzatziki (cucumber, yogurt, and mint dip), hummus (creamed garbanzo beans with garlic, sesame paste, and olive oil), baba ghanoush (a similar preparation made with roasted eggplant), spanakopita (spinach and cheese-filled phyllo pastry pie), lentil soup (just make sure it doesn't contain chicken stock), broiled Greek cheeses, falafel (a kind of spiced chickpea meatball), stuffed peppers, broiled vegetable kabobs, and a whole host of other dishes based on similar ingredients, plus tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes, served with the obligatory accompaniment of pita bread.

  There are a number of places to choose from in Las Vegas, but our favorites include Paymon's Mediterranean Café* (two locations with full bars, late night menus, and hookah lounges at 4147 S. Maryland Pkwy., 702/731-6030 & 8380 W. Sahara Ave., 702/804-0293); Opa (2550 S. Rainbow Blvd., 702/876-3737), and, for a quick lunch bite, either Byblos Café & Pastries (4825 W. Flamingo, 702/222-1801) or the Pita Place (3429 S. Jones, 702/221-9955).

• Asian: This cuisine is not as veggie-friendly as you might think, with the Japanese emphasis on fish and beef and so many seemingly vegetarian Chinese and Thai dishes either containing meat stock or served garnished with dried shrimp. However, we do have a couple of suggestions. One is Swish*, a traditional Japanese Shabu-Shabu (hot pot) joint (7875 W. Sahara Ave., 702/870-7947), where you cook your own food, either in a small wok of boiling broth or stir-fried in a hot pan sukiyaki-style ("yaki" means to sauté or grill). While each choice is available with seafood or beef (ribeye or kobe) for any meat-eaters in your party, there's also a vegetable-only option. All dishes are served with noodles, tofu, and mushrooms. It's tasty and healthy, plus it's fun to cook your own.

  Another good Asian option we discovered recently is Komol Thai restaurant (Commercial Center, 953 E. Sahara Ave., E-10, 702/731-6542), whose clientele is 65% vegetarian, they assured us. In addition to the standard menu, they have a full vegan version, featuring imaginative vegetable, tofu, and gluten dishes, from soups and salads to noodles, rice (white or brown available), curries, and desserts. Recommended.

• Indian: It's tough finding good Indian food in the U.S., in our experience, but we now have several options in Las Vegas, mainly centered around the Paradise/Flamingo axis, and all are good for vegetarians. Typical dishes include samosas (spiced vegetables in a deep-fried phyllo parcel), pakoras (deep-fried battered vegetables), daal (lentils), and a whole host of curries and other entrées involving spinach, cauliflower, potatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, green peas, and
  
  Byblos
  Melting Pot
  Shabu-Shabu
  Go-Raw