By Katie Schleeter '08
Reviewer

As a wee 1L, 11 years into my vegetarianism, I arrived in Charlottesville anxious and worried: Would I find any fine dining restaurants that eschewed fish, chicken, pork and red meat? Would I be relegated to pasta, bagels and salads for my three years of law school? Luckily, Charlottesville proved to be one of the most veggie-friendly cities I’ve ever had the pleasure of living in or visiting. I am pleased to share with you almost three years worth of trial and error … a vegetarian’s guide to dear old C’ville.

If you’re looking for upscale food (the kind you make your parents pay for when they visit), explore Hamilton’s on the Downtown Mall—my No. 1 vegetarian restaurant. Each day they offer a “Vegetarian Blue Plate Special,” a collection of delicious meat-free dishes presented on (no joking) a blue plate. We’re not talking about a plate full of side dishes, no sir. A recent visit treated me to vegetarian spring rolls drizzled with peanut sauce, black bean and mango salsa, ginger-sauteed carrots with poppy seeds, red cabbage and jicama slaw, tofu-risotto cakes, and a roasted red pepper coulis. The kitchen really thinks through vegetarian dishes and you’ll be richly rewarded. Not to mention their kick-ass wine list…

Fellini’s #9 at Second and West Market Streets also caters to the vegetarian crowd. With their Southern Italian background, you’ll undoubtedly get great pasta dishes, but they also offer more quirky, off-the-beaten trail presentations. From an amazing vedura parmigiana with thinly sliced eggplant, squash and zucchini, to their spaghetti con pomodoro fresco e broccoletti (whole-wheat spaghetti with spicy broccoli, fresh cherry tomatoes and garlic), Fellini’s chefs really know how to capitalize upon the delicious produce each season has to offer.

A new gem in the Charlottesville vegetarian scene, Maya, occupies the same location as Southern Comfort used to—across from Wild Wing Café and next to the old Starr Hill space (R.I.P. Charlottesville’s live music scene). With salads that feature local greens and innovative accompaniments (black strap molasses syrup, anyone?) to the vegetarian “un-meatloaf” with roasted onions and flavorful lentils, this newbie won’t disappoint. The true stars, however, are Maya’s side dishes: twelve vegetarian sides, ranging from braised green beans, rosemary whipped potatoes and a zucchini-cauliflower medley to mac-and-cheese, sweet potato fries, and collard greens. At three dollars a piece, a plate of amazing accompaniments becomes an affordable and delicious main course.

If you’re looking for a quick lunch, visit Sticks on Preston Avenue or in Pantops. For an exceedingly reasonable price, they offer salads, flatbread wraps and full meal platters with falafel or roasted veggies. Hotcakes in the Barracks Road Shopping Center is also a vegetarian haven featuring fantastic sandwiches (fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil and Spanish olive oil on sourdough? Yes, please!) and sides (roasted green beans with sesame seeds, vinegar-based potato salad with dill, marinated roasted peppers and more).

If you are looking for a place where you can do your week’s gourmet shopping as well as get a fantastic meat-free meal, try Feast! in the Main Street Market. Not only can you pick up that “smoked salt” you’ve been craving and refill your white-chocolate-cherry brittle supply, you can also enjoy fantastic veggie delights like “The Local” (chevre cheese, roasted tomatoe spread, artichoke and olive tapenade and baby arugula) and the Feast! Grilled Cheese (five cheeses and roasted tomatoes—yum!). Even Bellair Market offers meatless, picnic-friendly food (try the Yogaville sandwich with sprouts, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and four cheese or the Ivy Sub with avocado, carrots and lots of other veggies), as well as delicious pasta dishes, cold salads, and fruit medleys.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask the waitstaff what meat-free delicacies the kitchen can prepare for you. I’ve gotten spectacular veggie meals at Cassis, OXO, and even South Street Brewery (check out their Peanut Thai Satay with tofu, rather than chicken). Needless to say, it is quite easy to pass your three-years at UVA Law without surviving on Panera Bread, Chipotle Burrito Bowls, and ramen noodles.

Happy veggie-ness to you!