Vegetarian

Meatless in Seattle

As far as food is concerned, Seattle may be best known for its multitude of seafood restaurants and its salmon-tossing fishmongers at Pike Place Market -- but even strict vegetarians will find plenty of options in this incredibly veg-friendly city.

This is the kind of city where even Safeco Field sells veggie hot dogs. Baseball purists may sneer, but let's face it: It's tough being a vegetarian at hallowed ballparks that were legendary long before expansion teams like the Mariners came into existence. At the Safe, you can have your pick of wood-fired pizza, sushi, hummus, burritos, veggie stir-fry (at the oh-so-cleverly named Intentional Wok), and the stadium's legendary garlic fries (make sure everyone in your party eats some, or they may not be on speaking terms with you for a while).

Ready for a full meal? You don't have to be an Adam Yauch-lovin' Jew-Bu (Jewish Buddhist, in case you were wondering) or a Chinese kosher vegan or even a vegan, for that matter, to appreciate Bamboo Garden [ST], 364 Roy St. (tel. 206/282-6616; www.bamboogarden.net), conveniently located across from Seattle Center. It's one of the city's vegetarian standbys -- and has the crowds to prove it (you'll see everything from business suits to yarmulkes to Tevas and tie-dye here). The restaurant's decor isn't much to speak of; it's the food--kosher Chinese--that's the draw. Go straight for no. 86, a sizzling curry hot pot filled with savory chunks of faux chicken, Napa cabbage, broccoli, and slightly mushy potato -- pure comfort food, especially on a dreary day.

In the U District, granola types with dreads, Birks, and multiple piercings hang out at Sunlight Cafe, 6403 Roosevelt Way NE (tel. 206/522-9060). Also in the neighborhood is Hillside Quickies, 4106 Brooklyn Ave. NE (tel. 206/632-3037), a vegan soul-food cafe purportedly frequented by Erykah Badu. Over in the Fremont neighborhood, the oddly named Silence-Heart-Nest, 3508 Fremont Place N. (tel. 206/633-5169; www.silenceheartnest.com), is the local Mecca of meatlessness.

In addition to these strict vegetarian restaurants, Seattle has plenty of nonveg establishments that are plenty veggie-friendly. For what just might be the best veggie burger in town, see Red Mill Burgers [ST]. Most garden-variety Gardenburgers leave me pining for a good ol' bacon double cheeseburger. But not Red Mill's Red Onion Veggie Burger: I can scarf one down for lunch, crave another come dinnertime, and wake up the next morning jonesing for yet another. Add a side of the best onion rings in Seattle and you've got the perfect meal.

On the more refined side, there's Belltown's Cascadia [STSTST], which has a seven-course vegetarian tasting menu, and Woodinville's renowned Herbfarm Restaurant [STSTST], which does a legendary nine-course vegetarian meal -- but only for a couple weeks out of the year. See www.theherbfarm.com for details.

If you're celebrating a special occasion, the most over-the-top veg-friendly experience right in Seattle is at Rover's [STSTST]. Here you can banish the memories of hippie-crunchy "gourmet" vegetarian cuisine you find in places with New Age music piped in. This Madison Park retreat will immediately dispel any long-held notions that an herbivore in a French restaurant will get the all-too-familiar "vegetable plate" indecorously dropped in front of her. Here, vegetarians get their own five-course tasting menu, and even vegans who give advance notice are eagerly accommodated.

If you just need some picnic fixins or a quick meal to go -- and you've already done Pike Place Market -- make like a local and head to one of the many branches of Puget Consumers' Co-op (PCC), a Seattle institution that's been around for over 50 years (visit www.pccnaturalmarkets.com for locations). PCC features organic produce, fancy prepared foods, and specialty items such as "healing juices." Deli offerings vary, but don't be surprised if you find more than half a dozen different tofu dishes! For a super-quick lunch, just head to the soup bar and grab some artisanal bread made by Essential Bakery.