‘I want to kiss the chef’

So … come on our journey. Your invitation – dine out with us. Read on and experience it for yourself.  It goes something like this…

Restaurant is booked – Table for 4, and we arrive fashionably late – with 3 females including 2 teenage versions – it’s a pre requisite. We are seated (we all now know who likes to look into the restaurant and who’s not bothered) The waiter heads towards our table, smiling (although sadly not always a standard requirement in customer service in the UK)… menu’s in hand ready to welcome us….

Why oh why do I get that sense of dread when it should be excitement – am I to scan the menu and get excited about the Forest Mushroom or feel adventurous and have the Stuffed Pepper? Or of course opt for the ‘two starter’ option three in total if we all opt for starters too! I could have the Halloumi, which I do love, but I’m pretty certain it will be cooked badly and will require vast amounts of chewing and a pint of water or large glass of pinot grigio to digest it (the latter is always preferable).

I always have a sense of dread with menus, always. Very rarely am I pleasantly surprised. I must at this point be fair to myself – I’m not high maintenance, not even medium – if there is a choice on the menu that’s appropriate (no, I bloody well don’t want to have a curry as the vegetarian option for Sunday lunch – I want all the trimmings like everyone else!) and I don’t want to have Caesar salad without the chicken on a cold Friday night in December! You see my predicament??? …

There is however that rare occasion that there is a menu written especially for people who don’t eat meat – it’s a fabulous concept, I’m really hoping it will catch on – it’s called a VEGETARIAN MENU (In shouty capitals for good reason). Sadly its a fairly alien concept but I live in hope. My youngest daughter does a very amusing high pitched imitation of ‘excuse me, I’m a vegetarian – do you have anything other than goats cheese? Which she blurted out one night in front of a group of friends. So I’m now so very conscious of how I announce my ‘affliction’ (but beware – the rebel in me is emerging) I just ask if they have a vegetarian menu (well why bloody not??!!). Waiters – we are easily pleased – just a choice of two or three things and you will find that we shift very quickly from ‘defensive and disappointed’ into the happiest person you are likely to meet across your gruelling 14 hour shift…

That little sentence ‘Oh yes madam, I’ll just get the vegetarian menu’ … leaves me instantly joyful. I want to kiss the chef….

So please, take note restaurant owners and chefs, spread a little joy in the world – it only takes a little imagination. Next time I’m going to share the Veggie Love and talk about some of my most fabulous experiences… but in the meantime feel free to share yours with me! Follow me on twitter @tgvegetarian 

#veggieblog #foodblog #vegetarian #newbieblogger #veggielove