Garden Grille Cafe727 East Ave., Pawtucket (click for map)(401) 726-282611 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mon. to Sat., ltd. hours Sun.
As a child, did your mouth water with joyful anticipation when your mother told you to eat your vegetables? Do you still toss and turn, dreaming of arugula and avocados tossed with their fellow veggies and a lime-soy vinaigrette?
If so, Garden Grille Cafe is your culinary dream-come-true. And apparently, a lot of people share this same dream. Garden Grille runs a bustling business, and with so few tables, a wait is sometimes inevitable.
Their dishes are inspired by flavors from around the globe - from Thailand to the Mediterranean. But they all have one thing in common: no meat. Even the photographs on the walls, all of dogs, remind the customers that animals are friends, not food.
Despite being a vegetarian restaurant, Garden Grille avoids having too many items that incorporate meat substitutes. Tofu only makes an appearance in a few entrees. Garden Grille remembers an important fact that too many overlook: Being vegetarian is not about eating a sad plate of Tofurkey on Thanksgiving - but about appreciating everything beyond meat that the world of edibles has to offer.
Not that only a vegetarian will appreciate dishes as inventive as butternut squash quesadillas. Who thought of stuffing roasted butternut squash with refried black beans, avocado and jalapeno jack cheese into crispy tortillas? A savory salsa finishes off this surprising - and wonderful - combination of flavors and textures.
If you really feel like treating yourself, try a dessert special. A creation like a warmed chocolate chip coconut bar topped with vanilla sorbet and peanut butter coconut sauce will have you saying, "I can't believe it doesn't have butter!" (And it doesn't - all of Garden Grille's desserts are vegan.)
Even better, Garden Grille tries to use local and organic produce in its food during the local growing season. Whether you're a vegetarian or just someone who appreciates good food, venture down this environmentally friendly route sometime. You might never look back.