April 13, 2011:

Local Is Served: Veg Eatery

Krissie Skepton

“Local Is Served” is EAT LOCAL‘s ongoing series of reviews of the trend-setting restaurants that source their produce from local growers in the Greater Sarasota area.

Are the words “fresh,” “homemade,” and most importantly, “delicious” what you want to say after you enjoy a meal out with family and friends? Of course!

Add “organic,” “locally grown” and “vegetarian” or “vegan,” and you have Veg, A Vegetarian & Seafood Eatery. This unique restaurant joined the eclectic Gulf Gate restaurant scene in February 2009, when owners Marty and Maggie Glucklich turned this small space (formerly Deja Vu) in an unassuming shopping strip into a haven for all things delicious.

I arrived at Veg early, hoping to avoid the lunch crowd, but by 11:40 a.m. on a recent Wednesday, the place was already hopping, and by the time I left, over an hour later, it was packed. It seems word has gotten out about this hidden jewel, and no wonder, given the interesting menu, the friendly service, and the delicious food.

Since I wanted to enjoy locally sourced items, I asked for a suggestion and was most happily served an outstanding Pan-seared-tofu Salad ($8.99). My plate was piled high with a colorful combination of fresh local field greens and an unexpected medley of lightly steamed bok choy, Swiss chard, and purple and green cabbage. It was adorned with perfectly crisp tofu, julienne, carrots and fresh pea sprouts dressed with a refreshing Oriental ginger dressing.

The contrasting colors, flavors, textures, and temperatures of all the items in the dish kept it interesting, delicious, and sensory-pleasing to the bottom of my plate. Well, I should say to the bottom of my leftover carton, because the salad was generously portioned, and I certainly had to save room for dessert.

A Good Place to Meet Friends

While I was enjoying my lunch at the restaurant’s counter (I left the tables for those larger than a party of one), a nice gentleman sat next to me. We started chatting and once I told him I was writing a review, he offered a bite of his Southwest Chipotle Seitan Sandwich special. Obviously unaccustomed to strangers in restaurants offering to share their meal with me, I was quickly assured by Maggie that it happens at Veg all the time. I promptly took my new “friend” up on his offer, and was glad I did: the day’s special was delicious—fresh avocado, a Seitan patty, and caramelized onions served with a chipotle aioli on fresh focaccia.

Ah, now for the dessert… Since my new friend was generous to share his sandwich, I in turn offered to share my not one, but two delicious vegan desserts. We both loved the Coconut Cream Pie ($3.99) and the Brownie Parfait with Coconut Milk “Ice Cream” ($5.49). While I still haven’t decided which one I enjoyed more, I can tell you that the pie was one of the best I have ever tasted. Most assuredly, I still can’t figure out how Marty and Maggie made these two dishes both dairy-free and delicious.

Veg not only does it right by offering dishes that appeal to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, they also offer gluten-free dishes such as Fish Tacos, and several vegan options, including the very popular Portobello Mushroom Volcano ($11.99). Veg also has offerings just for kids on their Little Sprouts Menu, with items all kids enjoy, including organic mac ‘n’ cheese and fish sticks.

Owners Marty and Maggie pride themselves on serving local ingredients, and while I was there, Marty even brought out a beautiful head of Romaine lettuce and gorgeous fresh Zephyr squash to show me some of the unique locally sourced items they serve.

Veg relies heavily on the Suncoast Food Alliance, which distributes locally grown products to restaurants and stores, to find them the freshest produce grown locally from such places as Watercress Farms, King Family Farm, Mitchell’s Natural Produce, and EcoFarm. The restaurant buys certified organic when its available can, and the staff will always tell you exactly what organic items are on the menu that day.

The prices for lunch and dinner are reasonable, and Veg offers an Early Bird Special Menu Monday through Friday from 5-6 p.m. Veg serves lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday; they are closed on Sunday.

Veg is located at 2164 Gulf Gate Drive, Sarasota, Florida, 34231. To reach them by phone, call 941-312-6424 or visit their website to peruse the menus and learn more.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 13th, 2011 at 6:03 pm and is filed under Local. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.