To feel I almost have to apologise for being veggie...

[Loopylala7]

We were invited out tonight with a big group, but I couldn't go due to no babysitter. Anyway DH casually mentions that, well there was nothing on the menu for me anyway. This is following a holiday where being a vegetarian was considered weird, so had to survive on junk food.

These are just a few of my recent experiences. TBH I feel lucky if I go to a restaurant and have two dishes to choose from. Am I being unreasonable to think this is unreasonable?

I have a smaller appetite and sometimes have a side and a starter as a main dish. I am not a veggie though. Okay I wouldn't say my appetite is small necessarily but some restaurants or pubs (as opposed to proper restaurants) give such MASSIVE portions I'd rather get just the right combo.

I've heard this about veggie options from my veggie friend, which is fine, but she turns her nose up at "the usual" veggie dishes like pasta, risotto, anything with mushrooms and anything cheese based. What else is there really? Within reason? i.e for me to cook her as a separate dish when I do dinner parties for 10, where lets face it its hard enough - so no risotto, pasta, goats cheese frittata bollocks or veg lasagne (I can see how that gets boring quick) or stuffed mushroom, so, what exactly? I themed one night around curry just so she could have the bread and lentil dhal and veggie curry dish, that was fine, but now what? I also did a gourmet sausage night, so I could include veggie sausages. Then Burns night I managed a veggie haggis which was very popular even amongst the carnivores. WTF do I do next time? First world problem maybe. She doesn't do it for principles sake btw she just doesn't like meat (also fair enough but with the other veto's she's bordering on picky in my book)

Maybe I could do a Salad night! (no cheese, no no no)

I find I'm OK anywhere that isn't 'pub grub' tbh.

Then, yes, it's a manky frozen pasta thing. It's not that I dislike veggie lasagne; just that I can make a better one at home than a Brake Bros individual serving from the back of the deep freeze.

But Indian food's great - any halfway decent Indian restaurant will have a good veggie selection. Even if you end up with two side dishes. Same applies to Chinese or Thai. Italian's also a good bet.

Really, it's only the British & American places (eg. burger joints) that are a bit rubbish at vegetarian food.

I've occasionally been out for a group meal somewhere with a terrible vegetarian option, & it is mildly irritating, but I just have a couple of starters or something. I won't starve because of one crap meal.

Husband is veggie and doesn't eat eggs, goat's cheese or blue cheese, and doesn't like mushrooms or aubergine as a main ingredient. The day we got engaged me and my mum had pints of prawns, he had a cheese sandwich!

It's a challenge sometimes.

I'm an ex-veggie so I do know where you are coming from.

I also hated mushrooms which always seemed to be a big part of a lot of veggie options. I have picked around a lot of mushrooms in my time.

I struggle to feed veggie friends particularly if they don't like/ want cheese. Many don't eat mushrooms or courgettes or tomatoes so stuffed vegetables can be not suitable. So it may be cucumber sandwiches for them

shit, miuchoos, you might have posted a warning about some of the photos on that website. They were really upsetting and I've been a vegetarian and animal rights activist for 30 years

Jane, I think you've pulled a very short straw with your veggie friends. I've never met a vegetarian who doesn't eat mushrooms, courgettes and tomatoes.

I think I'm spoilt living near Brighton. Massive variety here and great vegetarian restaurants. Most pubs offer a choice of veggie roasts on Sunday too

You definitely are armani. I would love to g to Terre a terre one day [wistful]

Thanks for the warning suburban I had opened it in another tab, I wont look now. I just assumed it was a menu from the restaurant.

miu, is that calf cafe the one on the main drag in Scarborough town centre? We're going to Scarborough at half term, and that menu looks great.

Yes, it's on the main street going up towards the town centre. There's a street at the side of the Harbour Bar ice cream parlour on the seafront called Eastborough - if you follow that round it's a few minutes walk from there.

I used to be a veggie and still mainly am but gave up when eating out, during once weekend away the only option was a 'cheese salad' so I ended up having chicken curry and leaving the chicken!!!

armani yes, Brighton is fab :)

Hmmmm might even pop down tomorrow if the weather looks nice!

I have been veggie for over 30 years. It used to be really hard to eat out. Much easier now although do get fed up with 'wild mushrooms' for veggie options. The only place I have really really struggled to eat out is in France on holiday where being a vegetarian is a dirty word.

Rhonda many will eat tomatoes but mushrooms and courgettes are a definite no no. BBQd courgettes are really lovely but no one would eat them when I last offered them up even with a selection of sauces. The veggies ended up eating the BBQd bananas instead.
I now just don't bother too much. There's always stuff for them but if they're too picky, tough!!

Jane did you bbq them on the same bbq as the meat?

Speaking of veggie roasts when same friend group come round with kids to eat kids dinner whilst we drink wine on a Friday arvo, veggie friend (in fact all of them) hover round the roasted veggies (I usually roast a chicken) particularly the cauli cheese and roasted roots. Perhaps I'll just do something that lends itself to roasted veg as a side dish and she can get her protein elsewhere that day (or from the cheeseboard which she likes)

Feeding my dh and dd in France is always difficult and they're not veggies.

Yes, I find it difficult to cater for picky eaters whether vegetarian or not, but are you saying you only put courgettes on the BBQ? No other vegetables at all? Tbh, I'm not surprised they turned them down!

No I have a dual BBQ, completely different sections and different coals. I'm not that daft

No of course it wasn't just courgettes.

Veggie for 25 years, turned pescetarian (long story involving dc allergies), have you tried saying, "I'm vegetarian, but there is nothing on the menu suitable for me. Could you please make me something different?".

Most good restaurants will be glad to cater for you. I did it many times whilst living abroad in a distinctly non-veggie country and had to eat out a lot for work.

I haven't eaten veggie lasagne for years.

Sorry to go on, but if you served lots of other vegetarian stuff as well, why were you so bothered that they didn't eat the courgettes? Maybe they just didn't like them? Food is only "lovely" if you like it

SuburbanRhonda sorry if you've seen something upsetting, I've just had a look at the website and can't see what it is you could be referring to, I must be missing something?!
It's got great food for vegetarians and vegans