Lasagna, is that really the best that they could do?

Photo: Simon Howden

I went out for a friend's leaving lunch yesterday. There was only one veggie option on the menu and guess what it was? Yes you guessed right, it was the vegetable lasagna! Don't get me wrong I quite like a lasagna with a rich tomato sauce and grilled cheese on top but that doesn't mean that that is the only thing I or any other vegetarian eats.

It really surprised me because vegetarian and vegan food is available in most places. Simon Rimmer cooks one vegetarian meal each Sunday on Something for the Weekend and MasterChef showcased vegetarian food with Yotam Ottolenghi this year.

Things have really moved on because a few years ago places didn't have many vegetarian choices, let alone anything vegan on the menu. I  remember that I often made a meal out of a couple of side dishes but it wasn't a problem because I didn't expect to be catered for. I was the 'fussy veggie' but I didn't expect to go back to being the fussy veggie again in 2011!
 
The said establishment is very popular, it caters to a certain demographic (very nice cars were on show in the car park) and is in quite close proximity to the Vegetarian Society's headquarters. So you would think that there would be more than one option on the menu or at least one which shows some thought and imagination... am I really asking for too much?