I must say I ate very well in South Africa in August - I was pleased and relieved to find that I could eat vegetarian everywhere. I didn't make any spectacular dinners in Capetown, although there was a very good Lebanese restaurant in Stellenbosch - unfortunately I I forget the name. However, I want to rave about Manna. I went there for brunch and was delighted - I even tried a hot chocolate because it looked so good (first time in twenty years) and found it transporting!

Hi guys,

I enjoyed the last post about Cape Town food - I'm glad to hear about 95, and Manna sounds up my alley.

But... I've got a spoke in the wheel - I'm sadly a vegetarian! Do you have any suggestions for getting by? Street food, cheap eats, nice restaurants - all advice welcome. I can't wait for my trip, but I'm a little worried about going hungry.

Thanks for your assistance,
Jessica

Thanks guys, I'll check these out!

thanks very much, and thanks for that thread

Great suggestions, thanks! I'll check out the Charleston area!

I volunteer weekly in a prison in Jessup, MD. I often want to go out with fellow volunteers afterward (only for a drink or two, early evening). But it's pretty much gun shops, liquor stores and dives in that area. We've tried out a couple of places in Columbia, MD, but the ones I've found are really large and underpopulated and pretty bland at that hour. Is there anyplace within shooting distance (no pun intended) that has a little bit of character without feeling sleazy?

Hi,
My boyfriend and I are looking for a midweek beach get-away this summer, and we want to go somewhere on the east coast with good casual non-chain restaurants. We're both vegetarian, and if we stay for several days I'll burn out on boardwalk food. We're from the DC area, and often go to Rehoboth Beach - I love it, but this year I'm looking to try something different. We're willing to fly if necessary, so anywhere on the Atlantic is fine. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Jessica

Hi,
My boyfriend and I are looking for a midweek beach get-away this summer, and we want to go somewhere on the east coast with good casual non-chain restaurants. We're both vegetarian, so we don't live comfortably on boardwalk fare alone. We're from the DC area, and often go to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware - there are many good places to eat within blocks from the shore. I love it, but this year I'm looking for something different. We're willing to fly, so anywhere on the Atlantic is fine. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Jessica

Mango Grove has reopened!

Tuesday was their first day back, we ate their last night. They haven't quite grown into their new space yet but in the seating area the atmosphere is great. They don't have their liquor license or their full menu online yet, but the limited menu had all I needed. We did samosas, nan, palak paneer and a dal makhni, all were great.

I was really impressed that just four days after their re-opening they had an almost full dining room - it's a testament to them that their fan base survived after being closed for so many months.

I just went to the Taste Mezze website - it looks great - we'll try it this weekend!

Thanks, all! We also do El Azteca - they've got a veggie burrito that is great. We'll check out sushi king. I've also regretted the (temporary) closing of Mango Grove... it's taking them quite a while to open back up!
One place that I do like a lot, mdfoodlover, is Ricciutti's in Olney - it's right next to the intersection of 650 and Georgia. They try out some creative dishes and focus on locally sourced foods - I have a couple of favorites there. Have you ever tried out the winery/restaurant up 108, 'iron' something? I haven't been there but keep thinking about it.
I'll keep you posted if I find anything else.

I'm dating a guy who lives in Highland MD, which is about halfway between Columbia and Olney. We eat well when we go into DC on occasion for theater, etc.. but sometimes we're really looking for something closer to home (roughly a 10 mile radius). We're both veggie, and wheat is sometimes an issue. We're right near Great Sage, but it has underwhelmed us so far. Any suggestions for Olney or Columbia or anywhere near in-between? Thanks!

You guys are wonderful, thanks so much!

thanks foodwhisperer!

Yep, just that area. Within a half mile radius for walking would be great, but we're happy to hop a train for a good dinner.

Thanks for your continued advice! Unfortunately we just got a message from the rental property company saying the apartment we reserved was suddenly unavailable and transferring us to Sherman Square just west of Central Park. I'm starting the restaurant search over again! Any suggestions for that neighborhood?

Thanks for your response, and also for that first list to check out. We're from Washington DC, programmers/architect/professor in our thirties. Dressy is fun, but not absolutely necessary - and lively sounds great if it doesn't require shouting to converse. We do have two vegetarians in the party, but we don't need a veggie-oriented restaurant, and while we enjoy almost every cuisine, some favorites are thai, indian, afghan, ethiopian, italian & spanish (tapas). I could stretch the budget to $125 to cover the drinks/tax/tip, but definitely no further... I'd rather go to a place with great food that allows me to enjoy the company of my friends than to the fanciest place I can afford. Thanks so much for your advice!

I am coming in to town with three friends for the weekend and we are looking to spend new year's eve relaxing in a nice restaurant. We love good food, but don't want to break the $100/person barrier if we can help it. I've read suggestions on other threads to skip the hype (Daniel's, etc..) and stick with a good neighborhood / ethnic restaurant. That sounds great to us, but we're out-of-towners and don't have any favorites to fall back on.
We are staying in an apartment in the east 50's, but don't mind traveling for good food! If you have any neighborhood restaurants that you really like, I'd love to hear about them.