Junoon — 3 Stars

I recently had dinner at Junoon, a one-Michelin-starred Indian restaurant run by celebrity chef Vikas Khanna.  Junoon has gotten generally very good reviews; in addition to the Michelin star, Sam Sifton’s New York Times review gave Junoon two stars.  If you’re looking for good vegetarian food in Chelsea, Junoon is a good bet.

Nage Bistro — Washington, DC

On my recent trip to Washington, DC, I went to dinner at Nage Bistro (at the recommendation of a fellow blogger).  I was there on a weekend, but I was feeling pretty optimistic about the vegetarian options because they have a weekly all-vegetarian menu known as Meatless Mondays.  I figured that their rest-of-the-week vegetarian options were probably pretty good too, and they were.

Eat at Jean-Georges for Free!

Of course, there’s a catch.  There’s always a catch.

My wife and I recently signed up for the Chase British Airways credit card that offers (until June 7) a 100,000-point signup bonus.  But there’s also a nice little perk if you want to enjoy some fine dining in New York:  if you eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant between now and July 31, 2012, you’ll get a $50 statement credit after spending $50 at one restaurant, and a second $50 credit after spending $50 at a second restaurant.

This lends itself to some fun possibilities.  Tulsi, for example, offers a great vegetarian dinner tasting menu for just $65, or $15 after the credit.  Gramercy Tavern’s generally-pricey $98 vegetable tasting menu would be just $48 after this credit.  Of course what you really want is to eat at Jean-Georges for free.  Okay, here’s how:  two courses at Jean-Georges (which looks to have some good vegetarian options right now) are just $38 at lunch, so with tax and tip you’ll probably come in right around $50, making lunch free after the credit. (Remember, the total has to exceed $50 in order to get the credit.)

We received the card about a week or so after applying for it, so there’s still time to sign up in time to take advantage of this offer (and the signup bonus).

What do you think is the best way to take advantage of the $50 credit?

Old Ebbitt Grill — Washington, DC

I was in Washington, DC around St. Patrick’s Day and had the chance to stop by Old Ebbitt Grill for brunch.  I spent several years in Washington, but I didn’t spend much time at Old Ebbitt Grill, although it’s considered a DC classic.  The brunch menu featured several specials for St. Patrick’s Day, which my friends and I tried out.

Is it Ethical to Eat Meat?

The premise of this blog is that restaurants ought to do a better job of accommodating vegetarians.  A question I’ve largely avoided (intentionally) is why people — including me — are vegetarians in the first place.  There is an ethics column in The New York Times, and “The Ethicist” recently posed a question:  is it possible to make an ethical case for eating meat.  This was, according to The Ethicist, a reasonable question, because “omnivores had yet to answer the powerful ethical critiques laid down by vegetarians and vegans“.

Boulud Sud — 3.5 Stars

One of the best restaurants near Lincoln Center (and indeed, probably one of the top restaurants in New York City) is Boulud Sud, the latest creation of Chef Daniel Boulud.  Chef Boulud’s New York restaurants have four Michelin stars among them — Daniel has three, and Bar Boulud has one.  In the Lincoln Center area, Bar Boulud shares a corner with Epicerie Boulud, and the relatively new Boulud Sud, a restaurant that serves “vibrant Mediterranean cuisine”.