Reply to Why would any restaurant not have good veg options?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Most chefs hate vegetarianism.  It goes against the concept of their art.  They like having as large a palate as possible, and vegetarianism is very limiting.  It is like telling a painter that he can't use any red in his art, which means no purple, no pink, no fuschia, nothing.  Chefs absolutely hate that, especially ones whose favorite color is red!  Many would rather just lose the money than be limited so strictly.  On the other hand, most  - but not all - are sympathetic to actual medical limitations (but despise people who lie about them).[/quote]

There are actually a lot of chefs who prefer the challenge of having to work with or avoid certain ingredients. See, for example, the entire Iron Chef franchise.

I had a lovely dinner at Dino with some people who are vegan. Told the chef in advance that we had vegans and asked if that could be accommodated. The vegan thing was actually one of the better dishes at the dinner. It's not limiting - it's just going in a different direction. If you as a chef are incapable or offended by being asked to cook without meat, you are the one that is uncreative, not the diner who asks for something slightly more difficult than steak and potatoes.[/quote]

Of course it is limiting.  As you note, however, limits can be good as they can force creativity.  But, it is completly wrong to say that it is not limiting.

Dino is an owner-driven restaurant, not a chef-driven restaurant, so this makes perfect sense.  Moreover, it isn't that all chefs hate vegetarians, but many do.  Many do view it as a challenge, but many view such limitations as completely contrary to the reason that they have chosen this profession, to explore and enhance food as freely as possible.

Like with all artists, a chef's art and vision doesn't always match up with demand, which leads to behavior that seems to be against his self-interest.  I am not a chef, and I actually lean towards vegetarism at times and have even tried a raw food diet for a while, but that is neither here nor there.  I am simply trying to answer the question, and this is the answer.  Sometimes it is about laziness and falling back on what they know and sometimes it is about being passionate against such limitations.  Few will tell a vegetarian this to their faces, but most say it when they walk away.[/quote]

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