The Top List of Veggie Restaurants - Baltimore, MD Satisfy your inner veggie. by Loretta Chilcoat Jergensen & Lisa Harlow This southern-leaning city loves its meat and potatoes (and crabs) but vegetarians are surprisingly well-catered to as well – and it’s not your typical celery and lettuce menu. Though many restaurants have limited vegetarian selections, a few hotspots kick it up with creative nutty spices and creamy vegetable dishes, and some boasting veg and vegan exclusively, which can sometimes be a rare find. So whether you’re looking for an elegant meal for two or a quick bite as you check out the sites around the Inner Harbor, you’ll find a cozy spot to indulge your inner veggie in Baltimore. LIQUID EARTH - Vegetarian and Vegan 1626 Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, MD 21231 410-276-6606 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 7 am-7 pm; (Sat) 9 am-7 pm; (Sun) 9 am-3 pm Liquid Earth is a juice bar, coffee/tea bar, and vegetarian wonderland rolled into one cozy Fells Point café. If you're looking for a spot to get away from the hectic bars and markets in this historic neighborhood, stop in to enjoy the music of the tropical rainforest and down a carrot and wheatgrass shake. You'll want to stay for lunch, so check out the non-meat equivalents of all your favorite sandwiches, including the veggie Reuben, the "fakin' bacon," lettuce, and tomato, and the mesclun Muffalata. Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$6-$11 Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Closed, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open ONE WORLD CAFÉ - Vegetarian and Vegan 904 South Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21230 410-234-0235100 West University Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21218 410-235-5777 Hours: (Mon-Fri) 7 am-11 pm; (Sat) 8 am-12 am; (Sun) 8 am-10 pm One World Café is a vegetarian's delight, featuring all sorts of hearty soups, sandwiches, and salads. The Charles Street location offers a neighborhood feel, with locals sipping lattes at the sidewalk tables. The University Parkway locale, just a short hop from Johns Hopkins University, has more of a college town appeal. One World's vegetarian chili and "Sloppy Joe"-type sandwich (Café favorites) are warm and satisfying, having just the right texture. If you're in the mood for dessert, you'll be able to choose from a good variety of all-natural cakes and muffins. With your amazingly moist marble pound cake, enjoy a soy cappuccino or a cup of fresh brewed tea-they have at least 30 different blends. And if you like what you drink, you can buy their coffee and teas to brew at home. Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$5-$11 Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Open, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Closed, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open HELEN'S GARDEN RESTAURANT - Café, includes Vegetarian 2908 O'Donnell Street, Baltimore, MD 21224 410-276-2233 Hours: (Tues-Thurs) 11 am-10 pm; (Fri) 11 am-11 pm; (Sat) 10 am-10 pm; (Sun) 10:30 am - 2:30 pm Located in Canton, one of Baltimore's hottest neighborhoods, Helen's is a cozy place to enjoy simply great food. (If you're dining alone, sit at the downstairs bar and enjoy great conversation as well.) When you're up in the loft dining room, try a warmed focaccia or jalapeno and pesto wrap sandwich, featuring fresh ingredients such as portabellas, hummus, mango, and roasted eggplant. Black bean chili and the veggie soup of the day are great complements. For an evening out, sample one of the homemade pasta entrees along with a bottle of wine-many are under $20. And when you're strolling through Canton Square's unique shops on the weekend, stop in for Sunday brunch of banana walnut French toast and fresh-baked granola. No meal is a miss at Helen's. Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$6-$18 Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Closed, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open PLANET ON THE CORNER - Café, includes Vegetarian 2229 Fleet Street, Baltimore, MD 21231410-732-3700 Hours: (Mon-Sun) 11 am-2 pm When you're dining with a group, Planet on the Corner's extensive menu of appetizers, sandwiches, pastas, salads, pizzas, and desserts-along with its full-service bar-will no doubt please everyone in your party. There are lots of veggie items to choose from, so this could take awhile! The hummus is a hit, and while you're waiting to dig in with your pita points, you can check your email at the free Internet terminal. And if there's a slow moment at the bar, you never know when the bartender will whip out his guitar and serenade you and your fellow diners. Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$6-$11 Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Closed, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open CITY CAFÉ - Café, includes Vegetarian 1001 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 410-539-4252 Hours: (Mon-Thur) 7:30 am-11 pm; (Fri) 7:30 am-12 am; (Sat) 9 am-12 am; (Sun) 9 am-11 pm This light, airy, veggie-friendly café in historic Mount Vernon is bustling for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Surrounded by walls of windows, you can check out the sights while you nosh on a grilled veggie sandwich with huge hunks of portabellas, a black bean burger with fresh salsa, or the quiche of the day. City Café also offers veggie pastas, huge salads, a vegetarian soup daily, and scrumptious desserts and coffee drinks. In a hurry? The Cathedral street side of the café has a quick-service carry-out that features select menu items. Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$6-$17 Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Closed, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open ZE MEAN BEAN CAFÉ - Eastern European, includes Vegetarian 1739 Fleet Street, Baltimore, MD 21231 410-675-5999 Hours: (Mon-Thur) 10 am-11 pm; (Fri-Sun) 11 am-1 am Ze Mean Bean offers fresh homemade fare in a charming, Bohemian-like setting. Whether you're in the mood for a hearty meal or just coffee and dessert, you'll want to come by in the evening to take in the nightly jazz ensemble. While sitting on a well-worn sofa or at an antique table surrounded by walls of books, sample vegetarian Old World favorites such as potato-filled pierogies and buckwheat blinchikas filled with mushrooms and drizzled with red pepper sauce. If you're looking for a lighter meal, go for cabbage soup and homemade bread. Ze Mean Bean also serves up a mean chocolate layer cake, so don't binge on the blinchikas! Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$6-$18 Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Closed, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Closed, Thanksgiving - Closed, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Closed, New Year's Eve - Open YABBA POT – Vegan 771 Washington Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21230 410-962-8638 Hours: (Mon-Sat) 8 am-9 pm Estimated cost per person for dinner=$5-12 Not only is it the city’s only fully vegan café, but you can also enjoy poetry readings and open-mic hip hop slams amidst the fragrance of incense and earthy spices. The Pot is a popular hangout for students on serious budgets and purveyors of creative vegan cuisine. Favorite dishes include the spicy BBQ tofu wraps, tender West African spinach, and their moist organic veggie burgers. Overlook the slightly erratic service and you’ll appreciate a fine, home-cooked meal that will surprise even carnivores as to how tasty tofu can truly be. Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Open, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Open, Thanksgiving - Open, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Open, New Year's Eve – Open THE HELMAND – Afghan/Middle Eastern, vegetarian 806 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 410-752-0311 Hours: (Sun-Thur) 5 pm-10 pm; (Fri-Sat) 5 pm-11 pm Estimated cost per person for dinner=$11-25 A delicious find tucked into the heart of downtown, The Helmand’s zesty flavors and unusual culinary combinations also hold a particularly interesting political sidebar—the owner is the brother of the Afghan president. Politics aside, the food is simply amazing, with the kaddo borawni appetizer (pan fried and baked baby pumpkin seasoned with sugar and served on yogurt garlic sauce) a definite must, even if you think you don’t like pumpkin. Other veggie favorites include the bowlawni (twin pastry shells filled with leeks and spiced potatoes, with yogurt and mint), and banjan borawni (baked eggplant with tomatoes and a garlic yogurt sauce). Top it off with a delicate scoop of Afghan ice cream, accompanied by fresh mango, dates and dried figs.Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Open, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Open, Thanksgiving - Open, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Open, New Year's Eve – Open ZODIAC – Vegetarian, Cajun/creole 1724 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 410-727-8815 Hours: (Tue-Thur) 5-10 pm; (Fri) 5-11 pm; (Sat) 3-11 pm; (Sun) 3-10 pm Estimated cost per person for dinner=$7-16 The perfect place to grab a meal before catching a flick at the nearby Charles Theater, the Zodiac is a heavenly blend of hearty veggie and vegan entrees, sprinkled with touches of Mexican, Greek and Creole for all diners. Wild mushroom lasagna, chickpea burgers, and make-your-own pizzas (with soy cheese) are popular pre-nightlife fare, and the vegan soy ice cream is a nice way to top it all off. The atmosphere is as entertaining – meet the coin-operated fortuneteller in the back, and see if you can feel the presense of the resident ghost who supposedly haunts the main dining area. Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Open, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Open, Thanksgiving - Open, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Open, New Year's Eve – Open THE AMBASSADOR - Indian Food 3811 Canterbury Road, Baltimore, MD 21218 410-366-1484 Hours: Lunch (Mon-Fri) 11:30 am-2:30 pm, (Sat-Sun) 12noon-3 pm; Dinner (Sun-Thur) 5 pm-10 pm, (Fri-Sat) 5 pm-11 pm Estimated cost per person for lunch/dinner=$17-25 Don’t let the apartment building façade deter you from a delightful, upscale vegetarian dining experience at the Ambassador. The Indian-inspired cuisine blends traditional dishes like Dal Makhani (yellow or black lentils) with innovative flavors of Vegetable Jalfrezi (medley of cauliflower, potatoes, peas, bell peppers, carrots, string beans, onions, and tomatoes), Matar Paneer (green peas and homemade Indian cheese curry), and Malai Kofta (vegetable croquettes simmered in a delicately spiced cream sauce). In warmer months, ask for an outside table—the intimate patio is one of the most romantic spots in which to dine in the city. Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day - Open, Valentine's Day - Open, Easter - Open, Thanksgiving - Open, Christmas Eve - Open, Christmas Day - Open, New Year's Eve – Open