So for the month of January I decided to go vegetarian to start the year off a little bit healthier than I ended the year before. Given this I needed to find places to eat that would help keep me accountable. Enter, Luna's and Fern.
Luna's - tucked into the back corner of Atherton Mills in South End, this little restaurant packs quite a punch. I believe it's even billed as vegan but the food is surprisingly flavorful and really good. I ordered the Fire and Brimstone quinoa veggie burger wrapped in collard greens and it has quite the kick. It's served with a side salad and for sounding fairly blah, it was really good. Now I don't normally seek out vegan food, but I've actually been craving this burger recently. Luna's has other items that may not sound appealing for a meat eater but I promise, it's really good. Veggie lasagna, salads, various hummus spreads are all good options. The prices are also very reasonable, especially for an organic/local restaurant. Check them out.
http://www.lunaslivingkitchen.com/Home.html
Fern - Another hole in the wall vegetarian place that is tucked in between a pawn shop and a garden center on Central Avenue across from the Family Dollar. This stretch of road has some of the most randomly placed but best restaurants in town (i.e., Bistro la Bon, Soul, Midwood Smokehouse). The sign is not lit up so it's easy to miss but once you find it, it's well worth the stop. Fern is definitely higher end than Luna's and its menu changes seasonally. It's somehow related to Something Classic catering and it definitely shows in the details. The restaurant isn't big and there's not really a good waiting area so get there early or make reservations (only open Tues - Sunday). Their OM burger is awesome (notice a theme that I keep ordering burgers at vegetarian restaurants) as is their Laughing Buddha bowl. My friends tried the risotto and really liked it. It's so good, there were a bunch of guys in there and there's no meat on the menu. That should tell you something, right? As I mentioned, prices are a little higher than Luna's and the portions are reasonable (i.e., not typical huge american portions we are used to) but the food is outstanding. I plan to go back soon even though I'm off of my vegetarian kick. Hope you check them out soon.
http://www.fernflavors.com/index.html
