3 Restaurants Moving Veggie-Forward

There’s a trendy new term entering the restaurant lexicon: veggie-forward. Essentially, it means that an eatery isn’t going all-veg on its menu, but it’s making vegetables part of the primary equation alongside traditional proteins and meat. Following the mainstream’s embrace of plant-based food and veganism, this may seem like a softer stance, nudging the meat eaters to eat less protein. (And with higher beef prices and a scarcity of chicken, who can blame them?) But we are simultaneously enjoying a new burst of creativity and imagination from chefs who are seeing fruits and vegetables as a fresh medium, allowing vegetarians and carnivores to have a perfect night out together.

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All Saints, Scallops

Freshly opened in Northeast, this chef-driven restaurant doesn’t want to leave protein behind; it just doesn’t need it to be primary in the dish. These perfectly seared scallops are really vehicles for the vibrant carrot hummus, and you can’t miss the potency of the shaved fennel with bursts of orange that make the bite. 222 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-259-7507, allsaintsmpls.com

Cardamom, Cauliflower

The new all-day café at the Walker offers a menu that is veggie-heavy and has a knack for making the plates both beautiful and unexpected. While cauliflower and burrata are both common ingredients on the veggie eater’s roster, rarely are they so perfectly combined like this with a spicy peanut sauce. 723 Vineland Pl., Mpls., at the Walker Art Center, 612-375-7542, cardamommpls.com

The Block, Pheobe

It’s masquerading as a suburban tavern, but The Block’s casual menu is full of vegetarian and vegan plates that sit in equal space with their meaty counterparts. This veggie take on a Reuben subs beets for the pastrami (delivering the color you want) and lets the sauerkraut be the appropriate star. That vegan cheese is as creamy and melty as you hope. 7007 Walker St., St. Louis Park, 952-767-1117, theblockslp.com