Garden variety

Lots of people seem confused about the definition of vegetarianism. My grandmother is a perfect example. She thinks I'm a vegetarian, so she offers me pork instead of steak at family barbecues. Basically, she thinks anything not beef is not meat.

My grandmother would really be confused if I explained to her that I am actually not a vegetarian. But I used to be. The only meat I eat, however, is fish and poultry. In case you too are confused, that makes me not a vegetarian.

I am not alone in my wavering choice of cuisine. I have many friends who often choose to eat vegetarian, even though they do not necessarily identify themselves as such. Many restaurants within the city are catering to this kind of eating trend -- in part because, in my experience, vegetarians often have a tough time convincing a mixed group of eaters to get excited about the mediocre variety and quality of many of the city's all-vegetarian venues.

All these people still gotta eat, though, and frequently they actually have to eat together like one big happy family. The result is that you will find some of Atlanta's best vegetarian food in the least likely places.

Since no animals are typically harmed in the making of beer, many Atlanta bars now provide neutral ground for people with all kinds of food preferences. Over the past few years, there has been a gradual improvement in vegetarian -- and even vegan-friendly -- bar food. Brewhouse Cafe (401 Moreland Ave., 404-525-7799) does a great veg version of bangers and mash, which is made with buttery mashed potatoes, soysage, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and pepper gravy. A lighter meal is the veggie gyro (with soysage or garden burger) wrapped in a warm pita with lettuce, tomato, red onion and cucumber tzatziki sauce.

Down the road at East Atlanta's beloved Earl (488 Flat Shoals Ave., 404-522-3950) you can find, among other things, the best black bean burger or grilled cheese in town, served with music so loud you can't hear the words coming out of your own freaking mouth. Flatiron (520 Flat Shoals Ave., 404-688-8864) also recently tuned up its menu. Vegetarian offerings now include spicy veggie chili, a fine falafel sandwich and a roasted vegetable and brown rice entree.

Of course, the Righteous Room (1051 Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-874-0939) has long been loved by vegetarians who don't mind smoky bars or fighting for a table. Try the veggie burger on soft nan or the simple roasted veggie kabob.

And what's a girl to do if she doesn't want to hang out in smoky bars for a meal? My favorite vegetarian food in Atlanta is found in various Indian and Asian restaurants I've come to know and love. Madras Saravana Bhavan (2179 Lawrenceville Highway, Decatur, 404-636-4400) features an extensive, all-vegetarian menu of fresh and filling southern Indian cooking. The enormous dosa crepes are stupendous, and the mango lassi is the finest I have found in Atlanta. Harmony Vegetarian Chinese (4897 Buford Highway, 770-457-7288) has an entirely vegan menu and offers meatless versions of traditional Chinese-American dishes such as General Tso's and Kung Pao chicken.

Ethiopian menus also typically offer a number of unique meatless dishes. Meskerem (2329-B Cheshire Bridge Road, 404-417-0991), for example, has a convenient location by Tara Cinemas if you have dinner and a movie in mind. The vegetarian combination, plenty of food for two hungry people, includes spiced lentils, collards, green beans and cabbage. The meal is served on and with the spongy injera bread used to scoop up bites of each dish. It's a perfect pre-movie meal if you're OK with sharing and are pretty certain your date has clean hands.

Exclusively vegetarian restaurants in Atlanta tend to be extremely no-frills. One notable exception is Cafe Sunflower (2140 Peachtree Road, 404-352-8859, and 5975 Roswell Road, 404-256-1675). Sunflower has long been venerated as the city's premiere "gourmet" vegetarian venue. I beg to differ. With a menu that relies heavily on stir-fries, pasta and other usual suspects, I like the ambiance at Sunflower, but have yet to be wowed by the food.

Inman Park's newly opened Lush (913 Bernina Ave., 404-223-9292) is now trying to fill the upscale vegetarian void by cultivating a menu and an atmosphere described by co-owner Issac Adelange as "urban and hip yet wholesome and warm."

My first visit took place on the third evening after its grand opening. Lush's exterior invites with newly planted flowers and greenery lining its entrance. The interior might be described as minimalist Boho chic. The menu reflects that reserved yet exotic feel, flavored by chef Todd Unkefer's recent four-year stint on a private island in the western Caribbean.

I brought along a meat-and-potatoes friend to put the Lush menu to the true test. We were both impressed by the originality of the menu, which includes Kokoda vegetable and coconut milk ceviche (vegetables are marinated in lieu of fish); charred tomato, grilled eggplant and zucchini chilaquiles with soy kaas (traditionally, this dish includes layers of corn tortillas stacked with mild chiles, salsa, cheese and chicken); and a Key lime-lavender tart. We particularly enjoyed a crispy potato, corn and caramelized Vidalia onion latke, and a cold Belizean rice appetizer, served with crunchy snow peas and a zippy cilantro-lemon verbena dressing.

From appetizers right through desserts, I think there was simply too much focus on starchy dishes at Lush. And desserts were modest to a fault, which is perhaps explained by Unkefer's upcoming television billing as the "Sugarless Chef." But service, particularly given that the restaurant is so new, was surprisingly polished. Our bill, incidentally, was upscale for sure, totaling $94 before the tip (in part because we paid $9 per glass for what our bartender deemed a "house red" in the absence of a wine list).

After dinner, as our valet dashed the 20 or so feet across the parking lot to retrieve our car, I asked my friend if he would come back for another evening of upscale vegetarian food. "Maybe," he said, followed a few minutes later by, "Do you mind if we stop at Wendy's on the way home?" Lush is not necessarily to blame for this. It's happened before, and will happen again -- because some people never change. This my grandmother would understand.

For more information about local vegetarian resources and restaurant listings, contact the Vegetarian Society of Georgia at www.vegsocietyofga.org.