Best Vegetarian/Vegan

Cafe Sunflower proves that being vegan doesn't mean you can't enjoy fine dining. It opened over 20 years ago, when vegan/vegetarian options were rather limited, and has been serving delectable entrees like cauliflower steak, 'meat'loaf, sesame 'chicken', and 'crab' cakes ever since. The Sunday brunch buffet is one of our favorites in town. less...

For chef TODD GINSBERG, successful vegetarian cuisine needs to have plenty of texture and balance. The crave-worthy meatless dishes at Fred’s Meat & Bread and the General Muir are packed with both. The vegetarian banh mi sandwich at Fred’s, which was inspired by the chef’s travels around Vietnam, combines dense roasted cauliflower, creamy sliced eggplant, pickled carrots, jalapeño, and more for its gratifying heft, chew, and spice. For his vegetarian Reuben at the General Muir, Ginsberg kept the sandwich’s fundamental building blocks — sauerkraut, Russian dressing, rye bread — but employs fat slabs of smoky beets to replace corned beef’s meatiness. When it comes to vegetarian cooking, Ginsberg says there’s no precise formula that will yield perfect results every time, especially when diners naturally seem to crave protein. This can make cooking sans meat a challenge, but, for Ginsberg, it also makes creating veggie dishes that guests crave much more exciting. Fred’s Meat & Bread, 99 Krog St. N.E. 404-688-3733. www.fredsmeatandbread.com. less...

We know, we know. We commented on this last year, but the inherent problem with farmers markets is that they require getting up early on the weekends. Convenient for farmers, perhaps; not always convenient for a hardworking gal who just so happens to enjoy sleeping till noon on Saturdays. And Sundays. The organizers of the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market, in their infinite wisdom and unparalleled benevolence, solved the conundrum and scheduled their market to take place on Wednesday evenings. From April to December, the EAV Farmers Market has all the best that Atlanta-area growers, bakers, and makers have to offer at the weekend market: H&F breads, yogurts from Atlanta Fresh Creamery, honey from Hidden Springs Honey, and awesome hummus and nan from Nazifa's Bakery. And they have it at twilight. If you've already stocked up on produce for the week from a weekend market, you can still come to browse, (inevitably) run into friends, and grab some dinner from Little Tart Bakeshop or Woodfire Pizza. Enter from Stokeswood Avenue, and you'll find a real backyard atmosphere with plants and picnic tables. Best of all: You can enjoy sleeping in next Saturday. Thursdays from 4-8 p.m. April 19-Dec. 13. less...