86 WBM Home cooks can find plenty of seasonal produce to play around with this time of year and many restaurants design menu specials using spring-harvested crops. Between fresh-caught seafood and porky Southern classics, eateries in the Port City aren’t especially known for catering to vegetarian tastes, but plenty of places are happy to make accommodations. Vegetarian diners are a relative rarity at Caprice Bistro, where chef/owner Thierry Moity says most patrons arrive wanting rabbit, pork and other hearty bistro fare. That is the perception they have of French food, he says. But dishes built around seasonal produce have their place on the menu as well. “We always have something for the vegetarians,” says Moity, who notes he and his wife, co-owner Patricia, aren’t big meat eaters themselves. “At home, I’m not the typical French guy,” Moity says. “I barely drink red wine and I don’t eat much meat.” This time of year, he starts transitioning his menu from heavier winter dishes, inspired by the North of France, to their more Mediterranean cousins. Moroccan-style tagines replace rich stews while, on the dessert menu, apples and pears make way for locally grown strawberries. “It’s not a drastic change,” Moity says. “It’s more of an evolution.” Not far away, The George on the Riverwalk has made some menu changes of its own. The restaurant recently rolled out a vegan/gluten-free menu in addition to its regular fare. The new menu, prompted by the dietary habits of owner George Coffin, has met with a good reception from customers, says general manager Julie McDonald. Americans eat more meat per person than almost any nation on Earth. But while only a small fraction of Americans are vegetarian, plenty of people are cutting back on the amount of meat they consume. A 2012 NPR-Truven Health Analytics poll of 3,000 adults found nearly 40 percent said they were eating less meat than they did three years earlier. The George has seen this trend first hand, with some customers who say their diets are neither exclusively vegan nor gluten-free choosing nonetheless to try the new menu items. The George’s executive chef, Larry Fuller – a self-professed steak lover – worked with a consultant to design the supplementary menu. It debuted during fall 2014. “I never actually cooked tofu before that,” Fuller says. “It’s not bad.” These days, Fuller finds himself making vegan tacos, stuffed eggplant and an occasional special of zucchini boats filled with walnuts and apples. “It’s so good,” he says. “I’m telling you, you would not think that it’s just vegetable items.” For the home cook wanting to incorporate more seasonal produce into his or her diet, Moity’s recom-mendation is a simple one: “Go to the farmers market, of course,” he says. “There it is, everything you need. It’s great.” The George prepares tomato basil primavera with broccolini, red bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms and spring onions and corn fusilli tossed with house-made marinara sauce. Its fresh spinach salad combines candied walnuts, mandarin oranges, strawberries, crumbled feta cheese and sweet red onions with drizzled raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Voted Best Vegetarian Food by encore magazine Lovey’s Your LOCAL Health Food Store and Café CELEBRATING 12 YEARS • Organic Produce and Groceries • Salad, Soup, Hot & Juice bars • Cafe • Catering • Supplements • Health & Beauty Aids • Wheat & Gluten-Free foods SpecialS Megafood, Kal and Soloray Supplements 25% off 910-509-0331 Landfall Shopping Center • 1319 Military Cutoff Road www.loveysmarket.com For the home cook wanting to incorporate more seasonal produce into his or her diet, Moity’s recom-mendation is a simple one: “Go to the farmers market, of course,” he says. “There it is, everything you need. It’s great.” may 2015
Wrightsville Beach Magazine May 2015
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