In her editor's letter in the April issue of Gourmet magazine, Ruth Reichl announces the arrival of a new feature devoted to hearty vegetarian recipes. With more and more restaurants offering a variety of vegetarian and even vegan dishes on their menus, in combination with the growing concern for environmentally-friendly living, the appeal of fresh, locally-grown, seasonal vegetables and legumes is suddenly extremely important in the food world. I recently decided I had better give in to the trend and veg out. Okay, it wasn't a conscious decision - I was on my second date with the boyishly charming Mr. I'minlikewithyou and he invited me to dinner at his favorite vegan place in San Francisco, Millennium. He promised me it was haute vegan cuisine with not even the slightest hint of hippie and an atmosphere that was chic, sophisticated, and elegant; boy was he right.

For the rest of my vegan escapade and all of the images of the scrumptious food, read more