CJ Jacobson excels at many things at his new restaurant Girasol (the subject of this week's restaurant review). But interestingly, one of the things the restaurant really excels at is delivering interesting meat-free options.

Some of the restaurant's most compelling and beautiful dishes are vegetarian. There's the beets and berries salad, a gorgeously composed salad of various beets, berries and herbs arranged artfully in whipped goat cheese.   

A lightly lemony shaved squash appetizer is a welcome change from many restaurants' boring salad option. But if salad is what you're in the mood for, a side of ultra-fresh arugula dressed simply in olive oil, lemon and Parmesan to great effect.

See also: The Undercover Vegetarian archives.

And despite slightly undercooked cauliflower the night I had it, the vegetarian entree of cauliflower over lentils, almond cauliflower puree, oyster mushrooms and mandarin oranges is one of the best conceived-of meat-free large plates I've encountered in some time.

Girasol may not be perfect, but in terms of vegetarian dining it delivers more thoughtful dining than is usual in almost any type of restaurant.

You can read Girasol's full review here.

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