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DINING: An ode to tasty vegetarian fare

By Lori Midson, Special to the Rocky

Published September 4, 2008 at 7 p.m.

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When was the last time you waltzed into a Monday-morning meeting and announced: "I went to a great vegetarian restaurant over the weekend!"?

What, no one?

Vegetarian restaurants and, more specifically, vegan joints get a bad rap.

I was sitting at City, O' City with a friend who was diagnosed with cancer, became an herbivore overnight and later learned he was misdiagnosed but continued to exist on a mostly vegetarian regime until I lulled him back with a porterhouse steak at Capital Grille. We pondered the reasons why many of us would rather rot in jail than grow old on a flaccid diet of tofu, seitan and wheat germ.

It turns out that City, O' City, a vegetarian restaurant operated by the same owners as Watercourse Foods, was the perfect place to debate and explore the entrenched beliefs held by some that "healthy" eating equates to boring, repetitive and flavorless food.

It also became clear, after several meals here, that this restaurant's food might even convince established vege-phobics to relent. The menu at City, O' City may not incite a new wave of health food fanatics, but this is healthy food that mostly looks good and tastes good.

City, O' City does not overtly preach vegetarianism or advocate animal rights. I didn't see any signs (believe me, I looked) extolling People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. At least two of our servers admitted to eating beef. Much of the staff congregates on the sidewalk to smoke, which obviously goes against the grain of healthy living, but I have my own vices, so I'm not making any judgment calls.

In other words, you can eat here without a strident staff guilt-prodding you into feeling like you're a monster if you cop to enjoying a little swine with your wine, moo with your brew or a smoke between courses.

That said, if you're not inked with tattoos or pierced with nose rings, you may wonder what you've gotten yourself into. Don't fret: Everyone from hipsters and hippies to geeks and dorks co-exists in the modish dining room, which is a study lounge by day, frequented by laptop-toting students, and a boisterous, candle-lit hangout at night, when the music is louder than a B-25 bomber and the verve is infectious.

I prefer eating here after dusk, when I'm not so inclined to grab a ladder and climb up to the swirling ceiling fans caked with dust. That bothers me. So do the dirty floors, which need a good sweeping. Truth be told, the joint could use a thorough cleaning. Ditto the bathrooms (and a lock on the ladies' room would be nice, too).

But while I may have prejudices against City, O' City's commitment to housecleaning, I have no quibbles with the buffalo seitan wings ($7.50), textured strips of wheat gluten slathered with an incendiary and tangy sauce.

Little dugouts of crookneck squash brimming with shaved corn, cubed avocado and goat cheese comprise the calabacitas ($7), wreathed by a puddle of wonderfully earthy New Mexican red chile. The ceviche de soya ($7.95), made with seaweed-marinated tofu, watermelon, orange slivers, cilantro, cucumber and jalapenos, convinced me that a ceviche without seafood (previously unthinkable in my mind) could actually succeed.

The Caesar salad ($5.25 small, $6.95 large) - absent anchovies, of course - was shockingly satisfying, pungent with garlic and lemon, creamy and much better than most Caesar salads I've come across in quite a while.

The Mediterranean plate ($9.95), however, cobbled together with a crumbly and underseasoned hummus, dry falafel, a smattering of Greek olives and lukewarm French fries, failed to move me. The similarly unseasoned onion rings ($5.95), their greasy batter falling off at every twitch, were terrible.

Far better are the pizzas, which can be ordered vegan or gluten- free. I'm not wild about the unbendable, cardboard crust (organic, naturally), but the La Chagall ($9 small, $22.50 large) smeared with apricot sauce and melted brie and bolstered by green olives, fresh tarragon and the mellowness of roasted garlic, is deservedly popular.

One of City, O' City's attributes is its inspiring wine, champagne and beer list, a rarity in herbivore holes where libations typically run a distant second to java. There's a gluten-free, bomber-size Green's Endeavor Blond Ale ($8.50) with hints of toffee and a delicious Bouvet Signature Rose Brut ($42) from France.

On Thursday evenings, after 9 p.m., that same bottle is half-priced, as are all the champagnes and sparkling wines.

That's something even the most dedicated carnivore can appreciate.

City, O' City

* Grade: B

* Address: 206 E. 13th Ave.

* Hours: 7 a.m.-2 a.m. Mon.-Fri.; 8 a.m.-2 a.m. Sat.-Sun

* Food: Vegan/vegetarian

* How much: $5.25-$11.95 appetizers; $5.25-$6.95 salads; $6.95-$8.95 wraps; $7.50-$22.50 pizzas

* Reservations: Not accepted

* Noise: Lots of keyboard clicking during the day; the pulse heats up to a roar at night

* Information: 303-318-9844 or watercoursefoods.com/ cityocity.html

* Parking: Metered street parking

Comments

  • September 5, 2008

    5:08 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    kkramer writes:

    Cool review! I'm not much of a veg-head at all, but it still sounds like a really good place to hang out and try something different. Sounds like I should get dessert first!

  • September 7, 2008

    10:23 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    DianeF writes:

    Thanks for this review. My SO and I had dinner there last night and we were impressed. Good service, interesting people, fun wines and beers, and good food. We'll go back.