The days of �eat before you meet� have come and gone. Plenty of popular Worcester restaurants offer hearty vegetarian entrees on their regular menus.



Experienced vegetarians know just about every restaurant can rustle up something to meet their dietary needs, but that far from guarantees a tasty and satisfying meal.



It can be admittedly difficult to persuade carnivorous friends to give places like Belmont Vegetarian or Chickpea a first chance. Still, going out in a large group doesn�t mean vegetarians need to go hungry. There are plenty of local restaurants offering a variety of killer vegetarian dishes in addition to more traditional entrees. Here are some of them.



DA LAT RESTAURANT



425 Park Ave., Worcester 508-753-6036



The Dish: Dal Lat serves downto-earth Vietnamese cuisine. Vegetarians will enjoy Summer Rolls, Can Rau Cai vegetable soup, and Dau Hu Xao Ca Chus - tofu sauteed with fresh tomatoes, pineapple, scallions and white rice.



The Crowd: Expect plenty of Clarkies.



To Drink: Taro Root Boba Smoothie



BASIL N� SPICE THAI CUISINE



299 Shrewsbury St., Worcester 774-317-9986



The Dish: Basil n� Spice offers fresh, handmade, authentic Thai cuisine. Vegetarians will enjoy Vegetarian Curry (green, red, massaman, penang, or mango.)



[caption id="attachment_47129" align="alignright" width="5911"] DaLat's Tofu Spring Rolls[/caption]



The Crowd: Expect quiet couples�making use of quaint tables for two and families maximizing the large corner booths.



To Drink: Basil n� Spice



VOLTURNO



72 Shrewsbury St., Worcester 508-756-8658



The Dish: Volturno honors 200-yearold Neapolitan traditions to bring you perfect pies cooked in woodburning ovens heated to 900 degrees. Vegetarians should make the most of the 2-for-1 pizza deal on Mondays and Tuesdays by ordering the classic Marinara and the Funghi, made with mushrooms, mozzarella, thyme, pecorino and goat cheese.



The Crowd: Expect empty suits with full bellies and medical students on their study breaks.



The Drink: Ask what�s pouring from Maine Beer Co. or order a Wormtown Be Hoppy, brewed on the premises.



EL PATRON



192 Harding St., Worcester 508-757-8000



The Dish: El Patron is a family-owned Mexican restaurant in the heart of the Canal District. Vegetarians will devour the fresh guacamole and the drenched vegetable burrito.



The Crowd: Expect an eclectic mix of customers hailing from all parts of the city - skateboarders, politicians and vintage goddesses, chief among them.



To Drink: Pineapple Chile Margarita