The Green Owl - Vegetarian Restaurant in Madison WI

On November 9, 2014, me and two of my friends, whom I will refer to as T and C, went to The Green Owl for brunch.  For those of you who have never been to The Green Owl, which opened in 2009, it is strictly vegetarian and vegan fare located in the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood on the near east side of Madison WI.

The restaurant is small and local, which I prefer versus big box chains, and the decor is simple.  There are only about 15 tables and can fill up quickly.  As for the menu, on Sundays the brunch menu is smaller than the regular menu but still offers a fair amount of choices.  Some of the choices include Tofu Scramble, Biscuits and Gravy, Omelettes, French Toast and Nuevos Rancheros.  If you choose a vegan option, they offer Daiya cheese and you can request to substitute eggs for tofu.

T and I had a Mimosa to start.  T ordered an omelette, C and I ordered the biscuits and gravy.  When our dishes arrived, we were all a bit surprised at the small amount of food on our plates.   The biscuits and gravy had one ordinary sized biscuit with a small amount of brown 'gravy' on it.  I'm used to the way my mother makes her gravy...a white flour/milk based gravy.  When I am home my mom will make it vegetarian and it tastes wonderful.  Not exactly healthy, but it is good to indulge every now and again, right?  The Green Owl gravy was very thin.  Gravy on your biscuits should never be thin, it should be thick.  In my mind, brown gravy with biscuits; it simply doesn't go together. Ever.  The biscuit was over-seasoned and thus I couldn't tell if the thin, lifeless, watery 'gravy' had any taste or not.  Included with my dish was a small handful of roasted red potatoes.  They were a bit dry but good.  T enjoyed her omelette stating that the eggs were made the way she likes them.  C appeared to like the B&G better than I did and stated that white gravy over biscuits is more of a southern thing.  I'm from Chicago and I still like white gravy.  Okay, okay, I'll end the discussion there.

As for service, I found it to be a bit slow.  The server was nice but she was missing that somethin' somethin' you want in a server.  Also, we had to wait quite a bit of time for our food.  Many of the patrons around us had already ordered and/or were eating their food when we arrived.  Under normal circumstances I would have eaten all the food on my plate, especially considering the small amount, but not this time.  There was about half a biscuit remaining.  T and C finished their food.

This is not the first time I've been to The Green Owl and I have noticed one constant, the portions are not enough for what you pay for.  For the 3 of us, it was about $45 before tip.  As a result, the probability that I will return to this establishment any time soon isn't very good.  There are other places around town that offer vegetarian options with larger portions for the price.

Gee, are there any redeeming qualities you may wonder?   Yes.  First, and foremost, they are a strictly vegetarian/vegan restaurant and the only one like it in Madison.  Second, they do work with local businesses and farmers.  Third, they use jackfruit.  I never heard of jackfruit until The Green Owl opened. I am giving The Green Owl 3 out of 5 stars instead of 2 for the reasons listed.

For excellent, consistent vegetarian/vegan food, I would recommend going to the Chicago Diner the next time you are in the windy city.  They have two locations, the original location on Halsted and the newer location on Milwaukee Ave.

My new Vegetarian blog

My Vegetarian Blog 

This is my new vegetarian blog!  My hopes are to make you laugh a little, cry a little, pee a little and see yourself in this a little or a lot.

A bit about me.  I'm a native Chicagoan living in the House the Packers built.  I'm ready to move.  LOL!  Seriously though.  I'm not married with no children and currently unemployed.  No pets either.  I've been a vegetarian for almost 15 years.  

Why did I become a vegetarian?  Well, it's like this...when you see a parent, still young by today's standards, laying in a hospital bed with tubes sticking out everywhere, not knowing if they are going to make it or not, it changes your world.  I knew if I did not change my eating habits, I was destined to have family and friends standing over my casket before I started collecting social security (but then again, will there be a social security when I retire?).  In the beginning I gave up only red meat and pork.  Then I moved on to poultry.  After that, I gave up seafood and anything that had any kind of meat product in it, i.e., stocks, broths, gelatin, etc.  

One of the common questions I am always asked is if I miss eating meat.  The answer is an emphatic NO!  Before I gave up meat I was always sick to my stomach.  I used to buy alka seltzer and maalox several times a month.  When I gave up meat, I gave up the digestion relievers.  

And before you assume that I gave up meat only due to health issues, think again.  As I gave up meat, my eyes started to be opened up to a more compassionate way of life.  I have learned we do not need to eat meat to feel fulfillment and nourishment.  Animals being tortured and abused so you can suck down rubbery chicken nuggets and greasy, fatty hamburgers is simply wrong.  Wrong for your health, wrong for the environment and wrong for the animals who cannot defend themselves against a billion dollar industry who cares nothing but for their bottom line.  Do you think any fast food chain out there cares that you are obese or at least more than 20 pounds overweight due to the low-quality "food" they produce?  That they are adding to the fact you are subtracting days, months, years from your life every time you eat that stuff?  Fast food chains, restaurants, grocery stores and the food industry in general will not change as long as you do not change.  Think about it...do you want your family and friends staring down in your casket saying how you were 'too young' and 'I wish he/she took better care of himself/herself'?

Before you click away from this blog, keep in mind I am not trying to badger anyone who is a meat-eater, rather have you, the reader, understand why I chose to become and stay vegetarian.  

This blog will be about various articles, internet sites I want to share, pictures and anything that is pertinent to being vegetarian.

Oh and uh, do me a favor.  Do not refer to vegetarian as a 'diet'.  Vegetarianism has been around for centuries, so it isn't some fad that will go out with the bathwater along with your pet rock, puca shells, and Shaun Cassidy vinyl records.  And for those of you born after 1980, that is your acid wash jeans, beanie babies and Natalie Imbruglia CD.