by Rowann

Created on: February 02, 2007   Last Updated: May 04, 2007

Vegetarian Delight healthy and affordable.

Even if you are a dyed-in-the-wool carnivore, enjoying nothing better than digging into a substantial chunk of protein, you are doing yourself and your palate a disservice if you avoid one of Ottawa's hidden treasures because you don't think it'll satisfy your canines.

The Green Door on Main St. is one of the best restaurants in the Nation's Capital. Located across from St. Paul's University and sandwiched next to 3 Trees & Singing Pebble Books, already you're on your way to a memorable evening of browsing, shopping and noshing.

The restaurant is cafeteria style, but don't let that put you off. It just means that you don't have to wait to get your hands on the delicious, fresh, organic Vegetarian & Vegan friendly delights before you. You get to pick exactly what you would like to try, from old favourites, to the adventure of trying brand new treats. When you finish stacking your plate with morsels, kind and savvy cashiers weigh it for you and you are charged according to how much your plate tips the scale.

A friend of mine who eats at the Green Door all the time is able to keep her tally under $6.00! I'm not sure how she manages this, as mine always goes more or less near the $16.00 mark! Possibly it is because she overloads on fresh, vibrant greens, drizzled with the restaurant's own special dressings, and possibly because I load up on hefty root vegetables, slabs of homemade sourdough bread and the irresistable triple-berry pie with granola/nut crust. Possibly...

The restaurant is laid out in a casual, comfortable manner, with rows of tables and wooden chairs. It is definitely both kid- and people-friendly. No one minds sharing tables and new friendships are easily stoked, even as you nibble hand-made spanikopitas, sunflower sprouts and sesame cookies. For beverages, a wide range of organic teas are available, as well as juice and organic wines and beer. And, you can't go wrong with a healthy cup or two of water from the spout located on the counter; free and plentiful.

Once you've settled, the fun begins! With sharing, tasting, comparing and soft sighs of "ooh, garlic potatoes.." or "aah, carrots and beets!" You know you're in for a textural and tasty treat. The atmosphere at the Green Door is positive, bright and lively, with different artwork gracing the walls every few months or so. Even the bathrooms (located below the main floor) are artistic, with murals splashed in abandon on the walls, making one feel as if one has stepped into a 3-dimensional Monet or Suerat.

From entree, to main course, dessert and gentle sippings of warm tea, the Green Door provides nourishment not only for the body but the heart and soul. It is not unusual to want to linger there and just bask in the complete renewal of self. Also, if one is on the go and cannot linger; the handy cafeteria-style of the restaurant provides a space beneficial to those who only need a piece of bread and a bowl of thick, home-made soup. In either case, the slumbering carnivore that rests in some of us will not even notice the absence of "meat" and will be content to curl up and digest piquant soy, feta from the Greek salad, hummus, the spinach-lasagna's cheese and even a dollop of organic whipped cream on the desserts. Keep sleeping, you haven't missed a thing!

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