I'd been looking forward to seeing new food critic Soleil Ho's
byline in the Food Section, and I certainly wasn't disappointed today! {Her byline was on absolutely EVERYTHING.}
Like many of your readers who are concerned about climate change
as well as the welfare of animals, I support the movement towards a plant-based
diet, so I was pleased to see that with each review she gave the plant-based
options. However, I do think it's
important to make a distinction between vegetarian and vegan. Reviewing Chez Panisse she mentions the
mediocrity of the vegetarian pastas, which probably have egg or dairy. It's much easier to find vegetarian dishes
than vegan ones in most restaurants, where the idea of vegan is removing cheese
or a hard-boiled egg without offering any substitute. Soleil Ho says, laudably, in reference to
bypassing the pizzeria of Charlie Hallowell, accused by former employees of
sexual harassment and verbal abuse, that she doesn't want the cost of your
pizza to be the pain of others. Those of
us who have seen the pain the dairy industry inflicts upon animals and the
environment have lost our appetite for it and have really found some very
delicious, satisfying alternatives, which restaurants could stock up on.
