by Helen Erwin · August 11, 2018 I’m sure that if you are vegetarian you are familiar with restaurants that have only a couple of vegetarian options. More often than not they’re added like an after-thought at the end of the regular menu. It might be a mushroom wrap, or a veggie burger that’s made entirely of vegetables and mashed together with potatoes. There is no protein and the taste is bland to say the least. Still this is better than those restaurants that have nothing vegetarian on the menu at all. I’ve been to many family events at fine restaurants where I’ve been served a huge plate of steamed vegetables as my main course. And this even if someone called ahead and explained that a vegetarian would be joining their special event. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with steamed vegetables, but it’s not a meal. Why do some chefs serve this as the main course? Do they really think that vegetarians want to pay money for a plate with steamed broccoli, spinach and carrots, when the other guests are eating gourmet dishes paired with the finest wines? I truly don’t understand. This will not happen at Woodstock Pizza Theater! You can bring your whole family, meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans and everyone will leave full, happy and satisfied. I promise. I went two days in a row and I would have gone again the next day and then again the day after that if I had had more time in Woodstock. Not only do they have lots of vegan and vegetarian options, they’re listed on the regular menu, each sound enticing and delicious and is presented as an option for everyone. Let me tell you about just a few of their vegetarian and vegan dishes here. You may want to have a snack handy because I guarantee that by the time you’ve finished reading this you’ll be hungry. The appetizers are divine! There are Cauliflower Wings with Teriyaki Sauce, Baked Brie drizzled with Honey, Dried Cranberries and Walnuts. Crispy Eggplant and Tempeh tossed in a Black Bean Chili with Kale Chips. We had the Cauliflower Wings and they were amazing, crispy on the outside and cooked to perfection on the inside. They have three different kinds of vegetarian burgers, each with fries, sliced pickles and a delicious dipping sauce. If you prefer you can choose rice and beans instead of fries. The pizzas are made in a brick oven and have amazing vegan and vegetarian options like Edamame Pesto, Italian Vegan Sausage and Peppers, Tempeh Bacon Pizza or Taco Pizza with Vegan Crumbles. I had the one with vegan sausage the first day. The dough was perfectly baked, soft yet slightly crispy and chewy. Mozzarella fresh and soft. Perfect with my glass of Pinot Grigio. The pastas have the same delicious variety. How about a pasta with Vegan Meatballs or Sausage? Or Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Toasted Garlic. Vodka Sauce made with heavy cream, or the vegan option with almond milk. Or maybe a Sweet Potato Quesadilla with Black Beans, Corn and Agave Nectar? The food is so outstanding that if you don’t live in the area, it would be worth the trip even if it’s hours away. Truly it would, the food is that good. The service is wonderful and our waitress Chrissy made us feel welcome and right at home as soon as we stepped in the door. When I told her that I blog about food she introduced us to chef Christopher who came over to say hello. He told us that he’s been cooking at Woodstock Pizza Theater for about a year and have added his own touch with lots of new dishes. From what I understood from speaking to people we met around town, he has truly transformed the place and Woodstock Pizza Theater has been the place to eat since then. Before I leave I want to tell you a little more about the burgers that I mentioned. You may have heard or read about food that is made to taste and look more like meat even though it’s vegan. The last few years there have been quite a buzz about this. People are becoming more aware of the environmental implications of meat production and the cruelty of animal meat factories. People want to eat sustainably, ethically and cruelty free, but many love meat and miss it if they don’t have it so https://impossiblefoods.com/ and http://www.beyondmeat.com/ have been working on this and it’s quite amazing. Two of the vegetarian burgers at Woodstock Pizza Theater are made with this new type of vegetarian meat. On our second visit the next day I had the Impossible Burger and my friend had the Beyond Meat Burger. Mine looked so much like a meat patty, – there was even “blood” on the inside- that I had to call our waitress Chrissy over to ask her if it truly was vegan. It was of course, and delicious. Take a close look at this photo here to see how it looks. I can’t wait until I go back. Maybe in the fall when the trees start to change. Who can say no to a beautiful three-hour ride to the Catskill Mountains when you can end it with a meal here? Actually, I could make it two, drive up for lunch, then go for a long hike in the woods and go back for dinner before the drive back to New York City. Doesn’t that sound like a plan? www.woodstockpizzatheater.com Share