Coral Gables Restaurant Week Is Vegan and Vegetarian Friendly

For herbivorous foodies, culinary events can feel forbidding. After all, most gastronomic affairs aren't geared towards vegans. They're more likely to be piled high with pork belly and foie gras.

But times are changing, and eateries are stepping up to satisfy diverse diets. At the ninth-annual Coral Gables Restaurant Week, which runs June 6 through 26, Miamians with every kind of eating style can nosh their way across the city.  Basically, the Gables will be showcasing its best and brightest through prix-fixe menus offered at discounted prices.

"The beauty of downtown Coral Gables is that there's a variety of restaurants of different international cuisines within walking distance of each other," says Marina Foglia, executive director of the city's Business Improvement District. "We have 41 of our over 90 restaurants participating in Coral Gables Restaurant Week, so there's going to be something for every palate, ever pocket, and especially every diet. Whether it be a gluten-free meal, vegetarian plant-based diet, pescatarian diet, lactose-free cuisines, or organic options, there's a participating restaurant to cater to your wants and needs."

As far as vegan options, the landscape is limited. Loui restaurant is offering a riceless vegan risotto. It's made with cauliflower kernels, a caponata purée, roasted eggplant roasted garlic, pine nuts, Mediterranean olives, capers, fresh tomatoes, white balsamic, and extra virgin olive oil.

Vegetarians fare much better, with several restaurants offering savory options. 

The Café at Books & Books is always a good choice for noncarnivores. For week one, this bookstore-slash-eatery is offering avocado salsa with corn tortilla chips as an appetizer option, and a tofu and wild mushroom stir-fry entree with green beans, carrots, scallions, and Asian dressing for lunch or dinner. 

Popular pie maker California Pizza Kitchen, has a Tuscan hummus appetizer, plus a quinoa and arugula salad; a five cheese and fresh tomato pizza; and an asparagus and spinach spaghettini as entree options for lunch or dinner.

At Cibo Wine Bar, you can opt for polenta fries with gorgonzola dip as an appetizer and a warm veg panini or flatbread for the main course (served lunch only).
 
Fratellino Ristorante (264 Miracle Mile) has a romaine lettuce and hearts of palm salad, followed by an eggplant and mozzarella bake for lunch. For dinner, there's a poached pear and goat cheese salad; then a mushroom and truffle oil pappardelle.

Spritz of Coral Gables (formerly Spris) offers a light mista salad, followed by a margarita pizza for either lunch or dinner. 

Each eatery's lunch and dinner menus vary, and the lunch options tend to be friendlier for veg eaters — so taking a midday break might be your best best. If there's an establishment you've been dying to try, but you don't see it on this list, call and see if it's possible to get an alternative. It never hurts to ask, and eateries can be surprisingly accommodating!

Prices for each prix fixe vary by restaurant. You can check out the full list of restaurants, and peruse the menus, at restaurantweek.shopcoralgables.com.