So we noticed quite a few things, eventually, and were seated in the lovely interior room, near an arch window against the darkening blue evening. There were candles, and sparkling lights, and various nice, rustic decor. Waters came, then chips and salsa, which included a second bowl of dip: something white and tangy. It was super delicious and we assumed it was some kind of cheese-based item.
Now, Nat and i always buy rennet-free cheese when we buy it (which is rarely, actually), because we do try and steer away from animal products as much as we can. This is dead simple when you're at the grocery store, but when eating out we often have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy when it comes to things like cheese. Life is just way too short. But when our waiter came, and i asked if i could get the enchiladas without chicken ("we're vegetarian", Nat explained), his eyes got wide and he even backed away a little.
"Oh, gosh- all of our sauces have chicken broth in them. In fact– even that dip has chicken broth in it!" (he points to our yummy bowl of cheesy delight.) After a few more questions, it turned out that every dish, including the "meatless" ones, had a chicken tinge to it. However, he did assure us that "the beans [were] okay".
Great. We'll have two plates of beans, please.
But in all seriousness, we just ended up feeling really bad. The waiter seemed embarrassed (even though we were totally nice about everything!), and rushed off after we decided to leave. Nat felt that we should leave some sort of gratuity, considering that we'd been seated and given water and had munched on a few chips. i only had a one and a five, and while i certainly didn't want to leave five dollars, one seemed almost like a rude gesture. So i left the five. Ugh.
Now, i've always maintained that not all restaurants have to cater to vegetarians (or vegans, or those with gluten allergies, etc. etc.), but this seemed a little crazy. Then it occurred to me: how many times had we unknowingly eaten chicken stock (or some such other) before? i don't remember EVER asking what the ingredients were in the (many) quantities of Spanish rice i've ever eaten. This seemed to be only a problem with Mexican food, and maybe it's because we've always been way more focused on the lard issue.
It can be difficult, because you don't want to simply sit down and announce to the waiter that you're vegetarian. This always feels a bit self-righteous, or high-maintenance, even. So usually we just pick out our dishes, and then ask about those when we order. This time, though, it didn't work out. And we made a solemn promise to ourselves to be more inquisitive about our food in the future. i just hope it doesn't close a whole lot of doors– though if it does, perhaps that would be for the best? The most fattening meals i eat are those when i'm dining out. Guess it's time to get all invested.
Sigh.
i will miss enchiladas, though. That is a FACT.
