Sometimes vegans and vegetarians want to go out with their friends and family to a clubby, steakhouse-like dinner — where the lights are low, jazz music plays, and there’s a dress code. That usually means ordering a collection of sides to assemble a meat-free meal on the fly. But it doesn’t have to.
House of Cards — the speakeasy-style restaurant known for its nightly magic shows and hearty steaks — recently introduced its fall menu, and it is full of meatless surprises. The menu’s pages reveal dishes that are intentionally crafted for people who don’t eat meat. The vegan surf-and-turf ($38) in particular is a delight, made with marinated portobello caps, haricots verts, roasted tomatoes, oyster mushrooms and pearl onions, all topped with a vegan “demi-glace.” The dish is plated like the others at the table, so it feels special and substantial. The green beans are hearty enough that you won’t need to order other sides, but there are certainly tasty options, including the asparagus and the garlic-roasted broccolini.
Cauliflower steak ($38) is an increasingly common vegetarian dish, and House of Cards’ kitchen makes a worthy contender with olive tapenade. Start the meal off with the beet-and-goat-cheese croquettes with spiced green tahini ($20). Meatless dishes are clearly marked vegan or vegetarian. (Though if you’re older than 40, you might need the handy provided flashlight to read the menu … but that’s a different issue.) Dare I say, it all feels like magic?
