This is a partial list of my favorite places to eat in the Washington, D.C. area. Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant Sunflower is an all-vegetarian restaurant, part of a global Taiwanese chain. A meal at Sunflower is a good way to introduce people not familiar with vegetarian or vegan diets to the variety and succulence possible without involving meat. The menu varies from noodle soups, pasta, and Indian-inspired curries to vegetable sushi and entrees made with sauteed vegetables, tofu and wheat gluten.
Brown rice comes with most dishes.
This Morroccan restaurant offers the aromatic soups, stews, and couscous dishes particular to that cuisine. Many of the diners get seated on long couches arrayed with cushions, and on Saturdays, a bellydancer entertains the guests. The vegetarian choices are limited in number but satisfying. For example, the vegetable tagine, fragrant with saffron, offers tender chunks of potatoes, squash, and even a little bitter melon. This small Vietnamese vegetarian deli specializes in meatless versions of traditional Vietnamese dishes.