Red Lentil Restaurant in Watertown, MA

A few months ago, after Funk and I returned from a vegetarian eating frenzy on our trip to San Francisco and Napa Valley, I lamented that there just aren’t enough vegetarian restaurants in Boston. We’re in a happenin’ city, yet at best, most restaurants will only offer a cheesy veggie burger or hummus wrap – both of which I can make much better at home for a fraction of the price. Then just at the right time I received an email from the Boston Vegetarian Society that Red Lentil, a new vegetarian and vegan restaurant was open in Watertown, MA, just a few miles outside of Boston and the menu looked incredible.

This past Friday night I was so excited to check out Red Lentil with some fellow nutrition ladies and food bloggers. Lindsey, Jess, Elizabeth, Corrine and I made a dinner reservation which was very smart, since Red Lentil probably seats only 35 guests at a time. We started with some Pan Seared Breaded Portobella Strips, which were tender and lightly crispy with a zesty mango chutney and red pepper coulis. They looked just like chicken fingers! We also shared a hummus and pita platter and every time I have homemade hummus, I remember how much better it is than the packaged variety!

I ordered the vegan Butternut Squash Polenta, which jumped right off the menu page at me since I love butternut squash and polenta and figured combined, they’d taste even better. I was right! But I did have a hard time deciding what to order as every single menu option looked like one I’d enjoy. I can say that happens for me just about never in a restaurant. My dish included grilled polenta, oyster mushroom ragout, and warmed sesame asparagus drizzled with cilantro sunflower seed pesto. Heavenly.

We all ordered something different, and had bites of each other’s. Every dish was as good as the next. We wrapped up our meal with a slice of vegan carrot cake and vegan chocolate cake for the table. You could tell they had been sitting in the fridge before they were served to us – they had a slight refrigerator taste – but I still thought they were tasty, especially the carrot cake frosting! My three-course meal (with pretty big-sized portions) only came to $22 including tip.

If you’re in the Boston area, this restaurant is a must. Even if you’re intimidated by seitan, tempeh, and macrobiotics, there are some simple standards on the menu like nachos, burritos, quesadillas, and pizza.

I know this restaurant will become a go-to place, and already can’t wait to take Funk there. Another awesome perk? Once a month I consult at a location just steps away from Red Lentil. I can’t think of a better place to treat myself to lunch! As luck would have it, I’m consulting there tomorrow. It’d be a first for me that I hit up the same restaurant twice in one week, but hey, it’s just that good.