Durangos

Durangos seemed to take forever to open. The inconvenient sign announcing the restaurant preceded its opening by 8 months. The business concept mirrors Chipotle with a Tex Mex spin, and the added bonus of delivery to Grandview, Upper Arlington and the Short North should help keep the place on people's radar.

There are plenty of vegetarian options on the menu. All of the beans are vegetarian, as is the cilantro lime rice. There are burritos, tacos, salads, enchiladas, salads, rice dishes and the requisite chips and dips.

A burrito is good, sure. It is a fine delivery device to carry rice, jicama, nopales, red pepper, beans, lettuce, tomato onion and guacamole to your mouth. But the delivery becomes better when the burrito is deep fried. It achieves perfection when it is drowned in red enchilada sauce.

Guacamole has a nice essence of citrus. It's a great add-on with tortilla chips for $2.45.

The laid back crew grows their own cilantro at the restaurant. The vibe is friendly.

Prices with delivery included match or are slightly lower than Chipotle. It's a fun carry out or delivery option if you can't stand the line at Chipotle.

Nada

Other cities are furiously hoisting Mod Mex taquerias upon Columbus, and Nada is the latest entry from Cincinnati. The colorful restaurant can be found in the Arena District.

Nada has fewer vegetarian options than competitors like Condado and Bakersfield. It is also expensive related to portion size. While $14 seems like a reasonable entree price, the three tacos are small. They require a side dish and substantial appetizer to make a full meal, pushing bills skyward.

Guacamole was at best unmemorable. At $12 for a large portion, it's better avoided.

Other vegetarian starters include a salsa sampler and Mexican macaroni and cheese. The vegetarian hongos tacos are made with portobello mushrooms, guacamole, black beans, Chihuahua cheese, rice and pico de gallo.

The bar features cool cocktails, some on draft, as well as sangria, an array of Mexican beer and a few carefully selected craft beers. The drinks are reasonably affordable, helping ease the financial hit of $14 micro tacos.

Service seemed disinterested. With so many other options for tacos in central Ohio, it's hard to justify keeping this one on the radar. 

Condado Tacos

Condado is a Modern Mexican taqueria with fusion influences packaged in a nifty casual environment. The endless variations on build-your-own tacos give diners the option of customizing their perfect taco.

There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Taco fillings include portobello mushrooms and Thai chili tofu. Taco shells include soft, hard and soft wrapped around a hard shell with guacamole and queso - obviously the wisest choice.

Overall, the best tip is to remember that less is more when selecting taco fillings. Scores of ingredients might score a messy taco.

The sweet Thai chili tofu is breaded and doused in a sweet-hot red sauce. It's a solid filling with more flexibility than the mushrooms. 

The bar is stocked with craft beers, top-shelf liquors and cocktails. There is an armada of margaritas that go great with everything. 

Service, like the atmosphere, is casual. Decor is heavy on the Day of the Dead. Vegetarian and vegan questions were answered effectively. The cards to order are located on each table, allowing diners to customize meals quickly and easily. 

Black Sheep Burritos and Brews

Tucked right off the Marshall University campus, Black Sheep Burritos and Brews is a cool modern Mexican fusion restaurant. Ohio diners might be familiar with Casa Nueva and Mad Mex, two establishments with similar menus and bars.

There is also a Black Sheep in Charleston, West Virginia. The atmosphere in the Huntington outpost is laid back, and service matches the decor. 

The bar features a number of craft beers, as well as great cocktails. Margaritas are a safe bet. The horchata drink, made with the traditional spiced Mexican rice drink, Rumchata liqueur, cinnamon and cardamom saffron simple syrup, should make cocktail aficionados with a sweet tooth smile. The barrel-smoked Old Forrester Old Fashioned sounds bourbon-snob approved.

The menu is loaded with vegan and vegetarian dishes. Burritos, quesadillas and tacos are filled with international fare with the flavor of the Mediterranean, Thailand or China. There are also gluten free items. Side dishes are all vegetarian with a few vegan choices.

In addition to meatless salads, there are also chips and salsa, guacamole and queso dip. Veggie taco options include portobello mushroom, tempura fried avocado and beet. Burritos include Thai tofu, General Tso's tofu, falafel and hummus, a regular Mission style burrito and a vegan burrito with miso glazed smoked tofu, kimchi and  seasoned rice.

The vegetarian nachos are piled with black beans, queso, pickled jalepeños, pico de gallo and lime Sriracha crema. It's a satisfying combination that sometimes over-saturates some of the chips into a mess.

The Thai burrito is filled with tofu, rice, pickled daikon carrot slaw, smoked cashews, cilantro and peanut hoisin sauce. There are crunchy textures as well as delicate tofu. The burrito is sweet with a hint of spice.

 There is also a popular brunch menu at Black Sheep. There are plenty of sweet and savory choices, as well as a vegan tofu scramble.

Tacos Hass

Taco Hass is a Mexican gem secretly stashed in a Dublin strip mall. It is a casual spot with a wood-fired grill, and it is delightfully affordable. $10 buys a great meal here.

The bright space is located next to La Favorita Mexican Grocery. Taco Hass has a limited selection of alcoholic beverages a la Chipotle.

The vegetarian taco is the taco verde. Flour tortillas are filled with nopales - roasted prickly pear cactus - potatoes and melted white cheese. The soft cactus almost melts in your mouth, the potatoes add a nice texture and the salsa gives the taco a subtle spiciness. Four tacos is probably a reasonable lunch portion.

The quesadillas also pick up a nice flavor on the grill. They are a great vehicle for the different house-made salsas.

The menu is small, but the flavors are huge at Hass. Vegetarians only have a few options, but jt should be a main lunch destination for anybody withing a reasonable distance of this Sawmill Road delight.

Momocho Mod Mex

Momocho Mod Mex puts the modern spin on Mexican cuisine in the heart of Ohio City. Chef-owner Eric Williams, a two-time James Beard nominee, operates a restaurant that's fun, festive and flavorful.

The menu is chock full of vegetarian dishes, including the ever-popular flavors of guacamole. There is an extensive gluten-free menu. The chef whips up guacamole with traditional ingredients, and offers variations loaded with fresh ingredients that put a spin on the classic dip. Current options include goat cheese and roasted poblano guacamole, and a jicama, pineapple, habanero and mint guacamole.

The decor is fun. The darkly lit venue is covered in black and white photos of luchadors and unnamed figures in a style akin to the Day of the Dead, as well as some amazing looking low-rider bicycles over the kitchen and the entrance.

Servers did a good job handling a large party. There were minor issues with pacing and handling explicit instructions from diners when business picked up. Service was pretty good if short of outstanding.

The taquitos at Momocho are nothing like the ones endlessly spinning under the hot lamp at your local gas station, or buried in the back of your college fridge. Fillings included roasted beets, spinach, spicy peanuts and queso fresco, or roasted butternut squash, goat cheese and salted pepitas, both served with a chunky pico de gallo. The ingredients change with the seasons.

The bar offers excellent margaritas in a different flavors and formulations with an excellent menu of tequila and mezcal. Beers are mostly Mexican with a domestic beer made in a Latin American pilsner style.

Arepazo Latin Grill

Arepazo Latin Grill brings all of the things you love about the Downtown location of Columbus' global Latin favorite, and then they add tapas and a full bar. Carlos Gutierrez brings the same formula working at his Gahanna operation.

The space is open and inviting. It is much larger than the Downtown restaurant. There are plenty of options for vegetarians.

Like the other two locations, every dish tastes delicious smothered in the famous cilantro sauce. Dishes originate in Latin American countries in North and South America.

Vegetarians can order meatless arepas, patacons (a stuffed fried plantain boat), burritos, tostadas and three tapas for lunch. Dinner has a wider selection of meatless tapas options.

The bean and cheese empanada might be the best way to spend $3.75 eating in Columbus. The fried corn pocket is crammed full of black beans and white cheese until it's about the size of a small Nerf football. The appetizer is almost a lunch portion by itself.

A few of the vegetarian tapas involve perfect tostones, or fried plantain chips. Arepazo's tostones have a crispy exterior, but are thick enough to also display some of the fruit's softer textures. They are great served with a garlic aioli, and even better topped with roasted red peppers, parsley and slivers of Manchego.

Servers were able to answer questions about vegetarian items on the menu, and served multiple meals quickly enough to keep lunch crowds moving.

Phatt Taco

Phatt Taco is a fast-casual lunch option in Downtown Columbus. It is located in the building that formerly housed Fresh 50 and Otero's Food Bar. It shares an owner with Phat Wraps on campus.

The dining room seats about 60. The menu features tacos and build-your-own tostadas. While vegetarian options are not plentiful, the counter service allows diners to customize dishes to order.

Topping options include vegetables like lettuce, tomato, onion, radish, stewed carrots, potato and hot peppers, rice, beans, salsas, sour cream, cilantro and sauces. 

There are also desserts available like cookies. They also eschew high-fructose corn syrup in beverages.

Border Grill

Border Grill is the project of celebrity chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. The restaurant has locations in California and Las Vegas, and features fun, fresh, modern takes on Mexican fare. The chefs also focus on vegetarian diners, including their excellent meatless Monday special - three courses for $29. It makes it easier to justify buying a couple of the margaritas to wash down dinner.

The chefs are well known from the Food Network show Two Hot Tamales as well as their appearances on Bravo's Top Chef: Masters. Their personality comes across in the food and the fun atmosphere.

Three salsas come out with the chips. The green tomatillo salsa has an explosive flavor. The chipotle salsa had a great smoky base. The tomato salsa tasted fresh, bright and clean. The guacamole (which is not free) displays its essence of jalepeño, bright lime and fresh cilantro.

The green corn tamale just melted in my mouth. It was sweet and rich with a hint of spice. The spinach and mushroom empanada had an earthy base within its soft pastry exterior. Both were outstanding.

The mushroom mulitas is a giant portobello cap grilled and stuffed with pickled red onion, roasted peppers, guacamole and cream. It is served on a pile of black beans. It is a vegetarian dish where the savory mushroom flavors and textures almost mimic those of meat.  

The chocolate cake dessert was uninspiring. Maybe I was spoiled by a week of great desserts, but it seemed forgettable.

Bakersfield

Bakersfield Short North is the first local location of the Cincinnati hipster taqueria with a handful of locations. Much in the style of Chicago's Big Star, Bakersfield dishes up modern takes on classic Mexican tacos accompanied by a loud hillbilly/hard rock soundtrack and carefully crafted cocktails.

Although the meatless tacos on the menu list cheese as an ingredient, vegan items may be ordered on request. Taco fillings include rajas (poblano peppers cooked in cream) and huiltacoche (corn fungus - essentially the Mexican answer to truffles).

The guacamole is fresh and bright with hints of garlic, citrus and cilantro as well as a nice crunch from the radish garnish. The tortilla chips are dusted with red and black pepper, which gives them a nice punch.

The rajas tacos have a hint of roasted pepper that is fattened up by cheese. The huitlacoche is subtly rich. Umami explodes from the taco shell.

The margaritas are excellent. They are a great value with the right balance of tartness and sweetness. They are a great deal, particularly the house margarita at $6.

Service was very good. The staff answered all vegetarian questions, even quickly double checking with the kitchen on some inquiries. 

The word is out about Bakersfield, and the wait at night, especially on weekends, can be long. The line at lunchtime is typically shorter.

Lunada Mexican Grill and Cantina

Lunada is a Mexican restaurant tucked into a Hilliard shopping plaza. The menu is standard-issue Americanized takes on Mexican cuisine.

The restaurant is large and brightly lit. The decor does not immediately scream Mexican. It feels more like a corporate mega-chain eatery than an authentic South of the Border spot. 

There is a list of eight vegetarian entrees on the menu along with quesadillas, fajitas and the usual guacamole and queso appetizers. Service was slow and a little uneven. They capably handled questions about ingredients.

The guacamole was citrusy and displayed clean cilantro throughout. It was much better than the pico de gallo, which lacked white onions and chopped hot peppers to make its flavor and texture different from the standard chip-dip tomato salsa that is served free with chips.

The chile relleno had a crunchy breading that kept the molten cheese interior contained. The bean burrito and cheese enchilada were topped with queso asadero and a smoky pepper sauce. 

Margaritas were tasty and reasonably priced. The bar had a reasonable selection of Ohio beers, including one or more from Columbus Brewing Company and Thirsty Dog, in addition to the normal Mexican beer classics.

Lopez SouthWest Kitchen

Lopez is a Southwestern restaurant in Cleveland's suburbs with an interesting back story. It originally was envisioned as a huge international chain. While multinational domination was not achieved by the restaurants, there are still locations in Palm Beach, Beverly Hills, Mexico City and Cleveland Heights. Rick Bayless, a chef you might have heard of at some point with his heralded restaurants, television appearances, cookbooks and grocery store foodstuffs, was the first executive chef in the Cleveland Heights kitchen almost 30 years ago.

Dishes run the gamut from Tex Mex and regional Mexican to those that reflect the American South. The bar has a nice selection of tequilas, beer and wine, and makes adequate margaritas that are a touch expensive outside of happy hour.

There are many vegetarian dishes on the menu. Seasonal items, like the Mexican corn cake with mushrooms and arugula in a balsamic reduction, also come in meatless versions.

The guacamole is excellent. The delicious house-made chips were served in adorable little paper bags.

The tacos are massive. With a side dish, two mushroom tacos are a complete meal. The jalepeño cheese grits are excellent, as was the cornbread pudding.

The restaurant decor is fun. One picture puts Cleveland more than one thousand miles from Mexico, though the kitchen makes it feel much closer. Service was friendly and capable with only a few minor pacing hiccups in serving a large party. The attention to vegetarian concerns was excellent. 

Paladar Latin Kitchen

Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar is a small national chain with one location near the city of Cleveland. The menu is Latin fusion with dishes from Mexico, Cuba, Central and South America. The bar prepares great drinks with an emphasis on rum, cachaca and tequila.

Paladar makes a ton of dishes for diners with dietary restrictions including a menu with symbols denoting vegetarian and vegan dishes. There is also a gluten-free menu.

Almost all of the side dishes, with the exception of the black beans and the refried bean dishes, are vegetarian. The pinto beans are vegan. Sides include rice dishes, vegetables and the ubiquitous fried plantain.

Guacamole is prepared to order and includes seasonal ingredients. The seasonal version was made with pepitas and queso blanco. 

The baked empanada appetizer was portioned to share. It was stuffed with portobello mushrooms and queso blanco.  It was dressed with a finely chopped pico de gallo and a garlic aioli that gives the dish a nice bite.

The sweet potato tacos give a great taste to a vegetarian classic. Hearts of palm add crunch, and the rest of the taco is filled with pinto beans, cabbage, scallions and tomatillo salsa. It is an exercise in flavor and texture.

Cocktails were well made but a little expensive. It's best to look for happy hour deals.

La Parada

On a recent road trip, I managed to grab lunch at La Parada in Indianapolis. It is an authentic Mexican restaurant on the city's East Side in a strip mall filled entirely with Latin businesses. The decor is festive, and business can be brisk.

The beans and rice from La Parada are both vegetarian. There are a number of meatless dishes on the menu, although many are made with cheese.

Everything from La Parada is delicious washed down with a glass of house-made horchata. It is light, creamy and redolent of clove and cinnamon. It is vegan.

The salsa is heavy on tomatoes and very mildly spiced. Guacamole had cilantro, onions and jalepeño. Elotes, the classic grilled corn in mayo, chili powder and Cotija cheese, is a can't-miss side dish.

The cardiac A-bomb comes in the form of a veggie chimichanga in a spicy, creamy queso sauce. It is stuffed with veggies, beans and cheese, and the plate probably registers at about 1,700 with rice and beans.

There are a couple on TVs in the dining room that were tuned to daytime talk shows. Servers were excellent, although many speak English as a second language. It is worth double checking on dietary restrictions when ordering at La Parada.

Tortilla Street Food

Tortilla Street Food is a new food truck that brings the Chipotle approach to Mexican street food. They whip up the usual tacos, burritos, quesadillas and bowls, and all of the ingredients are pictured on the side of the truck, allowing diners to customize their meal.

All of the ingredients from Tortilla with the exception of meats are vegetarian. Toppings include white rice, Mexican rice, black beans, refried beans, fajita veggies, cold veggies like peppers and onions, queso dip, cheeses, a variety of sauces and sour cream.

Overall, the fare at Tortilla is closest in character to California Mexican. It is a good stand in for Chipotle.

Dishes are prepared in the assembly line fashion of fast-casual eateries. The burrito is large enough to be a very hungry person's lunch.

Side dishes include chips and dips such as salsa and guacamole. Tortilla also offers churros with strawberry filling, dusted with cinnamon sugar with chocolate and caramel dipping sauces as dessert.

Rancho Alegre

Rancho Alegre is a small Tex Mex chain near Columbus. What it lacks in authenticity it makes up for with ample portions and larger margaritas. It's a step up in quality from its run-of-the-mill competitors (El Vaquero and Las Margaritas come readily to mind).

The main attraction at Rancho Alegre is the whole section of vegetarian combination platters as well as vegetarian fajitas and other entrees. Both the rice and beans are vegetarian items.

The guacamole appetizer is average but fairly priced. Other meatless appetizers include avocado salad, queso dip and stuffed jalepeños.

Many items, including enchiladas and tostadas, are served in a mild red sauce covered with cheese, lettuce and tomato. The tostada and the chile rellenos were well made. 

Margaritas definitely contain plenty of tequila. They are made with a sour mix/lime juice base with triple sec and served in a variety of sizes including pitchers.

Service is brisk and personable. The manager was extremely friendly, stopping by each table to check on customer satisfaction. Staff eventually was able to answer vegetarian dining concerns, although some staff speak better English than others.

Rancho Alegre is a restaurant that won't blow you away yet is still fun enough to keep you interested. Prices are reasonable, and the restaurant makes better use of the space than the Las Margaritas did before it.

Local Cantina

Local Cantina operates on the Grandview strip, preparing stylized interpretations of taco truck fare paired with beer, margaritas and other cocktails. The concept is reminiscent of Big Star in Chicago - a kitschy dive bar replete with inexpensive Mexican dishes.

The decor echoes this ethos. The walls are adorned with Mexican knick knacks and mustache artwork. 

Bar patrons and tables are sated by the endless self-serve well of chips and salsa on the floor.   While bottomless tortilla chips and roasted tomatillo salsa are tempting, my inner mysophobe thinks that this could become a breeding ground for germs during flu season. Consider this a warning for hypochondriacs.

The margaritas are made in a variety of formulations. Most are very good, but the drinks with agave nectar are overly sweet and lack finesse. The beer selection is good enough to keep craft enthusiasts as well as the Miller/Bud crowd happy.

The other appetizer dips are excellent. The guacamole has a great flavor with layers of lime, garlic and cilantro. The queso looks bland, but actually has a spicy base that lingers perfectly. The bottomless chips come in handy with these appetizers.

There are two vegetarian tacos on the menu at Local Cantina. The refried beans are vegetarian, and they are the base of a soft taco that also has cheese and the typical veggies. The rajas taco is a Central Mexican classic made with roasted poblano peppers, onions, cream and spices. The tacos pick up a richness that supports the smoky peppers. 

Dessert was a deep-fried chocolate chip cookie that failed on every level. The texture was tough to the point of being inedible. 

Service was uneven on multiple visits. Orders were delivered at inexact intervals, making it seem as if courses should be ordered in steps rather than all at once. Servers were not knowledgeable about vegetarian dining options, but also did not hesitate to ask the kitchen when requested.

Chago's Cantina

Chago's Cantina is a Mexican/Latin American restaurant in the Belmont area of Nashville. Located near Vanderbilt and Belmont College, Chago's offers plenty of options for vegetarians.

While the food is the main attraction at Chago's, plenty of people show up for the drinks. Chago's makes margaritas in all sizes and formulations. There is also a decent beer selection, and happy hour prices make the bar a destination.

While there are traditional Mexican and Central American staples on the menu, Chago's puts a fusion twist on many of the dishes. Its closest approximation in Columbus and Pittsburgh is Mad Mex. 

The menu at Chago's is labeled for vegetarians and vegans, including the sides. Service capably addresses dining concerns. 

The guacamole was average. It was well made, but lacked any real punch. 

The pupusas, on the other hand, were great. The traditional Salvadoran corn pancakes are stuffed with beans and cheese, then topped with white curtido slaw. It can be ordered as an appetizer, or as a main course with rice and beans. 

Nashville Farmers' Market

The Nashville Farmers' Market is a foodie's dream, with row upon row of restaurants, vendors, farmers and more available to eat or browse. If you can eat it, you'll probably find it at the Nashville Farmers' Market.

Operations rotate in and out of the market. It is divided into a food court with restaurants and ample seating, a farmers' market with fresh produce and local foodstuffs, and a flea market with clothing, artwork and assorted knickknacks. Some places operate on different days of the week; check out the website for a schedule.

There are plenty of options for vegans and vegetarians. Check with individual vendors for details.

Service runs the gamut from take-out to table service. It's easy to make a meal at many different restaurants.

AM/FM is a deli run by Top Chef Season 7 alum/Nashville restaurant impresario Arnold Myint. The table service is excellent, and it even features alcoholic beverages.    

The menu at AM/FM has a few items that remain throughout the year, and seasonal items that change regularly. The pumpkin bisque displayed the flavors of fall with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg and roasted shallots.

The roasted veggie sandwich is a panini made with goat cheese, spinach, roasted red peppers, eggplant and caramelized onions. The charred veggies are brightened by the fresh creamy cheese. The chips are a perfect crispy complement.

The brownie bites were a great finish to a meal.

I didn't get a chance to sample it, but the Bella Nashville pizzeria came highly recommended by almost everybody, most importantly Josh Habinger of the much talked about Catbird Seat. Habinger worked with Dave Cuomo, the owner of Bella Nashville, at the Patterson House, the upscale speakeasy cocktail bar next to Catbird Seat. Emma Berkey, the other half of Bella Nashville, worked at the Wild Cow, Music City's foremost vegetarian restaurant.

Bella Nashville offers at least one vegetarian pizza daily. The thin crust pies bake in about 90 seconds, and it looks difficult to wait that long to eat one.

There are a number of international eateries with vegetarian options at the market. Jamaicaway makes Caribbean food, and the menu is largely vegetarian. Swagruha, a South Indian restaurant, is vegetarian friendly like most Indian restaurants. El Burrito Mexicano serves up massive portions of delicious looking food, and their beans are vegetarian to boot.  

There is an ocean of baked goods at the market as well. Whitney May runs the Sweet Stash, which makes cupcakes, cookies, truffles and other desserts. The chocolate whoopie pie was served on a colorful plate that made the goo sandwich almost jump off the plate, and bittersweet cocoa flavor was greatly enhanced by the richness of the cream filling.

The ButterCake Babe specializes in coffee cake in a rainbow of flavors as well as other pastries that taste great with tea and coffee. The Elvis cake tastes just like the King would like it, with layers of banana, chocolate and peanut butter spinning atop a buttery base.    

The farm shed merchants have a great range of fresh produce, milk, eggs, spices and gardening supplies. Like the restaurants, vendors all operate on different schedules. While there are a smaller number of restaurants at the Nashville Farmers' Market than at my hometown North Market, there is a great deal more space in Nashville devoted to local farmers. 

The market is a great way to spend a lunch break or a weekend in Music City. You could graze for days and still never eat the same thing twice.    

The Burrito Bus

Fans of Athens' favorite food cart the Burrito Buggy will find plenty to like at the Burrito Bus. Steve Stone and the rest of the staff turn out a variety of Mexican favorites.

Almost anything on the menu is available with a vegan or vegetarian preparation. The meatless protein is a marinated tofu. It was a spicy Cajun tofu when I visited the Burrito Bus.

The Burrito Bus offered burritos, tacos, a burrito bowl and nachos. Much like Chipotle, items can be customized by selecting toppings.

The Hot Mama Burrito is rolled with one end open. It is stuffed with the tofu, rice, black beans, lettuce, tomato, onions, salsa, cheese, sour cream and jalepeños.

The tacos are quite large. They were made with the same ingredients as the burrito minus the rice and beans.

This truck definitely has potential for lunches and late-night eats. The Burrito Bus can be followed on the usual social media suspects.