VEG OUT
This little vegetarian restaurant in Haiku is what dreams are made of. Seriously, I dream about their Muffaletta sandwich–a slice of tofu coated in brewers yeast, topped with fresh lettuce, tomato, onions and a to-die-for olive tepenade between the best fricking homemade bread I’ve ever tasted. I’ve been eating there pretty often for years and always order the same thing: A muffaletta with an extra focaccia roll (for the baby) and sometimes a smoothie boosted with protein. They also have good pizza, falafel and a slew of Mexican type dishes. 810 Kokomo Rd., Haiku, 575-5320. Open M-F 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; Sa-Su 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. $
GIANOTTO’S PIZZERIA
Sure, it’s a very Italian pizza place oozing with yummy pepperoni and machismo. That doesn’t mean that if you’re going meat-free you need to deprive yourself of the other good stuff they offer like the Eggplant Parmesan sandwich. Believe me, with all the breadcrumbs, cheese and tomato sauce you won’t even notice that you aren’t consuming flesh. Oh, and they have tiramisu (I’m assuming with enough liquor to make your head spin) that you might want to chance suffering hell over. It may be worth it. 2050 Main St., Wailuku, 244-8282. Open M-Sa 11 a.m.-9 p.m; Su 11 a.m.-8 p.m. $
RUBY’S
Ruby’s is great for a number of reasons. The food is consistent, the ambiance kitschy and the vegetarian options are many. Of course, I think that their beef burgers blow the Boca version out of the water any day, but with all the fresh toppings and options sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. They also have salads that are impossible for one person to eat alone. And malts. And waitresses in cute uniforms. Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center, Kahului, 248-7829. Open M-Th 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; F-Su 7 a.m.-10 p.m. $
CAFÉ MAMBO
For the longest time this restaurant in Paia used to be Picnics. Picnics used to serve a really great Spinach Nut Burger. It was the bomb. So, I was a little disappointed when it became Mambo Café and the burger was replaced by something called “spinach nut falafel.” That is, until I tasted it. If I do say so myself, Mambo’s version of Picnic’s old favorite is even better than the original–tender falafel (mashed up garbanzo beans and such) topped with a salsa mayo and veggies between a huge chunk of chewy ciabatta bread. 30 Baldwin Ave., Paia, 579-8021. Open daily, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. $
DOWN TO EARTH
This place makes awesome vegetarian sandwiches. In fact, they don’t have any type of animal products in their store. That means all their breads and sandwich spreads are egg-less. But they do have a tasty alternative called Veganaise. A couple of my favorites are the cold cut sandwich and the Reuben, made with vegetarian “meats.” They also have a hot bar with a slew of animal-free choices. 305 Dairy Rd, Kahului, 877-2661. Open M-Sa 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; Su 8 a.m.-8 p.m. $ MTW
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