Three Madison dishes that go beyond salads

Big bowls of greens aren’t the only vehicle for veggies anymore. These three eateries offer vegetarian dishes with fun and interesting presentations.

Collard Green Burrito | JustVeggiez
For his version of a burrito, chef James Bloodsaw takes purple sweet potatoes, microgreens, avocado, pico de gallo and chipotle hummus and tucks these fillings into a big collard green leaf. Available at his all-vegan, to-go restaurant, JustVeggiez, the burrito was inspired by another menu item. “I love using collard greens for my spring rolls, so I came up with the burritos,” Bloodsaw says. “I didn’t think it was going to be a popular menu item but — surprise, surprise — it’s very popular.”

Summer Rolls | Ahan

Photo by Jacob Bambrough Hoang

Chef Jamie Hoang’s summer rolls, an appetizer on Ahan’s menu, feature eye-pleasing edible flowers in addition to fresh vegetables wrapped in rice paper. Hoang says she was inspired by Thai restaurants around the world, which she saw incorporating flowers into dishes. “I kept seeing so many beautiful food pictures online, and I knew I had a purveyor for edible flowers, so we had to do it,” Hoang says. She uses edible nasturtiums and violas from the Garden To Be farm, and has also started growing flowers at her restaurant using starter plants from Roots Down Community Farm.

Oyster Mushroom Taco | Bandit

Photo by Caitlin Claire Studios

Vitruvian Farms’ oyster mushrooms take top billing in this vegetarian taco from Bandit, Gilbert Altschul’s new taco and coffee spot. “I landed on oysters because they are readily available locally,” Altschul says. In addition to the roasted mushrooms, the taco features salsa macha which has 20 ingredients, including garlic, almonds, sesame seeds, dry chiles, Mexican oregano and brown sugar. “It’s a joy to make,” Altschul says. Next comes chimichurri sauce, tender pea shoots and queso fresco “for good measure.”

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