Best Vegan Bar Food

When the Romans invaded Britain thousands of years ago, they brought the tradition of brewpubs and a stern rule for bar owners: "Thou shalt not serve vegetables, nor any health foods, nor anything not covered with beast grease and riddled with gristle, unless it be a wilted garnish." Bar owners in America have mindlessly followed that edict for centuries. But finally, one lone bar has broken the ancient rule and fulfilled vegetarian bar hoppers' wishes: McCoy's. The roasted red-pepper hummus appetizer plate includes hummus, sprouts, kalamata olives and chewy wedges of pita bread; brick-oven-baked pretzels are two fat, golden twists served with spicy mustard. For dinner, there's the Sonoma Vegan Wrap, a flour tortilla stuffed with roasted portabella mushrooms, a dollop of hummus, mixed greens, roma tomatoes, red onions and a tahini vinaigrette served with a fluffy mound of sundried-fruit couscous studded with dried cranberries and apricots. Other veg-friendly options include a savory black-bean veggie burger with pepper jack cheese (which can be omitted) and avocado relish, and a wonderful black-bean portabella fajita. General Manager Kevin Kimm says vocal servers deserve the credit for the veggie fare. "We have a number of employees who are vegetarians and kind of pushed us in that direction," Kimm says.