Food & Drink
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Print this pageVegetarian Venture
Does a meatless morning ensure that we’ll gain more breakfasts at the end of the road? It depends on what you’ve paired with your beta-carotene.
Julian’s
318 Broadway, Providence,
861-1770, juliansprovidence.com
Dish: Nothing equalizes the carnivore-vegan showdown like Julian’s Saint Jamez Benedict. Fried tofu “eggs” on garlic-laden spinach, topped with a dairy- and egg-free hollandaise says no to animals on a full stomach.
Years Gained: Sadly, none. Vegans don’t
live longer than meat eaters, but they do have lower rates of type II diabetes, coronary heart disease and lung cancer.
Rue De L’Espoir
99 Hope St., Providence, 751-8890, therue.com
Dish: Are you the proud parent of a kid who won’t eat breakfast anytime, anywhere? Order a plate of The Rue’s Nutella-coated crepes and see if they’ll turn up those picky noses. If they do, you can eat them yourself.
Years Gained: That depends how guilty you’ll feel when your pint-sized ascetic tells his teacher Mom hasn’t fed him in a week.
Bravo Brasserie
123 Empire St., Providence, 490-5112, bravobrasserie.com
Dish: Let’s be honest: There are no healthy eggs Benedict and this is really just a ruse to get in our favorite deep-fried veggie. So picture your quivering poached eggs laden with hollandaise perched not on a brittle muffin but, rather, a glorious Southern pile of fried green tomatoes. There’s got to be some vitamin A tucked in there somewhere.
Years Gained: The memory alone is worth giving up several holiday dinners with crazy relatives.
Garden Grille
727 East Ave., Pawtucket, 726-2826, gardengrillecafe.com
Dish: For those who believe omelets are simply a way to contain a collection of disparate and delicious ingredients, Garden Grille’s house special delivers. Soy sausage (tastes just like chicken!), sweet potatoes, red onions, arugula, avocado and jack cheese spell h-e-a-l-t-h-y in a blatantly hedonistic manner.
Years Gained: A massive dose of vitamins A, B, C and antioxidants boost the immune sys-tem and lower cancer rates.
Bluebird Cafe
554 Kingstown Rd., Wakefield, 792-8940, bluebirdcaferi.com
Dish: Eggs alone are body-building food, but toss in a medley of nutritional yeast, tamari and cheese and you are in the Bluebird land of gluten-free protein-packed amino acid glory. Accessorizing is up to you: Black beans say lean and mean; biscuits and grits say zero-sum game.
Years Gained: You better add some fruit. High protein diets without fiber, fruits and vegetables may keep your weight down but rates for colorectal cancers go way up.
Crazy Burger Cafe & Juice Bar
144 Boon St., Narragansett, 783-1810,
crazyburger.com
Dish: Crazy Burger’s usually cited for their studies in morning excess, but they manage to slip in a sizable inventory of meat- and saturated fat-free options. Die-hard tree huggers love the grilled tofu sandwiches with soy cheddar and avocado, but even an omnivore can appreciate Louise’s vegan cakes. Made with wheat flour, soy milk and mashed bananas, they’re slightly sweet and take syrup better than pancakes.
Years Gained: Soy can lower rates of prostate and breast cancer, osteoporosis and bad cholesterol. The years might not be longer, but they’ll probably feel better. 
Red Stripe
465 Angell St., Providence,
437-6950;
91 Point Judith Rd., Narragansett, 792-3200, redstriperestaurants.com
Dish: Health nuts are often hard-pressed to turn away slow-cooked oats. They scream fiber and, more often than not, bland goo. But Red Stripe’s version is flat out good and guilt-free: Cooked over a low flame in sweet cider, each bowl gets a hefty sprinkling of black currents and crunchy apples.
Years Gained: Hard to say, but whole oats do lower cholesterol and add fiber to your diet. The addition of fruit will keep coronary artery disease at bay, too.
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