Cafe Allegre

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Cafe Allegre in Madison, CT.  It's a comfortable yet elegant restaurant located close to the Madison Green on Main Street.  The menu is Italian - American, featuring well executed standards such as chicken parmesan, eggplant rollatini, and an array of seafood options.  So why would a vegan eat here, you might wonder?  Well, the dinner was to celebrate a family birthday, and it was mom's choice.  Fortunately, even though there was a vegetarian option of pasta primavera, I chose to request something off menu and was pleasantly surprised.

I highly recommend this option when dining out as a vegan.  Scan the other offerings and come up with something that would appeal to you.  In my case, I asked the chef if he could create something from the following items:  portobello mushroom, cannelini beans, broccoli rabe, and marinara sauce.  It felt kinda like I was orchestrating an episode of "Chopped," but in this case there weren't really any exotic ingredients.  I always enjoy seeing (and tasting!) what the end result is.  Here's how it looked after I drizzled marinara over the top:

The chef at Cafe Allegre handled the challenge well.  Not only was the plate gorgeous, but it accommodated my vegan and gluten-free needs and was incredibly flavorful.  The broccoli rabe was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of bitterness.  It helped that it was soaking in a generous amount of olive oil and sliced garlic.  This is a perfect restaurant for vegans and non-vegans alike, as well as those with gluten-sensitivities.  It's so nice to find a place to eat with family and friends and feel like a regular person!