Monty's Blue Plate Diner

Having a vegan visit you in America's Dairyland requires a bit of ingenuity, but Monty's Blue Plate Diner made it manageable to have omnivores and herbivores peacefully coexisting at the same table. Monty's is widely recognized as a great place for vegetarian food in Madison, and I've heard claims that they have vegan ice cream as a dessert. They're also known for their breakfast menu, but since we were there for dinner, I'll stick to those foods.

My friends had the Heathen Vegan Shoplifter's Delight and the Artichoke Sandwich. Both were served with heaping piles of fries (available in regular and waffle varieties). I didn't try the Heathen Vegan, though it looked amazing. The Artichoke Sandwich was fantastic. It was served on perfectly grilled sourdough bread with an amazing pesto mayo that added a very unique flavor. I had the Mediterranean Platter, which was enormous and could easily have been an appetizer shared by the whole table. The cucumber yogurt and mint tabouli were delicious, but I wasn't completely impressed by the hummus. It was quite thick and made with roasted red peppers, which many people like. I prefer creamier hummus with significant garlic flavor.

For dessert, we hoped to order one vegan and one non-vegan sundae, but unfortunately, Monty's doesn't currently offer vegan ice cream. Our waiter assured us that it was in the works for the future. We chose the Earthworms and Dirt Sundae, because I'm always a sucker for gummy based candies. It was massive. If you order a sundae, share it with at least 3 other people. In future trips, I'd like to try the Almond Milk French Toast and a Fat Elvis Milkshake. Perhaps even both at the same time!

Even though I'm opposed to restaurants calling themselves "diners" when they don't meet the specific standards of a diner (i.e. open 24 hours, greasy food options, unlimited coffee, surly waitresses, etc.), I'll allow it in Monty's case. The building itself is modeled after a 1950s diner, and the booths give it that diner feel. They do have breakfast all day, but our waiter was extremely friendly and there were many healthy options available on the menu. Still, Monty's was a great choice to satisfy the very different tastes of three people, and I'll definitely be back for some Fat Elvis.

rankings and stats:
ambiance - 7
beer & wine selection - 6
food variety - 8
service - 8
accessibility - 7
design - 7
taste - 8
price - $$

Would we recommend? Yes
Style - American, vegetarian
Dress - casual
Location - 2089 Atwood Avenue, Madison

www.montysblueplatediner.com