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Looking forward to another lousy lunch

post #1 of 11
10/12/06 at 11:18am
Thread Starter 
Each month I have to attend a meeting that is catered. It's a small meeting, but includes a couple of vegetarians. I get steamed veggies each and every time. No seasoning, no inspiration, just what looks like frozen mixed veggies steamed up and dumped on a plate. This for $40 a plate. The non-vegetarian food looks much nicer, but this chef sure doesn't do anything for us vegetarians. Oh well. :(
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post #2 of 11
10/12/06 at 2:40pm
Thread Starter 
This is what I ended up with:

13 broccoli florets
7 cauliflower florets
2 pieces of a large carrot, cut at an angle
5 stalks of asparagus

All the vegetables appeared to be microwaved this time, but I also got a scoopful of linguini with something that appeared to be alfredo sauce on it.
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post #3 of 11
10/12/06 at 3:09pm
Are your vegie plates ordered ahead of time? If so, that is criminal.

Never! Live To Work!:::::::Work To Live!::Life Is To Short!!
Paninicakes.com

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post #4 of 11
10/12/06 at 3:28pm
Thread Starter 
The veggie plates are a regular monthly thing. They are told how many veggie plates three weeks ahead of time and the meetings occur at the same time and place. :(
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post #5 of 11
10/13/06 at 6:00am
Well you tell them you expect something more for $40.

Provide feedback to the host. They may be able to do something.
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post #6 of 11
10/13/06 at 10:09am
Thread Starter 
I tried with both the coordinator for our meetings and with the people at the place where the meetings are held (a country club, so it's their food service). Nothing happened. The meeting before this one, I got nothing to eat other than some crackers. The meeting coordinator had ordered butternut ravioli from their "vegetarian" section of the menu. Turned out that the butternut filling had been made using chicken stock. :( Everyone else's meal always looks so delicious and is obviously made with creativity and even a little vertical art to the plating. Mine is just a pile of broccoli and cauliflower.
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post #7 of 11
10/13/06 at 7:15pm
Free Rider,
Are you having to pay for this "meal" out of your own pocket?
Well, regardless of "who's" paying, there is something terribly amiss in this deal...
Might I suggest that you offer to "guide" the chef by suggesting a "proper" serving of what foods might appeal to the vegan attendees?
Could be he is lacking direction on what combinations and presentation would be appreciated by the customers?
I dunno, but if he had a few different suggested menu items, you may get a little more appetizing meal...
Sorry that you are being short changed...
I could be way off base, but if distinct menu suggestions are made, they could most likely accomodate you.
And not simply with what's "available"...
Arrogant switch off, now...
I might be suffering from CDO.
It is just like OCD, except the letters are in alphabetical order.
Just as they should be...
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post #8 of 11
10/16/06 at 8:27am
Thread Starter 
I don't pay directly out of my pocket for the meal, but the organization to which I pay membership fees, including cost of meals, pays them. Not only that, but I'm not even asking for something difficult as vegan, only vegetarian. Yes, short-changed is really the way I feel. I just wrote a note to the organization saying that if this place is unable to provide an appropriate vegetarian meal for the cost, then I will simply brown bag it, but I expect that the place not get paid for my meal in that case. I have copy of the menu, chef's name at the top and everything. Some things sound nice, but a closer look shows them to be made with chicken stock.
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post #9 of 11
11/20/06 at 7:31am
Thread Starter 
Last month's lunch was the same as the one I described in this thread. Sickening. I finally told them to forget it. I will come to the meetings and bring my own food. I expect not to be charged as part of the party. Don't know how that will go over, but over a year of this nonsense is quite enough. Almost feel like posting the chef's name. growl
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post #10 of 11
1/21/07 at 3:31am
This seems to happen in some restaurants who aren't really equipped for vegetarians. For some reason these restaurants think that because you say vegetarian that all you can eat are vegetables. I am not a vegetarian but I used to have a friend that was and this is what he ended up with half of the time.
Jenyfari from Only Cookware and Only Cookware Blog - A Consumer Guide to Cookware
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post #11 of 11
1/21/07 at 11:43am
Jeez, I hate crappy veggie meals. I myself am not a vegetarian, however I was vegan for three years, and I'm currently dating a vegan, and I eat vegetarian primarily. I put creativity and lust into my creations, because it seems to be a lot of people think that a delicious veggie meal is *challenging*. Are you KIDDING me???? I think doing laundry is more difficult than making an awesome veggie meal! I have found cooking meat can be a lot more difficult than cooking veggies or meat alternatives such as seitan (btw i LOVE seitan!)

I would bring my own food too. Good thinking. And snub the catering company. Yikes!
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