The Lonesome Vegetarian: Brewpub going beyond pretzels and peanuts as it woos the meat-free

I’m loving the proliferation of beer bars, tap rooms and brewpub restaurants.

But when you want something more than an excellent pretzel, too many of our newest drinking spots — I’m thinking of World of Beer, Brass Tap and Social House, the kinds of places with miles of taps on the wall — have disappointing food menus for vegetarians.

If you don’t mind the drive, the new Barley & Board brewpub on Denton’s downtown square obviously cares more about the food side of things. Its own brews hadn’t yet debuted when I stopped by during opening week, but there was a long list of other crafts on tap, and a food menu that vegetarians and vegans will want to explore.

Amusingly, we were immediately served a little dish of dry barley grains. Eating these while chatting with my companion, I felt like Jane Curtin in that old SNL ad for Quarry cereal. It’s presented with a flourish as you’re told they’re hard at work putting this stuff into the hefeweizen.

Barley & Board’s food menu is decked out with little symbols indicating what’s vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free. Six of nine small plates are vegetarian, including one vegan. We liked the housemade potato chips with Maytag blue and chives, but I wish I’d tried the truffled portobello fries or the shishito peppers with sriracha, radish, cilantro and miso salt.

Two soups ($7) are vegan — Barley & Broth, with mirepoix, roasted mushroom and vegetable stock, and a tomato bisque with smoked paprika and olive oil.

More surprisingly, four of the six signature “boards” are vegetarian — you might expect charcuterie to dominate. These include an artisanal cheese platter ($15); a selection of mushroom-walnut, sweet potato hummus and pimento cheese spreads ($15); and the Oliversity ($12), a six-olive medley with creamy feta, pickled onions and grilled flatbread.

Among the large plates, there’s vegetarian Parisian gnocchi ($15) with market vegetables, herbs and parmesan; and, my choice, a vegan farro risotto ($15) with spinach puree and market vegetables including asparagus, microgreens and several colors of heirloom carrots. Slightly pricey, but it made a generous serving of leftovers, too.

The chef, Chad Kelley, is from Dallas’ Meddlesome Moth, one of the best gastropubs in our area, and that shows — the guy is good. Denton is a veggie-loving town with lots of choices, but this is a place I’ll keep seeking out.

Barley & Board, 100 W. Oak St., Denton; 940-566-3900; barleyandboard.com

Expanding Blue Zones

Three more Fort Worth restaurants have earned Blue Zones certification from the city’s health initiative. It’s obvious why two of them qualified, the all-vegan Spiral Diner and the salad restaurant Salata. It’s perhaps more surprising to see the venerable Los Vaqueros on the list, the first Tex-Mex place to qualify.

We haven’t seen a menu yet, but we can all find out more at the welcome-to-Blue Zones celebration 9-11 a.m. Saturday at the Stockyards location. It starts with a free yoga class at 9 in the garden (wonderful—can I go on an all yoga and chimichangas regimen from now on?). Just bring your own mat and wear comfortable clothing.

At 10 a.m., Councilman Sal Espino and John Hernandez, president of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, will be on hand for a presentation, mimosa toast and free food samples. 2629 N. Main St., Fort Worth; 817-624-1511; www.losvaqueros.com

This story was originally published August 19, 2015 at 7:29 AM with the headline "The Lonesome Vegetarian: Brewpub going beyond pretzels and peanuts as it woos the meat-free."