Make working lunches work for you: a practical guide to navigating business lunches - Getting Started

Vegetarian Times, Feb, 1995 by Mary Huhn

AS A REPORTER covering the advertising industry, I'm always out to lunch--literally. But sometimes I am viewed as out of my mind when I forsake a famed Manhattan restaurant's specialties and order a plate of steamed vegetables.

A few years ago I was at a fancy French restaurant with two executives. When the waiter asked for our order, my guests placed theirs with no difficulty. But I was stumped; there were only meat and fish to choose from. "Do you have a vegetable plate?" I asked. Frowning, the waiter said he would inquire. While I awaited his return I was barraged with personal questions from my guests. How long have you been a vegetarian? Why don't you eat fish? Do you eat cheese? How do you get enough protein? They were concerned about whether my lunch would be satisfying. I was concerned about getting down to the business at hand. Eventually the waiter came back with a smile on his face (always a good sign) and described a dish the chef would whip up especially for me. My guests stopped worrying, and we were able to get back to business.

My experience highlights two common concerns of vegetarians who go out to lunch or dinner as part of their jobs. One is the very practical aspect of whether there will be something on the menu for you to eat. The other is how your diet may affect the dynamics of the business meeting.

There are many times when your diet won't come up at all, especially if you are an ovo-lacto vegetarian, meaning you eat eggs and dairy products. (My vegetarianism rarely comes up when I order vegetable fettucine.) Other times, your lunch guests may be truly interested in your diet, and the ensuing discussion can help break the ice if you are meeting for the first time. One thing to watch out for is the possibility of the topic dominating the lunch conversation and getting in the way of what you need to discuss.

Another thing to watch out for is offending your guests. I've never been to lunch with anyone who was insulted by, or felt threatened by, my eating habits. I've found that people respond to my vegetarianism by saying they also don't eat meat--just chicken and fish. Depending on how well I know the person, I may or may not let that one slide; people can get defensive if they feel they are being judged. While many folks today are open-minded about vegetarianism, they don't want to hear about how chickens are slaughtered while they're enjoying their coq au vin. "It's always unpleasant to bring up my vegetarian nature while I'm eating with others because my reason for not eating meat could turn a meat-eater's stomach," says a vegetarian colleague. "Of course, mealtime is when the subject comes up." To avoid uncomfortable discussions at business meals, I usually say I stopped eating meat for health reasons.

Maintaining a vegetarian diet at business functions is not always easy, especially at the industry luncheons notorious for rubber chicken and overcooked salmon (enough reason right there to consider going vegetarian, if you ask me). At some of those functions, the only thing I can eat is the salad or the fruit cup. If there's a silver lining, not eating much means more opportunity to schmooze. On the downside, I often return to my desk hungry. To avoid the latter, tell the person organizing the event that you are a vegetarian when you R.S.V.P.--sometimes a special order can be prepared. Inform your server at the beginning of the lunch that you would like or have ordered a vegetarian plate; that way you may get your meal at the same time as everyone else.

As for conducting business at restaurants, I have the culinary advantage of being based in New York City where there are myriad restaurants, including endless ethnic possibilities, that offer an abundance of vegetarian dishes. "More often than not," says my colleague, "I can pick from a number of excellent pasta and vegetable dishes that are part of the menu, not some tailored request whispered into the waiter's ear."

Conditions for vegetarian dining have greatly improved in the past 20 years, as the ideas of healthful eating and vegetarianism continue to take the country by storm, but even in New York there will be times when everything on the menu seems tainted with meat, and a tailored request is your only option, especially if you are a vegan and eat no dairy products or eggs.

I've had some special plates that have made my meat-eating companions look on with envy. I've also ended up with a plate of plain, soggy, steamed vegetables--for an obscene $20. To avoid disappointment, find out what type of vegetarian dishes are available at the restaurant. I have on occasion been likened to Sally in the movie "When Harry Met Sally," a character with a compulsive habit of placing very specific orders to please her picky palate. I try to keep the fussiness of my order to a minimum by frequenting places I know. If you're not familiar with the menu, call ahead to avoid the glare of the dietary spotlight.

Ordering your meal will go much more smoothly if you can iron out the details on the phone beforehand. A chef with some advance notice that you need a vegan plate will likely create a tastier dish than one given no warning. If a call before lunch isn't feasible--sometimes plans change or you don't pick the restaurant--scan the side dishes accompanying the entrees and ask for a sampling. Be certain the alternative is really an alternative, meaning the lentil soup isn't made with ham hocks, or for vegans, the pasta is eggless and isn't sprinkled with cheese. Today's waiters have become quite knowledgeable about ingredients, especially at the finer establishments. Don't be shy: Ask how things are prepared, and be ready to explain what you do and don't include in your diet.