It's hard to keep one's arteries from clogging in New Orleans. But at Old Dog New Trick Cafe, Chef and Owner Marlene Paulson and Chef Chad Skiver are making vegetarian food the cuisine du jour.

My friend Shirley is an attorney and conflict resolution consultant from Sydney, Australia. She and her boyfriend Dan were going to meet us in New Orleans -- also known as the Big Easy. Before they arrived, she sent me an e-mail: "Do you know of any good vegetarian restaurants in New Orleans?"

Frankly, I didn't. When I asked my well-traveled friends, they thought I was crazy for asking.

Fortunately, on the Internet I discovered Old Dog New Trick Cafe -- which offers locals and tourists the opportunity to experience natural home-cooked foods vegetarian style: polenta, tofurama, grilled vegetables, whole-wheat pizza, Caesar and spinach salads, hearty soups, vegan desserts.

I'm not a vegetarian, although I do watch how much beef I eat (don't want to get Mad Cow Disease). You can imagine my surprise when I read that Self magazine had this to say: "Maybe we like Old Dog New Trick because it's just about the only place in the Big Easy where you can get a vegetable that isn't okra, stuffed in sausage casing or swimming in butter and cream. Not that you're going to get rabbit food; the chefs know their way around a Cajun spice rack." In another rating, the restaurant received acclaim as one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the United States.

Based on these reviews, I went twice. I must admit, the food is terrific. I ordered the polenta pizza: baked to a crunchy crust, topped with mozzarella, onions, tomatoes, Greek olives, fresh rosemary and freshly grated romano cheese. The second time, I ordered the famous and original Ben Burger, made with seasoned brown rice, millet, lentils and toasted sunflower seeds, all organic. The chefs dressed it up with green leaf lettuce, tomato, dill pickle, red onion, canola oil mayo and mustard in pita bread.

Now I ask you, who really needs to slurp a bowl of sausage gumbo? Old Dog New Trick is located 307 Historic Exchange Alley in the French Quarter, where dining inside or out is a low-cholesterol culinary experience.

For a peek at its menu, visit their Web site.

(Article originally published by www.expatspouse.com)