Your humble Masticator has always been perplexed by the growing popularity of “organic” produce and vegetarian diets. Not unlike our admitted “sweet tooth,” higher primates are also born with a literal and figurative “meat tooth.” Was it my decision to exist with such a barbarous appetite? Try as I don’t, the monkey in me demands meat. Let’s face it, I’m omnivorous (and naughty) by nature.

So, like the incontinent woman on the diaper ad, when I have a problem, I roll with it. What my omnivorous diet lacks in healthiness, it has in variety. It is, therefore, with an eye toward my own bias that I bring you one of the most highly lauded vegan restaurants in Ohio.

Dragonfly, located at 247 King Ave., offers complex, exotic vegan cuisine in a hip, modern atmosphere. This review will concentrate solely upon the Spring Brunch menu; Dragonfly keeps separate menus for lunch and dinner and also offers an extensive a la carte menu. Because, generally speaking, I find vegetarian food bland and repetitive, I brought some vegetarian co-masticators along to provide a more balanced viewpoint.

Even the focused scope of Dragonfly’s brunch menu was enough to impress my companions. Co-masticator April writes, “When I looked at the menu, I froze up – I’m just not used to that many choices.” Omnivores unaccustomed to her lifestyle of ice water and salad might disagree. I think it’s reasonable to suppose vegetarians, already subsisting on a narrow range of flavor, demand less gustatorial diversity than their omnivorous peers.

The standard brunch consists of the breakfast bar, with your choice between six different entrees for $17. While you’ll find the food free of artificial preservatives, I suspect that something artificial must be afoot in the pricing. Does the cost of organic produce really outweigh the traditional cost of meat?

It should be noted that Dragonfly patrons can dine for less, if they’re choosy. The restaurant offers a grilled tofu pita with complimentary bread and filtered water for $7.

The bar provided bagels, vegan cream cheese and condiments, muffins, scones, granola, soy milk, fresh fruit, leaf salad, dressing and bean salad. The items were each deliciously different than what I would normally expect, and rightly so, for a $17 buffet. The spring brunch buffet items change from week to week, depending on the availability of fresh produce and other food.

The vegan cream cheese was of a sun-dried tomato variety and was easily the belle of the buffet. Its smooth, zesty flavor went remarkably well with the bagels and was described by co-masticators Quinn and Diane as “amazing.” It simply can’t be recommended enough.

The bagels themselves were great, with a very chewy, textured appeal. Co-masticator April critiques them as “light and fluffy, much like the finely ground hummus.”

She goes on to write, “I was taken aback by the bean salad. It just doesn’t strike me as breakfast food. I mean, who really needs a bowl of black beans to speed things along in the morning?” In the end, she still found them delicious, their dubious place in a balanced breakfast notwithstanding.

Co-masticator Diane ordered the pancakes of the day and writes, “The kiwi fruit was really good, both in the pancakes and on the buffet. Overall, the pancakes were not spectacular. They were well-presented, but lacking a certain creamy, fattening taste that I have come to love in pancakes and waffles.”

The tofu rancheros were given a whirl by co-masticator April. She comments, “These are delicious. The fried tortillas are filled with anasazi bean chili, a wedge of grilled smoked tofu and herbs all topped with a coconut yellow pepper mole sauce. Dragonfly is truly a vegan’s delight.”

My grilled seitan French dip was expertly presented and a textural marvel. However, I found the sauce so overpowering that the experience was like eating a chewy Caesar salad; sadly, neither the rosemary mushroom broth nor the mustard greens could be detected underneath.

In conclusion, Dragonfly is a must-visit for all deep-pocketed vegans. Despite my reservations, I am making it a point to return. While it wasn’t enough to convert me, Dragonfly’s creativity and presentation demands further exploration.

Hank Mylander is a graduating senior in management information systems. He can be reached for comment and censure at [email protected].