when did lobster become a vegetable?

[ohsobitter]

I’ve been reading the older posts for a couple of months now and just got reminded of a funny story from my waitressing days back in college. I’m a phone drone (what we actually found out the CEO calls us, believe it or not!) now for a call center and have so many stories, I’m going to have to dig through the wasteland that is my brain to find some of the more spectacular ones to post. Here goes, be gentle.



Back then I worked in a German/Hungarian restaurant, very authentic as the owner’s were immigrants. Just in case everyone doesn’t know, German food is very meat centric. Any who, I was taking a table of about 10 orders one night when one of the men announces to me, loudly, that’s he’s a vegetarian and going to have the lobster pancakes. (very heavy meal of lobster & crabmeat in crepes in a cream sauce, btw, this guy weighed about 300lbs). So, I’m taken aback for a few moments and said “You do realize that there is meat in there, specially lobster & crabmeat, as described in the menu” He responded back, “That’s ok, I’m a vegetarian” Me again, “You realize that lobster is MEAT, don’t you?” He says “Yes”. Me again, “Well, that’s not vegetarian, that eating meat”. Him, “Oh, you know what I mean” Me, “I’m not sure that I do”. Him, “ I don’t eat red meat or chicken”. Me, “Well, that’s completely different from beginning a vegetarian, they don’t eat ANY meat”. Then I went on to take the rest of the orders.



No one at the table ever even blinked an eye or commented. Granted it only took about 30 sec for the exchange, but still, I was kinda waiting for, I don’t know, one of his FRIENDS to correct him.



This took place over about 20 years ago & I still think about it and laugh.

[depechemodefan]

Welcome, ohsobitter (love the name!)

Yeah, it's pretty sad. I'm surprised he didn't say "If it doesn't make a noise, then it's not meat."

oh, and "very heavy meal of lobster & crabmeat in crepes in a cream sauce" is making me hungry!

[Evil Queen]

Hello from a german/polish poster!

I've never heard of Lobster Pancakes and went in search of a recipe to try (I don't have lobster but I have real crab meat at home). What you discribed sounds more like Lobster Newburg, though.

[Lachrymose]

Some vegetarians don't consider fish and shellfish "real" meat.

But the more precise term for people like that is "pescatarian."

[BookstoreEscapee]

Well, there are different "levels" of vegetarian, I guess. Some do eat fish, though clearly that does not make them strictly vegetarian (called pescovegetarian). There's also lacto-ovo vegetarian (eats dairy/eggs). Though this guy sounds like he was just trying to impress people somehow...

[ohsobitter]

I'm sure they had/have a more official name, but that's what they were called on the menu. I just remember loving it when people ordered them since they were $22 back then!

[South Texan]

He responded back, “That’s ok, I’m a vegetarian” Me again, “You realize that lobster is MEAT, don’t you?” He says “Yes”.

I would have left it at that. I agree that the term "vegetarian" indicates no animal flesh, but there is a group who define it as not eating red meat and/or animal flesh of land dwelling beasts. These usually are the ones doing it for a healthier diet.

You were correct to make sure he understood that there was lobster and crab in the dish and that lobsters and crabs were animals, but once you had done that, the choice was his. You are fortunate he did not make a scene or complain about your arguing with him and challenging his thinking regarding what his diet was supposed to be.

I also would have cracked up in the kitchen since most people who go on a partial animal vegetarian diet do so for health reasons rather than ethical thinking, and lobster and crab are some of the most unhealthy sea foods one could eat. That is the same thinking that leads someone to pile on the cheese, bacon, eggs and salad dressing at a salad bar, but still congratulate themself for eating "healthy" becaise it is a salad.

[Calud]

Hello from a german/polish poster!

Heh, another one?

Also, your story made me really hungry. I would love to have some Bigos (http://www.soupsong.com/rbigos.html) right now.

[tropicsgoddess]

Lobster meat = vegetable! What a doof. Welcome to the boards, ohsobitter.

[ArcticChicken]

There's also lacto-ovo vegetarian (eats dairy/eggs).

The only difference between that and just plain vegetarianism as I've always understood it is that opinion differs as to whether eggs count as meat, as the eggs most stores sell are unfertilized. Is there some difference between vegetarians who exclude dairy and eggs from their diet and vegans?

[bunnyboy]

The only difference between that and just plain vegetarianism as I've always understood it is that opinion differs as to whether eggs count as meat, as the eggs most stores sell are unfertilized. Is there some difference between vegetarians who exclude dairy and eggs from their diet and vegans?

Vegans in general also extend it to no products of animal of any sort, while strict just limit it to their food and in general are nice people (at least in my area, where we run the gammut from people like my roomy who are meat heavy omnivores to strict [and usually militiant] vegans.)

and when I was a vegitarian I was ovo-lacto....and working at the yellow-upside-down-W.

[cawaker]

my brother was a lacto-vegehead, basically like mentioned above they still eat animal products in the form of dairy.

vegans dont touch anything from an animal period, no eggs, no milk, nothing from a living mammal, fish, insect, etc.

i've always said i'll try anything if its walked on land.

[edible_hat]

I'm a lacto-ovo-pesca-canre-vegetarian.

[Evil Queen]

I'm a meatatarian.

My cousin worked at the upside-down-yellow-W too when she was a teenager. Which is why she's a vegetarian today (though for some reason she still eats shrimp, bacon and the skin off my bbq'd chicken.

Have I mentioned she's rather weird?

[marasbaras]

I'm a Level 5 Vegan. I don't eat anything that casts a shadow.