This week I visited a vegetarian restaurant I’ve been meaning to go to for a while. Actually, I haven’t every truly wanted to go, and I’ve been feeling guilty about not going for a while. But I dutifully corralled a friend and checked it out, and lo and behold, I left vaguely disappointed.

It started me thinking about why I tend to enjoy non-veggie restaurants more than vegan or vegetarian places. As I left the restaurant feeling slightly sick, despite having had only a salad and a couple bites of my dining companion’s risotto, I realized that that’s one of the reasons why I tend to eschew veggie restaurants: I usually don’t feel so great when I leave. Perhaps it’s the unfamiliar ingredients, perhaps it’s the elaborate preparations, but I actually think it’s because food at vegetarian restaurants tends to be so darn heavy. It’s as though many vegetarian chefs try to overcompensate for the lack of meat in a dish by making their food “hearty”—perhaps TOO hearty—in other ways. And so as those three bites of risotto sat like a rock in my stomach, I realized that’s why I tend to prefer non-vegetarian restaurants: their food is often much “cleaner,” lighter, and more enjoyable for me.

I realize that not all veggie places operate this way and that there are plenty of delicious vegetarian restaurants out there. I also realize that if you’re a vegetarian craving truly hearty food, a veggie restaurant may be right up your alley. But it may be helpful to keep in mind that meatless dishes at non-vegetarian restaurants can, at times, be superior to what you’d find on an all-vegetarian menu, simply because the chef doesn’t feel he or she has to compensate for lack of meat. At the very least, it’s something to think about.