Mushrooms are becoming popular as a meat substitute on restaurant menus.

As consumers, especially younger ones, move away from meat-centered diets, many restaurateurs are adjusting their menus to offer more plant-based alternatives. But that doesn’t necessarily mean meat analogs. The same people who are looking to cut down on animal products for perceived health, environmental, or other reasons also tend to be looking for clean labels and minimally processed food.

Many chefs are on the same page as their guests.

“Seeing people trying to treat vegetables like meat doesn’t really do a whole lot for me, because I like vegetables and I think they should be treated like vegetables,” said Jeremy Wolgamott, chef of Bistro Vendôme in Denver. 

“I get really excited about a good tomato or about some beautiful mushrooms or carrots. If I want to eat meat, I would just eat meat,” he said.

But he also wants his entrées to feel substantial, something he says options such as a cauliflower steak don’t do. So instead he is turning to mushrooms.

Take for example the tagliatelle with local mushrooms and lemon that has been on the menu since the restaurant reopened at a new location a few months ago. It’s a simple dish of roasted mushrooms tossed with pasta, lemon zest, and tarragon, with a little butter added at the end.

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