Eating Out as a Vegan

I really like Kitchen Istanbul even though their vegetarian entre had a cream sauce instead of the one I make at home with pine nuts and tofu.  (It's better than it sounds, and there are other ingredients.)

I just sent off an e-mail to some people who are connected to the Truth or Dourght website and brochure I like so much.

Someone named Ronnie Steinau asked whether I would be in LA for their conference, and I told him what I'd be doing instead, including going to a dinner to discuss our upcoming abbreviated Camino.de Santiago de Compostela.

"They're going to make one "normal" paella for the five of them and another vegan one for me," I said,

I can't help wishing that my friends were less inclined to make vegan dishes to accommodate my life style  and more inclined to make vegan dishes for other reasons.

Considering that even at the Paris COP 21--whose very theme was the environment--there weren't even enough options for vegetarians!  I wonder what the Camino will be like in Northern Spain between Leon and Santiago for vegans!  

I found this link, which was helpful!

http://www.caminoadventures.com/camino-de-santiago-as-a-vegan/

I also asked Ronnie Steinau and the others whether there's a place (online) where we could discuss "vegan issues" like the possibility of writing to restaurants to suggest vegan options.  If I choose a restaurant, I choose one that's vegan, but when I go out with friends, they usually choose one where they can get meat, and the vegan options are limited.  I want to write to Toreador, for example, to suggest vegan tamales--maybe butternut squash--and Kitchen Istanbul to suggest a pine-nut/tofu option for the vegetarian moussaka with the bechamel sauce. 

But I know restaurants may be more likely to be annoyed than receptive!