We’ve reached a tipping point for vegetables. They’re pushing animal protein to the side of the plate, or entirely off it. Relentlessly rising beef prices, horror over hormones, a scramble for ever-more antioxidants, health-and-diet concerns, growth of farmers markets, locavore drummers, increasing numbers of flexitarians – all the stars have nicely aligned. It helps that vegetables are more seasonal than animals, adding menu excitement for restaurants recognizing that buying seasonally reduces food costs and keeps menus fresh. Say hello to “Root to Stem” dining, a logical extension of the nose-to-tail movement with restaurants serving vegetables trimmings otherwise heading for the trash. Say hello to “Vegetable Forward” restaurants with increasing numbers of chefs deploying flesh as a condiment, not as the main act on the plate.