Check, Please!

Q: Where can a lacto-ovo vegetarian find a decent meal in this meat-crazed city?

A: First, let's make sure everyone knows that lacto-ovo means you eat dairy products and eggs -- vegans (pronounced vee-gan) are the ones who eschew all food items that come from an animal source in any way, shape or form. Now, let's go straight to the top: Watercourse Foods (206 East 13th Avenue; 303-832-7313). Chef/owner Dan Landes manages to inject maximum flavor without resorting to meat or animal fats, and in the process does an excellent job of avoiding the lentils-that-taste-like-cardboard trap. A graduate of the highly regarded Natural Gourmet Cooking School in New York City, Landes admits he has an agenda: to make food without flesh that tastes great (for proof, try the Amsterdam hash with tofu). On request, he'll also do vegan dishes. Sadly, it's breakfast and lunch only at Watercourse, but the portions are big enough (at way-low prices) to keep you satisfied for the rest of the day.