Best veggie pub grub

Vegetarian pub offerings rarely extend beyond french fries and side salads. They're serviceable enough, but does anyone actually go to a pub to unwind with a salad? Luckily, Stirling Bridges Restaurant and Pub offers a surprising variety of meat-free appetizers. Start with deep-fried pickles or cauliflower hot wings with a side of buffalo sauce. Hand-rolled pretzels will soak up the extra beer your friends bought you. A bowl of lightly salted, roasted shishito peppers are pleasantly mild, until you bite into an unusually fiery specimen and have to order a third pint to cool the burn. 5220 Manzanita Avenue in Carmichael, (916) 331-2337, www.stirlingbridges.com. B.C.