Sensory Feast

Restaurateurs and yoga practitioners Ari Derfel and Eric Fenster think vegetarian food deserves equal billing with meat-based fare. Though Gather, their Berkeley, California, restaurant, caters to omnivores and vegetarians alike, the menu showcases veggie-centric food that's irresistible even to meat lovers. And while most high-end restaurants focus heavily on meat dishes, chef Sean Baker fills half the menu with intensely flavored vegetarian and vegan dishes. Gather's acclaimed vegan charcuterie plate, made up of bites of seasonal produce like chili-seared eggplant and grilled heirloom tomatoes . . .