A new vendor in the International Pavilion will stretch the menu of the Fair, adding more choices for diners who don’t eat meat or want a healthy break. Popular local restaurant Strong Hearts Café will cook up creative and tasty vegetarian and vegan fare as well as their popular non-dairy “milkshakes.”

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Our Fair is well-known for having plenty of juicy and often cholesterol-laden meat entrees available, but it hasn’t always been easy to find attractive alternatives. There are some vendors–King David’s and Daniella’s are two terrific ones–where you can get a great meal without meat. But this one could be a game-changer.

We hope that Strong Hearts has a great initial year, prompting other vendors to follow suit by making more meatless choices available. Fairgoers will still be able to get their deep-fried, fat-soaked, cheese-covered, bacon-wrapped doughnut burgers, but they will also be able to choose other options and maybe even find some new favorites. Any way you slice it, choices are good.