Staffed with UT students, actors, and creative types, it's a magnet for artists and downtown white collars alike. (When Tori Amos is in town, she's usually spotted dining here.)

The atmosphere is decidedly casual, but we've had many romantic summer meals dining al fresco. If you feel yourself zoning out, focus on some of the featured art or photography, or grab the restaurant’s copy of Harper’s or The Sun to read.

The Tomato Head also offers selections for carnivores, but its Italian vegan and vegetarian dishes are the forte. For lunch, I recommend the Cheddar Head (tofu and cheese) or Lucy (mushrooms, carrots, walnuts, cheese, and more) sandwiches with blue corn chips. And there is always some wonderfully creative selection for dinner--the vegetarian lasagnes are usually pretty good, but our favorite is the salmon/pesto pizza. They also now also offer (Tuesday nights?) wine flights--a sampling of two of their red or white wines for a nice price. If they have it, you have to try the raspberry crumb tart. It's perfect with a cup of Tazo Zen tea.

Reservations usually aren't needed, but for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night, the wait can be quite long--go ahead and give them a call.

The Tomato Head also sometimes hosts bands, usually late on Friday or Saturday nights. Although the tin ceiling does not good acoustics make, the off-beat musicians are usually worth listening to . . . through ear plugs.

M 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. T – Th 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. F + S 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Closed Sundays.