8. TRUE BISTRO

At this modern, minimalist-styled vegan bistro, begin with the leek tart. Served on a richly textured herbed chickpea crust, it will probably stay on the menu until spring, as leeks are available over the colder months. The blackened seitan entree is served with creamy grits and “melted” collards made with smoked onions and chili vinegar. Hyderabadi stuffed eggplant and phyllo triangles, which are baked then served steaming from the kitchen, are filling winter options, too.

> 1153 Broadway, Somerville; 617-627-9000; truebistroboston.com

9. CLOVER FOOD LAB

When Ayr Muir opened his first vegetarian food truck on a side street by MIT’s medical center in 2008, he was counting on word-of-mouth to bring in customers. The smell of cooking rosemary fries, an early menu hit, emanating from the Clover truck took care of that, and the lines started. The menu is limited, but there are new specials added based on what’s available, like a local-turnip soup this fall (squash, mushroom, and spring-dug parsnip soups are on tap for later in the winter and early spring), plus hot popovers and apple cider — a good way to keep warm while waiting at one of the now six trucks for your meal. Or just visit the indoor Clover Labs, sit-down eateries at Harvard and Inman squares.

> 7 Holyoke Street and 1075 Cambridge Street, Cambridge; for truck locations see cloverfoodlab.com

10. CHINESE MIRCH

This small East Coast franchise serves Chinese food with an Indian twist. So the vegetable fried rice, for example, is made with Indian basmati. Spicy tofu stir-fry, baby eggplant in garlic sauce, Manchow soup, and Mumbai gobi (a cauliflower dish that’s straight-up Indian) are all hearty choices. Inspired by their successful debut at the company’s New York City food trucks, Tibetan vegetable dumplings known as momos and a Tibetan noodle soup are being added to the winter menu. Top it all off with a tangy, foamy soda — either a “Masala Coke” or India’s Thums Up — spiced with cumin, mango powder, black salt, asafetida, and mint.

> 140 Worcester Road, Framingham; 508-875-0607; chinesemirch.com

Visi R. Tilak is a freelance writer in Ashland. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.