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The Brooklyn Paper / Daniel Krieger

Jelly roll: Diners at the William Taft are greeted by a tubful of jelly beans by the front door (below). Above, French toast is served with fresh fruit.

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The Brooklyn Paper / Daniel Krieger

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For this carnivorous reporter, vegetarian food doesn’t usually get the job done. Sure, crudite is nice now and again, but it isn’t what I call dinner. So naturally I was dubious when a new vegetarian diner opened in my neighborhood.

Dining at the William Taft, which opened on June 4, is a bit like hanging out in a communal loft kitchen, and that’s part of its charm. You can chat up the cook while your food is being made or slide into the back room where movies are screened each night at 9 pm.

This restaurant doesn’t take itself too seriously and that’s clear from the moment you walk in the door. In honor of its namesake, notoriously plump President Taft, there is a bathtub full of jellybeans front and center. Jellybeans, manager Amy Brown explained, were Taft’s favorite food — they also come to the table with each meal. And the bathtub? A nod to the president’s famous mishap: getting himself stuck in the tub at the White House.

“The William Taft is about having fun and eating humanely at the same time,” Brown told GO Brooklyn.

The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. But you don’t have to stop by in the morning to try the tofu scramble, homemade cereal or 92 cent cup of coffee — the cheapest in the ’hood — since breakfast is served all day.

Dinner isn’t anything to scoff at though. Appetizers are simple and cheap — one night last week my dinner date and I shared the “Babagawhat Plate,” a sampling of fresh-made hummus, garlicky baba ganoush, stuffed grape leaves, warm pita and crisp celery that was more than enough for two.

As far as main courses go there are soups and big salads to choose from, but the bulk of the entrees are sandwiches — though construe the word broadly; the sandwich menu includes “Avocado Tacos.” Most of the eight sandwiches can be made vegan but ask first since the standard dishes can contain dairy.

“The Fantaftic,” sandwich is stuffed with avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and hummus, a combination that makes you forget that there’s a slab of grilled tofu beneath it all. The main attraction, however, is the spicy zucchini sandwich, made with breaded zucchini, red peppers, minced garlic and olive oil. It’s perfect on ciabatta, but like all of Taft’s sandwiches, it can be served on rye or pita. If you’re looking for fewer vegetables, try the “Holy Cow,” a down-and-dirty grilled cheese without any frills.

Each sandwich comes with a side, and the potato salad, flavored with carrots, celery, parsley, basil and tarragon, should not be missed. There are rotating daily vegetable specials, and if you’re not into the mayo-laden sides that GO Brooklyn loves, dig into home fries, veggie chips or brown rice.

Dessert flavors change daily, but if you happen to go when they’re serving up flourless chocolate cake, shell out the six dollars immediately. One slice is big enough for two people, and comes with fresh berries and, if you ask nicely, a scoop of soy ice cream. Two very suspicious diners eyed the all-natural cake as it came over, but both of us were scraping up the leftover frosting just moments later — it was that good.

“Most of our ingredients are organic,” Brown said. “We try to make good food and keep our prices as low as we can.”

Another big draw is late-night delivery, offering night owls an alternative to the up-all-night options that currently run the neighborhood’s after hours snack scene. The Taft delivers until midnight, and considering the $7 delivery minimum and speedy service (20 minutes at 11:30 pm on a recent Sunday), it’s a smart alternative to ordering another pizza.

Whether dining in or out, beware that as the sun gets heavy, the larder gets lighter. Have a few side orders in mind when ordering, because chances are, the restaurant will be out of the one you really want by 8 pm. After dark, you’re welcome to bring your own beer, but don’t forget your ID, the staff might look nice, but they’re serious about carding.

This might not be the way they run things in the White House, but the William Taft has sure got my vote.

Borough Presidents

When a vegetarian diner was named after porker President William Howard Taft, we started thinking about other places named after a Leader of the Free World who had no connection to Kings Co.

©2007 Community Newspaper Group