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Politicians may be accused of bending the truth from time to time, but state Sen. Jamie Raskin swears by his latest vow.

And halfway through the self-proclaimed "passionate carnivore's" vow to eat vegetarian for a whole week as part of the first ever Takoma Park Veg Week, Raskin appeared to be holding onto his promise Monday night as he dug into vegetable stew at Middle Eastern Cuisine on Carroll Avenue.

"If I can be a carnivore for 51 weeks, I figure I can be a vegetarian for one week," Raskin (D-Dist. 20) said.

Starting last Friday and running through Thursday, Raskin will at least temporarily join a large number of Takoma Park residents in their vegetarianism, a lifestyle that has deep roots in the city. The Takoma Park-based nonprofit organization Compassion Over Killing initiated the Veg Week, and Mayor Bruce Williams proclaimed the week at a City Council meeting April 20.

The group hosted a kickoff party Friday catered by Middle Eastern Cuisine and the Takoma Park Co-op, where residents could join Raskin in his vow. Mark's Kitchen on Carroll Avenue, Summer Delights ice cream shop on Laurel Avenue and the Organic Falafel Stand are also participating, with discounts and new menu items.

"In this area, it's very popular to be vegetarian," said Sonia Hishmeh, co-owner of Middle Eastern Cuisine, which has offered its popular falafel and hummus for seven years.

Hishmeh said many of her customers come from the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which has been prevalent in Takoma Park for more than 100 years.

The church was established in the United States in the early 1800s and its founders wanted to purify its members through diet, prohibition of alcohol and chemical-free medical practices. They reverted to the "original diet" as laid out in the Bible, including fruits, grains, nuts and herbs, said Trevor Delafield, a former pastor at the Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church at 6951 Carroll Ave.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church relocated its headquarters from Michigan to Takoma Park in 1904, Delafield said, after the city's founder, Benjamin Franklin Gilbert, became interested in the church's philosophy. Behind the establishment of the Washington Sanitarium, an institution that promoted healthy living for its patients and is now part of Washington Adventist Hospital on Carroll Avenue, the church grew from 41 members in 1904 to about 200 in 1908.

In the years since, Takoma Park has embraced vegetarianism and other more liberal views such as commune living and gay rights, said Sabrina Baron, president of Historic Takoma.

"There's always been that kind of outlook," she said. "There are lots of vegetarians here, veggie caterers, Mark's Kitchen, veggie cheeseburgers; it's a pretty amazing kind of place."

In addition to the health benefits, Veg Week aims to raise awareness of the cruel killing methods used in factory farms nationwide, said Erica Meier, executive director of Compassion Over Killing. The organization has done several undercover investigations into these farms and even produced a documentary titled "45 Days" that follows the lifespan of a chicken from birth to slaughter.

"People are learning about this and asking more questions about where there food comes from, and they are choosing to stay away from factory farming," Meier said.

Despite his carnivorous past, Raskin has passed a bill in the state Legislature that brings food from local farms into schools. He is also working to establish a work group to examine and improve residents' access to farmers markets and fresh produce.

During his Veg Week vow, Raskin has noticed the increased energy he feels after meals, something that is valuable for a senator who spends many hours in legislative hearings. So far, Raskin has avoided "carnivorous cravings," dieting on a lot of pasta and vegetarian meals at Silver Spring restaurants like Lebanese Taverna and the Asian Bistro in Silver Plaza.

"I anticipate missing hamburgers at some point," Raskin joked. "… But I'm actually surprised that, at this point, my body feels pretty grateful."

Takoma Park Veg Week runs through Thursday. The following restaurants are participating:

-Middle Eastern Cuisine, 7006 Carroll Ave., is featuring new meat-free meals on its menu.

-Summer Delights, 6939 Laurel Ave., is adding a variety of vegan cupcakes to its menu.

-The Organic Falafel Stand, 7224 Carroll Ave., is offering a 10 percent discount on all orders.

-Mark's Kitchen, 7006 Carroll Ave., is offering a discount on two of its popular vegetarian dishes (see restaurant for details).

For more information, go to www.vegdc.com/takoma or www.cok.net.