Making things like millet and pulverized wheat gluten into something you actually want to consume is no easy feat, which is one reason Plum Bistro deserves credit. But you?re probably not going there to eat a salad unless it?s the vegan Caesar. This is the place to go when you?re craving one of those fleshy, all-American gut-bomb meals that even the most veteran vegan might have trouble pulling off at home?like cornmeal-crusted seitan ?steak? or the creamy, spicy mac and ?yease.? The menu is a triumph of such cruelty-free indulgences, and its upscale environment makes it clear that being vegan isn?t just for crusty 18-year-old punk kids. There are real grown-ups out there who prefer not to eat animals, and they want to not eat those animals in a classy, open-air atmosphere. ?Sara Brickner 1429 12th Ave., 838-5333