NYC Day 4 – I bet you’re wondering if we ate today

October 23, 2011
Sunday

Today is one of those days when we break our own rule of only visiting 100% Vegan food joints while in NYC. But we couldn’t stay away from two places as they came highly recommended by some New York Vegans. We did start off on the right foot though when we went to Park Slope, Brooklyn to meet our new friend, Ariela Rubin, at The V-Spot. She is another one of these fun going open-minded Millennials who sticks to her beliefs and leads by example. I tend to be a little more aggressive (though I would hardly align myself with the ‘vegan police’) but I think that has to do with my affiliation with the back end of Generation X. Oh how sour the Boomers have left us! But that is for another blog.

The V-Spot – 100% Vegan

156 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217

The V-Spot provides cuisine from Latin and North American comfort foods. We’re talking Nachos and Empanadas and “Chicken” Cutlets and Sautéed Leafy Greens. Many vegan locals know of the two appetizer combos, #1 and #2. Though on the menu they are numbered, they’re known colloquially as the healthy one and the unhealthy one. We had the unhealthy one. Oops! So good regardless and probably much healthier than it carnivorous equivalent. (Dear Mercury Retrograde, Please go easy on me as I write this blog. K? Thnx!)

The appetizer combo we ordered came with Nachos (seen above), Empanadas, Crispy Nugs (I call them Nugs. Some call them Nuggets. ‘Evs.), Buffalo Soy Drumsticks, and some dipping sauces (pictured below).

Kristin went with the Steak Brunch, which is essentially seitan with tofu scramble and fries.

I went with the Chicken Patty sandwich. Had I known how bready it was going to be, I’d have gone easy on the apps! Nonetheless, it was good and was essentially a soy protein patty topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and spicy mayo. So far on this trip I’ve managed to stay away from too much soy meats but today I went for it. (Note to restaurants: I am one of those vegans who tries to stay away from Soy Protein Isolate. Just saying…)

And If it were a contest, and I am an Aries so i guess it is, Ariela wins. Look at that dish! It is as if she’s been here before or something and knew exactly what she was going for before she came to meet us. Sneaky Vegan! …and mushroom gravy! I know what I am getting next time.

The V-Spot met us with a smile and is one of those places that seems to emphasize animal rights perspective. Some places tend to let the menu speak for the activism but this place just comes right out and says it: Sorry, Carnivores. We’re Open!

John’s of 12th Street – 50% Vegan

302 E. 12th St.
New York, NY 10003
nr. Second Ave.

OK. Vegan Pit Stop! So we didn’t necessarily eat here because we were still full from brunch though this Italian restaurant boasts its inclusion into the vegan world by offering plenty of vegan entrees, appetizers, sides and desserts. However, given the cannoli flavor explosion Kristin experienced at Candle 79, we had to test drive the well known vegan and gluten-free cannoli at John’s on 12th St. Ariela was a helpful guide and was happy to show us round. We were surprised to discover John’s abuts Angelica Kitchen. We are such newbies ’round here!

After departing from Ariela we went beck to where we’re staying and relaxed for a minute. Time to try the vanilla and a chocolate cannolis. They were good but I am holding out. I feel as though somewhere out there is my dream-come-true vegan cannoli.

Palà – 50% Vegan

198 Allen St.
New York, NY 10012

Having recovered from the cannoli blast, it was time to head to Palà to meet Tamar from IHaveCat.com. Hopefully as this blog post hits the internet she is one step closer to going fully veg! We have to agree, she’s totally not a crazy cat lady. We had a wonderful evening of discussion and some wonderful food. (Hey Tamar did you watch The End of the Line yet? This is a great movie to watch if you have questions regarding why you should eliminate seafood from your diet. IMHO.)

The menu here has three pages: food for carnivores, food for vegans, and drinks!

The gnocchi! I’ve already mentioned my love for rice. My other love? Potatoes. Dear Dr. McDougall, I know I have no certifications but I am knowledgeable and responsible. Will work for vegan food. :-) For those who don’t know, Dr. McDougall advocates for a starch centric plant-based diet. I must say I have tried many approaches to vegan health solutions and I must say that I had the most success on his plan.

I digress: Look at the gnocchi! Mmmmm! AAAhhh! OOOOH!

After we swiftly downed the exceptional gnocchi the Pizze Funghi e Salsiccia found its way to our table. Pizza has three main ingredients that vary so much between cooks. Crust, Sauce, Cheese add toppings accordingly. Done. Love its versatility.

This pizza however came as described on the menu. Veggie Sausage, Field Mushrooms, Daiya Cheese and hot pepper. It didn’t say sauce and didn’t come with any. THREE MAIN INGREDIENTS! I was having too much fun conversing that I didn’t notice we ordered a pizza without my favorite ingredient. This was not a problem as the pizza actually worked better this way. It was more peppery and not sweet. This contrasted well with the gnocchi we had earlier and complemented our wine. Cin cin!

Lula’s Sweet Apothecary – 100% Vegan

516 E 6th St.
New York, NY 10009

And now for the truly dangerous part of the day. The Mecca of all that is frozen creamy goodness. I have found the best mint chip ice cream on the planet. Beware those allergic to nuts as many of these creams are nut based.

Behold the rare specimen in is natural habitat. Vegan Soft Serve:

Cake Batter Flavored!

With Whipped Cream!

Goodnight!