NYC is a vegan foodie’s paradise!
This month, my sugar booger and I ventured off to NYC for our anniversary and not only did we have a delightfully romantic stay but we also had some of the tastiest vegan food on the planet!
Here’s a quick recap:
Place we most frequented (besides Whole Foods for snacky treats): Cafe Blossom
Why were we so horny about this place? Three words – soy bacon cheeseburger! (and we ordered it every time we went)
Soy Bacon Cheeseburger $13
I honestly hadn’t had a bacon cheeseburger (soy or otherwise) in over 10 years so this was definitely a glorious occasion. Cafe Blossom doesn’t mess around with this sandwich either. It has a grilled soy burger topped with caramelized onions, vegan soy cheese, vegan soy bacon, lettuce and chipotle aioli. We ordered Cajun sweet potato fries as our side which were spicy and sweet and muy muy delicioso! This photo doesn’t do this sandwich justice but my taste buds can vouch for me.
Seitan Skewers $8
We also ordered their Seitan Skewers (seeing my hubs and I are both devoted Seitan worshipers) which were mouth-wateringly divine. They were flame grilled seitan chunks in a barbecue sauce that came with jicama slaw. I highly recommend ordering the Seitan Skewers and the Soy Bacon Cheeseburger on your next trip to Cafe Blossom and prepare yourself to freak out ’cause this food is crazy good!
Best Breakfast (which happened to be served until the late afternoon): Green Bean Cafe
I don’t know why but I had a hankering for PM breakfast almost every day we were in NYC. Not only did Green Bean Cafe serve breakfast in the PM but their breakfast was off the hook (and very affordable)!
We went there for breakfast twice and ordered the same thing both times ’cause it was that tasty. We ordered their Tofu Scramble (with tempeh bacon, tomatoes and soy cheese), seasoned breakfast potatoes and toast. Every detail of this dish was like my fantasy breakfast come true. I’m dying to know what they season their breakfast potatoes with. My hubby and I ordered a whole extra plate of just seasoned potatoes. Green Bean Cafe not only satisfied my craving but it made me giddy. I’m sad tho’ that there isn’t a Green Bean Cafe in Los Angeles. 🙁 I would probably eat there every day.
Tofu Scramble $6
Second favorite breakfast spot (that happened to serve breakfast anytime): Curly’s
Curly’s is a vegetarian restaurant with vegan options and they get mad bonus points for serving breakfast all day long. This place was also very reasonably priced and served up huge portions. We ordered their Scrambled Tofu (we added spinach, portobello mushrooms and vegan cheese) which also came with toast and curly fries. I’d never had curly fries with breakfast before so this was fun. As tasty as it was it was a little on the greasy side. I’m a huge fan of fried food but looking back I wish I had ordered this with a salad or a side of fruit.
Tofu Scramble with Curly Fries $7.25
Favorite fancy pants fine dining experience: Candle 79
I highly advise making a reservation when going to Candle 79. We didn’t make one and the wait was 45 mins. so we opted to eat at the bar. I actually enjoyed sitting at the bar because the bartender was makin’ all these crazy, unique fancy beverages and it was fun to watch him at play. We asked him what his favorite non-alcoholic beverage was and he suggested we try their homemade ginger ale. I have to say this is my all time favorite and tastiest beverage I have ever had in my entire life. No joke. It tasted like an agave ginger mint mojito (sans the alcohol). It was heavenly. I have fantasies about this drink! I want to swim, bathe and live in it!
Homemade Ginger Ale
We couldn’t decide on an entree so wound up ordering one of their evening specials which was a Risotto with Crusted Seitan. As I has assumed, everything from this restaurant was delectably arousing. Also, this restaurant has a sophisticated yet modern ambiance and the staff is exceptionally helpful and friendly. This is a perfect place to take a date!
Risotto with Seitan special
If you do not order the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss for dessert, you are going to miss out on one of the most sinful tasting desserts of your life. My only complaint is that it was tiny. I was pretty stuffed before dessert so it was actually a good thing (and it was very decadent too). It was like the lovechild of the most delicious truffle I’d ever eaten and a scrumptious peanut butter cup. I savored this dessert because every bite was like taking a journey to Nirvana. I know that’s corny, but once you try it, you’ll understand.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss $12
Favorite Asian Cuisine: Zen Palate
So I have some exciting news for my fellow Los Angelinos! Zen Palate now has an Los Angeles area location in Pasadena! Who-hoo! I know I’m super duper stoked. So, if you’re in NYC or the LA area and you get a chance to make it out to Zen Palate you have to try their Sizzling Medallions entree. It’s crispy wheat gluten filets al’orange with fresh asparagus, mushrooms, string beans red onions and it comes to your table on a sizzling platter. In fact, all of that sizzling action fogged up my camera hence my steamy lookin’ pic. This is my all time favorite sweet & sour dish ev-ah! Zen Palate really masters the art of seitan. I was thoroughly impressed with this dish and it’s perfection of flavors and presentation. It will be hard for me to ever order anything but this dish at Zen Palate.
I have so many restaurants and pics I’d like to share but I figured I’d just narrow it down to my favorites. If I’ve overlooked some amazing vegan NYC restaurants (which I’m sure I have) please e-mail me or comment with suggestions ’cause I’m sure I’ll be back and I’d love to try out your favorite spots too!
About Sunny (Sunny's Profile)
Longtime vegan, hardcore compassionate beauty junkie, serious cake aficionado, and lover of all things floofy and sparkly! If there's something in particular you'd like me to review, drop me a line at Sunny@VeganBeautyReview.com. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Google +.Filed in: vegan restaurants
