Our vegan friendly travel destination of the week is New York City (NYC)! Though we’re in the midst of a global pandemic and many cities, including NYC, are on shutdown status we still wanted to highlight what is one of the most well-known hot spots for vegan travelers.
NYC has long been known to be a popular destination for vegan travelers. More than cheesecake and pizza slices, NYC is also home to some of the tastiest plant based restaurants in the world. From fast-casual to small-plate affairs vegans will have no problem finding delicious, flavorful food in the ‘Big Apple.’ Let’s explore some of them.
Blossom
Blossom serves an eclectic spread of dishes that spans several categories of cuisine. From pan-seared seitan cutlets to tofu BLT’s and risotto croquettes with buffalo sauce Blossom is a longtime favorite for vegan New Yorkers. A candlelit haven, the atmosphere at Blossom is just classy enough to be the perfect date night spot.
Avant Garden
Immediately upon entry Avant Garden gives you a name by which you know pun is definitely intended. At Avant Garden decadence is dialed down with it’s petrified-wood counters and raw tree branch hangings. Yet, the Avant Garden indulgence happens on the delicious creative vegan small plates.
The artful culinary compositions at Avant Garden are the toasts. One is topped with sunchokes with olives, pistachios, and pickled pear. Meanwhile, other Avant Garden standouts include their flavorful salads and vegetable dishes. With their fun experiments with textures and heat treatments, Avant Garden is likely to be an introduction to something deliciously experimental and fun.
Caravan of Dreams
If you’re in the mood for some tasty organic food in a cozy environment then you’ll love Caravan of Dreams. Some popular selections on the menu include grilled seitan nachos, black-bean chili, and stir-fries.
Best of all, you’ll definitely want to experience their “live foods.” Made from uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, dishes like live “hummus” are a palate’s dream. Whipped from cold-processed tahini and raw almonds Caravan Of Dreams’ live hummus is an absolute delight accompanies by some pressed flaxseed “chips.” Another must-try is the live Love Boat, made of almond–Brazil nut “meatballs” with mango chutney and cool marinara sauce on a napa cabbage leaf.
Candle Café
Candle Café has a little something delectable for every stage of veganism. Some must tries for the newly vegan include avocado tartare, Mexican lasagna and the Cajun seitan sandwich. You may also wish to venture the grilled seitan skewers and the chipotle tofu club with vegan mayo and balsamic-drizzled mesclun salad.
Modern Love
Modern Love, is quintessential comfort food veganized with an air of sophistication served in a pretty, chandelier-strewn space. Through a fusion of Brooklyn, Italian, Jamaican, Jewish and Southern cuisines Modern Love knows a thing or two about how to translate the finer things into vegan-friendly dishes that brighten your life.
Modern Love explicitly communicates this knowledge proving that all the finer things in life involve “cheese.” With dishes like “mozz sticks,” filled with chewy cashew-coconut mozzarella; chickpea parmesan and hen-of-the-woods piccata, a glorious mess of crisp-fried maitake, whipped potatoes, soupy gigante beans, and a vibrant lemon-and-wine sauce; and mac and cheese made with blackened cauliflower and pecan-crusted tofu, submerged under a gooey layer of red-pepper cashew cheese Modern Love rules.
Also, there is no need to neglect your sweet tooth. Modern Love desserts are sure to be the love affair that binds it all together with desserts like the incomparable brownie with peanut butter cookie dough ice cream.
Peacefood Café
Dressed in a warm ambiance, Peacefood Cafe serves a mix of salads, soups, sandwiches, pizzas and side dishes. You will likely enjoy every guilt-free bite of Peacefood’s menu options.
Start things off with an invigoratingly fresh, delicious salad combining red quinoa, white beans, corn, red peppers, avocado and lime-mustard vinaigrette. Then move on to the Thai green curry or perhaps the breaded “un-chicken” with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy. Besides that the chickpea fries are a must!
Of course the meal just wouldn’t be complete without at least entertaining dessert options. A grasshopper cookie sandwich or slice of strawberry cheesecake will easily seal the deal. Overall, whatever your mood Peacefood Cafe is sure to hit the spot.
By Chloe
By Chloe is on the greasier side of vegan fare, with lots of fill-ins for popular fast food orders. It’s well known for its meat- and dairy-free grab n’ go treats the likes of cold-pressed juices and veggie burgers. They also have tasty brunch offerings like quinoa hash browns and organic scrambled tofu.
The guac burger, made with black beans, quinoa and sweet potatoes is a perennially popular dish. Another is the Caesar-esque salad topped with addictive crunchy pieces of shiitake mushrooms and a rich dressing. Popular dessert options are dessert vegan ice creams and roasted banana bourbon kale cookies.
So are you up for some delicious vegan fast food, with a couple solid salads thrown in for good measure? Then visit By Chloe.
Champs Diner
Need a cure for the common weekend fun overload? Champs Diner is a veritable destination for hangover food. Vegans and non-vegans alike will love the “Hungover Hippie” or the Drunken Cowgirl breakfast plate consisting of tofu scramble, tater tots, chili, cheese, avocado, and Texas toast. Meanwhile, menu items like croque madames, breakfast burritos, and biscuits and gravy won’t suffer a shortage of fans either.
Champs Diner isn’t likely to appeal to the health conscious vegan as most of their options are far from healthy. Instead, serving dishes like cookie dough pancakes and tater tot nachos, Champs is more of a playful, plant-based twist on diner staples. So if you’re looking to feed your inner vegan-junk-food-junkie, Champs Diner is for you. Ultimately, Champs fills the gap between vegans and non-vegans, offering satisfying meatless takes on traditional diner fare.
Screamer’s Pizzeria
Even as a vegan you can’t visit NYC without a getting a slice. Screamer’s Pizzeria, is just the place, serving pizza by the slice. Screamer’s is New York’s only full-fledged, 100 percent, all-vegan slice pizza joint.
Cheeses include their house-made almond-based parmesan, as well as Numu—their soy-based option and Violife—their nuts, soy and gluten free option.
Some popular Screamer pizza favorites are Sausage and Mushroom, made of tomato sauce, housemade seitan sausage, cremini mushrooms and vegan cheese; the Old School, made of broccolini, almond ricotta and caramelized onions; and the make-your-own option.
Then Screamers doesn’t forget about dessert either with their clunky grandma pie, made with what seems like two separate planks of dough fused into one decadent byproduct of goodness.
Whether grabbing a full pie for movie night or a quick slice to satisfy a craving Screamer’s Pizzeria is a must try.
Toad Style
Toad Style is an eclectic eatery-style paradise of soy-free vegan food. With a name alluding to 1970’s kung fu cult classic Five Deadly Venoms, it’s where punk-rock veganism and kung fu fandom come together. It’s where novel versions of traditionally meaty dishes can be experienced vegan style.
Notably, at Toad Style everything down to the condiments is made from scratch. Best dishes include the finger-licking BBQ jackfruit sandwich on a potato bun, the deep-fried oyster-mushroom bánh mì with mushroom pâté, the cremini-mushroom-lentil burger with house-made ketchup and cashew cheese, and the Yeah Dawg. Also, it would be criminal not to mention the frankfurter served Jersey-style, consisting of a deep-fried frankfurter stuffed into a split baguette with crispy potatoes, onions, and peppers.
Toad Style is a must try. The food is delicious and hearty. Also, besides being all vegan all food served is soy-free, palm oil-free, and non-GMO.
Superiority Burger
Superiority Burger is the go-to spot for an animal-free meal that’s just as good as the real thing. It’s a sanctuary where vegans and carnivores alike flock to for the eponymous burger (a squat patty brimming with quinoa, chickpeas and walnuts, crowned with muenster cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles). Equally popular is the “tofu fried tofu” (aka TFT), lauded by Eater as one of NYC’s “Best Chicken Sandwiches.
Also, offering yuba verde sandwich, vegetarian sloppy joes, tahini ranch romaine salad and some of the city’s most excellent desserts, Superiority Burger is a bona fide Happening.
Jajaja
At Jajaja, Mexican food gets a vegan makeover make. The restaurant’s stunning plant-based reinventions include empanadas swollen with beet and pumpkin, taco shells cradling mountains of tempura cauliflower and chimichurri eggplant tortas.
Some popular, artfully plated menu options include: the “chorizo” burrito made with cauliflower rice; rainbow chard bowl with vegan cotija; and crispy chayote fish taco made with a seafood-substitute. With all manner of imaginative taco fillings, vegans, omnivores and those in between can enjoy beautifully plated, veganized Mexican street food fare.
Then wash it all down with a killer lime-coconut-mezcal cocktail (or two) from the extensive drinks menu. Heck, why not just enjoy the ambiance and stay a while for some delicious Latin cocktails, like the Pineapple y Mezcal, Pomegranate y Jalapeno, Matcha y Coconut, and Frozen Agave Margarita all created with an array of fresh juices?
Jajaja is a hip and lively spot that boasts gaggles of Instagram influencers and champions vegetables in everything. The result is a cheerful dining experience that is as appetizing as it is inventive with all of its creative plant-based spins on all of your Mexican favorites.
Have you been to our vegan friendly travel destination of the week, New York City? What restaurants did you visit? How was it?
