From the monthly archives: October 2009
We found a gem of an eatery in Guadalajara: Vegitariano Zanahoria. What a pleasant experience the old man with the salad tie gave us. Going out of his way to explain which dishes were free of dairy, I decided on the breakfast special: an enchilada stuffed with soy beef and vegetables and covered with tofu cheese. I also ordered a huge glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice and noshed on fresh wheat bread and a salad prior to entrée’s arrival. All of this for 77 pesos, the equivalent of about 6 American dollars! This large and friendly health-conscious restaurant offers also offers a selection of veggie meats, tofu blocks, fresh juices and dense bricks of two-ingredient chocolate. Vegan score. Next it was time to hit the road!
We left Guadalajara in the early a.m. with a 300+ kilometer roadtrip to Guanajuato on the itinerary. 300 kilometers is not a very long ride in my book. But our route proved a doozy to navigate, allowing us plenty of time to spy the beauty and pace of many colorful small towns and villages.
On the way we saw many wild fields of the blue agave cactus, yes the celebrated cactaceae responsible for vegan pantry staple agave nectar, as well as potent intoxicants tequila and, my favorite, mezcal. We had to stop for a frolic in the fields. For some reason I assumed the cactus to be much like the aloe plant, oozing sweet nectar from its swollen leaves. However, the sweet stuff lies in the plant’s heart, in large bulbs. But that didn’t stop me from wanting to take a bite.
Catching glimpse of Lake de Chapala to the south, we were sure we had found a new ocean. The lake seemed to continue to the edge of the world, glimmering and illuminating the powerful and hazy sol.
After fighting strong head winds south from Chicago’s O’Hare, I finally arrived in Guadalajara, Mexico, a modern city in Mexico’s center. The congested anomalous 6-laned highway into Guadalajara’s center was bustling with peppy 4-cyclindered cars, cab-heavy pick-ups and motorbikes. The smell of exhaust and industry took me back to my time in Thailand. Passing a rash of seedy table dance bars and dilapidated industrial factories, we reached our hotel, Hotel Occidental, situated down one of the many narrow cobble-stoned roads off of the main drag in the city’s center.
Second to Mexico City, Guadalajara is one of just a handful of cities in Mexico that is industrious and modernized. It is the birthplace of mariachi. Shops along the main streets sell breathtaking mariachi outfits and authentic cowboy gear for a hefty peso. And come evening, the streets are crawling with mariachi musicians, packs of them in their traditional garb, congregating on corners and hitchhiking rides. But you won’t see them playing for spare pesos on the street no, folks travel far and wide to request a song from these heralded musicians.
After a quick check-in at Hotel Occidental, we explored the Guadalajara by foot, hoping to catch a quick dinner at Restaurante Vegitariano, a vegan-friendly lead off the very populated Hiladgio. This street connects you to the hub of the city, a square of cathedrals and enormous ornate stone buildings and gorgeous fountains. With horse-drawn carriages, live music, cuddling couples on benches, the city was pulsing on a Friday night. But the restaurant: a dead-end, shacked up and no longer in business. A testament to how difficult it will be to find vegan food in Mexico.
We headed, instead, to an arty café my friends had hit the evening prior, Andre Breton Cafe, named after the daddy of surrealism. The unique space had a small stage, groups of hip and attractive young Mexicans and a large variety of beers to choose from. Upon grabbing a table, we were given a bowl of delicious chili-lime flavored mixed nuts. The café menu, however, was not very vegan-friendly, which I expected. But our sweet waitress worked with me and my fumbling Spanish to bring me a large salad with no carne, no leche, no queso… and it was quite good. Greens, pickles, tomatoes, olives, carrots and sprouts sprinkled with sesame seeds balsamic vinegar and oil.
After our eats and some drinks, a fantastic band took the stage. Eerily dressed against the black light bulbs above the stage, these four young talented guys pulled out a succession of instruments: brass, woodwinds, strings, and a huge variety of percussion and sound effects. They were young, cool and hip out the wazoo and we all felt we were home in Brooklyn. Which kind of got old quick.
On the way back we saw the first of Dia de los muertos goodies for sale at the night market.
This morning I am bound for Mexico to celebrate Dia de los Muertos in Guanajuato with friends. Though, of course, I will be reporting on my vegan options south of the border, which will include large quantities of Mexcal and straight from the blue agave cactus nectar, no doubt. I have been wanting to visit Mexico during this festive time of year for quite some time now. So, taking full advantage of my current spinster, obligation-free lifestyle, I bid the crazy NYC Halloween weekend adios. My crafty DDLM passport holder (below) is ready and my backpack stuffed. Goodbye America… and hello all souls!
Now that I am settled into the New York minute, I can reminisce about my last amazing eat in Seattle. Breakfast not at Tiffany’s but at Joey’s. Preparing biscuits from scratch along with a killer tempeh and mushroom gravy and a side of shredded hash browns, he went all out. Not since he called this apartment home have I been treated to such a feast without having to set foot in the kitchen! Thanks Joey! Now back to my Golden Flax/Autumn Wheat cereal combo…
I have never been to Urban Rustic, the localvore sustainable cafe and grocer just a few steps from Williamsburg, Brooklyn’s splendorous McCarren Park. They’ve been around for many years now, with their well-designed menu and website looking all ideal and awesome. And I must say I am impressed. Their space is built from Adirondack wood they harvested and milled themselves! They’re bringing the farmer and producer into the picture, allowing customers to learn the story of their meal. And they buy their electricity from wind-powered sources. So where’ve I been? Well, as a critic of greenwashing years ago (before it became a term), businesses who claimed to be environmentally-friendly yet sold meat… a lot of meat… were on my no, thanks list. Since we all know that an animal-based diet is thee biggest contributor to environmental destruction (see here since the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization keeps changing the link of the report), how on Earth can a cafe be “green” when they perpetuate the dietary habits that cause so much damage? Their menu, laden with beef, chicken and salmon, not to mention cheese and eggs, caters to the omnivore, not the vegan. So I never went to Urban Rustic in the years it has been half-butting its mission, if I may be so bold. But… since they do offer a completely vegan club sandwich, I decided I’d give them a try… finally. Ordering online at Delivery.com, they brought me my double-decker Unclub sandwich in neat biodegradable packaging (i.e. paper) promptly by bicycle and it was very, very good. Three slices of still warm, toasted yet not mouth-scrapy bread layered with tofurkey, tomato and sprouts and smeared with Veganaise and Dijon mustard. Simple and delicious.
Mighty O of Seattle. The best vegan donuts I’ve tried so far. Granted I have yet to hit any other solely vegan donut shop, I can’t see anyone having a more superior real donut than Mighty O. I got the glazed all the way to the left. So good. FoodSparrow picked up six to carry on for loved ones at home.
Seattle’s Wayward Cafe has a killer tofu scramble! In fact, when it comes to scrambles, their Cheezly scramble is the best I’ve ever had. (Now I have been saying “the best I’ve had” a lot these days. I’ll be compiling a “Best of” posting soon, my own award show so to speak.) But this scramble incorporates all the elements for a satisfying and hearty breakfast for those mornings after.
Our early lunch at Madison Valley’s Cafe Flora was one of the most flavorful, delicious and invigorating meals of our stay in the Pacific Northwest. Our appetizer, coconut tofu with sweet chili sauce, couldn’t have hit the spot more. The delicate dipped tofu chunks were served with plenty of fresh greens for wrapping: fragrant basil, cilantro and romaine lettuce. Next up was the roasted pumpkin and wintergreens salad: Granny Smith apples, roasted pumpkin, pomegranate, corn bread croutons and pumpkin seeds in a sherry vinaigrette. This salad was just perfect: tart, crunchy, fresh and energizing. My tongue tingles typing about it. Since we ate light we opted for dessert. Cafe Flora is not strictly vegan and doesn’t have too many dessert options for us. We chose the warm apple and fig crisp with a scoop of vanilla soy ice cream. Mmmm.
Sutra is four courses of gourmet vegan bliss. With set community seating and prix fixe pricing, Sutra is much like Brooklyn’s Four Course Vegan. The chef’s seasonal dishes are creative and incorporate the best of the fall harvest. The first course was a fantastic soup Luna (white) and Fairytale (think Cinderella’s coach) pumpkins, sunchoke, saffron soup topped with fried capers and a swirl of parsley tarragon oil. Second course: pickled pepper, beet, fennel and sorrel salad with candied sunflower seeds in a balsamic reduction. The second best salad I’ve had (see above for numero uno). After these two courses I expected the best from my main course but it was slightly disappointing. An marjoram and garlic roasted orzo in a tomato sauce with wild porcini mushrooms and a side of yellow carrots and Swiss chard. I didn’t love the combination of flavors and it was a bit heavy. For dessert we received an apple torte with an almond fig crust and a scoop of heavenly coconut ice cream on top. The dessert was a bit like our lunch’s dessert so I would have preferred a cake… but what else is new?
Pizza Pi, the all-vegan pizzeria in Seattle’s University District, has been on my list for quite some time. I finally got there on my last day in Seattle to purchase a small pizza for a roadtrip north. The artichoke pizza was ordered and so we headed next door to Sidecar For Pigs Peace, an all-vegan shop with groceries, accessories, and all sorts of vegan goods. Great place! Back tot he pizza: we had the best of intentions in ordering the pizza to go… but when it was ready we walked it to the table and proceeded to eat all of it. It was pretty good! The sauce wasn’t the tastiest and Teese was not completely melted, but c’mon… vegan pizza! The counter person seemed a bit annoyed we wasted a to-go box and grabbed it out of the garbage pale we disposed it in. I guess she wanted to recycle it but, um, cardboard is not recyclable with food waste on it, nor is it sanitary to reuse it. But we see your point Oh righteous counter person! 
Goodbye Pacific Northwest! Thanks for the eats.
I had some unfinished business in the Pacific Northwest. And by business I mean vegan food to eat. This time I flew into Seattle only to head straight to Portland, Oregon, thee vegan capital of the country. But after a long transatlantic flight, we weren’t going to make it all the way to Portland without something to tide us over. Luckily Olympia, Washington had an amazing hot dog stand with vegan options and a ton of free toppings! They had vegan-only equipment too. Olympia Hot Dog Company was a great find and the perfect remedy for our Eastern Standard hunger. I had the vegan beer brat, loaded with sauerkraut, relish, olives, ketchup and mustard. We also found an amazing spice house where we bought exotic salts that made our entire trip smell like an applewood campfire. 
So our real lunch destination was Portobello Vegan Trattoria, Portland’s delicious Mediterranean-inspired cafe. This is one classy place with a damngood seasonal menu of fresh Northwest vegan grub. We picked the Chao cheese ball (made by Field Roast, we later discovered) with a baguette and some of the most scrumptious apples I ever did taste. For the main event, I ordered the portobello steak with crispy polenta and Swiss chard. My dish was perfection and the half portion is more than enough. Presentation, texture and taste at a community-conscious eatery. Well done, Portobello!
The following afternoon it was Vita Cafe. I chose the Fishwich, as I am a sucker for deep-fried and tartar sauce. The thick slab of tofu “fish” was fried to a crispy perfection and not at all greasy. Add a dollop of tartar and a soft bun and you got a very pleasing sandwich indeed, one of the freshest and tastiest of the greasy spoon genre. Our side was one of their corn cakes: sliced banana, ginger and cilantro corn cake with a coconut milk dipping sauce. It was very good but mismatched to our meals. I snapped a pic of their desserts although we had to decline, saving ourselves for the vegan strip mall.
Next up had to be the vegan mini-mall on Stark street. Sweetpea Baking Company, where I had my official birthday cupcake, was far more dry and sweet than I recall. Food Fight Vegan Grocery is always a great stop. There we stared at huge bags of Daiya and bought some vegan snacks and knick-knacks, like the Sweet & Sara halloween marshmallow ghost, some vegan nougat and some B-12 bubble gum.
A few weeks back I read this posting from Nicole at Another One Bites the Crust, one of my favorite vegan food blogs. The posting is not Nicole’s usual; none of her amazing food photography and yummy recipes. The post was a heartbreaking story of a young man named Alex who was in a terrible car accident and is on life support. Her plea to the vegan blog world was very appropriate given the daily compassion we practice. So I donated to Alex’s fund and received a container of cookies in the mail. And boy, they were so darn good! I thought it fitting to pass on the word about Alex and show you these delicious cookies in the hope you can help as well.
Birthday Brunch Ambush! The Greek rang for spontaneous brunch action of my choosing in the hybrid chariot. So I had to dump the cereal I just poured soy milk on and let it dry on a baking sheet. Kickin’ in Depression-era!
My coffee says “hi”.
My choice: Organic Grill in the East Village for their tofu omelet. Oh how I wish they used Teese or Daiya! Follow Your Heart is like my Razr cell phone in an iPhone world.
The Greek‘s frittata. Same as my omelet except A.B.C.
When Babycakes first opened in 2005, The Greek took me there for my birthday. I didn’t even know what it was back then! As a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, he was in the loop. I was glad to see the place jam-packed and amply stocked.
A delicious birthday cake made by the CandyPenny! Banana cake with a sweet coconut frosting. So moist and scrumptious!
And how about vegan pizza delivered to the bar? Sounds good to me! A big thanks to who ever thought up and funded this endeavor. I was a bit tipsy and now cannot recall. {sheepish look}
My coffee says “hi”.
My choice: Organic Grill in the East Village for their tofu omelet. Oh how I wish they used Teese or Daiya! Follow Your Heart is like my Razr cell phone in an iPhone world.
The Greek‘s frittata. Same as my omelet except A.B.C.
When Babycakes first opened in 2005, The Greek took me there for my birthday. I didn’t even know what it was back then! As a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, he was in the loop. I was glad to see the place jam-packed and amply stocked.
A delicious birthday cake made by the CandyPenny! Banana cake with a sweet coconut frosting. So moist and scrumptious!
And how about vegan pizza delivered to the bar? Sounds good to me! A big thanks to who ever thought up and funded this endeavor. I was a bit tipsy and now cannot recall. {sheepish look}
I began the Melissa Bastian‘s Vegan New York 100 a few days back. After making it nearly to the end I decided I’d make my own! Of course there is some overlap. Here it is, the KZ Vegan NYC 77, in no particular order.
1. Slice‘s Simpleton, subbed with Daiya
2. The Seitan Picatta at Candle 79
3. Dosas from the Washington Square cart
4. Sweet & Sara marshmallows
5. Pure Food & Wine‘s classic sundae
6. Four Course Vegan
7. Sausage roll from Vinnie’s on Bedford
8. Vegan panini at ‘sNice
9. Toasted everything bagel with tofu scallion at the Bagel Store
10. cheap Falafel anywhere around Washington Square Park
11. Kate’s Joint‘s Unturkey Club
11. Kate’s Joint‘s Unturkey Club
12. Dim Sum from Flushing’s Buddha Bodai
13. The Seitan Medallion sandwich at Peacefood Cafe
14. Babycakes. Nuff said.
15. Soft pretzel from a cart with spicy brown
16. One Lucky Duck‘s raw Mallomar
17. Bahn Mi at Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Shop
18. Lunch special no dairy at Ayurveda Cafe
19. Lily Thai‘s steamed vegetable dumlings
20. Tofu omelet at Organic Grill
21. The Makeout Party at Boneshakers
22. Roast “pork” bun at Vegetarian Dim Sum House
23. Better Burger‘s soy burger combo
24. A bar from Mast Brothers Chocolate
25. Artichoke ravioli at Lodge
26. Blossom‘s Port Wine Seitan
27. Vietnamese spring rolls at Gobo
28. Little Lad‘s Need-um
29. Frittata at Counter
30. Veggiest of Them All at Tiny’s
31. Temple in the Village buffet
32. Huge veggie burger at Metro Diner
33. F&B‘s Veggie Great Dane combo
34. Zen Palate‘s Basil Moo-shu rolls
35. “I’ll just have a salad” at Bonobo’s
36. Counter‘s French Toast
37. Lula‘s cake batter soft serve
38. Ravioli of the day at Caravan of Dreams
39. Breakfast sandwich at Sacred Chow
40. Franchia‘s Kimchi buns
41. Jerk seitan skewers at Red Bamboo
42. Davide at Panino Sportivo
43. Lifethyme‘s Toll House cookies
44. The SAG at Boneshakers
45. Thai Crepe at *erb
46. Google’s cafeteria (It ain’t open to the public but…)
47. Vegan hot dogs at Sunshine Cinema
48. Bliss‘s vegan breakfast burrito
49. Sweet & sour “chicken” nuggets at Home on 8th
50. Tiffin Walllah‘s huge Dosas
51. Barbecue veggie chicken at Harlem’s Mobay
52. The Creek‘s spinach and tofu burrito
53. Sweet potato tempura roll, any sushi joint
54. Coney Island cut fruit ($1!)
55. Chocolate chip cookies at Birdbath Bakery
56. Quantum Leap‘s lentil walnut burger
57. The Unclub at Urban Rustic
58. Fresh baked bread at Zabar’s
59. Juicy Lucy‘s juice
60. Fruit van: personalized sliced fruit salads, midtown
61. Pommes Frites with ketchup
62. Veggie dumplings at Spice
63. Pad Thai‘s fried banana
64. Avocado sandwich at the counter in Bowery Kitchen
65. Natural Gourmet Institute‘s Friday dinner
66. Vegan burrito at Papacitos
And the departed I’ll always hold dear, may they rest in peace.
67. Santosha in Amityville, LI (not NYC) where my foodie roots were planted
68. Dojo. This was my spot when I was a veg-teenager
69. No. 1 Chinese Food Restaurant, Bell Blvd, Bayside, Queens
70. Jill’s in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
71. Veggie Castle in Prospect Lefferts Garden, Brooklyn
72. Elemental Foods in Chelsea, Manhattan
73. Burritoville‘s vegetarian Sloppy Joe burrito
74. Mighty Diamond in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
75. Union Square’s Zen Palate
76. Whole Earth Bakery on St. Marks-They weren’t the best but the first.
77. For old times sake: Bertucci‘s Vegetariano sandwich, Long Island
Vegan Reporting By Location
