Currently viewing the tag: "VV New Jersey"
Sprig & Vine is a delightful cafe nestled cozy and snug on the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border in New Hope, Pennsylvania. On the Delaware river, New Hope offers an idyllic setting for an urban escape… and a proper all-vegan ‘last of 2012′ brunch with Ms. CandyP.
We started with some hearty biscuits and cashew-herb gravy. Savory, substantial and delicious.
Will travel for a Tofu Benny! Ever since I glimpsed their menu months back I have been daydreaming of this dish… carefully however, accepting the possibility that the success of this vegan brunch classic lives and dies by the quality of the Hollandaise. We were happy to see these tall Ben’s were covered in an aerated Hollandaise, air-bubbled and indicative of a light, frothy texture. Oh yum.
You know I had to zoom in on this bad boy.
The choppy Delaware river on a windy winter day.
After brunch, a proper lunch. On Sundays Kaya’s Kitchen does an all-you-can-eat buffet. All I can eat all-vegan? Hold me back! Plenty of tasty options, Caribbean inspired.
This was a flavor-packed buffet. Most notable, soft and delicate potato-filled pierogi. I had to get up for seconds.
Last but certainly not least, all-vegan bakery in Matawan, New Jersey, Papa Ganache.
This bakery is stock with beautiful and delicious vegan treats, including these babies.
All dressed up for the New Year!
They also have plenty of gluten-free goodies… a whole showcase full (above).
Ok, 2013. I’m ready!
Original Post: August 2011
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When I spoke of my childhood memories of the Jersey Shore I was remembering our visits to Seaside Heights, an amusement-filled length of boardwalk that stretches into the Atlantic ocean. I hadn’t been there since I was a little girl and was happy to see that the place still had Carny spirit, a palpable energy of timeless weirdness. Sure, the amusements were updated a bit but squint your eyes and you’re a kid again in a world where efforts were rewarded instantly by colorful, overstuffed plush objects, safety was a mitt-skinned man pull-testing your seatbelt and fun was bartered in colorful cardboard tickets.
My nostalgia for timeless weirdness is why I love taking pictures of amusement rides. I love the moving parts, the brightly painted machinery, the tiny bulbs, the man-made chaos on top of a bright blue sky.
Skee Ball
Everyone needs a Rastafarian banana.
Fiberglass Alfred E. Neuman knock-offs.
I was so disappointed to see that the Swing Ride I remembered, the one that swayed you out over the Atlantic ocean, had been replaced by this smaller one far from the pier’s edge. And I was all ready to tackle that ride that had made me cry hysterically 20+ years ago. This one would not do.
The water was off-limits, according to the roving 17 year-old beach patrol that rode back and forth pulling persistant crowds out of the water. Maybe it was the huge pink jellyfish, the strong undertow or that we did not purchase daily beach badges for the day ($10). We managed a few glorious dips however.
This is my favorite shot of the day.
Fun in the sun.
An aside, Bon Jovi’s ridiculous music video for In and Out of Love is my only Jersey Shore pop culture association. I’ve never seen Mtv’s Jersey Shore. This is a deliberate and conscious decision.
So I should mention something about food. Seaside Heights has standard amusement park fare: fried things. But they also have this great dairy-free frozen treat: Polish Water Ice.
This smooth, creamy treat is a water-based soft serve with texture that lasts thanks to its guar and xanthan gums. Sure, it is not the most natural treat, but it complements a sunny day at the beach–a welcome vegan option.
Updated: December 2012
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On the way to the farm we stopped at a new all-vegan bakery in Verona, New Jersey: Cupcraze. As per usual, when visiting an out-of-state bakery, I have to get at least 2 cupcakes. I chose this one above, their delicious banana split cupcake, and I am glad that I did. The moise banana cupcake was sprinkled with chocolate chips, topped with a smooth vanilla buttercream, chocolate drizzle and a maraschino cherry.
I had to also taste their festive chocolate cupcake with the subtly green buttercream and a fondant ghost. I never had vegan fondant! This was a nice, sweet bite that energized me after the drive back down state, before evening festivities.
And of course, a chocolate chip cookie. I have to always try a bakery’s chocolate chip cookie. I am happy to report that these cookies were spot-on vegan replicas of Linden’s cookies, a favorite of mine growing up.
Requisite shot of the bakery display case. So pretty…
Cupcraze is just a few weeks old. Check them out if you’re in their area and give them your support. They have plenty of gluten-free options and a great selection of delicious cupcake favorites.
And after the farm we had to hit the amazing Garden Cafe on the Green, Woodstock, NY’s all-vegan cafe. I have been hitting this spot for years now and it is always impresses. They do their simple dishes well, with love, care and attention to detail. We sprung for the quesadillas. These are really elevated quesadillas: not oily and over-stuffed with wet veggies. The olive is all you need… and guacamole, salsa and a dab of sour cream [store-bought].
My entree: The Fall Vegetable–Wild & Brown Rice Saute with Brussels, crispy tempeh with red wine mushroom sauce, a heavenly butternut squash terrine with pistachio gravy and sauteed kale and cabbage. Perfect bite of autumn.
Here is a gorgeous shop of the trees of Harriman, New York. I love autumn in New York!
Ah, our last meal: Kaya’s Kitchen in Belmar, New Jersey. This is why you should go:
A huge cut of seitan, breaded, then fried. This would be a *vegan* chicken-fried steak dinner, complete with mashed potatoes and veggies drowned in their garlic butter. Fantastic.
Look at that streaming pool of their vegan butter glistening those potatoes. Look at the size of that cut of seitan.
And gravy. The dish was one unbelievable bite after another.
Capturing the food’s soul, CandyPenny clicks a pic of this very common occurrence. Check her reporting here!
And housemade vegan cakes! This is the pretty pink lemonade cake. Four layers of yellow cake with ultra-sweet frosting and decorative lemon polka dots. It’s gorgeous as it is a perfect end to a hearty meal.
I couldn’t take enough pictures of this cake. The couple next to us was quite amused.
I must return to Belmar and to the Shore, in general, for many more vegan options await. There’s only so much you can eat in one day. And I believe I met that limit. Goodbye, Jersey Shore!
When I spoke of my childhood memories of the Jersey Shore I was remembering our visits to Seaside Heights, an amusement-filled length of boardwalk that stretches into the Atlantic ocean. I hadn’t been there since I was a little girl and was happy to see that the place still had Carny spirit, a palpable energy of timeless weirdness. Sure, the amusements were updated a bit but squint your eyes and you’re a kid again in a world where efforts were rewarded instantly by colorful, overstuffed plush objects, safety was a mitt-skinned man pull-testing your seatbelt and fun was bartered in colorful cardboard tickets.
My nostalgia for timeless weirdness is why I love taking pictures of amusement rides. I love the moving parts, the brightly painted machinery, the tiny bulbs, the man-made chaos on top of a bright blue sky.
Skee Ball
Everyone needs a Rastafarian banana.
Fiberglass Alfred E. Neuman knock-offs.
I was so disappointed to see that the Swing Ride I remembered, the one that swayed you out over the Atlantic ocean, had been replaced by this smaller one far from the pier’s edge. And I was all ready to tackle that ride that had made me cry hysterically 20+ years ago. This one would not do.
The water was off-limits, according to the roving 17 year-old beach patrol that rode back and forth pulling persistant crowds out of the water. Maybe it was the huge pink jellyfish, the strong undertow or that we did not purchase daily beach badges for the day ($10). We managed a few glorious dips however.
This is my favorite shot of the day.
Fun in the sun.
An aside, Bon Jovi’s ridiculous music video for In and Out of Love is my only Jersey Shore pop culture association. I’ve never seen Mtv’s Jersey Shore. This is a deliberate and conscious decision.
So I should mention something about food. Seaside Heights has standard amusement park fare: fried things. But they also have this great dairy-free frozen treat: Polish Water Ice.
This smooth, creamy treat is a water-based soft serve with texture that lasts thanks to its guar and xanthan gums. Sure, it is not the most natural treat, but it complements a sunny day at the beach–a welcome vegan option.
Over the 5 years I have been blogging I have only reported on vegan eats in the Garden state twice: Sweet Avenue Bake Shop, barely outside of the Lincoln Tunnel in Rutherford, in 2008 and Medieval Times in Lyndhurst, NJ in 2010. That is it! I think I dismissed New Jersey prematurely, assuming anything it had the Empire had better.
I was so very wrong.
Welcome to Ocean City, New Jersey, home to a beach, a boardwalk.. and the wondrous Bashful Banana Bakery & Cafe.
When I had stumbled across their Yelp page in preparation for my New Jersey jaunt, I was perplexed and very curious, teeming with a tamed excitement: Could this be another amazing discovery? What was this “Banana Whip”? What was this vegan treat made from 100% bananas? To CP and me, the 2-hour round-trip detour was worth satisfying those questions.
As I approached I saw that this Banana Whip was subject to quite a bit of local hullabaloo. Curiosity growing, along with a bit of worry as I knew very well I’d need longer than the 15 minutes my parking spot allowed to experience this award-winning treat, I was ready.
There it was… in print. We were ready to order and dive into the unknown. Unlike their cafe menu, there was no v-bomb dropped on the frozen treat page. Maybe for fear of scaring some away? As someone who drove several hours just to try the whip, that v-bomb is what drew me in.
This is the Bashful Banana boy, a heartthrob to the local teen community, and the magical machine that creates one amazing treat. The treat is an astonishing vegan soft serve made up of 100% bananas. Just bananas, frozen, aerated and whipped into a spectacular alternative to dairy ice cream. It was creamy, it was delicious–but clean. No coating of processed gums and chemicals in your mouth (I’m talking to you {insert name of any soft serve I’ve ever had, excluding Divine Treasures.’}) It is, again, spectacular. Bafflingly spectacular.
Our Banana Whip Sundae, topped with an ALL-FRUIT hot fudge sauce and non-dairy chocolate chips. Can you believe this?
Let’s look again.
Bashful Banana also has vegan sandwich options and a bakery with v-bomb cupcakes. Is this place amazing or what?
After my chocolate discovery in Connecticut recently and this wonderful find in New Jersey, I am filled with a new giddiness. What else had I been overlooking so close to home. (Foreshadowing!)
Living in the shiny apple of the Tri-state area, I don’t get to New Jersey very often. But in the search of sun and sustenance not-so far from home, I was surprised at how plenty the Jersey Shore was with vegan options. It was time to return to the Jersey Shore.
Before the words “Jersey Shore” conjured up a shudder, thanks to a television reality program, it brought to mind the summers my family spent there. A Swing Ride that suspended you right off the boardwalk and over the salty ocean, the rotating cylinder in a fun house, ketchup and mustard color. It was a summer weekend destination, one of the few. This trip would add to my positive associations with New York’s neighboring state–in the form of delicious food.
Good Karma Cafe in Red Bank, New Jersey was our first destination. With a hectic start and empty bellies, CandyPenny and I saved ourselves for lunch-proper at noon at this all-vegan (I love those words) cafe in Red Bank, a borough of Monmouth County.
The cafe has a wide array of vegan items on its menu, including live foods, hearty sandwiches and Asian-inspired entrees. Vegetables are on the forefront of this menu, as they should be, but their accompanying tempeh, seitan and housemade cheese are wonderful partners of well-done deliciousness. We started with their Queso & Nacho Chips, a generous portion of blue corn tortilla chips with a warm, scrumptious bowl of their nutritional yeast-packed cheese.
Inside the pool of nooch is a small dollop of their cashew sour cream, also housemade, and pico de gallo.
There are certain opportunities one must never pass up. Ordering a Reuben when it’s offered is one such opportunity. The Reuben appeals to all that draws me to sandwiches: it’s hearty-almost always a two-hand sandwich, it’s sweet (dressed with the sweet tang of Thousand Islands dressing, one of Karma Cafe’s many great dressing choices), it’s sour with a ton of that pickled good stuff and it’s always on the most flavorful breads. Mine is served with a side salad and the zing of carrot-ginger.
Good Karma was a great first stop. Their food is flavorful and thoughtfully prepared. Housemade items speak volumes for an eatery’s passion for food. It rubs me the wrong way to be served something I know came straight from a package. In the wake and spread of convenient vegan groceries, from cheeses to dressings to flavor-sealed tempeh and sausages, I’d prefer the skill of a chef (or line cook) in determining their plates. Ok, New Jersey. What else you got?
Yes, Medieval Times has vegan options.
It was mostly irony that compelled me to partake in their Birthday Fellowship deal, which entitled me to free admission. And luckily I knew an enthusiastic group willing to partake in the tournament and dinner show in the castle in Lyndhurst, New Jersey along side me. Together we dodged countless pricey photo solicitations, drunken New Jersey-ans and very annoying pre-teens to cheer for the bad ass Green Knight and step into the surreal world of honor, chivalry and… horse exploitation.
But yes, the vegan options! They were quite satisfying. First course: tomato bisque soup
And for dinner: a spread of huge roasted vegetables on a skewer, hummus and pita chips…
And grain-stuffed portabello mushroom. I’m impressed.
Dessert… an apple.
And for dinner: a spread of huge roasted vegetables on a skewer, hummus and pita chips…
And grain-stuffed portabello mushroom. I’m impressed.
Dessert… an apple.
It’s my birthday today and I want vegan cupcakes! Having the foresight that this would be the case, I rented a car to deliver me, finally, to Sweet Avenue Bake Shop, Rutherford, New Jersey’s vegan cupcakery. The place has been on my radar for quite some time now, in electronic form, sitting patiently in my “favorites” folder. It was time to see what the voted best cupcakes in Bergen County, NJ taste like.
Wok Man and I each selected two cupcakes from the display case. They looked fake, like cupcakes you see in a dream or in Lisa Frank stickers. I chose the Rocky Raccoon, a marshmallow-filled chocolate cakester, and the chocolate sundae cupcake with a cherry on top (sitting pretty below).
Realizing I hadn’t tasted the vanilla cake, I ordered a THIRD cupcake. The Snowball, a vanilla cake with vanilla coconut icing, turned out to be my favorite one! Wok Man took several awkward pictures of me enjoying its fluffy goodness, the least awkward of which is below. Note the adorable pink decor and display case, the vegan bakery must-haves.
Sweet Avenue cupcakes are indeed a treat. My only qualm would be the icing to cake ratio. We wound up knocking of the big heads of icing from our cakes and enjoying them even more. I brought the icing home to spread on my own cakes… is that weird? Although I am not big on the big icing, it really adds to the cupcakes’ beauty. Here is my icing stash:
Vegan Reporting By Location
