On a mini-health kick, I decided to check out a couple of the newish UWS veggie cafés. My first stop was Peacefood Cafe (460 Amsterdam Ave., 212-362-2266), a vegan restaurant with an enticing bakery display (have you ever seen vegan tiramisu?). There were various salads and sandwiches; I ordered a tempeh avocado sandwich, chick pea fries, and a ginger lemonade. Unfortunately, I ended up being a bit disappointed in the meal; the scant portion of marinated tempeh was overpowered by thick slices of rye and salty pickles, and the chickpea fries were not the Mediterranean-style panelle I'd anticipated. Instead of being light and uncomplicated like at the nearby (non-veg) Nice Matin, they were overspiced and studded with various seeds. (The ginger lemonade was very refreshing.) Also, I felt that the meal was overpriced at $20. Still, judging from how crowded Peacefood was, it is obviously filling a vegan void in the neighborhood.
I had better luck over at Soomsoom Vegetarian Bar (166 West 72nd St., 212-712-2525), which offers both vegan and vegetarian options. A friendly woman offered me a sample of greaseless, flavorful falafel, and I was hooked. The lunch special is only $9.75, and includes a falafel sandwich, beer-battered fries or a baked sweet potato, free rein at the chopped salad bar, and a beverage.
(In other vegetarian news, vegan blogger Lauren Ulm has just released Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday.)
Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vegetarian. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Dirt Candy
The prospect of a hearty meal was the only thing that could pull me out of my apartment tonight. A friend had invited me out for a belated birthday dinner, so I'd reserved one of Dirt Candy's nine tables. As I walked outside, hail hit me on the head, and a harsh wind assaulted me. But all I could think about was the opportunity to reacquaint myself with Amanda Cohen's vegetarian cooking, which I had so admired at now-defunct Heirloom.
My friend and I started out with a plate of jalapeno hush puppies, happily smearing our spicy cornmeal crunchies with lots of maple-flavored butter. (Like all other dishes on the menu, the hush puppies can be made vegan on request. That does not mean that any random request will be fulfilled - I was surprised to overhear a diner try to order scrambled egg whites.) Next, we enjoyed bowls of vibrant, ginger-scented spinach soup. Not being cream-based, the soup was deliciously light. In each bowl floated three dumplings stuffed with smoked tofu and diced water chestnuts.
One of my favorite dishes of the evening was the portobello mousse appetizer with truffled toasts. The mousse had the texture of Japanese goma-dofu, but with an intense mushroom flavor instead of sesame. The square plate also included some sweet fennel-pear compote and a heap of meaty-tasting portobello slices.
Our main courses were arranged like meat-based dishes, with proteins at the center of beds of vegetables or grains. The crispy tofu resembled a seared salmon fillet, and it lay atop a melange of green vegetables like edamame and kohlrabi. I ordered the tempura egg on stone-ground grits... the white was well-done, but as I cut further in, the bright orange organic yolk ran out and swirled into the grits. There were also pickled shiitakes, corn kernels, watercress, and huitlacoche (edible black corn fungus) in the dish. I really don't think a meat-eater would go hungry at Dirt Candy! (According to Ms. Cohen, the majority of her clientele are not total vegetarians.)
A birthday isn't complete without dessert, and there were two versions of "cake and ice cream" on the menu. One featured sesame and grapefruit, the other, chocolate, sweet potato and chili. (The pastry chef, Debbie Lee, used to work at P*Ong, one my favorite restaurants. Incidentally, I was just there last night, devouring the hot dark chocolate with milk foam and pomegranate.) I ordered Cake and Ice Cream #2; there was a scoop of sweet potato sorbet adorned with a dried sweet potato chip, some chocolate chili ice cream, and a square of fudgy chocolate cake. (I just wish the cake had been hot, so I could have made a glorious mess with the ice cream and sorbet. But the dessert was still very enjoyable!)
Maybe I'm jumping the gun, as I just got home, but my next visit to Dirt Candy will involve mixed greens with grilled cheese croutons, carrot risotto, and popcorn pudding.
Dirt Candy: 430 East 9th St., (212) 228-7732.
My friend and I started out with a plate of jalapeno hush puppies, happily smearing our spicy cornmeal crunchies with lots of maple-flavored butter. (Like all other dishes on the menu, the hush puppies can be made vegan on request. That does not mean that any random request will be fulfilled - I was surprised to overhear a diner try to order scrambled egg whites.) Next, we enjoyed bowls of vibrant, ginger-scented spinach soup. Not being cream-based, the soup was deliciously light. In each bowl floated three dumplings stuffed with smoked tofu and diced water chestnuts.
One of my favorite dishes of the evening was the portobello mousse appetizer with truffled toasts. The mousse had the texture of Japanese goma-dofu, but with an intense mushroom flavor instead of sesame. The square plate also included some sweet fennel-pear compote and a heap of meaty-tasting portobello slices.
Our main courses were arranged like meat-based dishes, with proteins at the center of beds of vegetables or grains. The crispy tofu resembled a seared salmon fillet, and it lay atop a melange of green vegetables like edamame and kohlrabi. I ordered the tempura egg on stone-ground grits... the white was well-done, but as I cut further in, the bright orange organic yolk ran out and swirled into the grits. There were also pickled shiitakes, corn kernels, watercress, and huitlacoche (edible black corn fungus) in the dish. I really don't think a meat-eater would go hungry at Dirt Candy! (According to Ms. Cohen, the majority of her clientele are not total vegetarians.)
A birthday isn't complete without dessert, and there were two versions of "cake and ice cream" on the menu. One featured sesame and grapefruit, the other, chocolate, sweet potato and chili. (The pastry chef, Debbie Lee, used to work at P*Ong, one my favorite restaurants. Incidentally, I was just there last night, devouring the hot dark chocolate with milk foam and pomegranate.) I ordered Cake and Ice Cream #2; there was a scoop of sweet potato sorbet adorned with a dried sweet potato chip, some chocolate chili ice cream, and a square of fudgy chocolate cake. (I just wish the cake had been hot, so I could have made a glorious mess with the ice cream and sorbet. But the dessert was still very enjoyable!)
Maybe I'm jumping the gun, as I just got home, but my next visit to Dirt Candy will involve mixed greens with grilled cheese croutons, carrot risotto, and popcorn pudding.
Dirt Candy: 430 East 9th St., (212) 228-7732.
Friday, July 18, 2008
3 Veggie Lunches For $8 Or Less
Occasionally I receive E-mails from hungry readers seeking recommendations. This post is for the vegetarian East Sider who was looking for an inexpensive lunch.
- Zen Burger (CLOSED as of 12/12/08. I hope they reopen somewhere!) This environmentally-friendly answer to McDonald's serves an entirely vegetarian menu of "burgers," "hot dogs," and "chicken" sandwiches. The sandwich buns contain whole wheat flour, the coffee is fair trade, the napkins are 100% recycled, and all after-tax profits on bottled water are donated to the environment. A meal, which includes a sandwich, fries and drink, runs about $7. Personally, I found the burger to be more convincing than the grilled ZenChicken breast - the soy chicken had a strange texture. But after they slapped some cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato and special sauce on top of a Zenburger, I was hard-pressed to distinguish it from a "real" fast-food burger. (Aren't McD's burgers half-soy anyway?) (465 Lexington Ave., 212-661-6080.)
- Lan Cafe. To my knowledge, this tiny Vietnamese joint is the only place in the city where you can order totally veggie banh mi ($5.50). There are lots of rice vermicelli entrees (one question: why is the grilled lemongrass seitan on rice vermicelli $7.95 while the grilled lemongrass seitan on steamed rice vermicelli is $8.95? Random.). My rice vermicelli sauteed with little strips of seitan, bamboo shoots and straw mushrooms was wonderfully peppery. (342 East 6th St., 212-228-8325.)
- Dang Lai Palace. A newcomer to the East Side, this kosher dairy "world vegetarian" restaurant serves a lunch special for only $8, which includes an entree, taro spring roll and beverage. I have to confess that I haven't eaten here yet, but it falls under the $8-or-less criterion that my E-mail friend specified. So if you try it, let me know how it is! (180 3rd Ave., 212-505-2000.)
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Broadway East
Vegan food has been sprouting up all over the city lately, from Tierra Sana in Forest Hills (100-17 Queens Blvd., 718-830-0544) to Jill's Vegan Organic (231 Court St., Brooklyn, 718-797-0330). Red Mango's vegan red velvet cupcakes can be found all over Brooklyn, and the Upper East Side's Healthalicious (1594 Second Ave., 212- 988-8700) even serves a vegan Sloppy Joe!
But my absolute favorite place to eat vegan cuisine is the month-old Broadway East. (Where else do you come away with a packet of spinach seeds instead of matches?) This is no earthy-crunchy hideaway; it's a dimly lit, sophisticated space which is perfect for a date. In fact, it's perfect place for a date where one of the partners is non-vegetarian, as there is a sprinkling of items on the menu such as oysters, bass and free-range chicken. (This is an excellent menu strategy, apparently... when I visited, the oysters were 86ed.)
Our party of four munched on raisin walnut bread and an assortment of pickled vegetables as we waited for the appetizers. We ordered a refreshing fennel frisee salad with almonds and blood orange sections, and seared red beet tataki accompanied by diced yellow beet "tartare" and agar "caviar," livened up with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
Entrees were especially creative. The Peking tofu was the best vegetarian approximation of duck that I have seen; it used tofu skin stuffed with another preparation of tofu which had a meaty texture, and was served with a sweet dark sauce and cabbage. The "Mysore thali" was quite substantial with its skewered tofu, fingerling potatoes, and mushroom saag. My choice was a bowl of three crispy coconut tempeh triangles (I love the texture of this fermented soybean cake and wish I could find it more often), atop soupy, coriander-spiked lentils, greens, fried onions and whipped sweet potatoes.
Dessert was so good that one could have a heated argument over the last bite. There were both vegan and non-vegan choices; I preferred the non-vegan, buttery chai bread pudding with its melted dark chocolate chunks, crunchy brioche "dust" and saffron ice cream. The rest of the table pounced on the black cocoa cake and roasted sesame "ice cream." And what better way to end the meal than with a cup of Gimme Coffee espresso?
Broadway East: 171 East Broadway, 212-228-3100.
But my absolute favorite place to eat vegan cuisine is the month-old Broadway East. (Where else do you come away with a packet of spinach seeds instead of matches?) This is no earthy-crunchy hideaway; it's a dimly lit, sophisticated space which is perfect for a date. In fact, it's perfect place for a date where one of the partners is non-vegetarian, as there is a sprinkling of items on the menu such as oysters, bass and free-range chicken. (This is an excellent menu strategy, apparently... when I visited, the oysters were 86ed.)
Our party of four munched on raisin walnut bread and an assortment of pickled vegetables as we waited for the appetizers. We ordered a refreshing fennel frisee salad with almonds and blood orange sections, and seared red beet tataki accompanied by diced yellow beet "tartare" and agar "caviar," livened up with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
Entrees were especially creative. The Peking tofu was the best vegetarian approximation of duck that I have seen; it used tofu skin stuffed with another preparation of tofu which had a meaty texture, and was served with a sweet dark sauce and cabbage. The "Mysore thali" was quite substantial with its skewered tofu, fingerling potatoes, and mushroom saag. My choice was a bowl of three crispy coconut tempeh triangles (I love the texture of this fermented soybean cake and wish I could find it more often), atop soupy, coriander-spiked lentils, greens, fried onions and whipped sweet potatoes.
Dessert was so good that one could have a heated argument over the last bite. There were both vegan and non-vegan choices; I preferred the non-vegan, buttery chai bread pudding with its melted dark chocolate chunks, crunchy brioche "dust" and saffron ice cream. The rest of the table pounced on the black cocoa cake and roasted sesame "ice cream." And what better way to end the meal than with a cup of Gimme Coffee espresso?
Broadway East: 171 East Broadway, 212-228-3100.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Little Lad's
Back when I was a starving college student in Boston, I regularly took advantage of the all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet at Country Life. I remember indulging in "pepper steak," "sea cakes," and desserts topped with cashew "whipped cream."
There used to be two Country Life locations in NYC, but they closed many years ago, and apparently the one in Boston just closed down as well. But Larry Fleming, the spry, ageless founder of the chain, is not about to give up on his dream of spreading healthy, inexpensive food to the masses. (And the massive - like me! Did I overdo it this past holiday season or what?)
In a dark, gloomy corner of the concourse at 120 Broadway, he's opened a little veggie oasis: Little Lad's. I got a little bit lost trying to find it... a sign on the Broadway side of the building advises visitors to walk around to the Nassau Street entrance, which is equally as confusing. After enlisting the help of a security guard, I walked down the stairs to the concourse, where I finally encountered Little Lad's. The entrance looked like a country store, with baskets of healthy baked goods and fresh produce everywhere.
To my disappointment, the buffet was about one-third the size of the one at the old Country Life. But for $3.99, I have no business complaining! (I must mention that for those who dislike buffets, there's a small menu of a la carte sandwiches - grilled "cheese," "steak-out," etc.) The buffet includes one go-around of soup, mains, salad and fruit; each additional visit is only $1. According to Mr. Fleming, customers used to complain that they always ate too much; this is why he added the small extra fee - as a deterrent.
On the day I went, there was a delicious, coconut-laced Jamaican black bean soup (I didn't try the split pea). Other selections included rutabagas, beans, dilled potatoes, Armenian lentil stew (this seems to be popping up all over the place; in my ill-fated, brief attempt to lose weight on the Diet To Go delivery program, this stew was one of the choices. I had never encountered it before I tried to go on a diet. Is it indeed an Armenian dish?). The salad bar was pretty standard. I sprang for some mixed berry pie; the cashew cream had more vanilla than I remembered but was just as addictive. The man in front of me, patting his ample belly, remarked that he wanted to consume an entire bowl of it!
As I sat down to eat, I noticed that many of the diners knew each other, and if they didn't, Mr. Fleming did! He flitted around like a happy butterfly: "Here's an old Country Life customer! She went to the one on Broad Street!" Next to me, a man called over to a co-worker, "Second day in a row here?"
Mr. Fleming will tell you that customers have drastically lowered their blood pressure or cholesterol with just one weekly visit to his healthy food emporium. Although I'm a skeptic, I do think it is possible to lighten one's mood considerably at Little Lad's, and the effects may last a few days... until your next visit!
Little Lad's: 120 Broadway, Concourse Level, (212) 227-5744.
There used to be two Country Life locations in NYC, but they closed many years ago, and apparently the one in Boston just closed down as well. But Larry Fleming, the spry, ageless founder of the chain, is not about to give up on his dream of spreading healthy, inexpensive food to the masses. (And the massive - like me! Did I overdo it this past holiday season or what?)
In a dark, gloomy corner of the concourse at 120 Broadway, he's opened a little veggie oasis: Little Lad's. I got a little bit lost trying to find it... a sign on the Broadway side of the building advises visitors to walk around to the Nassau Street entrance, which is equally as confusing. After enlisting the help of a security guard, I walked down the stairs to the concourse, where I finally encountered Little Lad's. The entrance looked like a country store, with baskets of healthy baked goods and fresh produce everywhere.
To my disappointment, the buffet was about one-third the size of the one at the old Country Life. But for $3.99, I have no business complaining! (I must mention that for those who dislike buffets, there's a small menu of a la carte sandwiches - grilled "cheese," "steak-out," etc.) The buffet includes one go-around of soup, mains, salad and fruit; each additional visit is only $1. According to Mr. Fleming, customers used to complain that they always ate too much; this is why he added the small extra fee - as a deterrent.
On the day I went, there was a delicious, coconut-laced Jamaican black bean soup (I didn't try the split pea). Other selections included rutabagas, beans, dilled potatoes, Armenian lentil stew (this seems to be popping up all over the place; in my ill-fated, brief attempt to lose weight on the Diet To Go delivery program, this stew was one of the choices. I had never encountered it before I tried to go on a diet. Is it indeed an Armenian dish?). The salad bar was pretty standard. I sprang for some mixed berry pie; the cashew cream had more vanilla than I remembered but was just as addictive. The man in front of me, patting his ample belly, remarked that he wanted to consume an entire bowl of it!
As I sat down to eat, I noticed that many of the diners knew each other, and if they didn't, Mr. Fleming did! He flitted around like a happy butterfly: "Here's an old Country Life customer! She went to the one on Broad Street!" Next to me, a man called over to a co-worker, "Second day in a row here?"
Mr. Fleming will tell you that customers have drastically lowered their blood pressure or cholesterol with just one weekly visit to his healthy food emporium. Although I'm a skeptic, I do think it is possible to lighten one's mood considerably at Little Lad's, and the effects may last a few days... until your next visit!
Little Lad's: 120 Broadway, Concourse Level, (212) 227-5744.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Voila,Tiffin Wallah!
When I'm ravenous, I can think of nothing more appealing than a thali: a variety of tasty Indian dishes served in small bowls on a round tray. The new Tiffin Wallah serves four different kinds: the eponymous Tiffin Wallah, the Gujarathi, the Sapadu (unavailable until the arrival of a new chef, according to the owner) and the South India.
The other day, I ordered the Tiffin Wallah and a friend chose the South India. We had to wait quite a while although the restaurant was almost empty, but we were to find that this wait was due to the utter freshness and loving preparation of the food.
My thali contained a crisp papadum, a buttery folded flatbread, a huge portion of rice pilaf, a cilantro-y, chickpea stew with lots of tomatoes, a creamy spinach curry with fluffy homemade cubes of paneer, salty mango pickles, spicy rasam soup, cooling raita and some comforting rice pudding. I was in heaven. My friend's South India consisted of a giant dosa filled with browned potatoes, an oniony uttapam that resembled a pizza, fried and steamed lentil cakes, lentil dipping sauce, coconut chutney, and some of the best badam halwah I'd ever tasted. This super-rich, warm dessert is basically just butter, almonds, saffron and sugar. It's the texture of baby food, but somehow this only adds to its appeal. Although I preferred my own thali, finding the South India to be quite starch-heavy, I could have eaten an entire bowl of that badam halwah.
Tiffin Wallah: 127 East 28th St., (212) 685-7301.
The other day, I ordered the Tiffin Wallah and a friend chose the South India. We had to wait quite a while although the restaurant was almost empty, but we were to find that this wait was due to the utter freshness and loving preparation of the food.
My thali contained a crisp papadum, a buttery folded flatbread, a huge portion of rice pilaf, a cilantro-y, chickpea stew with lots of tomatoes, a creamy spinach curry with fluffy homemade cubes of paneer, salty mango pickles, spicy rasam soup, cooling raita and some comforting rice pudding. I was in heaven. My friend's South India consisted of a giant dosa filled with browned potatoes, an oniony uttapam that resembled a pizza, fried and steamed lentil cakes, lentil dipping sauce, coconut chutney, and some of the best badam halwah I'd ever tasted. This super-rich, warm dessert is basically just butter, almonds, saffron and sugar. It's the texture of baby food, but somehow this only adds to its appeal. Although I preferred my own thali, finding the South India to be quite starch-heavy, I could have eaten an entire bowl of that badam halwah.
Tiffin Wallah: 127 East 28th St., (212) 685-7301.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Maoz Vegetarian
What do you get when you cross a falafel stand with a salad bar? Maoz Vegetarian, the first NYC outpost of a popular European falafel chain. Fill your whole wheat pita with a variety of ultra-fresh veggie salads (pickled baby eggplants, sliced mushrooms and more), sauces and falafel. If falafel's not your thing, you can always go with a feta, hummus or baba ganoush sandwich (only $3.75!). Or, if your vegetarian pal has dragged you kicking and screaming into Maoz when you wanted to eat at brgr, console yourself with some tasty Belgian fries.
Maoz Vegetarian: 38 Union Square East, (212) 260-1988.
Maoz Vegetarian: 38 Union Square East, (212) 260-1988.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Curly's Vegetarian Lunch: Chocolate-Chip Cookies Made To Order
Have you ever wanted to bake a batch of chocolate-chip cookies, but you couldn't stop yourself from eating all the dough? Or maybe you knew you were going to eat all the dough anyway, so you didn't even let yourself get as far as mixing the ingredients together. If you're not a raw dough fan, maybe you stopped yourself from making the cookies because you worried you'd eat them all.
Well, here's your perfect solution. The next time you have a craving for freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, but you just can't bring yourself to prepare them, go over to Curly's Vegetarian Lunch in the East Village. Curly's will bake you a minibatch of three cookies, so you don't have to feel guilty, and what's even better, you'll be served a small bowl of cookie dough while you're waiting for the finished product. (Vegans rejoice: if you don't want your cookie made with butter and eggs, just tell the server, and Curly's will happily make you a vegan cookie served with vanilla soy ice cream.)
Curly's Vegetarian Lunch: 328 East 14th St., (212) 598-9998.
Well, here's your perfect solution. The next time you have a craving for freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, but you just can't bring yourself to prepare them, go over to Curly's Vegetarian Lunch in the East Village. Curly's will bake you a minibatch of three cookies, so you don't have to feel guilty, and what's even better, you'll be served a small bowl of cookie dough while you're waiting for the finished product. (Vegans rejoice: if you don't want your cookie made with butter and eggs, just tell the server, and Curly's will happily make you a vegan cookie served with vanilla soy ice cream.)
Curly's Vegetarian Lunch: 328 East 14th St., (212) 598-9998.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Blossom
I'm always curious about a new vegan restaurant, but I'm less than enamored of Gobo and Zen Palate. Eternally hopeful, I enlisted the palate of a vegetarian friend and we made a visit to Blossom last night.
The wine list was expensive; I didn't notice a glass for under $10. We decided to conserve our cash for the edibles, which looked promising. The appetizer menu included a "South Asian lumpia" and phyllo-wrapped vegetables with tomato confit. My friend ordered the satay, which consisted of a tumble of sesame noodles topped with two skewers of grilled seitan in lieu of meat. Although the flavor of the grill was not apparent, the texture of the seitan was similar to that of meat, if a bit chewier.
As there was obviously no cheese in the salads, the chef had been creative with tempeh and tofu to approximate its salty, pungent flavor. In my friend's salad of field greens, grilled pears and candied walnuts, the crispy tofu cubes served this purpose. My salad was a plate of baby spinach leaves coated with plenty of horseradish dressing, red onions, tempeh "croutons," pumpkin seeds, and sliced wild mushrooms.
I had thought about ordering the pumpkin gnocchi with melted leeks for my entree, but instead went with the seitan "medallions" in a caper sauce with herbed soft polenta and broccoli rabe. The broccoli rabe was very garlicky and tasty, but the polenta was bland and not particularly herby. (I guess I'm one of those people who thinks that polenta needs butter and cheese.) The seitan adequately absorbed the light caper sauce (by itself, seitan is rather tasteless, being comprised of wheat gluten).
Although we had no room for dessert, I was sufficiently tempted by the dessert menu to visit Blossom again. (Pineapple crepes with coconut milk infusion, chocolate ganache torte, yum!)
Blossom: 187 9th Ave., (212) 627-1144.
The wine list was expensive; I didn't notice a glass for under $10. We decided to conserve our cash for the edibles, which looked promising. The appetizer menu included a "South Asian lumpia" and phyllo-wrapped vegetables with tomato confit. My friend ordered the satay, which consisted of a tumble of sesame noodles topped with two skewers of grilled seitan in lieu of meat. Although the flavor of the grill was not apparent, the texture of the seitan was similar to that of meat, if a bit chewier.
As there was obviously no cheese in the salads, the chef had been creative with tempeh and tofu to approximate its salty, pungent flavor. In my friend's salad of field greens, grilled pears and candied walnuts, the crispy tofu cubes served this purpose. My salad was a plate of baby spinach leaves coated with plenty of horseradish dressing, red onions, tempeh "croutons," pumpkin seeds, and sliced wild mushrooms.
I had thought about ordering the pumpkin gnocchi with melted leeks for my entree, but instead went with the seitan "medallions" in a caper sauce with herbed soft polenta and broccoli rabe. The broccoli rabe was very garlicky and tasty, but the polenta was bland and not particularly herby. (I guess I'm one of those people who thinks that polenta needs butter and cheese.) The seitan adequately absorbed the light caper sauce (by itself, seitan is rather tasteless, being comprised of wheat gluten).
Although we had no room for dessert, I was sufficiently tempted by the dessert menu to visit Blossom again. (Pineapple crepes with coconut milk infusion, chocolate ganache torte, yum!)
Blossom: 187 9th Ave., (212) 627-1144.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Heirloom (Closed as of 4/06)
Pure Food And Wine owner Matthew Kenney has added another establishment to his rapidly expanding vegetarian empire: Heirloom. Open just a week, Heirloom already seems to have its formula down pat. The servers are knowledgeable and friendly, the semicircle banquettes are comfy, and the food is artfully presented and sometimes startling in its creativity.
The restaurant is upscale, but it aims to comfort. Tonight, my companion and I were delighted to receive a complimentary basket of jalapeno hush puppies. Although I would have liked a bit more jalapeno, I did get the requisite kick from the accompanying spicy creme fraiche. (There was also a maple mustard butter.)
Although the portobello "foie gras" appetizer sounded appealing, I decided on the carrot soup. A spiral of creme fraiche, a hint of chive oil and a few chewy carrot dumplings had me tilting the bowl to collect the last few drops of soup. But I was especially enthralled with my companion's "tempura sushi." Gossamer slices of persimmon, artichoke and chayote were colorful stand-ins for sushi fish, and tempura haricot verts provided some crunch in the maki.
I enjoyed my entree, but my heart belonged to my companion's "seafood trio." This assortment of trumpet royale and bluefoot mushrooms was disguised as seared scallops, fried calamari and grilled fluke, which were served on a bed of garlicky sauteed spinach. The scallops in particular were eerily authentic. I ordered the moqueca, which is a Brazilian shrimp stew usually served with rice. Heirloom's veggie interpretation showcased delicious chunks of flash-fried housemade tofu, but excluded the rice; I missed it. (The accompanying banana pepper empanadas were a nice touch.)
My dessert was an impressive, cocoa-dusted tableau of chocolate-syrup-drenched black cocoa cake, espresso ice cream and crunchy roasted coffee bean bark. A layer of sweet chestnut spread inside the cake balanced the strong chocolate and coffee flavors. My companion ordered the raisin-studded, white-chocolate-iced spice cake. (I ate all of the caramelized walnuts on the side.) And in the interest of providing the most comprehensive review possible, I also tried the chocolate parfait, which was really a nut-sprinkled chocolate mousse atop some jelled grapes... I suppose I'm more accustomed to a cake foundation, but you'll never catch me complaining about chocolate.
Heirloom: 191 Orchard St., (212) 228-9888.
The restaurant is upscale, but it aims to comfort. Tonight, my companion and I were delighted to receive a complimentary basket of jalapeno hush puppies. Although I would have liked a bit more jalapeno, I did get the requisite kick from the accompanying spicy creme fraiche. (There was also a maple mustard butter.)
Although the portobello "foie gras" appetizer sounded appealing, I decided on the carrot soup. A spiral of creme fraiche, a hint of chive oil and a few chewy carrot dumplings had me tilting the bowl to collect the last few drops of soup. But I was especially enthralled with my companion's "tempura sushi." Gossamer slices of persimmon, artichoke and chayote were colorful stand-ins for sushi fish, and tempura haricot verts provided some crunch in the maki.
I enjoyed my entree, but my heart belonged to my companion's "seafood trio." This assortment of trumpet royale and bluefoot mushrooms was disguised as seared scallops, fried calamari and grilled fluke, which were served on a bed of garlicky sauteed spinach. The scallops in particular were eerily authentic. I ordered the moqueca, which is a Brazilian shrimp stew usually served with rice. Heirloom's veggie interpretation showcased delicious chunks of flash-fried housemade tofu, but excluded the rice; I missed it. (The accompanying banana pepper empanadas were a nice touch.)
My dessert was an impressive, cocoa-dusted tableau of chocolate-syrup-drenched black cocoa cake, espresso ice cream and crunchy roasted coffee bean bark. A layer of sweet chestnut spread inside the cake balanced the strong chocolate and coffee flavors. My companion ordered the raisin-studded, white-chocolate-iced spice cake. (I ate all of the caramelized walnuts on the side.) And in the interest of providing the most comprehensive review possible, I also tried the chocolate parfait, which was really a nut-sprinkled chocolate mousse atop some jelled grapes... I suppose I'm more accustomed to a cake foundation, but you'll never catch me complaining about chocolate.
Heirloom: 191 Orchard St., (212) 228-9888.
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Pure Food And Wine
Feeling rather sheepish about my Thanksgiving overindulgence, I opted for a healthier meal last night. I invited two friends to Pure Food And Wine, the 8-month-old raw-foods restaurant in Gramercy Park. (It's also the city's only raw-foods restaurant that serves saketinis.)
Our meal ended up being surprisingly hearty, much more so than in previous raw-foods experiences. Although the portions were not large, we were reasonably stuffed after two appetizers, three entrees and two desserts. We began with the cauliflower samosas, served on a square plate and drizzled with banana tamarind sauce, and the young coconut noodles interspersed with julienned radish and papaya in a spicy coriander peanut sauce. Coconut was to feature prominently in the evening's dishes, forming the samosa pockets and providing richness in the desserts.
The entrees were as follows: a zucchini tomato lasagna with pine nut cheese and fresh basil pesto (the tomatoes were summer-ripe), beet ravioli stuffed with a surprisingly ricotta-like cashew cheese (my favorite entrée), and three corn tortillas filled with chunky guacamole and tomato-lime salsa. Although I am not accustomed to food served below 118 degrees, the intense flavors and garden-fresh ingredients made the meal a satisfying one.
Dessert was perhaps the highlight of the evening. The pumpkin pie (a misnomer, as the filling is made from carrots) was a delicious tart on a nut crust with a scoop of ginger ice cream, and dark chocolate ganache cake was surely the richest item on the menu. I wondered how the chef was able to so closely approximate the dense consistency of a flourless chocolate cake; the waiter informed us that the cake contained only cocoa, maple syrup and coconut oil. So much for my ascetic meal!
Pure Food And Wine: 54 Irving Place, (212) 477-1010.
Our meal ended up being surprisingly hearty, much more so than in previous raw-foods experiences. Although the portions were not large, we were reasonably stuffed after two appetizers, three entrees and two desserts. We began with the cauliflower samosas, served on a square plate and drizzled with banana tamarind sauce, and the young coconut noodles interspersed with julienned radish and papaya in a spicy coriander peanut sauce. Coconut was to feature prominently in the evening's dishes, forming the samosa pockets and providing richness in the desserts.
The entrees were as follows: a zucchini tomato lasagna with pine nut cheese and fresh basil pesto (the tomatoes were summer-ripe), beet ravioli stuffed with a surprisingly ricotta-like cashew cheese (my favorite entrée), and three corn tortillas filled with chunky guacamole and tomato-lime salsa. Although I am not accustomed to food served below 118 degrees, the intense flavors and garden-fresh ingredients made the meal a satisfying one.
Dessert was perhaps the highlight of the evening. The pumpkin pie (a misnomer, as the filling is made from carrots) was a delicious tart on a nut crust with a scoop of ginger ice cream, and dark chocolate ganache cake was surely the richest item on the menu. I wondered how the chef was able to so closely approximate the dense consistency of a flourless chocolate cake; the waiter informed us that the cake contained only cocoa, maple syrup and coconut oil. So much for my ascetic meal!
Pure Food And Wine: 54 Irving Place, (212) 477-1010.
Monday, July 21, 2003
Raw New York
Every so often, interesting requests randomly appear in the SalliVates.com mailbox. Recently, I've been asked to locate "yogurt pucks", to procure a list of sea salt distributors, and to go on a date. Although I haven't been able to fulfill these particular requests, I am about to gladden the heart of a California reader. Her E-mail of last week was so intriguing that I felt compelled to rise to her challenge:
First, I walked over to Eat Raw, a store which trumpets its cause right in the name. In addition to offering natural skin care products, Eat Raw sells crackers, cookies, nut butters, dried fruit and walnut-tahini "truffles". Unfortunately, I found the onion "Essene" bread and apple crunch bars very difficult to chew. I had better luck with the "Raweos", which tasted more like macaroons than Oreos (and that's a good thing).
Next, I took the F train to the East Village and strode into Live Live, where the proprietor was astonishingly thin! Looking at him, I immediately craved a huge plate of fettucini alfredo, but I squelched the urge (I was on a mission, remember) and bought a $6 package of "mac & cheese" instead. This concoction was a bar of macadamia nuts, kale, and red pepper; disturbingly, it was somewhat reminiscent of macaroni and cheese. I was reminded of astronaut food, and indeed, one of the brands offered at Live Live is "Moon Foods".
Next door to Live Live is NYC's only raw foods chain: Quintessence. With three locations, Quintessence has been detoxifying New Yorkers since 1999. Their philosophy is: "Treat your body like a temple and it will be heaven again." (Personally, I find it pretty easy to feel heavenly; I just pop a Knipschildt truffle into my mouth.)
I invited an adventurous companion to Quintessence for a raw foods adventure. We began our meal with the vegetable chowder, a delicious green puree thickened with nuts. The cold soup was perfect for the summertime. We were then to find that "raw" doesn't necessarily mean "quick"; our stomachs growled as we waited for our entrees. Our waitress patiently explained that my squash "spaghetti" was in the dehydrator. When it finally arrived, the "spaghetti" al pesto was interspersed with tasty marinated mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, but I couldn't get past the crunchy vegetal texture of the "pasta". My companion ordered the "round-the-world" platter: a sampling of hummus and falafel, malai kofta, "ravioli", a Japanese hand roll and a salad. The sunflower-seed pate in the hand roll played the role of a tuna tartare filling, and the raw hummus was actually very good, if a bit grainy.
Naturally, the highlight for me was dessert: a coconut cream pie had a sweet nut crust, and it was festively drizzled with carob syrup in an approximation of chocolate sauce. No, carob is not chocolate, but at least it looks like it.
(I am ashamed to admit that I ended the evening with a trip to Il Gelatone.)
Eat Raw: 426 15th St., Brooklyn, (718) 210-0048. Live Live, 261 E. 10th St., (212) 505-5504. Quintessence: 263 E. 10th St., (646) 654-1804.
"Dear Salli,After verifying that the writer was serious (how does one live without chocolate and fondue?), I set off on a mission to see if she could find nourishment in New York.
I am a raw-food vegan who will be visiting NYC for the first time. I eat fruits, nuts, vegetables and sprouted grains, but no meats, dairy products or foods heated above 118 degrees. Are there any places I can eat?"
First, I walked over to Eat Raw, a store which trumpets its cause right in the name. In addition to offering natural skin care products, Eat Raw sells crackers, cookies, nut butters, dried fruit and walnut-tahini "truffles". Unfortunately, I found the onion "Essene" bread and apple crunch bars very difficult to chew. I had better luck with the "Raweos", which tasted more like macaroons than Oreos (and that's a good thing).
Next, I took the F train to the East Village and strode into Live Live, where the proprietor was astonishingly thin! Looking at him, I immediately craved a huge plate of fettucini alfredo, but I squelched the urge (I was on a mission, remember) and bought a $6 package of "mac & cheese" instead. This concoction was a bar of macadamia nuts, kale, and red pepper; disturbingly, it was somewhat reminiscent of macaroni and cheese. I was reminded of astronaut food, and indeed, one of the brands offered at Live Live is "Moon Foods".
Next door to Live Live is NYC's only raw foods chain: Quintessence. With three locations, Quintessence has been detoxifying New Yorkers since 1999. Their philosophy is: "Treat your body like a temple and it will be heaven again." (Personally, I find it pretty easy to feel heavenly; I just pop a Knipschildt truffle into my mouth.)
I invited an adventurous companion to Quintessence for a raw foods adventure. We began our meal with the vegetable chowder, a delicious green puree thickened with nuts. The cold soup was perfect for the summertime. We were then to find that "raw" doesn't necessarily mean "quick"; our stomachs growled as we waited for our entrees. Our waitress patiently explained that my squash "spaghetti" was in the dehydrator. When it finally arrived, the "spaghetti" al pesto was interspersed with tasty marinated mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, but I couldn't get past the crunchy vegetal texture of the "pasta". My companion ordered the "round-the-world" platter: a sampling of hummus and falafel, malai kofta, "ravioli", a Japanese hand roll and a salad. The sunflower-seed pate in the hand roll played the role of a tuna tartare filling, and the raw hummus was actually very good, if a bit grainy.
Naturally, the highlight for me was dessert: a coconut cream pie had a sweet nut crust, and it was festively drizzled with carob syrup in an approximation of chocolate sauce. No, carob is not chocolate, but at least it looks like it.
(I am ashamed to admit that I ended the evening with a trip to Il Gelatone.)
Eat Raw: 426 15th St., Brooklyn, (718) 210-0048. Live Live, 261 E. 10th St., (212) 505-5504. Quintessence: 263 E. 10th St., (646) 654-1804.
Friday, October 04, 2002
Vegetarian Dim Sum House
This relative newcomer to Chinatown is decorated with illustrations of the Buddha. After finishing a large meal, I wondered if I resembled an incarnation of the fat, smiling god.
All edibles are strictly vegetarian, although you can also order various fruit milkshakes. I enjoyed a mango milkshake while I took in the formidably long menu. Braised "chicken" with lily flowers? Or sweet and sour "fish"? Finally I decided on the vegetarian mock shrimp dumplings, the hot and sour soup, and the lemon "chicken". The dumplings were gelatinous rice flour pockets stuffed with rice and chewy "shrimp". A very tasty and sour soup was served in a gigantic bowl, full of bits of red chili, tree ears, large chunks of tofu, and scallions. After polishing these appetizers off, I attempted to tackle the lemon "chicken" made of Chinese yams. The "chicken filet" was served in a pleasingly tart lemon sauce, but seemed to taste more of potato than chicken! But no matter; I left happily stuffed, feeling like I had at least contemplated nirvana.
Vegetarian Dim Sum House: 24 Pell St. (212) 577-7176.
All edibles are strictly vegetarian, although you can also order various fruit milkshakes. I enjoyed a mango milkshake while I took in the formidably long menu. Braised "chicken" with lily flowers? Or sweet and sour "fish"? Finally I decided on the vegetarian mock shrimp dumplings, the hot and sour soup, and the lemon "chicken". The dumplings were gelatinous rice flour pockets stuffed with rice and chewy "shrimp". A very tasty and sour soup was served in a gigantic bowl, full of bits of red chili, tree ears, large chunks of tofu, and scallions. After polishing these appetizers off, I attempted to tackle the lemon "chicken" made of Chinese yams. The "chicken filet" was served in a pleasingly tart lemon sauce, but seemed to taste more of potato than chicken! But no matter; I left happily stuffed, feeling like I had at least contemplated nirvana.
Vegetarian Dim Sum House: 24 Pell St. (212) 577-7176.
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