Summer in the City

This month, I made a short trip home to New York.  The problem I find in NYC is that there aren't enough meals in a day.  There are so many spots I want to visit and I simply don't have time to get to all of them.  However, there are some places that I make a point to visit.  Here are a few of them.

One of my first stops when I arrive in the city is usually Babycakes.  It's a bakery on the Lower East Side that specializes in organic, vegan, gluten free and wheat free sweets.  They have a Biscuit Sandwich with jam and frosting that I love for breakfast.  For dessert or an afternoon snack, their cupcakes, donuts or brownies are divine and essentially guilt free. 

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The Chelsea Market is a great place to shop, eat and explore.  It's a beautiful building that continues to add amazing vendors.  Some of my favorites are 202, a restaurant that also sells clothes and home goods, The Green Table, a sustainable and organic eatery, and The Filling Station, a great spot for olive oil and sea salt.

And of course, One Lucky Duck.  If you don't have a chance to make it to Pure Food + Wine, a raw vegan restaurant near Union Square, this outpost sells some of their best offerings, like Strawberry Blonde shakes and Macaroons.

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For lunch, I stopped by Loving Hut for their Vegan Joy (soy chicken, veggies, five grain rice and teriyaki sauce) and a Mango Smoothie.  I've eaten at several Loving Hut locations and never been disappointed.  They're very particular about their ingredients - all vegan, GMO-free and organic whenever possible.  You can't go wrong here.  And the Mango Smoothie actually tastes like mangos, not sugary syrup. 

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Teany is the perfect place for afternoon tea, lunch, or just dessert.  They have an extensive tea menu and roughly 10 different types of Vegan Treats cakes daily. 

Their Chicken Salad Sandwich is delicious and a great price for a vegan NYC lunch.  They also have a great Breakfast/Brunch menu and an adorable Afternoon Tea Special.  This visit I had a Black Tea Coconut Soy Latte and Vanilla Raspberry Cake.  I had a total sugar coma afterward, but it was absolutely worth it.

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I'm always up for Thai food, and Thai Market is exceptionally veg-friendly.  When the weather's nice, they open their doors, which span the entire facade, and a lovely breeze sweeps through.

The Mock Duck Salad is so flavorful and distinctive.  Bits of crispy seitan with lots of fresh greens and veggies.

The Pad Sapporod with Tofu is nothing short of amazing.  It's filled with pineapple, peppers, cashews and green onions with a sweet and sour sauce.  Their tofu has a great consistency - somewhere between soft and crisp.

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The next day I traveled to Brooklyn to see a friend and try Wild Ginger for the first time.  I adore Pad Thai but have to refrain because it's pretty heavy on the fish sauce.  Finding Vegan Pad Thai was the highlight of my day.  Perfectly spiced, creamy, crunchy and altogether lovely.  We split the Chocolate Cheesecake, but we were so excited to dive in that it didn't even occur to me to take a picture.  Yep, it was that good.

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Lula's Sweet Apothecary was my next stop that afternoon...I realize I had just had dessert, but I could not miss vegan cashew cream ice cream.  I had Cake Batter + Strawberry Soft Serve Swirl.  It was excellent.  Cold, creamy and rich with a wonderful strawberry flavor. 

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Rickshaw is a dumpling bar on 23rd Street that has only one vegan dumpling...but it's incredible.  Pureed edamame inside a whole wheat wrapper served with a lemon sansho dipping sauce.  You can make a meal of it with soup (the Miso Noodle Soup is vegan) or any of their salads (the Ginger-Soy Salad comes with spicy tofu and an addicting dressing).   And if you're nowhere near their neighborhood, they have a truck that travels all around the city - check their Twitter page for locations. 

Restaurants come and go in New York, especially vegetarian restaurants.  Before each visit, I check Super Vegan to get the scoop on the best veg eats in the city.  Happy Cow is another favorite, and they cover just about every city you can imagine.  With so many vegan and vegetarian options, I will continue to feature New York as one of the leading veg cities.

Pukk . Thai Vegetarian in NYC

Pukk is a fantastic Thai vegetarian restaurant in the East Village that I simply adore.  They have great lunch specials and the entire menu is extremely budget friendly.  On my last visit, I had the Peanut Satay Skewers, which were phenomenal.  Served with pickled vegetables, they're perfectly sweet and savory.

Quick Vegan Breakfast in NYC

One of the greatest things for a vegan in New York is vegan cream cheese available at delis all around the city.   So many delis carry various flavors of tofu cream cheese, and of course, any kind of bagel you're craving.  I happened to stop by Guy and Gallard on 7th Avenue, where they have Scallion and Vegetable veggie cream cheeses.  Great breakfast when you're on the go!

Rosa Mexicano . Guacamole on Demand

It's no secret that I adore guacamole.  And in my opinion, the best guac to be had is in New York City.  This is due to the fact that most restaurants will make it fresh for you at your table.  This way you can request the level of spiciness, extra lime, less salt, etc, etc.  Rosa Mexicano stands out because they serve soft corn tortillas with your guacamole.  Layered with their salsas, it feels so much healthier than greasy fried chips (they have those too!)  And you can literally make an entire meal out of it.  

My other favorite guacamole spots in the city...Dos Caminos + Mama Mexico.

Popbar

Popbar is a cute little shop in the West Village that sells all different flavors of freshly made popsicles.  You can choose from Gelato, Sorbetto or Froyo.  If you're vegan, stick to the Sorbetto.  The day I visited, they didn't have the beautiful 2-3 layer Sorbettos shown on their website - Raspberry Mint Lemon would have been my first choice.  In light of their shortage, I chose the basic Peach.  It was truly sublime on an extraordinarily hot day in the city. 

You can also have your pop dipped into toppings such as nuts, coffee grains, coconut and/or chocolate.  I chose to have mine plain, but they did look quite tasty. 

Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

Whenever I'm in Omaha, I get my sushi fix at Blue Sushi .  I love veggie sushi and their rolls do not disappoint.  Recently I tried the Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps and they've become my new favorite.  Crisp lettuce, edamame hummus, puffed glass noodles, cucumber salad, pickled carrots and sesame rice noodles with creamy cilantro, spicy peanut and yogurt curry sauce.  If you're vegan, the cilantro and curry sauces contain dairy, so stick with the spicy peanut.  If you'd like some other options, the chef recommends the carrot ginger vinaigrette and the wasabi soy vinaigrette, which are both vegan.

They're so refreshing and satisfying.  There's enough to share, but you won't want to.

See my previous post on Blue Sushi here.  They're extremely accommodating and helpful to people with dietary restrictions!

Justin's Nut Butters

I was a lucky girl growing up.  My mother's side of the family lives in France and we've been visiting them every other year since I was born.  I took great pleasure in eating Nutella for breakfast while in France.  Every morning was greeted with bread, French butter and Nutella.  I was ecstatic when it finally made it to the states - I always have a jar on hand.  Unfortunately, since going vegan I haven't been able to partake in one of my favorite breakfasts.  

Last week I discovered Justin's Nut Butters.  They have lots of flavors, but I went for Chocolate Hazelnut to satisfy my craving.  It's rich, salty and full of nutty goodness.  I eat it almost every morning on sourdough toast with Earth Balance.  Now, don't expect an exact replica.  This version is not sweetened.  However, I don't like to start my day with sugar anyhow.  Crisis averted.

Celebrate Brooklyn

During a recent trip to New York, I had the pleasure of seeing Rufus Wainwright in Brooklyn.  It was a perfect evening in Prospect Park.  If you happen to be in the neighborhood this summer, check out their concert schedule here.

Vegan chili, kettle chips + freshly cut watermelon make for a lovely picnic dinner.

Omaha Vegetarian Recipe Exchange

Last week I met with some very dear friends for our Vegetarian Recipe Exchange.  We meet whenever everyone can get together, sometimes weekly, sometimes bi-monthly.  It's become something I genuinely look forward to whenever I happen to be in Omaha.  And it only makes sense for us to meet at the only vegan restaurant in the city...Daily Grub.  And get this...as if Daily Grub couldn't get any better...they now have a full dessert menu!  

This visit I had the Vegan Pesto Toast with Macadamia Nut Cheese and Heirloom Tomatoes.

And a Strawberry Cupcake with Vanilla Basil Frosting - so moist and flavorful - no one would ever be able to tell it's vegan!

My friend, Jess, brought the original Moosewood Restaurant cookbook from the 1970s...everything was hand written!  I'd never seen this original copy before...it's really charming.

See my previous posts on Daily Grub here and here.

La Buvette

La Buvette is an adorable French restaurant and wine shop in Omaha.  If you can find a table outside, take it quickly and quietly before someone else notices it's free.  Sitting outside feeling the breeze, while enjoying their freshly baked bread, is just that good.  It's especially pleasing on Saturday mornings during the Farmers Market.  

Their hummus is served with crudite and both white and wheat bread...perfect for sharing.

And luckily for me, they had a gorgeous Fruit Plate on the menu last night.  A fantastic way to end a summer day.

Charleston Whole Foods

If you think all Whole Foods are created equal, think again.  Whenever I travel, I try to stop by the nearest Whole Foods to check out the local offerings, as well as items only available in larger cities.  

During my recent visit to Charleston with my family, my mom bought all of the ingredients for pho, a traditional Vietnamese soup, at the local Whole Foods.  This is a favorite in our family, my husband calls it Massage in a Bowl.  While on vacation and eating out for almost every meal, it's great to have something comforting and homemade.

Always check out the bakery section, the larger Whole Foods offer lots of vegan options, including cupcakes!

This location even sells Sweet & Sara smores!  Unfortunately, this is the best picture I can show you.  Chocolate melts quickly in Charleston.

Union Square Market

Every time I'm in New York, I simply have to stop by the Union Square Market.  When I'm in the city for long periods of time, my husband and I do all of our produce shopping here.  The sights and smells make for a perfect lazy afternoon.

How beautiful are these currants???

Tomatoes in every shape and color.

Gorgeous purple carrots.

I first discovered ground cherries in France...they look like little tomatillos but they're sweeter.  They're adorable as a garnish when you peel away the papery skin (leave it attached for the full effect).

Beans, edamame, peppers, eggplant, zucchini...

And fresh, perfectly ripe peaches, apricots + nectarines!