Heirloom Eatery

The Big Mac Slider from Heirloom Eatery was definitely a highlight from the Vegan Shop Up. 

The burger was very burger-y, not of the black bean variety. The lettuce, tomato and red onion were so fresh and crunchy. The bun was so soft and lovely. And the cheese and special sauce both just added so much flavor and ooey gooeyness. 

A slider is the perfect size for this. With all the toppings, it was somewhere between a slider size and a full size. 

It was so tasty and delicious. 

Sweet Maresa Follow Up

More from the Vegan Shop Up.

Ok, so I've posted about Sweet Maresa macarons before, but...

I had them mailed to me, froze them, unfroze them, and waited a day or two until I tried them. (I ordered them early for Thanksgiving and waited for my vegan family to arrive to try them). 

This time I tried them fresh, and oh my god, what a difference. 

These were so incredible. The texture is amazing, I had never had a macaron before, so it was a pretty new texture to me. And who wouldn't be drawn to this color combination? 

Mmmm...I should have ordered at least a dozen more. 

Lagusta's Luscious

I have several posts coming this week from the Vegan Shop Up on Saturday. Big Mac sliders, mac and cheese, English cream eggs + macarons...

It was my first time trying Lagusta's Luscious chocolates and I was blown away by the creamy, salty goodness. 

First, a Smoky Corn on the Cob bar with sage, sea salt, pepper, and paprika. This is really such a flavorful bar, the sea salt really pops. 

And second, the English Cream Egg. The filling is great, but the chocolate is so so good. It's what really stood out to me. And the portion size is much more appropriate (when compare to the Cadbury egg). 

I loved these treats so much, I will definitely be ordering more chocolates soon. I'm dying to try the caramels. 

Candle Cafe West Follow Up

Candle Cafe West recently had a special that was pretty extraordinary.

Chipotle Encrusted Tofu with quinoa, black beans, sautéed greens, and guacamole. 

I also followed this up with a Pumpkin Chai Smoothie for dessert. Great combination, and perfect to take to go for the walk home. 

Sun in Bloom

Sun in Bloom just opened a location in Tribeca and luckily it's fairly close to my office. 

My good friend Kate has done some amazing photos/styling for them so I was very eager to finally try all of the amazing treats I've seen. 

I had their BLT with oven roasted tomatoes, almond mayo, greens, and shitake bacon on spelt bread. Very tasty. 

And I couldn't leave without a cupcake...peanut butter chocolate was calling my name. It was divine. 

Red Farm . UWS

I finally tried Red Farm a few weeks ago, and I cannot get enough of it. 

They have two locations in the city, luckily one is not far from my neighborhood. 

The Crunchy Vegetable + Peanut Dumplings are probably the best dumplings I've had. I crave them almost daily.

They are delicious, and since crunchy is my favorite texture, they're right up my alley. 

The Vegetable Fried Rice can be veganized without the egg - and ask for hot sauce on the side. Their hot sauce is incredible. 

They also have some awesome specials, and there's almost always a vegetarian/vegan option. Recently, I had brussel sprouts, string beans, peppers and onions in a black bean sauce. It rocked. 

They really do have some great dishes, and everything is so flavorful and complex. 

Clinton Hall

This past weekend, we met some friends at Clinton Hall in the Financial District. 

I was very pleasantly surprised to find a potato salad on their menu that does not involve mayo. It's vinegar based with lots of green onions. They also have a great cucumber salad with dill and sauerkraut. Truth be told, I thought all soft pretzels were vegan. I now realize some people do add butter and/or eggs. Eek. Next time I'm there, I will definitely confirm either way. (Yes, I know better than to assume, but I've had so many vegan soft pretzels, that it just didn't occur to me at the time).

Pretty solid veggie options for a beer hall. 

The Butcher's Daughter . Follow Up

I recently stopped in The Butcher's Daughter for a juice and realized they offer vegan, gluten free muffins, scones and cookies. 

I couldn't resist the pink Strawberry Muffin. 

It had the perfect amount of sweetness. Being gluten free, it does have a different texture than most muffins, but I really enjoyed it. 

And...they're all sweetened with agave or dates. 

Pressed Juicery

A few weeks ago, Heath and I did a 3 day juice cleanse from Pressed Juicery.

We did our first 3 day cleanse last year with Blueprint. 

I really enjoy the process, but you have to be mentally prepared for it. I feel like this year I was not as prepared as last year. The juices are similar between the two companies - two green juices, two citruses, one beet and one almond milk. 

I'm not sure I would do another 3 day, but rather just incorporate more juices into my everyday routine. 

However, I really loved the taste of all of the Pressed juices. 

The Modern Bar Room

Last weekend, Heath and I had dinner at The Modern at MOMA.

You can either eat in the Dining Room or the more casual Bar Room. We opted for the latter. 

I did email them before making the reservation to ask if they could accommodate a vegan diet. Luckily, they were happy to do so. 

I started with a lovely drink made with lychee puree and seltzer. 

Then it was onto Wild Mushroom Soup topped with chives. This was the perfect soup for me because I really enjoy the taste of mushrooms, just not always the texture. 

I also had the Red Endive and Arugula Salad with red kuri pumpkin and honey crisp apples. Arugula is my favorite lettuce, so I'm always happy with any kind of arugula salad. 

And for my entree, they made me a custom Winter Vegetable dish, which consisted of oyster mushrooms that were seared and in the shape of scallops, hen of the woods mushrooms (I didn't partake in these because of my previously mentioned texture issue), carrots, brussel sprouts, parsnips and spinach with a vinaigrette and all the little bits on the bottom of the roasting pan. It was all so flavorful and insanely delicious. 

And to finish, Citrus Carpaccio with a sorbet that I believe was passion fruit. It was such a nice, light, perfect end to the meal. 

They were so accommodating about my dietary requests. It's really the little things - like brining you a side of olive oil to go with the bread. (They serve butter with their mini baguettes). It is so so very appreciated.