Guess where I am…
If you said Hawaii, you’d be…
Wrong 
.
I’m in New York for the week. My friend Jessica and her boyfriend rent a tiny NYC apartment, and they’re being gracious enough to let me crash on their couch (and commandeer the fridge). It’s pretty crowded and is going to get even more crowded later in the week when S flies in for a few days, but we’ve had a lot of fun so far!
After lounging around all morning, Jess and I headed down to Greenwich Village and grabbed lunch at a place called Quantum Leap. My food:
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Normally, I’m not a fan of mock meat (at all!). But every now and then it appeals to me, which happened today. This particular dish is known as the Zen Platter, and it features a deliciously-spiced orange seitan (with hints of Chinese 5-spice powder).
Jessica ordered a grilled portabella burger:
And then we split a coconut peanut butter pie for dessert:
It wasn’t the best dessert I’ve ever had, but it was coconut and peanut butter… so of course we ate it anyway!
Questions of the Day:
Have you ever been to NYC?
What are your favorite things to do there?
Any suggestions, send them my way!
Link of the Day:
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Go to Caravan of Dreams, Candle Cafe (east side OR west side!) Gobo, or V-note. Also see if you can find the vegan lunch truck, Cinamon Snail. Seriously, you won’t be sorry! If you find them on twitter or facebook, they post their location for the day in the mornings!!! OH – and you HAVE to go to Lula’s Sweet Apothecary for vegan ice cream. It’s on 6th Street between Avenues A and B. You will NOT be disappointed.
Enjoy! And go to Brooklyn if you can. Walk around Cobble Hill or Park Slope. You’ll love it 🙂
Lauren
http://www.brooklynnatural.blogspot.com
I’m from New York and am still so unaware of all the vegan food options out there. My father just found a place for me called Franchia Vegan Cafe. Its on Park btw 35th and 36th I believe. I’m actually going to check it out tomorrow night! I was talking about it yesterday on the elevator at work and some lady mentioned a place called Pure foods cafe.. she said it was great food.
Also, for ice cream theres a place called Lula’s Sweet Apothecary. They have cake batter soft serve! and cashew based hard ice creams. I was so excited to try this place but I was so disappointed (their coconut whipped cream is good though) and I’m an ice cream aficionado ! Maybe you will have a better experience. Tried Candle 79.. wasn’t impressed…
Excuse the rambling post ! lol
Marissa
NYC is the best. Walk everywhere as much as possible to really soak in all the different flavors of the city.
There are LOTS of vegetarian (and vegan friendly) Indian restaurants on Lex in the 20’s. YUMMY!!! and inexpensive too.
Sometime you have to go upstate to see the overlooked but beautiful countryside. Take the Amtrak Maple Leaf express train to Albany or better yet all the way to Montreal or Vermont. it goes right along the Hudson for most of the trip to Albany. And then check out the Adirondacks (Lake Placid/Saranac Lake).
Check out Occupy!
Check out the Dosa Man on the south side of Washington Square Park. He serves Vegan street food and is so nice, and it’s great picnicking/people watching at the park with your food. http://www.yelp.com/biz/ny-dosas-new-york
Also, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is beautiful and free, and once you get to the other side, the Brooklyn waterfront is lovely. Ditto on the High Line. I second the falafel, my fave place is Cheeps on 2nd Ave just south of St. Mark’s. Hope you have a great trip!
I second soft serve fruit in union square!!!! So good. Blog worthy and unique!
New York City is definitely my favourite cities in the world. Make sure you run in Central Park and visit the zoo. Hit up a restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen and the Greenmarket at Port Authority. I’m so jealous, I wish I were there too!!!
Try to go to the Empire State Building at night…I went with my hubby at 10 pm, and it was so romantic! I’d also recommend seeing a show (I saw Chicago last time in NYC and it was great!) and maybe splurge on some One Lucky Duck or Pure Food and Wine. Have a great time!
I’ve lived in NYC for two years now and my favorite restaurant, hands down, is Sacred Chow. It’s tiny, charming, affordable, and the eats are reliably delicious. I usually get three tapas, which is $18 and PLENTY for two to share, or add on hummus plate appetizer and it’s enough for three. My usual order: orange blackstrap barbecue seitan, root vegetable latkes, and spicy peanut soba. Every dessert I’ve had has been awesome. Go! The food is great. It’s a few blocks from Washington Square Park, which is a wonderful place to sit and people watch, and there’s a dog park which is super cute.
The best cheap and filling meal is Pukk in the East Village. It’s a vegetarian Thai restaurant with lots of vegan options. Lunch special is a ridiculous $6 and the food is goooooood. The decor is also really unique (for example, there’s no light in the bathroom but it’s gorgeous/awesome). After that bargain, my wallet doesn’t feel too bad about forking over the money for dessert at nearby Lula’s; the same can’t be said for my diet, but it is 100% worth the calories.
Not to rag on a local favorite, but most people rave about Blossom but it doesn’t deserve the hype. It is mediocre at best and grossly overpriced at worst.
Enjoy the city!
A few other people have already mentioned it, but definitely check out the High Line! It’s definitely the most unique park I’ve ever visited – I absolutely loved it. When I went with my friend, we took a cupcake to split while we were up there, and ate it overlooking the Hudson; I highly recommend doing that, too 🙂 And for me, a trip to NYC isn’t complete without a visit to Central Park. I love Washington Square Park, too! Great people watching. I always like to browse in SoHo, too, and check out Uniqlo (very affordable clothes!). Have a wonderful time!!