My NYC TRIP!!!

It was pretty much a cram session. A quick weekend in Manhattan.  We tried to get in as much vegan food as possible in a short amount of time! So here it is:

Can you believe there's not a place to get coffee at all in the New Orleans airport, after security?? That was a real downer.  So I had to get some on the plane. Luckily, I had my SoyGo creamer with me:

Stop one: Candle Cafe

It was really crowded in there, although we didn't have to wait long at all. We got there around 1 pm.  Tables were pretty crammed in there. We were practically sitting on our neighbors' laps. Oh well. Welcome to NYC, right?

We ate lunch here.  I ordered the Butternut Squash Soup, which was delicious and a very large portion:

S ordered the Classic Ceasar Salad:

I ordered the Tuscan Lasagna, which was out of this world. It was huge (luckily, S ate some). Greens were a bit garlicky, but quite good nonetheless:

Dinner: Franchia

Check out the ceiling in this place:

I really wanted to try this place having found it online. I hadn't seen anyone talk about it nor had anyone suggested it to me. I'm SO glad we went. The ambience was perfect. Tables were far enough apart, spread out on 3 levels of dining.

I started with some Persimmon Leaf Tea (the waiter suggested it), which was delicious:

We ordered some Spicy Kimchi dumplings (steamed) to start. They were not at all spicy, but really tasty:

S ordered the Franchia Roll with brown rice. It was quite good:

...and I ordered the Pumpkin noodles salad. I was kind of expecting noodles made out of pumpkin, but alas, they were real noodles (pumpkin flavored). Still delicious though and not drenched in dressing, which was nice:

Luckily, we had a Keurig coffee machine in our hotel room (I have one at home!), and so all I had to do was run around the corner to Starbucks, grab an oatmeal, come back to the room and make myself a cup of coffee with the soy creamer I bought at the grocery store nearby (yes, we had a fridge):

A few sights:

A few bedbug mishaps, changing of hotel rooms.....etc......and then we continue....

Angelica Kitchen:

Setting was nice, not too crowded or small.

We started with the Ruby Kraut, which actually came out with the rest of the meal. Was good, pretty mild:

S ordered the Thai Mee Up, which was delicious (can't go wrong with kale!):

I got a basic Combo Bowl with brown rice, steamed vegetables (kale, bok choi), and sea vegetables. The waiter suggested the Black Sesame Sauce, which was amazing:

Red Bamboo:

There was a short wait for this place. Although it was small and crowded, it was set up nicely. You weren't able to hear your neighbors' conversations. That's always a plus!

I knew I was going to get dessert here, so I didn't get an appetizer or a beer, both of which looked quite appealing.

S ordered the Portabella Mushroom entree, which he loved. I agree, it was pretty good, but I liked mine better:

I ordered the Bamboo Curry "Chicken". It was awesome! I don't often eat "fake meat", but this was really delicious. Great sauce, nicely cooked vegetables:

Thanks to Lindsay at Happy Herbivore for the suggestion of getting dessert here! I ordered the Pumpkin Cheesecake, which was absolutely out of this world! So rich and creamy....could NOT have been low calorie :)

Was definitely worth the splurge of sweetness! And the prices are pretty reasonable for NYC. Big portions too.

We stopped at two takeaway places during the weekend. First, Babycakes, since we were at MooShoes and it's just around the corner.  You know, I wasn't too impressed.  It was a small place and there was quite a line.  They do have a large choice of cupcakes, including several gluten free options. I got a pumpkin cupcake (or was it carrot?? I can't remember) and a small brownie.  They were just ok.  I've had better vegan cupcakes for sure.  Maybe some of the other flavors are better?  Not bad though.  I wish they would've tasted better, for the price I paid.

Then we stopped in at One Lucky Duck.  That place is tiny too! And there was a line. I couldn't even see what to order until I got to the front. I wish they had a board up, or at least menus at the entrance.  All 3 chairs were taken inside, so there was nowhere to sit. They had shelves filled with raw foods, but no prices! I picked up a couple of bags of things, but then realized they were probably too expensive, so I put them back. They really need to put prices on that stuff! So the place needs some work. But, I read that the Mallomar is a must, so that's what I got! And boy, was it tasty.  Wow! Highly recommended:

Very expensive, but that's why we didn't eat at Pure Food and Wine, which is the sister restaurant just around the corner.

A few more sights:

(that's me!)

We stopped at Heartland Brewery for a sampling:

Went to Le Pain Quotidien for some lunch. I got the Six Vegetable Quiche, which is vegan. It was really good:

This was my first time at Le Pain. We went to one on the Upper West Side and I really liked the ambience. You can sit outside as well. I love the wood floors and the really long communal table in the middle!

And then there was.......the wedding!

(S out on the balcony at Studio 450)

(the chuppah)

(the bride)

(under the chuppah)

Congratulations, Bill & Meira! It was a beautiful wedding :)

That's it for the whirlwind tour of Manhattan.  We were staying in Midtown and walked EVERYWHERE! No subways or cabs for us.

PS-we brought back some Murray's Whole Wheat Everything bagels!

Eat smart,
T.