P.S. Kitchen in NYC
Finding P.S. Kitchen in New York City is definitely on my top ten list of notable discoveries in 2019. That the restaurant is in midtown (246 W 48th Street between 7th and 8th Ave) makes the discovery surprising because I rarely venture into midtown Manhattan when I visit the city: too many people, too many lights, too much noise. But, on a recent visit after an afternoon matinee on Broadway, I walked a few blocks and secured the front table by the window – an incredible table if you can get it. Walking in at 4 pm – an off hour – definitely increases your chances of snagging this front row light filled beautiful table with a cushioned bench and chair surrounding a picture perfect white table (below right in photo). Read more 
The Essential Round Food Molding Set
Several months ago, I was in a restaurant (Levél Veggie Bistro) by Retiro Park in Madrid when I was blown away by a dish called “Timbal Fresco de Quinoa” which means “Fresh Quinoa Timbale.” This beautiful plate of layered quinoa, sliced avocado, and chopped tomatoes with sprouts and ground black peppercorns on top was served with basil leaves along with a lemon squeezer and olive oil. I simply sprinkled the fresh lemon juice over the top with a sprinkle of salt and the flavor was magnificent. Read more
Vegan Dining Options in Asheville, NC (Part 7)
Asheville’s vibrant restaurant scene is often compared to Portland, Oregon’s (often referred to its sister city) but its not because both cities have numerous vegan restaurants. Instead both cities are known for being incredibly tolerant and accommodating to diners preferences. Plant-based options are available at most restaurants even when the menu doesn’t list a vegan option.
There are many fine, casual, southern, Mexican, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Thai, Chinese, and Indian restaurants in Asheville. Here’s just a few that offer some great vegan dining options: Read more
Le Botaniste: Not to Miss!
Le Botaniste in Soho (and also on the Upper East Side) looks like an old-fashioned European apothecary with a black and white checkered floor manned by staff wearing white pharmaceutical jackets. But, instead of rows and rows of “drugs” lined up alphabetically on shelves, the “drugs of choice” – plant food in a rainbow of colored Le Creuset round oven pots and perfectly appointed built in bowls – are front and center behind crystal clear glass.
A plant-based food and wine bar that operates under the mantra attributed to Hippocrates “let food be thy medicine…,” Le Botaniste is an exquisite looking cafe that bills itself as 100% botanical, 99% organic, and gluten-free. It’s also 100% delicious. Read more
OWL Bakery in Asheville, NC
Asheville, North Carolina may be known for the Biltmore Estate (the largest privately owned house in the United States) but it’s also the home of OWL Bakery – a European-style bakery that specializes in pastries, handmade breads, salads, quiches, coffee, and teas.
Located in a small white cottage in West Asheville, just a few miles from the city center, OWL Bakery is not a vegan or vegetarian bakery, but a place that welcomes and caters to all types of foodies. What draws everyone to this incredible bakery, is the quality and flavor of the food, which is made using mostly locally grown ingredients. Read more
Modern Love: Dinner Destination
Four years ago, Isa Chandra Moskowitz – a vegan chef, author (10 cookbooks), and all-around badass opened a restaurant called Modern Love in Omaha, Nebraska – a city put on the map by Warren Buffet (who holds the annual Berkshire Hathaway meetings in this “best bang for the buck city,” according to Forbes) and a culinary destination known more for steakhouses than vegetables.
Spurred on by the success of the midwest venture (which has since moved and expanded to a larger space to accommodate 80 diners), Moskowitz – a Brooklyn native – opened a second restaurant in Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York, also called Modern Love. Read more
When in NY, Go To Divya’s Kitchen
New York is a culinary destination for everyone including the plant-based devotee whose toughest decision may very well be where to eat (this hasn’t always been the case for vegans). There’s fast food (By Chloe, Beyond Sushi, Plantmade, Peacefood, Cinnamon Snail at the Pennsy, Superiority Burger), fancy food (Dovetail, abcV), pizza (Double Zero), really good food (Candle Cafe, Candle 79, Candle West, Dirt Candy, Blossom, Franchia, Bodhi, The Organic Grill, Nix, Avant Garden, Urban Vegan Kitchen, Arata) and then there is Divya’s Kitchen – an East Village restaurant that is technically vegetarian although most of the selections are deliriously delicious plant-based.
Divya’s Kitchen is well-known for its culinary creations, but there is also the ambiance, and a special something for which there isn’t a word – casual and comfortable but also elegant in a Provence type of way – that makes Divya’s Kitchen my favorite place to eat in New York. Read more
Best Bagels in NY: Tompkins Square Bagels
Everyone in New York and beyond has an opinion about bagels so I’m just going to put my two cents out there. Tompkins Square Bagels makes the best bagels, period. A great bagel has to be big and round, golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside – and that’s what Thompkins Square Bagels are.
With two locations (the original location at 165 Avenue A by Tompkins Square Park and 184 2nd Avenue between 11th and 12th Street) in the East Village, Tompkins Square Bagels is a neighborhood bagel shop but also a destination spot for many New Yorkers who know a good bagel when they taste one. Read more
Sunflower Seed Whole Grain Bread by Sant Ambroeus
Rarely am I impressed with bread served in a restaurant so when a friend who hails from New York City insisted I try the Sunflower Seed Whole Grain Bread at Sant (St.) Ambroeus, my expectations were low. For me, the most excellent of breads must have aroma – that yeasty smell that is indisputably comforting, a crunch on the outside, a soft, chewy texture on the inside and most important of all: flavor. There are many loaves of bread that look good but very few that look and taste incredible. Just like men, right? Just kidding. Read more
Healthier Choices on the Road
Traveling across the United States on major highways can be difficult. Road conditions and traffic are often challenging and unpredictable while the dining options leave a lot to be desired, especially if healthier fare is the goal but times are a changin’. Instead of McDonald’s, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin Donuts, or Taco Bell, consider the following options for a healthier alternative when a Clif Bar just isn’t going to suffice for another meal: Read more
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