Borough Vegetarian

Babbo - What More to Say?

Babbo is one of celebrity chef Mario Batali's signature restaurants.  It has been widely discussed, blogged and praised.  To that end, what more do I have to offer?  Not much, except to echo that it is a great restaurant that is fairly accommodating of vegetarians.

Why do I say fairly accommodating?  Because Babbo varies on the availability of vegetarian tasting menus.  As such, when we arrived to a sparsely filled Babbo for a Saturday lunch, my husband and I were unable to do the tasting menu because they weren't able to prepare a vegetarian version that day (and the tasting menu requires full table participation, as many restaurants require).  However, they were able to make adjustments to other menu items to ensure I could enjoy a good meal.  

I started with the baby beets salad, which was actually perfectly dressed and complemented by citrus.  I've had a lot of beet salads in my day with citrus and cheese, but this one was definitely the most refined and balanced.

My main course was the silky Garganelli with Swiss Chard and Asiago, which the chef was able to prepare without pancetta, which is included in the menu version.  The pasta was great - perfectly cooked and shaped - though the sauce was probably a little too rich for me.  That being said, my only real complaint with this dish is that I wish there was more lovely pasta!

Oh well, a lighter main course just means more room for dessert!  My husband ordered the Saffron Panna Cotta with Buttermilk Sorbetto.  It was the perfect consistency for panna cotta - just held together without being too stiff - and the flavors were very refreshing.

I ordered the popular Olive Oil Cake.  The cake itself was great - dense with olive oil flavors, well complemented by additional olive oil drizzles, and the richness was offset by the bright and light gelato.  The only downside of this dish was that in contrast to the garganelli, it almost felt like there was too much of it!  So I think that this is best described as a dessert for sharing instead of a dessert for one.  

That's it for my addition to the oeuvre of Babbo reviews - hope it was helpful for my fellow vegetarians!

Babbo

110 Waverly Place

Greenwich Village, Manhattan

A very short walk from the A, B, C, D, E, and F trains at West 4th Street.

Joy Curry and Tandoor - the Midtown Lunch Combo that Lasts for Days

The search for affordable Midtown lunches continues with Joy Curry and Tandoor, a largely take-out Indian spot recommended by a former co-worker.  The one thing I can confidently say about Joy Curry - you will not leave hungry.  In fact, if you eat one-quarter to one-third of your meal, you will probably have consumed enough calories for an entire day.  

When I visited Joy Curry for lunch a few months back, I went through the relatively efficient lunch line and selected the vegetarian platter, which consists of rice, naan, and two choices from 4 - 5 vegetarian daily options.  

Surprisingly, the curries (one chickpea, the other mixed vegetables) were not overly spiced or oily, which certainly makes Joy Curry stand out from many Indian take-out spots.  So while the portions were a bit overwhelming, and the naan was just ok (too soft for my taste), it is a great place to pick up a quick, $8 - 10 vegetarian meal that can last for days.

Joy Curry and Tandoor

148 E. 46th Street

Midtown East, Manhattan

A few short blocks from the 4, 5, 6, 7 and Metro North trains at Grand Central

Souvlaki GR - Great Affordable Midtown Lunch Option

Finding an affordable, sit down lunch spot in the heart of Midtown is an extremely different task.  And if you want quality and flavor too...well, you are probably out of luck.  Enter a new winner on the Midtown lunch scene - Souvlaki GR, the food truck turned sit down restaurant on West 56th Street.  

I met a friend at Souvlaki GR at 12pm on a weekday, and the reservations I made in advance were clearly not needed at that early hour.  We were among the only people seated when we arrived, though by the time we left (around 1pm), the place definitely had filled up - so as the word continues to get out, would recommend reservations.  

The menu is simple and very reasonable - combined, our check for two with tax and tip was maybe $20?  I "splurged" and ordered the $7.5 SGR veggie pita, which was packed full of lightly roasted and spiced vegetables, cheese and fries.  

Yum!  It was also a hearty portion of food, such that I felt like I had eaten two lunches when I had left - but unlike many Midtown takeout places, it wasn't greasy at all.  

I will definitely be returning to eat fresh, simple and affordable Greek food in Midtown!

Souvlaki GR

162 W. 56th Street

Midtown West, Manhattan

Half a black from the N/Q/R trains at 7th Avenue and the F train at 57th Street, and a few blocks from the B/D/E trains at 7th Avenue

MP Taverna - Upscale Greek Fare in Astoria

Astoria is a tough place for a Greek restaurant to stand out.  There are a seemingly endless number of Greek restaurants in Astoria, many of which boast specific regional, seafood, meet, and/or technique specialities.  And with almost all of the restaurants featuring a range of vegetarian options, we are constantly on the hunt for Astoria's "best."  

Our latest trip was to MP Taverna, part of a mini-empire of Greek restaurants in the New York area, including locations in Long Island, Westchester, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.  MP Taverna's Astoria restaurant is extremely popular, even though it is by several great Greek restaurants within walking distance.  

We made reservations well in advance for a Saturday night dinner, and had a pretty solid meal.  Unlike many Astoria Greek restaurants,  MP Taverna has a relatively constrained menu, so instead of sharing several small menu options, we stuck to two appetizers, a main course each, and dessert.  

I sampled basically the entirety of the vegetarian offerings on the menu, which accounted for approx. one of each of the course options (except for the three vegetarian salads).  Our main appetizer was the special pan-fried cheese, which had a lighter and fresher flavor than most fried saganaki dishes:

We also had the gigantes with feta and tomatoes side as an appetizer with pita bread - it was more tart and acidic than most gigantes dishes, but still pretty good.

Given the lack of vegetarian main course options, I then doubled down on the tomato/feta flavors for the fusilli with roasted tomato, garlic, feta, and spicy croutons.  This dish was far more memorable than the gigantes in that the tomato sauce was surprisingly spicy and the feta added a clear sharpness to the pasta.

To conclude our meal, we had the traditional Galaktobourek, which was served cold at MP Taverna.  This simple Greek custard with phyllo was pretty good, though we generally prefer it when it is warmer.

So while our meal at MP Taverna was good-to-great, in Astoria, where great Greek food is not hard to come by, I am not sure how often we will be returning.  Generally though, if you are looking for a fun night out or a new place for a date, would check out MP Taverna.

MP Taverna

31-29 Ditmars Blvd.

Astoria, Queens

A few short blocks from the N/Q train at Ditmars Blvd.

Tazzina - Solid Italian / Italian American Fare in Forest Hills

While the Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills dining scene has suffered a major blow with Michelin-starred Danny Brown's closing last year, this strip continues to boast among the better restaurants in Queens.  Our latest favorite on this street, which includes fantastic Katsuno and delicious Wafa's, is Tazzina, a casual, friendly Italian / Italian-American restaurant.  

We've visited Tazzina twice over the past few months, including a family birthday celebration.  The draws of Tazzina include its simple, yet accommodating menu and its warm and casual dining room.  It's a great standby for a meal with friends or family, or for an impromptu date night.

On our first visit to Tazzina, we sampled some of their house cocktails, including the bitter but refreshing Sicilian Sunrise.  While Tazzina may have better wine than cocktails, their drinks are not a bad way to start your meal.

Diners are also given toasted pita-style bread and olive tapenade to start.

Post-bread and cocktails is where the restaurant starts to distinguish itself.  My favorite starter so far is the Beet Salad which includes grapefruit, a balsamic dressing, and goat cheese fritters which all add nice complements to the sweetness of the beets and the spiciness of the arugula.  A great salad, which can also be a main course if you aren't too hungry.

My favorite entree so far between the risotto and the pasta I have tried is the Ravioli Ricotta Cacio e Pepe.  While not necessarily a traditional cacio e pepe sauce (far too rich and thick to be so), it is a nice pepper-infused dish with deep, homey flavors from ricotta and the thick sauce.

Another draw of Tazzina is that they will adapt more of their menu offerings to be vegetarian without an issue.  If you find yourself in Forest Hills in need of a filling, simple meal, definitely head to Tazzina!

Tazzina

102-15 Metropolitan Avenue

Forest Hills, Queens

Approx. 1 mile walk from the E/F/M/R trains at 71st-Avenue / Forest Hills

Fung Tu - Innovative Chinese-Inspired Fare in Downtown Manhattan

In a part of town that is bustling with new, hip restaurants, Fung Tu stands out with its genuinely interesting and tasty food.  During an outing there last fall, our party completely stuffed ourselves on much of Fung Tu's menu, and almost nothing fell into the category of "standard."  The Chinese / Chinese American inspired menu also featured a variety of vegetarian offerings or items that could be adapted to be vegetarian.  

We started our meal with several appetizers, including the amazing fava bean curd terrine.  The smooth fava bean flavor was quite a treat with the fresh herbs and chili oil adding more complexity to the dish.  This is definitely a must-try starter! 

The other vegetarian starter we got was the steamed buns with mushrooms - while the buns had a great texture and exterior, I have to admit my general aversion to mushrooms remained with this dish.  

My entree picked the meal back up - the vegetarian curry pot pie had a great, subtle curry flavor and a perfectly buttery and flaky puff pastry top.

My only wish was that I wasn't so stuffed so I could have enjoyed more of this entree.  I guess that means we just have to return soon!

Fung Tu

22 Orchard Street

Lower East Side / Chinatown, Manhattan

3 - 4 blocks from the F train at East Broadway, and 5 blocks from the B/D trains at Grand St.

An Choi - Great, Vegetarian-Friendly Vietnamese Restaurant Downtown

I love Vietnamese food, particularly rich, velvety vegetarian pho.  I also love vermicelli bowls and fresh rice paper rolls.  Banh mi, for some reason, have never been the top of my list, but I digress from the purpose of this post - the delicious vegetarian Vietnamese fare served by An Choi on Manhattan's Lower East Side.  

An Choi is a pretty small restaurant packed among several other LES spots, and I didn't fully know what to expect from it as I hadn't heard of it when I first visited.  The meal started off pretty slowly, with standard drinks and appetizers like a vegetarian fried egg roll.

The meal really hit it stride during the entrees, when I was able to sample a delicious vegetarian pho broth.  I am generally not a fan of mushrooms, but the An Choi vegetarian mushroom pho broth was really fantastic.  Rich, sweet, salty, garlicky - yum!  

My only complaint was that there wasn't enough broth!  I really look forward to trying this delicious broth again - in a city where vegetarian pho broth isn't as ubiquitous as it should be, one has to really hold on to the good ones!

An Choi

85 Orchard Street, btwn. Broome and Grand Streets

Lower East Side, Manhattan

A few blocks from the F train at Delancey, and maybe 7 - 10 minute walk from the J/Z trains at Bowery and the B/D trains at Grand St.

A Bit of New Orleans in Queens - Sugar Freak in Astoria

I am a vegetarian who loves New Orleans and its amazing food.  Think that sounds crazy?  Well, it is - a bit - given that New Orleans is mostly acclaimed for its meat and seafood-based dishes.  But one can still find amazing vegetarian options in New Orleans, and I finally tried of the NOLA-inspired restaurants in NYC, Sugar Freak in Astoria, Queens.

I didn't really try some of the more common NOLA / Creole / Cajun dishes at Sugar Freak, though they do have some vegetarian variations of classic NOLA fare, including a vegetarian étouffée and fried tofu po'boy.  Instead, I ordered the delicious vegetarian mac and cheese with a side of hand-cut french fries.  

The mac and cheese was incredibly well-spiced and had a flavor that was very unique (and delicious).  I had a similarly-flavored mac and cheese at a Jamaican restaurant once, and I must figure out what the spices are - very memorable, as you can tell.

Our visit to Sugar Freak was lively, with great service, and with my toe-in-the-water ordering turning out well, I think I will definitely go for one of their most NOLA-inspired dishes on my next visit.  

If you are missing NOLA and are ever in NYC, definitely check out Sugar Freak!

Sugar Freak

36-18 30th Avenue

Astoria, Queens

Approx. 6 blocks from the N/Q at 30th Avenue

Chela & Garnacha - Great, Casual Mexican Fare in Astoria

Chela & Garnacha has a tiny storefront in the southern part of Astoria, Queens, and with lots of scaffolding and other restaurants on the block, I have to admit that I had walked by it several times without even realizing a restaurant was in the space.  

What led me to Chela & Garnacha instead was glowing Yelp reviews which have elevated Chela & Garnacha to one of the highest-rated restaurants in Astoria.  To note that it serves Mexican fare instead of the other more familiar options in Astoria also made Chela & Garnacha a must-visit.

My eventual visit to Chela & Garnacha didn't disappoint - in fact, I returned the following weekend for brunch.  Both visits featured immediate seating, friendly service, and a no-frills atmosphere.  During my dinner visit, I ordered the quesadillas fritas flor de calabaza (squash blossoms) and the nopales taco, the latter of which I confirmed was fresh and not canned/slimy (nothing worse in my mind than slimy cactus slices).  

My friend also ordered a side of the grilled jalapeños, which were served in some sort of soy-like sauce - very tasty.  Overall, simple flavors and clean presentation.  The only slight downside was that I felt that I had to add a fair amount of salsa/jalapeños to get more spice into the both the quesadillas and taco.

For my brunch visit, I ordered the chilaquiles, one of my favorite Mexican breakfast favorites.  The chilaquiles were served in a tart tomatillo salsa and with an insane amount of avocado and vegetarian black beans.  I was able to cut the tartness of the salsa with some additional red salsas, which made for two strong meals (huge, huge portion of food!).  

I will actually be going to Chela & Garnacha next week for another dinner, so this casual spot is definitely part of my regular Queens rotation!

Chela & Garnacha

33-09 36th Avenue

Astoria, Queens

A few short blocks from the N/Q train at 36th Avenue, and maybe a 5-minute walk from the M/R trains at 36th Street.

Dirt Candy - The Mecca

Dirt Candy is the best restaurant in New York City.  And it may be the best restaurant in the world.  

Think I am nuts?  Hopefully this post will help convince you that I am on to something, even if you don't reach the exact conclusion that I have.

Dirt Candy is a cutting-edge, all vegetarian restaurant now in Manhattan's Lower East Side after many wonderful years in a super-tiny space in the East Village.  We had dined once at the original location, having tried to get a reservation for months, for what was then I believe was a four-table restaurant.  The wait and anticipation were definitely worth it - in addition to me loving all three of my vegetable-based courses, my husband also loved his meal despite the lack of meat or common meat substitutes.  

Dirt Candy's offerings, as you are about to see, are like no other vegetarian restaurant or really no other restaurant I have ever been to.  Vegetables are the star of each dish, and you can really, really taste them with amazing herbs, sauce, and other-vegetable accompaniments.   And unlike too many vegetarian restaurants, you don't leave feeling either hungry from the lack of hearty food or disgusted by the amount of fat and grease used to flavor the dishes.

Ok, to the food.  Our recent visit to the bright, new-ish Lower East Side location started with a serving of bread - which like everything Dirt Candy does, was unique and super delicious.

Yes!  This multi-colored, moist bread is infused with vegetables - beet, carrot, and greens - and served with a room temperature savory whipped butter.  Already, this feels like it's going to be the best meal ever.

I also ordered the Poolside Breeze cocktail, which was a perfect blend of cucumber and alcohol - such that my husband ordered one after I did because he liked it so much.

Our first ordered dish to come was the Korean Fried Broccoli, which was very spicy and complex with the sesame seeds, scallions, and cream on top of the barbecue sauce.  The broccoli was also a perfect base because it retained its crunch despite being breaded and fried.  I could eat five orders of this appetizer.

Our next small plate to come were the Curried Fries, which while being perhaps the least amazing dish we were served, were also pretty darn tasty.  The "curry" flavor was sweeter and more cohesive than many I have had at Indian restaurants, and the fries were somehow really great with the fresh paneer (cheese).  Both the crisp and soggy parts had enough flavor to make the texture ultimately irrelevant - hard to achieve with any french fry dish!

Now, to the larger plates, starting with the Eggplant, which was described as "mapo eggplant" with baby bok choi, pea shoots, and "eggplant sformata."  Not really knowing what the last item is, this dish also blew us away, despite our well-documented love of Sichuan food.  The pea shoots added a crunch and lightness to the eggplant, which was cooked multiple ways, including very lightly fried.  The dish could have perhaps been slightly spicier, but again, really well done with the textures and Chinese flavors.

Our final main course were the brussels sprout tacos, which were recommended "to share."  The brussels sprouts were prepared two ways and served on a sizzling stone, which kept them hot throughout our eating.  Accompanying the tacos were not only the condiments you'd expect at most traditional Mexican restaurant - jalapeños, crema, queso fresco, radishes, tomatillo salsa, and limes, but also the quirk of thin tortilla strips to add into the lettuce wrap tacos.  In addition, while I described the condiments as being what you would expect at other restaurants, what you wouldn't expect is the superb quality within each and every one of these tiny bowls.  The onions were perfectly pickled, the crema was perfectly tangy, the queso perfectly smooth, and the salsa - oh my.  How does Amanda Cohen do it??  So far, she has outdone Korean, Indian, Chinese AND Mexican restaurants.

Now to the dessert - "onion" which was comprised of a light and creamy chocolate tart with multiple forms of onion - pureed sweet onion within the tart, charred onion on the side, and I'm sure other variations of onion that I couldn't perceive!  Also really well done, though the crispy onions had a slightly gummy texture that I didn't fully enjoy.

Go to Dirt Candy as soon as you can.  Write a comment below.  But more importantly, enjoy one of the most unique restaurants in New York City!

Dirt Candy

86 Allen Street, btwn. Grand and Broome

Lower East Side, Manhattan

4 - 5 blocks from the F train at Delancey, and the J/M/Z at Essex St.  Approx. 4 blocks from the B/D trains at Grand Street as well.