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.

Danji - Upscale Korean Restaurant with a Dedicated Vegetarian Menu

While I love Korean food, it can be hard for me to find Korean restaurants that serve vegetarian options beyond a bibimbap sans meat or maybe some japchae.  

While my new favorite Korean restaurant in NYC, Cho Dang Gol, does actually mark its vegetarian options on its menu, I haven’t been to a NYC Korean restaurant that actually prioritizes vegetarians such that there is a full vegetarian menu.  (The obvious exceptions are the exclusively vegetarian Korean restaurants in NYC, Hangawi and Franchia.)  

That focus on vegetarians is what brought me to Danji, an upscale, Michelin-starred Korean restaurant in Midtown West/Hell’s Kitchen, that also features its vegetarian menu on the restaurant website.  While the vegetarian menu is not huge - 5 items - it’s still a dedicated selection that does make vegetarians feel welcome.

The vegetarian food at Danji is also quite good, though not the spice-fest that you’ll potentially find at other city Korean restaurants.  I started with the tofu with ginger-scallion dressing small plate, which featured insanely soft, pillow-like tofu enveloped by some sort of panko-type breading for a great texture contrast.  

The japchae main course was slightly less exciting, but included different flavors and textures in the dish (sesame seeds, saltiness from the sauce, and the crunchy cooked vegetables).  I have to admit I wish I had more spicy sauce to make this dish more memorable, but nothing was inherently wrong with it - just a little boring.  

So while Danji will probably be a repeat with my meat-eating husband, it hasn’t displaced my other favorite Korean restaurants in the city.

Danji

346 W. 52nd

Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan

Most easily accessible from the C/E at 50th Street 

Exceeding Tasty Mexican in Long Island City, Queens - Casa Enrique

While walking through Long Island City, Queens one evening, we stumbled upon Casa Enrique.  Casa Enrique beckoned to us beyond other plentiful, veg-friendly restaurant options in LIC because of it’s laid-back decor and menu, which seemed like it could satisfy both me (the vegetarian) and my husband (the carnivore).  

We sat at a thick wood communal table, thankfully not too packed, and started with some drinks.  My Aguachile Margarita in particular tasted quite fresh with a really nice, mildly spicy flavor from the serrano chiles. 

For my main course, I had a few vegetarian options to choose from on their relatively small menu.  I ended up with enchiladas dona blanca, which had poblanos, onions and tomatillo salsa.  

The enchiladas were amazing.  Not a completely overwhelming amount of food, and each bite had a ton of flavor from the many ingredients on the plate, including the avocado, red onion and crema on top of the plate.  My husband also loved his meat tacos, and declared them among the best he has had in NYC.

While not the cheapest option around (enchiladas were $14, and two tacos were $8), the food was really top-notch and I look forward to returning again and again!

Case Enrique

5-48 49th Avenue

Long Island City, Queens

Easily accessible from the 7 train at Vernon-Jackson, and approx. 10 - 15 minute walk from the E/M/G trains at Court Square

Cafe China - Best Szechuan for Vegetarians in NYC?

Cafe China is definitely a favorite of ours.  We have been going there fairly regularly for two years now, and whether it’s small dinners for two or family dinners for twelve, Cafe China’s wide range of Szechuan food has never disappointed.  And for a vegetarian, there is the added bonus that they mark which of their dishes are vegetarian (and gluten free) and they will make their dan dan mian without pork upon request.  Their cocktails are also superb.  Below are some of my favorite dishes, though sadly I am missing a picture of the dan dan mian because I consumed it too quickly on my last visit!

(Ma Po Tofu - SO good!)

(Fresh, Garlicky Bok Choy)

(Scallion Pancakes)

Cafe China

13 E. 37th Street

Manhattan, NYC

Accessible from the B/D/F/M/N/Q/R trains at 6th Avenue or the 6 train at 34th Street