Eatery Row is an occasional series here at Dandelion Chandelier assessing the best restaurants for a romantic night out, an important business lunch, or a luxurious meal with friends. We only recommend establishments that we’ve personally road-tested and enjoyed. We’ll let you know if a hot place actually lives up to the hype, and whether a classic is still maintaining its high standards. Because an essential element of luxury is knowing that you’re in really good hands.
Our newly-appointed Food Editor has given us her insider’s view on the best and most popular vegetarian, vegan and vegetable-forward restaurants in Manhattan right now. Here’s her report:
Between Mario Batali’s “meatless Mondays” and Mark Bittman’s “vegan before 6p” (or VB6), it’s no surprise that more and more vegetable-forward, vegetarian, and vegan restaurants have been popping up around the city. This is good news for everyone, including vegetable lovers and omnivores, as chefs are getting more and creative with their preparations. The next time you’re planning a night out, and part of your group is vegetarian or vegan and part of it isn’t, try one of these, and everyone will leave happy. These spots are worth the trip — and we promise, no one will miss the meat.
—Nix. This charming restaurant on University Place in Greenwich Village, helmed by Chef John Fraser, is the only vegetarian restaurant in the US with a Michelin star. We recently sat down with the gracious and elegant proprietor James Truman for a lively interview, and we also took one of our most voracious carnivorous staff members to lunch there. Everyone on our team loves it, and we think you will too.
—Per Se. If you’re looking to splurge on a vegetarian feast for a special occasion, Per Se’s vegetable tasting menu is hard to beat. Our Food Editor notes: “The last two times I ate at Per Se, I actually preferred the vegetable menu to the traditional tasting menu.”
—Dirt Candy was an early pioneer in the vegetarian restaurant space, and it remains one of the best. If you think vegetarian cuisine means raw salads and strange grains, give Dirt Candy a try. It’s not a health nut’s vegetarian, if you know what we mean (Korean fried broccoli, anyone?).
–ABCV is Jean Georges’ recently-opened all-vegetarian restaurant. It’s a natural extension of the veg-heavy menu that he offers at ABC Kitchen. We recently had lunch there with our steak-loving Staff Photographer, and he left the meal feeling happy. The space is bright and lively, the service is excellent, and you can go shopping afterward — what’s not to love?
—Loring Place. Newcomer Loring Place isn’t exclusively vegetarian, but you can have a very satisfying meal there without any meat. Chef Dan Kluger made a name for himself with his vegetable-forward menu at ABC Kitchen before leaving Jean Georges’ empire to open this cool spot on 8th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. Say the Food Editor: “A couple of veggie starters like the zucchini fries and the roasted eggplant followed by a salad makes for a light, but lovely dinner. Or if you’re of the mindset that one should bulk up to stay warm for the winter (like me!), add the squash blossom pizza, and you won’t be disappointed. Oh, and the cocktails are excellent if you’re in that mood. But, if you’re really being good, try one of the four mocktails, which are all well balanced and delicious. I almost didn’t miss the booze. It’s sort of a see-and-be-seen spot, but the food lives up to the hype.”
—Kajitsu. If you’re craving Japanese flavors and small bites like those offered on a traditional Kaiseki menu, then you should head to Kajitsu. The atmosphere is far more zen and polished than you would expect from a basement in Murray Hill, and the food feels both experimental and centuries-old at the same time. This is a place to go with a special someone to savor the delicious bites on one of their three tasting menus, with or without the sake pairings. The mood at Kajitsu is very focused on the food, and luckily, it stands on it own.
—Atla is also not exclusively vegetarian, but it has some really interesting vegetable options. It’s a new spot on Lafayette in NoHo run by the famous Mexican chef, Enrique Olvera (his other restaurant, Cosme, is fabulous). Our Food Editor notes: “The executive chef of both restaurants is Daniella Soto-Innes, a StarChef Rising Star a few years ago and James Beard Award winner – and a very cool woman. Atla is open all day, so you can get chia yogurt and coffee in the morning or herbed guacamole in the afternoon/evening.”
—Superiority Burger. Of course, New York’s great vegetarian restaurants aren’t all geared toward fancy nights out on the town. Our Food Editor reports: “Brooks Headley, the former pastry chef at Del Posto, opened this tiny, hole-in-the-wall vegetarian spot in the East Village two years ago. And as a burger lover, I will tell you that this is not a misnomer. The burgers may be completely vegetarian (or vegan – most menu items can also be prepared vegan) and small in stature, but they are big in all the burgery things you want. The sear from the griddle gives the grains and beans in the patty the feel of a nicely browned burger, and the sauce, shredded lettuce, roma tomato and soft potato bun work nicely to round out what you expect of a burger. There are a few other main courses you wouldn’t expect to work without beef, such as the Sloppy Dave and there are always fun specials, like the Philly cheese steak without the cheese or the steak. Trust me – it’s good. All of these dishes are fun recreations of classic beef-based sandwiches. They have the same nostalgic qualities of the classics and are delicious. And Brooks’ gelatos and sorbets are the real deal. They are fun and whimsical, and crave-worthy, and are often vegan. Yes, you read that right. Vegan gelato. Mind blown. ”
There are many other vegetarian or vegan spots sprinkled throughout the city that are also quite good. Some have been in town for long time — a few of the stalwarts are The Butcher’s Daughter, Avant Garde, by CHLOE, and Blossom.
We can’t complete this overview without lamenting the closings in the past twelve months of Angelica Kitchen, the East Village stalwart, and Semilla, the terrific Williamsburg newcomer. We’re still hoping to see reincarnations of both at some point in the future.
There you have it: the best of “Team Salad” in the city. Forks in the air!
