Don’t be fooled by the scary vegan word, because food is food and we all love eating. Especially at a restaurant when someone else is doing the cooking. Being a health-conscious vegan eater with a boyfriend who will eat anything, going out and grubbing out is something we DO. I’ve gathered together the best vegan meals in Greenpoint; even though there are definitely more than just five.
1. Paulie Gee’s (60 Greenpoint Ave)
With a separate vegan menu, and one cozy dining space, you are sure to enjoy one of the most delicious pizza joints in all of New York City. Five white pies and a red pie with tons of toppings start at $10 and go up to $18. They even have homemade vegan sausage! I have to say the “Vegan Greenpointer” with the lemon juice is my personal favorite. Lemon on everything!
2. Spritzenhaus (33.33 Nassau Ave)
You can’t miss this giant beer garden featuring tons of beers on tap and a list of German bratwursts. The most unsuspecting thing on the menu is a vegan brat! A specialty locally sourced vegan brat with apple wood sage and a balsamic reduction on a pretzel bun topped with a heavy helping of peppers and onions, this brat will blow your mind, for only $11. In fact, my meat guru boyfriend prefers this vegan brat to some of the more game-y ones. Don’t forget to get a side of the Belgian fries and try the surplus of mustards they offer.
3. Greenpoint Heights (278 Nassau Ave)
The most talked about new hangout in “this side” of Greenpoint, you all know how awesome Greenpoint Heights is. The chill, unpretentious vibes, matched with the incredible food and drinks, this spot is my jam. Elizabeth is one amazing chef, concocting some serious tacos. The vegan options include a sweet plantain taco and a black bean taco. Mango salsa, guacamole, and fried shallots are a few of the yummy toppings. Other favorites include the banging chips & guac as well as the kale salad (without the cheese of course.) Tacos are $4 each but $3 on Thursdays!
4. Café Royal (195 Nassau Ave)
A coffee shop by day, and a gourmet kitchen by night! One vegan special this café features for dinner is the quinoa plate. Quinoa with sautéed tofu, kale, corn, and roasted tomatoes and pine nuts, topped with some pesto. This healthy dish is a hearty helping that includes a side salad and toast for only 11 bucks. It is one of those dishes that is so good (and easy) that when you try to do it yourself, you can’t even come close. Chef Juan is the master of this bad boy.
5. No Name Bar (597 Manhattan Ave)
No name, no website, no press. But, I couldn’t refuse. This hidden spot in the middle of everything is also featuring a secret Thai kitchen with a badass woman chef. The sprawling backyard is where the kitchen is tucked away and it features a couple vegan options. One is the homemade veggie dumpling noodle soup with bok choi for $9. Spruce that baby up with some chili paste, and this big serving of hot soup with scrumptious dumplings is the perfect soup for a cold day.
Perhaps you aren’t leaving town until after the 20th, maybe you aren’t even leaving Greenpoint for this holiday season. In that case, come to Eat (124 Meserole Avenue) to do your last minute holiday shopping at our Eat Ceramic Holiday Sale Party! Thursday December 20th from 6-10pm there will be pottery, refreshments, community and good vibes.
Jordan Colon, owner of Eat Restaurant and potter will be selling traditionally woodfired ceramics. Prices range from $10 and up. If December 20th doesn’t work for you, feel free to come in the restaurant Tuesday- Sunday and do some shopping anytime before that.
Eat believes in the magic of the handmade, which is apparent in the handmade wood furniture, ceramic plates and the locally harvested food that make up this Greenpoint resturant. Come be part of the magic December 20th & Happy Holidays!
I have heard form many local Brooklyn bars and restaurants owners that in the wake of Sandy, their businesses have been booming. With no L or G train, they have captive and hungry audiences. Now is their chance to give back.
Call for Restaurants and Bars inWilliamsburg & Greenpoint: Pledge 10-20% of gross sales on Thursday 11/8 to the Red Cross’ Sandy relief efforts. To participate contact dineoutwilliamsburg (at) gmail.com.
All diners have to do is dine, drink, and spend money at one (or many!) participating businesses.
Want Brisket? BrisketTown is opening at 359 Bedford Ave on October 31st, 2012 and the Greenpoint design brothers Evan and Oliver Haslegrave (Paulie Gee, Manhattan Inn, Donna) are designing the space to be modeled after a Texas Meat Market. So basically it will look as awesome as the brisket tastes.
I ran into Daniel Delaney, BrisketMan while he was on his way to start demolishing the soon to be restaurant. He showed me the layout and as usual we talked a lot of shit. Dude knows exactly what he wants. The design on his phone looks amazing. There may even be beer to go, but this is just between us.
To get your brisket you have to pre-order. But wait – there will be more than Brisket: ”We’re going to slowly develop other proteins with the same iterative mentality we had when approaching our labs.”
It’s so great to see Daniel, who I first met at a crazy pie bake-off a few years back at The Diamond Bar, realizing his carnivorous dream via a genius marketing plan that totally fucked with New Yorkers taste buds, which crave food that is not even in existence yet!
Some of the best snacks are the healthiest and simplest. Peach season is here so make a peach boats! They are succulent, sweet, savory, crunchy and tangy – basically everything that is awesome, in one big juicy bite. A great appetizers at a BBQ, they take no time to prepare. Cut each peach in half and remove the pit. Stuff it with crumbled bleu cheese, top it with almonds (walnuts & pecans are great, too) then drizzle balsamic glaze* on top. That’s it!
Also called Balsamic Vinegar Creme, you can find it at The Garden (921 Manhattan Ave) Or, you can just reduce balsamic vinegar down until it’s thick and syrupy. It last until forever in your fridge and is perfect over ice cream and salads, too.
I remember the first day I learned that white was not a good color for me to wear. I was sitting in PS49 having my free summer lunch and I dropped ketchup from my “meatless” hamburger all over the front of myself. I used to remove the burger meat and just eat the buns because even then I was a food snob and still am a food slob. My favorite meals were morning pancakes, meat ravioli, tater tots and the occasional strawberry milk. My Mom, who worked for homeless services, stressed how important the program is for kids who rely on public school meals during the school year and might not eat as well when school is out. I think she personally appreciated that it gave her a break from us.
To find out where to send your kids for a free meal nearby, either call 311 (it actually is a really effective service) or text “NYCMEALS” to 877-877. I never thought I would be able to text NYC, but I did and in moments they ask for my address and sent me a list of locations, including McCarren Park Pool (776 Lorimer St) & Greenpoint Reformed Church (136 Milton St.)
The only requirements for a free meal: you are a kid!
When the Sunday Farmers Market at McGolrick Park was proposed there was worry that it might compete with the Saturday McCarren Park Greenmarket. (Don’t we live in the USA?) I don’t know about you, but I hit up both every weekend and my weekly pie habit is becoming a problem.
We have a tendency to get the same old greens, like kale every week. But when I saw a beautiful napa cabbage, I asked Sam, who is the farmer from Great Road Farm if he had any recipes ideas. He likes to simply sautee it with chopped meat. That sounded great, especially since we always pick up turkey meat from the McCarren Greenmarket. (Jon makes killer turkey burgers.)
See – the markets can all just get along!
I haven’t actually made this because Jon has been ruling at this recipe. From what I have observed, you can really play around with this dish. It’s fast and easy, just the way we like it. I can honestly say it’s awesome!
Braised Cabbage with Turkey
Sautee chopped garlic and onions or shallots with hot pepper flakes and cumin. (Not sure if you are aware that cumin and ground turkey are in love.) If you have tomatoes, chop them up and throw them in. Fresh peppers would be great, too. Then brown chopped turkey meat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chopped pork or beef would also be fantastic.
Once browned add chopped napa cabbage on top and put on the lid so it steams in the delicious meat juice. A little soy sauce tops it off nicely. Over some rice, this is a complete, quick and delicious meal.
Our friend and local shop owner of The One Well, Kerry Jones is hosting and preparing dinner for a new Brooklyn supper club this Tuesday, June 19, 2012 at Ran Tea House (269 Kent Ave). The menu promises to be “decadent yet nutritious” with “high vibrational, living dishes that nourish the body and elevate the mood.” Sexy. Buy tickets here. BYOB.
We all wanted Piecorps to have a retail location, and great news: we can look forward to amazing pies come this June in Greenpoint! Piecorps needed to raise funds to buy a new oven and because of community donations they raised via Lucky Ant, they got it. Social media isn’t always evil.
I follow Piecorps on Facebook just to drool at all the amazing pies they come up with. Like Chili Pie with Cornbread Crust or Rhubarb Custard Pie. Good news is you don’t have to wait until the summer to enjoy their delicious pies. You can shop for pies online to be delivered to your front door or visit them on Saturdays at Hester Street Fair (LES) & Stone Barns Center (upstate) or on Sundays at New Amsterdam Market (South Street Seaport). All three Union Markets as well as Gourmet Guild carry their pies.
