Plant-based restaurants have popped up throughout North Brooklyn over the past few years, and now, there is a new option with its own original vision for the future of vegan eateries. Garden Carver (187 Grand St.) hopes to provide healthier alternatives for carnivores and vegans alike with elevated versions of comfort food, in vegan form.
The owner of Garden Carver, Parry Lee, said, “We are aiming for the meat eater and trying to offer something that will appeal to them.”
Gorgeously-decorated Garden Carver offers a little bit of everything, from coffee in the morning to wine in the evening and lots of food options to satisfy throughout the day. Lee explained that he considers Garden Carver to be more of a take-out restaurant, but they do offer ample seating in a beautiful location surrounded by flowers and elegant details.
Garden Carver’s walkup window serves coffee drinks and plant-based pastries from L’imprimerie in Bushwick and bread from Choc O Pain in Jersey City. Friendly barista Jessica created a special blueberry lavender latte with homemade simple syrup and strained blueberry compote, hoping to bring a little Southern sweetness to Williamsburg. As Garden Carver is completely vegan, there is no cow milk, only options such as oat and almond milk.
Garden Carver’s deli section will showcase a variety of plant-based meats that are currently on the market including meatballs, sausages, and chicken as well as pasta and rice dishes. “Years ago, the only option was a veggie burger, but now the vegan section in a grocery store is almost an entire aisle,” Lee said.
Some of Lee’s favorites include a croissant breakfast sandwich made with Just Egg, spicy rigatoni with a gluten-free option, garlic fried rice, orange chicken with broccoli, Impossible meatballs, sausage with onions and peppers, and a smash burger with sweet onions. Another favorite is the French bread pizza with a sauce that Lee makes himself.
With all of offerings, Lee is going big on flavor, hoping to lure in everyone, from vegans to meat-lovers. Lee is also going to offer plant-based cheese boards and takeout packages that include meats to grill on your own.
All of this will be available as soon as Garden Carver passes all of the city inspections. Lee told Greenpointers that he signed the lease for the space almost a year ago in August 2021 and has been working to open ever since. “There’s a lot of red tape,” said Lee, who is optimistic that they will fully open soon.
For now, Garden Carver is having a soft opening with coffee and pastries and will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with possible adjustments once they are fully open.
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