New York Vegan Tour: Day 1

New York, New York! A hell of a town!

I remember the first time I went to New York…  I was about 13 and my Aunt Dottie and my Mom took me on the Amtrak Northeast Direct from Boston to the Big Apple. The World Trade Center was still intact, The Rosie O’Donnell Show was filmed at Rockefeller Center, and the TRL studio was being built right next to the giant Antonio Sabato Jr. underwear billboard in Times Square. Those were the days…

I have had major love for New York for as long as I can remember.

I had the chance to head to my favorite city last week for work and got to sneak in a couple of fun vegan stops while I was there. My friend and co-worker Kelly gladly joined me on my culinary tour as we hit up two vegan restaurants and one amazing vegan bakery. I am separating the trip into two posts because it's too good to lump into one…

STOP 1: Red Bamboo

This was a recommendation by my Twitter doppelganger, Fat Gay Vegan. You know I love a recommendation so I was all about it.

Red Bamboo is a small restaurant adjacent to the behemoth NYU campus in Greenwich Village. Their menu is pretty extensive and has a little bit of everything. You can get everything from vegan fish and chips to vegan BBQ ribs. I mean, what?!?!

There is a fair amount of fried yum yums on the menu, so if you love a deep fryer you are in luck.

Kelly and I shared the tempura broccoli and sweet potato, which was a plate of hot and fried loveliness. Sweet potato is one of my absolute favorite vegetables on the planet, but when you fry it with a tempura batter its loveliness increases.

For our entrée we actually got the same thing, the vegan chicken Parmesan. I don’t really know if it was baked or fried, but I can tell you it was great. I tore through mine like I had never eaten in my life. In all reality it had been a long day and I was pretty hungry. There was nothing coming between me and that plate.

The sauce had just a perfect level of sweetness, which I love. It’s a good thing.

The best part about Red Bamboo was our server was just delightful. She was way cute and gave me about a million and one vegan recommendations for other places to try. If I had the time, I would have gladly gone to all of them! I love a good server; it just makes the experience even better.  I told her about my blog, so if you are reading this Angela, leave a comment. I think we should be friends. (stalker alert)

Read more about my New York Adventure, Day 1, after the jump…

Stop 2: Moo Shoes

Although it’s not a food place, it was on our way to our next food stop so we stopped in. Moo Shoes is a vegan boutique specializing in awesome cruelty free shoes.

There was a pair of fake brown leather shoes and faux suede shoes there that I absolutely loved. There were both around $125 though and I am a chubby cheap vegan. I’ll just keep my fingers crossed for a sale.

But, if you are in New York go give them a visit. They have really cute shoes and about 3-4 rescue cats that run around the store. Too cute! If you aren’t in New York, visit their website to view their great shoe collection.

Stop 3: Babycakes NYC

This is my second trip to Babycakes NYC, but the first time I have a platform to talk about it!

I love this place. If I could marry a donut or cookie sandwich, I would.

Although I have had mediocre luck with their cookbook, the stuff they sell from their bakery is absolutely amazing. We both got a Cookie Crunch donut that was divine. Since I am a fatty, I got a cookie sandwich (chocolate cookies with mint icing) too.

Words cannot describe my adoration for the delicious baked goods at Babycakes. The donuts are cake-like and iced perfectly. The cookie sandwich was soft and the icing in the middle was heavenly.

So consider this my chubby love letter to Babycakes. If I ever meet Erin McKenna (the owner of BC) I may propose. You think she would be down? Husband won’t mind…

Start spreading the news, I am leaving today, I want to be a part of it, New York, New York! Day two coming soon…

A couple more pictures of Babycakes NYC. Just because...

  
                              

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