I passed by there once, but it was closed. Did you try the hummus? How was it?

Robert Sietsema

Oddly enough, kim, the hummus was the weakest part, but that's probably because they use it as a neutral lubricant for so many other things. I like my hummus to be really garlicky and creamy, theirs was kinda bland and blah. But the other stuff more than makes up for it, including a great spinach pie when they have it, and homemade felafal (not from a mix).

That's too bad. I was going to go there for the hummus. In your opinion, which restaurant(s) serve the best hummus? I want to replicate at home (just got a jar of tahini), but just too lazy and also because I love how it's presented in the restaurant.

Robert Sietsema

I love the hummus at Hummus Place, which is appropriately garlicky, and comes in several variations, including one with foul (fava beans) poured into a well in the middle. Hummus is always inproved by pour good olive oil over it and some chopped flat-leaf parsley. As for the chick peas, it's a zillion times better to use fresh ones that you've boiled forever than to use canned. And watch out for the tahini--it goes rancid really rapidly because of the high oil content, so store it in a semi-cool place, and stir it every couple of days, or the solid seed parts sink to the bottom and turn into hardened library paste. Also like the hummus at Mamoun's and at Oasis in Williamsburg.

Check out this informative and inspiring video on why people choose vegan: http://veganvideo.org/

Also see Gary Yourofsky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bagt5L9wXGo

I also love the hummus foul at the HP as well. Can't afford to eat there everyday though (diet-wise) lol. I store my tahini in the fridge. I wonder if different brands of tahini makes a big difference 'cause I know HP sources their from their home country.

I appreciate what you are trying to do here, but NYC has some of the best vegan/vegetarian focused dining establishments in the world and if baffles me why you have yet to cover any of them. Most of what you profile are side dishes, which are nice and all, but there's almost nothing I'd want to make a meal out of (I'm vegan). Are you afraid of hearty meat substitutes? Of people who cook vegan because they believe in it, and not just by accident? I assure you, you are missing out. Check out the seitan at candle 79! The warm open faced tempeh sandwich at Angelica Kitchen! The mock duck curry at Pukk! The vegan biscuits and gravy at sacred chow! The seitan asada at Papacitos! And even (dare I bring it up to a foodie?) the magical almalgamation of chemicals and processed soy that is the crispy soul chicken at VPII (a delicious unhealthy treat to be savored once in a blue moon)?
Vegans love food, and I think more of them would read your blog if you were not so squeamish about covering the restaurants we hold dear. Not because they're vegan, but because they're good. You are missing out.

Thanks for your hearfelt email, Jamie. We have covered extensively both Angelica Kitchen (which I love) and Pukk (full review). To tell the truth, I'm not a big fan of meat substitutes, there are plenty of vegan cuisines (south Indian, for example) that make excellent food without trying to give the futile illusion that one is eating meat. Given a vegan value system, why would you even want to eat something that looks like meat? For one thing, meat substitutes tend to represent wildly overprocessed foods filled with chemicals, and, truth to tell, a clump of tofu, strip of seitan, or glob of textured protein is a beautiful thing unto itself.

Alas, many vegetarian restaurants serve food that is totally bland, or, in the case of Chinese vegetarian, so soaked in sugar and grease, that there's no way it's healthy by any stretch or the imagination. Not that we're obsessed with plugging healthy food, either.

One of the reasons we promote vegetarian and vegan alternatives at regular restaurants is to convince them to give more of their menus over to meatless choices; Remember that vegetarians and vegans more often find themselves in the vicinity of places that serve meat than not.

Nevertheless, I appreciate you suggestion of good vegetarian and vegan places to dine.