blossom gourmet vegan over new leaf cafe
NYC is the best city to live in because, even if you don’t go away over a holiday weekend, you can still go on vacation in your own town. there’s just so much to do here, you will never get bored.
so, we tried to explore the new leaf cafe. i have been wildly excited about it, as it is part of bette midler’s new york restoration project. she has been a champion of NYC community gardens for ages and this renovated structure serves as the for-profit strategy of the non-profit organization.
while getting there is a trek–A train to 190th–it seemed so worth it. we’d get there for brunch and spend the afternoon digesting our fat, full bellies on the grass of the park. we got there at 3, a full half-hour before brunch service ends, only to be told the wait-list was full. as the cafe really, truly is the only eatery within miles, i was willing to buy it–3 groups were waiting ahead of us–until i walked thru the restaurant to the garden patio (stunning). outside were no less than 8 tables open and ready to be sat. plus, there seemed to be a bunch of waiters-i counted 5. why weren’t people being seated?
we left sad & hungry but decided to walk the park. up there in fort tyron, you get spectacular views and the pathways really do feel like a nature trail. we decided to lay in the grass anyway and before we knew it, 5:30 hit and we decided we would try new leaf again, this time for dinner–which begins service at 5:30.
no luck.
the manager, in seer-sucker, informed the hostess that because they had so many reservations for 6 o’clock, they wouldn’t seat anyone at 5:30–instead, they would open at 6.
this is baffling to me.
anyway. i had hoped to offer this venue as a “double, thumbs-up, don’t miss it, have your wedding here” kind of place, but have serious reservations about it now. while i want nothing more than to support local groups doing tremendous good for nature in the city, i also want a professional, reliable, friendly service. bummer.
we ended up instead at the UWS blossom vegan restaurant.
the decor is a bit austere & white–a mild “zen” feeling to the place.
the food was super creative, but also super heavy.
i had walnut encrusted seitan with whipped cauliflower and (soggy) spinach with cranberry compote.
the boy had mushroom fettucine alfredo with soy chicken cutlets.
both used cashew cream to great use. on mine, as a gravy. his, as the cream sauce. the seitan was a great “chicken fried steak” substitute, that ironically i’d been craving for the last week. the boyfriend’s pasta tasted awesome but had way too many ’shrooms in it. it would have faired better maybe, as a stroganoff inspired dish.
we saved room for the chocolate avocado terrine. could have been sweeter and less fudgey (we were warned) in texture. but, definitely worth a try.
check them out. they do special events and the menu is pretty amazing. vegans, tired of brown rice, will go crazy over it.
