February
2002
Sweet
Survey of NYC
By Anne Sullivan
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I have the good fortune of working with five vegans in my office. I
realize there is a myth that exists about vegans having issues with
eating and that, when we do eat, we only consume green leafy things.
Well, a visit to our office would quickly dispel such foolish notions.
We are all hearty eaters and are usually found shoveling food in our
mouths at any given time during the workday. We do have a special interest
in sweets, however, and are quite adept at finding vegan treats in the
neighborhood. Following is a guide to the yummiest offerings in the
Union Square area, as selected by the staff of Lantern Books and Booklight
Inc.
By sheer luck (and good real estate karma), our office overlooks Union
Square in Manhattan. The excellent thing about working in this area
is the Union Square Greenmarket. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and
Saturdays, vendors can be found selling a variety of farm-fresh produce
and baked goods. Last summer, I happened upon a table of fresh baked
vegan pies. Shortly after this discovery, we started the tradition of
“Friday Pie Day” in the office. Our favorites are cherry crumb,
blueberry, peach—basically every kind they sell.
So if you’re in need of a little “country” in your city,
head over to the Greenmarket and look for the pies.
Also at the Greenmarket on Mondays and Fridays is Body & Soul, a
vendor that offers amazing vegan cookies, muffins and mini-cakes. These
baked items are probably healthier than your average dessert, but they’ve
passed our taste test many, many times.
Veg-City Diner (55 W. 14 St.; 212-490-6266) is a relatively recent addition
to the vegetarian restaurants in the area. While the menu of veggie
“diner” food is exciting, their pastry case filled with vegan
cakes and pies takes, well, takes the cake. At first sight, these desserts
look like something you’d see in a top-notch bakery, with dollops
of frosting or pieces of chocolate candy on top. There is no carob or
oatmeal to be found in these delectable treats (no offense to the health-conscious,
of course).
We can’t seem to agree on a favorite, though the Grasshopper, Chocolate
Peanut Butter Bomb, Strawberry Shortcake, German Chocolate, and Death
By Chocolate are all in the running. Conveniently, they sell whole cakes
for $45, though orders should be placed in advance; deliveries are on
Tuesdays. The pies and cakes are baked by Danielle Konya of Vegan Treats
in Bethlehem, PA, and I’d like to take a moment to thank her from
the bottom of my heart, or stomach, really.
For office parties, where the vegans are usually left out (“No,
it’s okay, I have some stale crackers I can eat”), we call
up the bakery at the LifeThyme health food store. Shanan Fader is the
baker at the 6th Avenue location (410 6 Ave.; 212-420-9099) and will
bake you a special cake with just a few days advance notice. Our favorite
is the Strawberry Love Bomba, which Shanan will bake in a smaller mini-cake
size so no sharing is required. These rich chocolate mousse-filled sponge
cakes are topped with sprinkles and a strawberry and are appropriately
named as you will surely fall in love at first taste. For a quick treat
to go, grab a Tollbooth cookie—truly the best.
Vegans would be lost without a health food store and
luckily we have Healthy Pleasures nearby (93 University Pl.; 212-353-3663).
I usually by-pass the produce section (don’t tell my mom) and head
to the freezer for a box of Tofutti Crunch Bars. Remember when you got
the ice cream bars with the crunchy crumb layer coating from the ice
cream truck (or Dairy Hill in my case) as a kid? Well, refresh your
memory with these tasty desserts-on-a-stick, in strawberry or chocolate.
Who has time for office politics when you can have office meals? After
a long day at the office, we often head to Kate’s Joint (56-58
Ave. B; 212-777-7059) in the East Village for a bite to eat. Yes, the
food is amazing, with veggie burgers, fries, and assorted smoky grilled
items, but the cheesecake is the topper. Actually, topping—get
it with the raspberry topping, sit back, feast your eyes on the too-cute-for-words
waitstaff and enjoy.
We are big fans of the soy ice cream shakes at Vegetarian Paradise (144
W. 4 St.; 212-260-7130) near Washington Square Park. The choices include
mint chocolate chip, caramel, strawberry/vanilla, and cookies &
cream and are blended with soymilk. Even our non-indulgent colleague,
who rarely partakes in our “Pie-Days,” joins in when we order
these treats. Considering that none of us would partake in the “real”
version (dairy products, yuck!), indulging in these creamy delights
seems all the more sinful.
Finally, I must recommend the Chocoreale Hazelnut Spread, which is the
nondairy version of Nutella. This rich delight, imported from the Netherlands,
is great for slathering on French bread, crackers, orange slices, or
on cake as frosting (you can even use the palm of your hand if you’re
in a bind). And, bonus, it’s made with unrefined sugar and pure
organic ingredients. We keep a jar of it in the cupboard for quick-fixes.
Though Chocoreale isn’t available locally, it can be ordered from
Pangea at www.veganstore.com.
You might even get a discount if you order a case of the 12.5 oz. jars—we
did!
Who would’ve thought way back when, when veganism was still a foreign
concept, that one day we’d have so many options to indulge our
universal sweet tooth. Take heart, fellow vegans, we are making a difference!
Anne Sullivan is the publicity director for Lantern Books. She
is a self-professed “media junkie” and was Satya’s resident
“Media Watcher” for two years.
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