March, 1999

Quantum Leap
88 West Third Street, New York, NY (Between Sullivan and Thompson Streets)
Tel.: 212-677-8050
All week: 11-30 am-11:30 pm
Wheelchair Accessible
Visa/Mastercard/Amex

Although I live and work near Greenwich Village, I had not ventured onto the vegetarian restaurant-rich Third Street in many years. Perhaps it was the herds of college students that kept me away, or the memoires of my own college days in this very neighborhood. Determined to overcome my reticence, I walked to Quantum Leap in order to see what I had been missing. I sat down in a comfortable, sunny and simple dining room with wooden tables, plants and communal newspapers and was handed a well-worn menu by a friendly and extremely attentive waitperson.

I was looking for items that were out of the ordinary, fearing the requisite soy burger that seemingly appears on every menu these days. The Quantum Leap menu has an impressive array of salads, with everything from Falafel Salad ($4.95), a house salad with two falafels and pita bread, to the Small Wood Combo Salad ($5.95), a marinated bean salad, cole slaw, sprouts, shredded carrots and tofu or cheese. I didn’t ask what the name meant, because I was afraid that it was one of those situations in which someone would scoff and say, "How could you not know that cabbage, sprouts and carrots are in the Small Wood family of vegetables!?"

You could feed many different types of gourmand at Quantum Leap. The Japanese food that the restaurant offers is made up of variations of sushi and tempura with vegetables that were remarkably fresh for mid-winter. One can have Chinese food, with a sizable number of choices with the Spicy Szechuan Beancurd ($8.95) standing out. This is made with marinated beancurd, sautéed onions, sweet peas, carrots, broccoli, cashews and an unusually spicy peanut sauce. Italian dishes are also offered, ravioli specials and an entrée called Spaghetti with Wheat Balls ($9.50). Quantum Leap makes a faux meat sauce to put on their pasta dishes, with soy substituting for beef. If you were already marveling at the chef’s eclecticism, I haven’t even described the Mexican dishes. There is the Taco Ole ($5.95) on the lunch menu which is made of a vegetable taco mix, chili beans, guacamole, lettuce, tomato and hot salsa. There is are also an array of burritos and enchiladas that will make vegetarians and vegans sigh with relief, with no worry of any lard or other animal products.

There are also quite a few traditional "comfort foods." There is a vegetarian meat loaf ($9.75) made with textured vegetable protein, and served with vegetables and mashed potatoes, and sandwiches as all-American as the classic double-decker, made with strips of marinated seitan and tempeh, on whole grain bread with fresh vegetables, served with corn chips. The sandwich was satisfying, with different layers both of taste and texture throughout.

The side dishes at Quantum Leap are varied, with everything from Hiziki Seaweed ($4.95) to the grain of the day ($2.95). I especially enjoyed the potato salad made with peas and carrots, which was so creamy that I couldn’t believe that it wasn’t made with mayonnaise.

To accompany my meal, I got one of their juice drinks (small: $2.95) of which they have several mix choices. While I was intrigued by the mixed greens juice, I chose the mixed veggie juice. I expected the beverage to be heavy, a meal unto itself, but it was delightful. It was light, tangy, and was such a treat that I drank it in one swoop.

Although I was already full, I decided to try one of their dessert specials. My choices were difficult, a rice dream sundae, banana cream pie or a cocoa tofu pie. I opted for the cocoa pie, which came with a tempting chocolate sauce over it. While creamy and amazingly rich, there was a tangy aftertaste that I was unused to in desserts, so I left the pie unfinished.

Quantum Leap offers macrobiotic and vegetarian food, as well as a number of fish dishes, mainly salmon and tuna. These are clearly marked, so vegetarians and vegans shouldn’t be worried about them sneaking into their meals. This restaurant has more of a college feel than perhaps most of the actual campus of New York University, and I was surrounded by people reading academic journals and professors and students discussing assignments. Feeling brave, rewarded, and very full, I was amazed at the economy of such a full meal. I’m having trouble recalling why I stayed away from this area for so long, because I’m sure I will be back.

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