July, 1997

Sacred Chow
522 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014, 212-337-0863.
Hours: 6:30am to 12am every day.
Wheelchair Accessible. All major credit cards accepted.

Cliff Preefer’s Sacred Chow is a sanctuary of gourmet, animal-free culinary delights. (Note Sacred Chow does have organic milk available to those who haven’t had their spiritual awakening yet!) This space, as Cliff likes to refer to his restaurant, is not only a product of his vision but a manifestation of his philosophy — it is apparent in the food that all is motivated by love and passion.
Sacred Chow opened almost two years ago in New York’s artful, historic, and progressive Greenwich Village, the perfect spot to give life to Cliff’s vision. Cliff’s place has an extensive and varying menu that seems unlikely for a place this size. Cliff’s journey to this space of consciousness began during his days at law school — he became struck by the great omission of rights to other than human beings. This path led him to quit practicing law and open up a gourmet vegan space for all to share.

One of the many dishes that illuminate the senses in Sacred Chow is the risotto and mushroom combination ($8.75/lb) whose sum total is greater than its parts. The brown rice and roasted vegetable ensemble ($6.75/lb) nourishes the soul and provokes the palate with its tantalizing and aromatic herbs. Aside from the many main dishes, Sacred Chow has an extensive variety of baked goods, everything from the herbed rolls ($1.25) to the marvelous muffins ($2.50 each for pumpkin or apple spice banana walnut) and delicious homemade breads (from $1.50 to $2).

Soups at Sacred Chow are also homemade, vary daily, and are reasonable, with prices ranging from $3 to $5, depending on size. All the soups that I have tried have been delectable. They range from the heavy stew-like pumpkin to a light-hearted miso broth. Along with the soup and the entrée of the day special on the black-board, you’ll find a constant morning favorite like the flaxen oatmeal ($2.50-$4.50), which I hadn’t tried until the day I met Cliff. He gave me a taste of it along with a touch of maple syrup (organic, of course, as are all the products at Sacred Chow) and a touch of rice milk. If you can’t take the ethereal experience of the flaxen oatmeal, there are more mundane tidbits like scrambled tofu with a touch of turmeric.

Sacred Chow has four tables and counter space for six, where you can feast your stomachs as your eyes gaze upon St. Luke’s in the Field Church across the street, or psychoanalyze the sundry characters of the Village as they pass you by. Or, for a more visual past-time, you can view the wonderful artwork that graces a wall of Sacred Chow. The artwork rotates on a monthly basis and serves not only to enhance the place aesthetically but to display the talents and passions of some of its customers.

Eddie Lama is an avid animal rights advocate and the founder of Citizens Outrage at Animal Torture and Suffering (COATS), an animal advocacy/anti-fur organization. He lives in New York City.

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