vegansaurus!

Ecorazzi Eats Restaurant Week! We’re all invited!  »

Ecorazzi Eats, beginning tomorrow, is a nationwide celebration of sustainable (bleh), vegetarian (OK), and vegan (huzzah!) restaurants! There are all kinds of deals and specials for this eco-restaurant week. It’s kind of exciting.

Let’s look at the restaurants participating! L.A. is really putting out; SF is not representing so well, but Berkeley is picking up the slack! That’s right, everyone’s favorite cinnamon roll shoppe is in on this:

Cinnaholic: Free “Old Skool Roll“ ($4.25 value) with the purchase of any regular priced roll.

Nice. You can afford Cinnaholic!

Sacramento is in on the action, too: get a free dessert or iced tea with any purchase at Sugar Plum Vegan Cafe!

As for New York, guess who’s going to Candle Cafe! THIS GUY:

Candle Cafe: A 10 percent discount for all dine-in customers that mention Ecorazzi Eats Restaurant Week.

Gobo in NYC is also participating with a three-course tasting at $25 per person. I do love a tasting! I think I’ll have to check that out too. 

There are lots of other restaurants participating in other cities—though none in Philly! Poor show, Philly, poor show. You can check the Ecorazzi Eats site for all the listings. So, who’s going?! Tell me which restaurant you’re going to! More importantly, who wants to go with me?!

NYC: Clothing swap this Thursday!  »

Dear readers Jenna and Grace are having a clothing swap/flea market complete with vegan treats this Thursday! 

From Jenna:

Grace and I are co-hosting a FREE Flea Market / Clothing Swap at her apartment in the East Village next Thursday, October 8th, from 7-10pm. We’re both cleaning our houses out and rather than donate everything to Goodwill (although we’ll do that with all the leftovers), we thought we’d let you all have a chance to dig through our stuff and come spend the evening with us.

We’ll be at Grace’s starting at 7 o’clock. Bring your friends, your family, your coworkers—and feel free to bring your own stuff to swap, too, although it’s not necessary. We just want to get rid of things. No money, please, although I won’t complain if you show up with a plate of vegan cookies (I’ll be baking, too, of course).

Grace’s address:

410 East 20th St, Apt 6H
New York, NY 10009  (map)

Sounds like fun! Free stuff and vegan cookies! We should all have clothing swaps. Like, all the time. And we should all eat vegan cookies all the time. So when you swap, pick some clothes with a little room to grow.

Hey NYC! Vegan pizza tour this weekend!   »

OMG is right. Our dear reader Tim alerted me to this like 80 months ago and I’m like, Tim! You can’t tell me about things 80 months in advance! Because I forget! But! I actually remembered. Hopefully there are still tickets left. “Tickets for what?” you ask? A vegan pizza bus tour! 

Apparently, October is pizza month. Scott’s Pizza Tours is celebrating in style every Saturday! And first up is this vegan pizza tour: 

October 1 - Learning to Love Your Vegan

Visit pizzerias that will satisfy both vegans and the omnivores alike. Just leave the leather jacket at home. 
Purchase Tickets

Where they are going, I do not know. I’m guessing they are going places that have vegan pizza. That’s what I would do. 

Tim adds: “if I had to guess, I would say it’s probably going to be the dopemobile. I took a spin on the Scott’s Pizza tour bus (a while back in pre-vegan days) and it’s probably the best pizza-centric experience I’ve had since I was 8 and I learned you can even make pizza AT HOME!” He also says Scott is super nice. So, in the words of Spike Lee, get on the bus!

NYC may get a vegan grocery store! Help make it a reality!  »

As you may have heard, New York City is mighty close to having its very own vegan convenience store. The brainchild of Eric Hopf, Vegan Bodega is currently in its early stages of development, with an IndieGoGo page up for community fundraising and awareness. Vegan Bodega plans to carry everything a vegan could need—healthy food items, vegan junk food, household products, vegan condoms, baby food, beer—imagine not having to read a label! Finally, a real one-stop-shopping experience right here in the Big Apple.

I talked to Eric about the project and how we can help bring it to life!

Vegansaurus: Tell us about Vegan Bodega. What inspired the idea?
Eric Hopf: Like many other vegans, I traveled to the Pacific Northwest with my partner Gita and we saw Food Fight Grocery and Sidecar For Pigs Peace. I remember thinking, “This is fantastic, we should have something like this in NYC.” Once I returned home, I went back to working in photography and didn’t think about it again until a year ago. The arrival of my daughter was close at hand and I was well overdue for a visit to Orlando, Fla., to see my family; I went down for a long weekend, and that was where the idea came from, that this all-vegan convenience store could be something real. There is a small shop near downtown Orlando that I happened upon [called] Artichoke Red, it’s all-vegan and it’s succeeding. The owner was nice enough to talk with me and answer some of my questions. Again I asked myself: Why doesn’t New York City have something like this? Once I arrived home I started thinking about an all-vegan grocery store and shared my idea with Gita. It was going to be a huge undertaking and very expensive. We scaled back the concept. The name came naturally, as there is nowhere in NYC I can think of without a corner store or “bodega,” as we have all become used to calling them. So the inspiration came partially from other business and from my family who support this dream.

How long have you been vegan? Is your family vegan as well?
Actually I don’t keep track of the length of time, but I know I have been vegan for at least six years now, and both Gita and our daughter are vegan.

Tell us about your IndieGoGo project.
After seeing a few vegan projects make their goals on IndieGoGo and Kickstarter, we thought that it would be an excellent way to raise a portion of the funds we need for opening the business. Crowd-sourcing would also get the vegan community involved with launching a store that so many have told us they have been wishing for. Our goal is to raise $15,000, but we are less than a week and a half from the deadline and are only around 23 percent of the way there. Any contribution is helpful and we are very thankful for anything we get. There are a variety of incentives for donations of $5 and up. The money will be used to secure the location, buy used shelves, a commercial freezer and fridge, the computer setup for handling sales/inventory, and some stock for the soft opening. The store will have a slicer and deli display, but we may need to introduce those after the opening.

Where do you think Vegan Bodega will be located?
We are going to open in Manhattan, most likely on the Lower East Side, as we really like the feel there, [and it’s] close to other vegan spots and lots of public transportation. We are willing to reconsider the location if we find a fantastic space.

What products and/or services will you offer at Vegan Bodega? Will you deliver? What about online ordering?
The plan for Vegan Bodega is to carry a broad spectrum of products, from healthy items to vegan junk food. [We want] to support other local vegan businesses by offering them a space to sell their goods, a focused vegan and vegetarian customer base, and a chance to connect with customers by doing in-store samplings. We are also contacting Community-Supported Agriculture farmers about being a drop-off point. Delivery is something we are looking into and how best we can offer it. Online ordering may be offered in the future, but it is dependent on the demand for it.

What is your planned opening date, and are you organizing an event for the big day?
We do not have one set yet. Currently our focus is on securing a space and locking down all the funding we need. In the meantime, you may soon find us at a weekend food market, as a prelude to what will be available in the store, but that has yet to be finalized. We intend to do a soft opening and get settled in, then have a grand opening party that will also double as a fundraiser for a to-be-determined animal welfare group. Vegan Bodega would also like to support different nonprofits by allocating a portion of the sales once a month.

We’re pretty excited about this project! If you want to help Vegan Bodega reach their fundraising goal, you only have FOUR MORE DAYS to pitch in at their IndieGoGo page. If you don’t have cash to spare, spread the word and show your love by contacting the Vegan Bodega family. The anticipation is killing us!

Vegansaurus NYC: Vegan fashion event for Mercy for Animals this Thursday!  »

Amid all the fur and leather comes a breath of fresh air for the vegans during New York City Fashion Week! Perfectly placed at Greenhouse, the eco-friendly event venue located in Tribeca, Have Mercy! will feature some of the industry’s top vegan-friendly designers, including Fraley Le, Yane Mode, Sew Moe Designs and Pretty Birdie Stephanie Teague.

Enjoy hors d’oeurves catered by Verite, desserts by Bolaji Cuisine, and delectable vegan chocolate by Rescue Chocolate while you’re entertained by James Koroni’s Forced Arch Dance Troupe and Vegansaurus’ beloved vegan drag queen Honey LaBronx! The U.S. Veg Corps is hosting.

The best part? Funds will benefit Mercy For Animals. Tickets are $25 in advance and $40 at the door. The event will run from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at Greenhouse, located at 150 Varick St. For further information call (917) 767.7283 or visit the Facebook page.

Guest post: Vegansaurus NYC: Red Bamboo is delicious!  »

Go to Red Bamboo. GO NOW!

This is what it looks like.

I’m pretty sure those two people aren’t always there so don’t consider them a landmark.

I have been fairly interested in having a big meal at this establishment ever since I’d first heard the buzz. One of my louder vegan pals had raved about one of their burgers declaring it the NYC faux-meat mecca; I raised my eyebrow.

I invited my friend, Michael, he’s a lovely vegan and also a lovely person, and we had  great time. The ambiance is pleasant and the service was excellent. Please note that I work in the restaurant business and I don’t just throw around the word “excellent” when it comes to waiter skills. I got standards! And I thought the food was super good.

They have an extensive menu with a TON of options on it. However, it is a vegetarian place, not a vegan place, but all the vegan food items are clearly marked. Yay for convenience. Boo for not being 100 percent vegan.

To be clear. This Red Bamboo food is not healthy food. It is not for the ultra-health-conscious. Do not go to Red Bamboo if you are in the mood for a salad. I know many folks like to keep their grub on the “whole food” side, and I would not recommend a Red Bamboo outing for you folks. It is for junk food lovers!

We had buffalo wings for an appetizer. (sorry, no photo, I was busy EATING) Then we had 2 entrees. Michael is nice so we shared a little.

I had the cashew “chicken.”

Yum city! Seriously some of the best “chicken” I’ve had in my young vegan life. My mouth is totally watering looking at this pic.

Michael had a dish whose name I can’t remember. I think it was Dante’s Cuisine? I scanned the online menu and that was the only thing that sounded familiar. Whatevs. It was good.

I’m way too hungry to be writing this right now.

I say yay Red Bamboo. Deliciousness! Not too expensive either and huge portions; I took some home and ate it for lunch the next day.

We also had a peanut butter chocolate something cake? It was awesome. I LIKE EATING! I especially liked eating at Red Bamboo and will definitely go again. Yum yum. Apparently they had another location in Brooklyn and it used to be yummier but they revamped it and serve dead things now? Two thoughts on this: 1) TOTAL HATE; 2) The West Village one is plenty yummy. Still eat there. Don’t let that Brooklyn incident keep you away from the drumsticks. You’re worth it.

Laura Yasinitsky is a writer, comic, waitress, and animal-lover based in New York City. She has appeared on Comedy Central’s Open-Mic Fight and writes for US Weekly’s Fashion Police. You can follow her silliness on Twitter @LaraYaz and read about her animal friendly adventures here.

Vegansaurus NYC: Cowgirl’s Baking!  »

Cowgirl’s Baking! Ever heard of it? It’s in Manhattan. I was in the city yesterday and happened by—the same day Laura and I had been talking about this place! See, they had a vegan hot dog eating contest over July Fourth and Laura wanted me to write about it and I was like, Laura, it’s not July Fourth anymore! And she was like, Megan, vegan hot dog eating contest! And then by chance, I walk by. The world is a funny place.

The main thing I had heard about Cowgirl’s Baking is that they sell vegan funnel cake! OMG DON’T DIE! Yes, as you may have guessed, it was delicious. A lot oilier than I remember, but I don’t think I’ve had a funnel cake in like 10 years? It was GOOD. Funnel cake is GOOD. I was HAPPY.

Funnel cake was all I was prepared to buy yesterday (I was actually on my way to dinner—ha!) but I will definitely go back! They have many savory items I want to try, including cheddar biscuits. I love a good biscuit! They also have about a million cupcakes. I want them all.

They have little places to sit but they seriously need some AC like whoa. You should definitely make the trip here one day, for lunch AND dessert. I may even be there when you go! I’ll be the extra-good-looking one. Say hi.

Vegansaurus NYC: Champs Bakery in Brooklyn!  »

I stopped by Brooklyn’s Champs Bakery the other day specifically so that I could tell you all about it. I’m so nice to you. It’s not a shiny-happy-people-holding-hands type of bakery but it feels like a neighborhood joint, which has its own appeal. I will definitely have to go again because they had all these sandwiches I didn’t try. I did, however, get some biscuits and gravy! They were jalapeño biscuits so they were a bit too spicy for me (they ran out of the regular, I think you have to show up on the early side for the full selection), but they were still totally great, and the gravy was good too.

I also got a rosemary scone that I was pretty into. It was odd to eat rosemary in something sweet, but it was interesting and good. They don’t have the widest selection but it’s all the necessities—lots of muffins and scones. I love vegan scones! It’s the food of my people, plus vegan. There were also cupcakes and cinnamon rolls and whatnot. I think though that the savory items may be what set this bakery apart from the Babycakeses of the world. And you can totally sit down there and eat so that is nice.

So I say, if you’re in the hood, you should definitely stop by. You can get lunch and then grab a scone to save for breakfast.

TONIGHT: NYC Vegan Drinks with DJ Megan Rascal!  »

That’s right, homies! I will be spinning a short set at Vegan Drinks tonight. Who’s coming? Say hi to me!

Deets:

Thursday, June 30, 2011. 7 to 10 p.m.
21+. At Angels & Kings, 500 East 11th St. (between A & B) [map]
$1 off draft beers and well drinks

A portion of the proceeds this week go to Darwin Animal Doctors! Yay! Never heard of it!

Don’t forget: It’s also SF Vegan Drinks tonight! And probably lots of other vegan drinks, too! So go get your drink on! DRINKS!