I am a vegetarian. I have been for at least the last 7 years. I have often said that I would eat meat if I were the one to hunt and kill an animal with the purpose of eating it and using its parts. I wont get into my political reasons too deeply in this post, but I am more against the meat industry than meat itself. Living in a city like New York has taught me that there are a diverse amount of eating preferences. I have met fat heavily tattooed raw vegans, skinny baconholics, and friendly pescatarians. Unfortunately living in this city gives little opportunity to hunt. I’m sure pigeon is a delicacy somewhere, I’ll pass. I was reminded of my thoughts on hunting my own food from a recent blog post my wife showed me by her friend Keith.

I was recently in Chicago and ate a lot of deep dish pizza. This is something Chicago is known for and I, a pizza fanatic, was fully aware of. After eating some deep dish at a friends home one night he asked how it compared to NY thin crust. I had to admit to him that the deep dish was unique and amazing and I loved it. Then I had to tell him that it didn’t compare in my mind to the coal fired brick oven pizzas made in NY. What can I say, I’m an East Coast kind of guy. NY pizza is king in my eyes, the crisp crust and fresh ingredients that you taste with all the lush flavors they hold. What about you? Don’t be shy, tell us how you really feel.

Last September I wrote about the spurt of Halal carts all over New York city. "Chicken-over-rice” had somehow suddenly become the flavor of the city and these carts were all over the city. And all that for $5 cant be beat !

And in recent months a similar phenomenon is taking place. The halal carts have competition and it is from the Taco trucks.

Just around my office on 6th @ 20th are at least two taco trucks within sight of each other. Taco trucks have never been the common gastronomic presence they are in LA or other cities with larger percentage of Hispanic populations. Here in NYC you would find them in some of the outer boroughs, the most popular ones being the Red Hook Vendors trucks at the Red Hook Ball fields.

Am happy to report that lunch at both these trucks is a tasty affair. They have everything from tacos to tortas, huaracheas to quesedillas; and a good selection of Mexican sodas, juice drinks et al. All most stuff for 5$ or less.

These trucks and their clientele is not just a result of the ever-changing palettes of NYCers. I think the slowdown in economic climate has a large hand to play in this. Where else do you get a full meal for $5? And I am not counting fast food joints !

If you’ve ever walked by the West 4th street station, you could swear some future NBA’ers are playing basketball. Anytime I witness a dunk at a street park in NYC it’s something that I take with me forever.

This Saturday (20th) there will be an NBA sponsored dunk contest at the South Street Seaport starting at 2 p.m. I won’t be able to go there, but it definitely seems like a good freaking time.

Have Mercy on Animals – Free food and to promote friendliness towards our non-human friends happening @ MooShoes on June 18th, that’s tomorrow, at 6:30 pm.

This post courtesy of Yummy Vegan which I contribute to:

The following list contains vegan spots that I have eaten at and recommend strongly. I know that others exist but as of right now, either I’ve not been to them or they are way too pricey or uninteresting for me to honestly suggest them to you folks in these tough economic times.

Please note that *Jain indicates that the food is free of any animal byproducts and it contains no root vegetables in its preparation. Ginger may be an exception in a few of the cases below. Enjoy.

Pukk – Thai cuisine

Request that the food be made without certain ingredients; most commonly used non-Jain ingredients include carrots, shallots, green onions, garlic, ginger and mushrooms.

They will let you know if it’s possible or not. Delicious food.

*note, though it’s a fully vegan menu – they do have options of adding eggs to meals which is weird. avoid them!

Cafe Viva Natural Pizza – Pizza

Their only Jain sauce is their pesto. How ironic. They use Teese cheese on their pies. For major orders, like say probably over 10 pies, they may make a batch of onion/garlic free sauce.

Artichoke Basille Pizzeria – Pizza

Their establishment is not vegan. Though, they may make you a pie without the cheese. Their tomato sauce is 100% Jain and OUT OF THIS WORLD.

Kate’s Joint – Vegan, various

Their only Jain option is their angel hair pasta but you have to specify that it be prepared without onions and garlic. They will oblige. Also, don’t eat their oil they put on table – it is made with garlic. There are no other Jain options on their long menu which is sad because I’d go there a lot more if they did.

Abraco Espresso – Coffee

My friend Jamie owns this place; he’s the nicest espresso scientist on the planet. The infusion of love, knowledge of espresso and an excellent space has made Abraco the most popular espresso joint in NYC. Elizabeth & Jamie both know the Jain + Vegan diet. All the coffee is great and they do offer almond milk upon vegan request. They kind of only save it for true vegans, which is nice.

Teany – Tea, vegan food

Try the teanychino. For food, vegan grilled cheese with tomto. Do not try the ploughmann’s pickle that comes along with it – it is NON-JAIN. Over 100 types of teas. Almond/soy milk and agave nectar. Most of their desserts contain POTATO starch so avoid that.

I may have to continue this list later as I explore more options. The best bet is to always ask what the ingredients are. For great Indian food, try Tiffin Wallah – they do have amazing Jain + Vegan options.

Buddha Bodai – all their hundred plus authentic Chinese food items are vegan and prepared without onions or garlic. Even if their menu states “broccoli with garlic” – even the garlic is FAUX! How hot is that! Just specify no mushrooms and no carrots when ordering.

Tien Garden offers delicious Vietnamese cuisine – all vegan and you can finally find out what Banh-Ma is all about without having to eat animals. They *do* use garlic and onions in some dishes, so make it clear that your dish does not have it, if your’e Jain.

For vegan desserts, I strongly recommend heading over to Earth Matters which creates these amazing ‘sweet loaves’ of breads using amazing flavor combinations like chocolate chip + orange or coconut and chocolate or banana and walnut and a few more. They all are vegan friendly plus don’t use any gross ingredients like potato starch.

Obviously the other vegan dessert choice is Lula’s Sweet Apothecary for a brand new flavor of delicious vegan ice creams and soft serve. Their sundaes are spectacular, their hot chocolate is divine, their understanding of individual palettes is right on target and have everything you or your friends could desire. Follow them on Twitter to get an update of new ice cream flavors.

Several places in NYC offer vegan cheesecakes that are prepared by a company out in Philadelphia. Most of these are non-Jain. Buddha Bodai carries a vegan cheesecake and Whole Foods on Bowery usually has freshly prepared pineapple upside down cakes and other indulgent vegan treats. And the Green Market at Union Square on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays will also have a variety of vegan desserts available for you to enjoy.

So that’s the list for now. Do you have any recommendations for vegan + jain food? Let me know!

Bowery Hotel

I had a meeting tonight at The Bowery Hotel. I was floored at how gorgeous it was inside. Though it’s not my scene (lounge filled with tourists or residents that were quite old) sipping on champagne and wine and beer, the interior decorations were enough to keep me in awe the entire time.

It was as though I had been transported back to an age I only can recall via watching period pieces. A dark and lush New York City from the 50s or even earlier era. Plush sofas and neat tables. A very professional wait staff and the best grapefruit juice I’ve had ever.

And to top it all off, some out of towner decided to smoke in the area which while disturbing only added to the film noir setting.

Photo courtesy: http://www.papermag.com

Just a reminder that we’re having a Metblogs meetup tonight at d.b.a., 41 1st Ave between 2nd and 3rd Streets, from 6-9 PM. Be there! Meet authors and other readers, maybe get a free t-shirt if you bat your eyelashes at us. See you there!

For future events like this, plus notifications of new authors, new posts, etc., follow us on Twitter: @nycmetblogs.

Went to Atlas cafe to talk bikes and 3D printing with Sean Bonner and Maker Bot co-creator Bre. Basically everyone who reads this needs to go and check out Maker Bot. They produce a kit they you can purchase so you can build your own 3-D printer. If that is not the coolest thing in the world, then I don’t know what cool is. Oh, and don’t forget to eat all the vegan yummies at Atlas!

Attention all readers, authors, and passersby – the NYC Metblog is having a meetup tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 29 at d.b.a. from 6-9 PM. Sean Bonner from Metblogs HQ is in town and he has FREE SHIT to give to the first handful of people who show up! Who can resist free stuff? (You still have to buy your own beer, though.)

Everyone is welcome. If you’re interested in writing for the NYC Metblog, come out and chat with us! We’re looking for more writers and would love to meet you and tell you about the sexy Metblogs lifestyle.

d.b.a. is located at 41 1st Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets. The closest train is the F at 2nd Ave.

My love affair with Banh mi is ever so strong. Notwithstanding some crazy incidents, I will go a long way to get a good Banh mi. And with that in mind, I was thrilled that finally the doors were thrown open at BAOGUETTE CAFE on St. Marks Place yesterday.

As Metromix NY puts it

The economy may be tanking but business seems to be booming for Michael Bao Hyunh, who expands his wallet-friendly Murray Hill Vietnamese banh mi shop Baoguette with a second location in munchies-friendly St. Marks Place. (He also opened BarBao on the Upper West Side last fall.) In addition to the usual suspects—i.e. baguettes stuffed with pulled pork, country-style pate, catfish or curry-braised corned beef—the new spot will feature seating for 24, plus a more eat-in friendly atmosphere (as opposed to the original joint’s counter-style takeout vibe). It’s also more grub, including a new menu section filled with snacks (lemongrass sausage, lamb belly) and rice dishes.

I was there yesterday, their first full day open for the public. Tried their classic Vietnamese sandwich, and it was awesome. The bread was perfectly toasty, not too dry, not too soggy. The pork and ham were deliciously flavored and the pickled veggies added the right zing. I got the spicy version, but would have loved some more spice.

All in all a fantastic addition to St. Marks Place and a place I will be visiting often.

Baoguette Cafe:

37 St. Marks Place New York, NY 10003

Tel; 212-380-1487

GMAP