United States
: Vegetarian
[This section is in the earliest stages of development:26 December 2006 ]
I made my first visit to the
British people should be aware that displayed menu prices in restaurants do not
show a near-mandatory 15%-20% surcharge for service. This surcharge is not a
tip for good service. Refusing to pay this surcharge is similar to withholding
part of the bill in
When I cannot find an eating place suitable for vegans, my fallback position
is to shop for picnic food in whole food shops, health food shops and
supermarkets. Food labelling in the
New York (Manhattan)
Although Manhattan appears to be full of eating places, serving food from around the globe, most of this ethnic food involves unique or idiosyncratic ways to serve dead animals. Many of the (eat-in or eat-out) delis have salad bars. However, it is not hard to find vegetarian food in Manhattan, although finding vegan dishes is a little less straightforward. According to the guidebooks, a number of Chinese restaurants serve vegan dishes. The menus of some of the Chinatown restaurants for which I went in search demand a working knowledge of Chinese (whether Mandarin or Cantonese, I am uncertain). The Chinese ‘vegan’ restaurants with menus I was able to read serve mock-cow, mock pig, mock-fish, and so on, that some people evidently find appetising. I did not eat Chinese food in New York, which is a shame as I enjoy a variety of Chinese dishes.
A second vegan issue that I encountered was the inclusion of casein (dairy milk protein) and lactose in soya foods. Foods bought in supermarkets were often labelled accordingly, although by no means always. The menu of the Candle Café (see below) made it clear which dishes, although labelled as suitable for vegans, contained casein.
Making use of guide books and web searches, I identified several eating places in Manhattan that appear to serve explicitly (but not exclusively) vegan food. However, when I went to find some of them, I found that they no longer exist.
1. Angelica Kitchen, 300 East 12th Street (Second Avenue), New York City; Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 14th Street-Union Square; L to Third Avenue; 6 to Astor Pl.; (tel: 212-228-2909); serving 11:30-22:30. This is reputed to be the best vegan restaurant in the city. I ate here twice. It is not particularly cheap. The food is good, tasty and filling. The ambience is busy (I queued for 30 minutes for a table as they do not reserve) and belongs to 30-somethings. The entrance is wheelchair accessible, although annoyingly offset. The staff are wheelchair-friendly. Toilets are at restaurant level, although somewhat cramped.
2. Kate's Joint, 58 Avenue B between 4th and 5th Sts; Subway: F to Second Ave–Lower East Side; (tel: 212-777-7059); serving 09:00-01:00. I ate here in 2002. It is not expensive. The food is adequate. The ambience belongs to boisterous 20-somethings.
3. Zen Palate, 663 Ninth Avenue (46th Street), New York City; Subway: A, C, E to 50th Street; (tel: 212-582-1669); serving 11:30-22:30. This is a Buddhist restaurant serving largely vegan food. I ate here twice. It is not particularly cheap. The food is good, interesting and well-presented, but an internet report claims that some of their ‘vegan’ dishes contain chickens’ eggs. The ambience is welcoming although a little strange. The entrance (on 46th Street) is wheelchair accessible. The staff are wheelchair-friendly.
4. Apple Restaurant, 17 Waverly Pl between Mercer and Greene Sts, A, C, E, B, D, F, Q to W 4th St–Washington Sq; N, R to 8th Street–NYU (tel: 212-473-8888); serving Mon–Thu 12:00–23:00; Fri, Sat 12:00–00:00; Sun 12:00–22:00. I have not eaten here.
5. The Candle Café, 1307 Third Avenue (at about 80th Street), New York City. The menu looks similar to that of Angelica Kitchen, with similar prices. I have eaten here, enjoyed it and look forward to returning. Fresh fruit and vegetables are juiced, albeit somewhat expensively. The ambience is busy and belongs to 30-somethings. The entrance is wheelchair accessible, although inside is somewhat cramped. The staff are wheelchair-friendly.
6. Hale and Hearty Soups, have several outlets, including in the food hall at Grand Central Station. Some of the soups are vegetarian and dairy-free (such as Tuscan white bean soup), and tasty. I ate here twice for a quick snack. It is possible to descend to the food hall either by elevator or by ramp. There is lots of space for wheelchairs. There are toilets for disabled people.
7. Westerly Health Foods, 911-913 Eighth Avenue (53rd Street?), New York City; (tel: 212-586-5262); open 7 days/week but not 24 hours. This health food store is the best I found for food labelled as suitable for vegans. The aisles are very narrow and not easily negotiated in a wheelchair.
Chicago
An internet websearch (e.g. HappyCow) reveals several vegan-friendly eating places. The only place I have eaten is The Chicago Diner in North Halstead (Street), a friendly gay/lesbian neighbourhood. The extensive vegetarian menu is distinctly vegan-friendly, and ranges across a variety of cuisines. The food appears to be wholesome and is reasonably priced. The staff are welcoming. The entrance to the Diner has two steps, and is not wheelchair-accessible without lifting the chair. I do not know about disabled access to toilets. Although directions to the Diner are from Belmont on the red line, wheelchair visitors can travel by red line train from central Chicago to Addison (one stop further north) which is a wheelchair accessible station.
At Huron/State, not far from the Water Tower, there is an organic/wholefood supermarket. Open from 08:00 to 22:00 (not sure about opening hours on Sundays) this food store is probably as good as it gets in Chicago. I cannot remember how many varieties of tempeh and tofu it has, but it is plenty.
Orlando
Making use of guide books and web searches, there appear to be no eating places in Orlando that serve explicitly vegan food. If there are vegetarian restaurants in Orlando, I never found any.
Key West
I ate out in three places in Key West:
1. a small vegetarian café that also serves vegan food, attached to a wholefood store;
2. a part-vegetarian restaurant that is off the main streets, has most of its tables outside, with cats lounging in the sun and chickens scratching in the dust, has vegan food on the menu;
3. a restaurant along one of the main tourist drags was willing to prepare me a vegan version of a vegetarian dish.
