A recent visit to New York revealed a surprise to me - this city is vegetarian and vegan heaven! Many times I found myself sitting down to breakfast or lunch on the lower east side, quickly scanning the menu to find my one option (I'm usually the fastest to decide on my meal due to narrow choices!) only to realise that I was sitting in a vegetarian establishment. It seems like theses places often don't even advertise that they're vegetarian, as if to say "So what? We make great food and by coincidence it's meat-less". I was expecting to find the steak capital of the world, and instead I found my own personal oasis and a plethora of choices that I wasn't accustomed to.
So where better to have a purely vegan, raw food fine dining restaurant that my new favourite city of New York? Pure Food and Wine is frequented by the celebrity vegan crowd of Bill Clinton and Helen Degeneres et. al. and certainly holds it's own as a reputable food establishment with fellow vegetarians and meat eaters alike. My guests who are happy omnivores were just as satisfied with the end result as we were - it's so exciting to see a vegan, raw food restaurant that actually caters for everyone and embraces all eaters in the culture.
We had a seven course tasting menu, and between the four of us I think we almost had the opportunity to try everything on the menu. (It might not sound polite, but each plate was passed around the table anti-clockwise so we each got to try everything!). Seven courses sounds like a lot, and it was, but when you're only eating plant-based fats, raw foods, good quality produce and natural sugars you tend to fill up in a comfortable and pleasant way.
I was glad to have the tasting menu, as I discovered that there were several dishes I wouldn't normally have chosen (a perceived safe bet of zucchini and local heirloom tomato lasagne for example) that turned out to be the prize pieces of the night. In addition to a beautiful variety of seasonable vegetables, we also got to try an array of nut cheeses, creative mouses and reductions, as well as truffles, pesto's and edible flowers: so many ingredients that usually don't get the thought they deserve!
Address: 54 Irving Place, New York, USA
Phone: +212 477 1010
Website: http://www.oneluckyduck.com/purefoodandwine/
So where better to have a purely vegan, raw food fine dining restaurant that my new favourite city of New York? Pure Food and Wine is frequented by the celebrity vegan crowd of Bill Clinton and Helen Degeneres et. al. and certainly holds it's own as a reputable food establishment with fellow vegetarians and meat eaters alike. My guests who are happy omnivores were just as satisfied with the end result as we were - it's so exciting to see a vegan, raw food restaurant that actually caters for everyone and embraces all eaters in the culture.
We had a seven course tasting menu, and between the four of us I think we almost had the opportunity to try everything on the menu. (It might not sound polite, but each plate was passed around the table anti-clockwise so we each got to try everything!). Seven courses sounds like a lot, and it was, but when you're only eating plant-based fats, raw foods, good quality produce and natural sugars you tend to fill up in a comfortable and pleasant way.
I was glad to have the tasting menu, as I discovered that there were several dishes I wouldn't normally have chosen (a perceived safe bet of zucchini and local heirloom tomato lasagne for example) that turned out to be the prize pieces of the night. In addition to a beautiful variety of seasonable vegetables, we also got to try an array of nut cheeses, creative mouses and reductions, as well as truffles, pesto's and edible flowers: so many ingredients that usually don't get the thought they deserve!
To accompany the meal we had a fantastic bottle of vegan, bio dynamic wine from a US producer. I was surprised to find that the waitstaff were knowledgeable about the food and wine they were presenting, but hardly enthusiastic. Perhaps their audience is usually in rapture to find this place, and they find it a bit overwhelming night after night as a result? Or perhaps they just didn't catch our Australian and Canadian humour as an invitation to interact? (I can give them leeway on that one). Overall, our main waiter was warm, but the servers explaining each dish were hard to crack a smile from.
The room is dim, with crimson highlights and beautiful candle lit mood lighting, lush cushions and exposed brickwork. I didn't get to see the outdoor garden, but I imagine it's lovely in summer. Our table was a little small for the procession of food and wine we received (and not too convenient for our plan of passing plates between dinner-mates while ooing and ahhing!) but all of this added to the hustling atmosphere - who wants a boring vegan restaurant to proliferate a concept of a boring vegan lifestyle? No! The chatter of diners and clinking of tableware made the restaurant feel alive, and certainly represented a vibrant community of food-lovers.
Desert put us over the edge, yet we mustered the courage to take care of most of it - only the dark chocolate semi fredo managed to escape a well-humoured scraping of the bottom of the dish. It was rich and delicious, but more heavy on the palate that the other items, and left us wondering if Pure Food and Wine really was exclusively vegan! Delicious.
Thank you for an enjoyable evening, and a noble culinary venture. Your establishment deserves all the press it is receiving - the only problem as forerunners in the vegan, raw food, fine dining space, is that I hope you have more competition to please us with soon!
Phone: +212 477 1010
Website: http://www.oneluckyduck.com/purefoodandwine/
The food is creative and well thought out. The service was attentive and polite - I wouldn't call it warm though. The ambience is excellent and the setting is suitable for a date, business meeting or simiply to ensure your body is properly nourished.
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