Now, onto the vegan food that we scoped out and devoured!

First, we visited ‘Snice in brooklyn, because it was really close to the craft fair. I got a tofu scramble wrap, which was one of my first times eating tofu scramble. The scramble was made with tofu, peppers, black beans and other good things, and it was HUGE and made really well, i thought. I’d definitely get it again. Vic got a philly cheesesteak, which we both thought was good, but the tofu scramble stole the spotlight.

Willie’s Dawgs: I had previously looked up most of these places before we left for the big city, but this place stood out to me because I think they have a cute concept. They just serve hot dogs (and yes, there is a vegan dog), and they are super into helping out animal shelters and dog rescues. We got there kind of late that night, because I had a random hot dog craving, but the two employees working were still super nice and even let us sit down and eat. I kept asking if it was ok, because I knew they were closing soon, and they kept telling me that it was no problem at all. They have excellent staff there. The hot dogs were great, too. We got chilli dogs with onions and they were probably some of the best tasting veggie dogs i’ve had to this day. mmm!

The next day, I visited the famous babycakes NYC. I was really stoked to go here because I’d heard good things, and I just really like pastries a lot. Everything about this shop is very cute and aesthetically pleasing (I mean, just LOOK at the cute photo on their website). It’s small inside, and kind of cluttered, but I still loved the actual shop. I also think their logo is really cute; cute enough that I bought a mug with the logo on it. BUT! sad to say, we ordered three types of cupcakes (carrot, vanilla, chocolate) and I didnt really like ANY of them. I appreciate the fact that they offer vegan and gluten free cupcakes, but they were so bland, I would never go back. Not only that, but the employees were kind of snooty, too. Probably the biggest let down of the trip. Maybe I’ll give them another try sometime.

We headed over to a different part of town to try some other stuff out. Another place that I found online before hand, that turned out to be really cool was bluestockings book store. There are tons of radical books and neat things to look at here. I didn’t spend too much time here, because it was late and they were out of all drinks (there is a little drink bar inside with coffee and tea), but it’s definitely a place I would reccomend for anyone who loves books to check out.

And very close to bluestockings is a place that I was told by several people to check out: Atlast cafe. I really liked the atmosphere, even though its kind of small. They have a lot of vegan treats pastries to choose from, and a pretty big menu with vegan items noted. I would make sure you really stress the fact that you want the VEGAN version of whatever you’re getting, because I’ve heard horror stories about vegans getting meat on accident (specifically with the moroccan chicken wrap, for some reason). In my experience, (writing this in retrospect, now that I’ve been to NYC twice), I’ve never had a problem. The staff have always been really nice to me, too. The vegan soy softserve isnt really anything to write home about, but it’s cool that it’s even offered, and it’s probably good if you need an ice cream fix and you’re in the area.

We didn’t spend too much time in NYC this time around, but it was a really fun trip. I hope to visit NYC more often.

Last june, Vic and I ventured to the big apple for my first time ever. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I really ended up loving it. This post, I’m going to talk mostly about Renegade Craft Fair, which was my excuse for going to NYC, and some of my favorite things there.

the picture on the right are soy candles made by Mrs. Tattooed Geek. There are a variety of different smells, but my favorite was sugar skull (go figure), which smelled like cake batter, and sweet orange chili pepper which is amazing.

this was possibly my favorite thing at the fair. it was a postcard machine that someone made, and there was a girl inside with a microphone making robot sounds (”beep boop”, etc)… and when you inserted $2 and turned the dial on the machine, she would dispense a handmade postcard. it was really cute, and a great idea.

this booth stuck out as my most visually appealing set up. i love the pastel colors and all of the cute items for sale. that display case was handmade by them, too. check out something’s hiding in here.

this was my favorite and most unique item that I found. They are hanging lights made out of found tea cups. They were rather pricey for me to consider buying one (anything over $20 is pricey to me, though), but I was just really delighted at the idea. Read more about the TED lights here.

I really enjoyed the craft fair a lot, and I’m already considering trying to use it as an excuse to vacaction to NYC again next summer. :)

Well, We’re almost fully moved in to our apartment in Austin, so I thought I would take this time to catch up on some lost posts that I’ve been meaning to post for a while now. Bear with me.

this past April, Vic & I traveled to philly for the philadelphia tattoo convention. The trip wasn’t long, but we did do some food exploring on sunday, before we left for home.

#1) Gianna’s Grille -
the first thing we ate, we ordered in from a place called Gianna’s Grille. We were impressed with the menu, and all the vegan selections… so we ordered a lot, in case we got hungry later on that night. we had a cheesesteak, chicken salad sub, chili cheese dog, an order of chili cheese fries, an order of pizza fries, and an oreo cake for dessert. the food was alright. the chicken salad sub, however, was horrible… it was almost like 70% of it was mayo. sloppy & soggy. we threw that away. the chili cheese dog was alright, but nothing i would get again. the chili cheese fries were good, but by that time, i was so full, i couldnt eat them. the cheesesteak wasnt really good, either. tasted like something i could have made at home. & lastly, the oreo cake was dry and not impressive (especially for the price! 5 something a slice). after we got home, i did some research on the place, and everyone else seems to have the same impression that we did. also, a few other things that turn me off from gianna’s: “please don’t go to gianna’s, they screwed us over a few years ago by lying that their “vegan” soycheese was home made, then it turns out they’re buying the stuff, then finally it turns out it’s never been vegan after all. they now apparently do have a vegan cheese, but it’s the principle of it.” (source). & i also read that they used to stock vegan treats baked goods, but unfortunately they now just copy them. straight from the vegan treats website: “And no, those sad replicas of OUR cakes being sold at Gianna’s Grille in Philadelphia are NOT ours. Vegan Treats proudly created every recipe you’ve ever had. We used to provide Gianna’s Grille with our Vegan Treats but have not done so since December 2003. You can still find the real thing at the above mentioned establishments”. things like this convince me to never return to gianna’s. very sketchy. Also, why would I return, when I know a place like Govinda’s exists.
#2) Govindas Gourmet to Go-

This place is stuck in my head for one reason, and one reason alone: The all-mighty vegan chicken cheesesteak. Govinda’s also offers menu items like a regular vegan philly cheesesteak (which is also good!), and tons of vegan treats stuff to choose from… but all in all, the menu is not super vast. The thing that keeps me here is the fact that all of the food is vegan, the people behind the counter are nice and helpfull, and its just a cute cafe with an amazing sandwich. delicious!

#3) New Harmony Vegetarian-

This place I found by reccomendation, and I was pleasantly suprised. Tons of vegan chinese food to choose from, and I liked the fact that the menu prefaced with what everything is made from. It’s nice not feeling like I have to pry ingredients out of someone. I got shrimp and cashews in garlic sauce, and Vic got chicken and broccoli. Both were great! Also, with a fortune like this, who wouldn’t want to come back?