So I just got back from my trip to Greece and have to say that the vegetarian options there are pretty sparse other than the Greek salads, spanokopita (feta cheese and spinach wrapped in phyllo dough) and tomato stuffed with rice which I highly recommend trying as they are very good. But after a few days there, you may, like me, get sick of more of the same. I know that the site is focused on NYC, but I figured I would add a bit of international flavor. These are my top picks for each place I visited:
Athens: Goodys (quasi fast food)
Several locations all around the city
You'll find that fast food isn't as ubiquitous in Greece as it is in the states or other parts of Europe, which is a good thing. The exception is Goodys which is a sort of Subway meets Burger King meets Greece. The place is a bit nicer than your typical fast food joint and the food is definitely a lot fresher. Not a ton of vegetarian options but try the feta, tomato and olive on a toasted baguette. It is very good. Another similar fast food type joint is Everest (it is as ubiquitous as Starbucks in NYC) which has salads and toasted sandwiches but it is not as good as Goodys.
Mykonos: Appaloosa
Located in Mykonos town
This party island to the south is generally tourist friendly. Like me, you'll get sick of seeing the street meat places where they have a big block of some meat turning vertically on a fire. Many of those places offer vegetarian fallafel that are tasty and cheap but you may find a longing for other flavors. A good respite is Appaloosa, which is a sit-down restaurant that serves fusion mexican food (not sure what they are fused with but they are a Greek twist on Mexican). They have several vegetarian options of which I recommend the nachos, quesadilla and the tostada. The ambiance and atmosphere is great and it also has some outdoor seating.
Santorini: NRG Cafe
Located in main town of Thira
There are a lot of places in Santorini where you can get the typical Greek fare: greek salads, etc. But NRG Cafe is a tiny hole in the wall cafe that you could easily pass right by. They primarily serve coffee and crepes but they also have two vegetarian options that they make on their Crepe wheel (not sure if it is called that). They make a mexican style vegetarian wrap with fresh veggies which is amazing and at 5 Euros, not a bad deal. They also make a similar South Indian Veggie Wrap with curried vegetables that sounded very good but I never had the chance to try it because I fell in love with the mexican style wrap.
I should also mention that there are also a couple of places in Santorini where you can get pretty tasty fallafel. The one place I liked was on the main road in Thira and did not have a name but was about a block down from Luckys (which is the more famous street meat place). It had a green awning and was right on the corner. But I don't recommend any of these fallafel places if you have issues with meat being cooked in close proximity to you food or the smell of large slabs of meat being cooked gives you the jitters.
Anyway, if you have any questions about the food in Greece, drop me a line.
-Veggy Foody
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Been a while...
Ok, it's taken me some time to get this going, but the plan is one new review every week...
Next week is Cafe Blossom, which is likely to be a "Best of Veggy Foody".
-Veggy Foody
Next week is Cafe Blossom, which is likely to be a "Best of Veggy Foody".
-Veggy Foody
Zen Palate
663 Ninth Avenue, New york, NY 10036
On the corner of 46th Street and 9th Ave
(212) 582-1669
Food: 3.5 karats
Dishes eaten:
Sizzling Medallions (Pic below)
Singapore Style Curried Rice Noodles (Pic below)
Sweet Yam Fries (Pic below)
Mind over Muddle (herbal tonic)
Be discriminating when choosing the dishes here. While there are several dishes that are a delight to the tastebuds, the entire menu is not as appetizing. I recommend ordering the dishes from the dinner menu (and not the prix fixe menu). While more expensive, the dishes are carefully crafted with delicate flavors, while the prix fixe is an attempt to add some inexpensive fare to the offerings. Start with something salty to get the tastebud juices running. I had the yam fries which are delicately fried and salted with a contradiction of light sweetness. The Singapore noodles have a strong curry flavor and are wok cooked with vegetables. The Sizzling Medallions (shown below) come out on a wrought iron tray still sizzzlng from the open fire pit (or stove) that they were cooked on.
Ambiance: 2 karats
You can sit in the front or walk through the kitchen and sit in the back area (there is also some outside seating available in the summer). The mirror paneled backroom is preferable, but some renovations would do this place some good. The restaurant does not appear to have been kept up well and this is its serious downfall. The aesthetically unpleasing dining room is a contradiction to the zen art that is put into the preparation of the food.
Service: 2.5 karats
Mediocre at best. Once you get put back into the backroom, you may be forgotten about for some time but they are pretty accommodating on any requests and seating preferences.
Price
I had one appetizer, two entrees, and a herbal tonic. The bill ran us about $40 (excluding tip), which comes out to about $20 per person.
On the corner of 46th Street and 9th Ave
(212) 582-1669
Overall Rating: 3.0 / 5.0 karats
You’ll find all types whetting their “palate” at this theatre district joint with tourists and locals alike seeking their “path to gastronomic enlightenment”; While some of the dishes will get you there, others will lead you down the path of eternal damnation (ok, that’s a bit over the top). The décor and ambiance (especially the elevator tunes lulling away in the background) leaves much to be desired, but the exclusively vegetarian menu has some savory dishes inspired by Chinese cuisine. The Union square location, which I think was the better looking younger sister of this location, shut down about a year ago (due to high rent), but this is a good second best. While I won’t guarantee that they’ll cure whatever’s ailing you, the herbal tonics are a good addition to any dish.
Food: 3.5 karats Dishes eaten:
Sizzling Medallions (Pic below)
Singapore Style Curried Rice Noodles (Pic below)
Sweet Yam Fries (Pic below)
Mind over Muddle (herbal tonic)
Be discriminating when choosing the dishes here. While there are several dishes that are a delight to the tastebuds, the entire menu is not as appetizing. I recommend ordering the dishes from the dinner menu (and not the prix fixe menu). While more expensive, the dishes are carefully crafted with delicate flavors, while the prix fixe is an attempt to add some inexpensive fare to the offerings. Start with something salty to get the tastebud juices running. I had the yam fries which are delicately fried and salted with a contradiction of light sweetness. The Singapore noodles have a strong curry flavor and are wok cooked with vegetables. The Sizzling Medallions (shown below) come out on a wrought iron tray still sizzzlng from the open fire pit (or stove) that they were cooked on.
The sizzling medallions are the reason I come to Zen Palate and the reason I’ll keep coming back. They are savory morsels of wheat gluten cooked in a full bodied sauce that has hints of orange (with sliced orange peels) and sautéed asparagus, mushrooms, onions and string beans. The herbal tonics are just what the doctor ordered made on a base of soda water with fruit juices.
Ambiance: 2 karats
You can sit in the front or walk through the kitchen and sit in the back area (there is also some outside seating available in the summer). The mirror paneled backroom is preferable, but some renovations would do this place some good. The restaurant does not appear to have been kept up well and this is its serious downfall. The aesthetically unpleasing dining room is a contradiction to the zen art that is put into the preparation of the food.
Service: 2.5 karats
Mediocre at best. Once you get put back into the backroom, you may be forgotten about for some time but they are pretty accommodating on any requests and seating preferences.
Price
I had one appetizer, two entrees, and a herbal tonic. The bill ran us about $40 (excluding tip), which comes out to about $20 per person.
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