3rd Time is a Charm!

As I wrap up my New York posts, I can assure you I will have more to report on the next time around as there is just not enough time to eat everywhere you'd like to eat in this Metropolis.

A really fun place to take everyone is Dos Caminos. As you may have noticed, Mexican restaurants are a great place to make everyone happy from the biggest carnivores to the most devout veggies. Dos has an incredible menu and a super happening vibe. I fell over with one bite of the Mushroom Empanadas (I got them without cheese) and their hearty Mexican Chopped Salad. I never miss out on the guac either. Info on both locations can be found at Dos Caminos.

OMG, I LOVE Blossom! Another organic and vegan delight, let me cut to the chase. French toast for breakfast, a BLT for lunch that is bananas, Seitan Scallopini and Chocolate Ganache for dinner & desert - you can die happy after a full day at Blossom!

A really good chain in NYC is Zen Palate. It really is a great place and with 5 locations, going on 6 (3 in NY, 1 in NJ, a new one opening up in LA and Zen Burger in NYC), I must not be the only one who thinks so. Obviously it is an Asian menu but they've got a twist like their Peking Style ZenDuck Wrap or their Vegi Lasagna to accompany the usual Asian fare. It is all very tasty and with all their locations, Zen Palate is becoming very accessible!

Finally, one of my favorite things to do is go to the Friday Night Dinner at the Natural Gourmet Cookery Institute. This is a world renowned culinary school for natural and organic food. The students whip up a terrific 4 course vegetarian meal in their "restaurant" and it is open to the public upon making prior reservation. It is a fun evening, a great way to support these budding chefs and an even better way to stuff your healthy face for the flat rate of $34! Pop in to The Natural Gourmet Institute.

That's a wrap on ol' New York but you better believe I'll be back for more!! (Artwork by my man Dan ; ) )

2 York ; )

As I roll through town (almost literally), I've happened upon even more absurdly good eateries. And off we go!!

This place needs no introduction as Angelica Kitchen is a staple for any veggie that lives in or visits the city. One of the first restaurants to bring vegan dining to the masses, Angelica still holds on to their roots. They have great relationships with the farmers that supply them with their organic ingredients and the taste shows. Their menu changes with the seasons to keep it fresh and delicious. I'm a huge fan of their warm Tempeh Ruben sandwich (meat eaters devour this one) and their choose your ingredients Dragon Bowl. It's so clean, fresh organic and healthy but none of the taste is sacrificed. Find out more at Angelica Kitchen.

If you want an out of body experience, try Gobo. It's named that because once you've eaten their your brain is much because you've had a gastronomical climax and you can no longer speak a comprehensive language ; ) But really, it's that good. With 2 locations (west village and the upper east side) you just can't miss a meal there. The extensive Asian menu is super creative and chock full of things like Avocado Tartare with Wasabi Lime Sauce, Yam and Yucca fries, Butternut Squash Risotto and more. All their info is online at Gobo.

I can't rave enough about Counter. For dinner or brunch, this organic veggie food & wine hotspot is sure to please. They do serve eggs at brunch so you can bring all your skeptical friends to this hip locale. Getting hungry just thinking about it, I highly recommend you start with some Potato Almond Gnocchi and Wild Mushroom Ravioli. Move into the next course with the Wheat Penne and Pine Nut Pesto then finish off with a Gooey Pecan Hot Fudge Sundae. Find out more at Counter.

For a nice meal that everyone will be satisfied with, Blue Fin on Broadway in Times Square is a nice change. For seafooders and non veggies, this is a good spot and it's not to shabby for us rabbits ; ) They had good sized salads that can be easily veganized and a pretty hearty selection on breakfast items like soy smoothies, steel cut oatmeal and healthy portions of delicious oatmeal. Blue Fin
is a great change of pace.

See you next week with more on the unofficial capital of the world!!

The Big Apple!!

Could a big apple be more health friendly? Despite the big greasy pizzas and every corner hot dog vendors, NYC is a hub for some of the best healthy food in the world. Of course we all know that some of the top chefs and restaurants can be found here so there is no shortage of fantastic places to satisfy your green tooth ; )

Seeing as how there are a million restaurants per block in Manhattan alone, I'll be breaking this doozie of a foodie paradise up into 3 posts and I probably would need more then that. This particular posting I will be mentioning some pretty unique and chic restaurants as well as a few yummy veggie locales.

One of my favorite places in the city is Candle Cafe. The Original spot is on 3rd and 75th and they've opened up a more fine dining version of the cafe, Candle 79, on 79th near Lexington. Both locations are a MUST and I urge you to go as soon as you get in to town. They have phenomenal juices and baked goods if you just need a quick morning boost, ridiculous sandwiches and salads like Tuscan Seitan Parmesan Sandwich and the Chili Rubbed Seitan Salad, and for dinner bring a large appetite for the Porcini Crusted Tofu and a nice helping of chocolate peanut butter cake. I could go on and on and on about my beloved Candle but why don't you go on and salivate while you check out their menus at Candle Cafe.

For a swinging and hip NY night out, check out Buddha Bar. There is no shortage of good food and good spirits here for you or anyone you may be out partying with. Their veggie and cucumber rolls maki rolls are yum-o and their Thai veggie curry will knock your socks off. Look them up and have a night out with the beautiful Manhattanites at Buddha Bar.

For a surprisingly cool dining experience, try Florencia 13. An upscale Mexican restaurant named after the infamous gang. Yep, that's what I said. Not sure if the owners are ex gang bangers or still running around with the bad boys but this place is bangin' all on it's own. The decor is awesome with portraits of these dudes all over but it works. And the menu is slammin'! Every item is an homage to a SoCal City like my delicious Malibu burrito (greens, avocado, tomatoes, rice & beans) and my Mullholland Drive Avocado Salad. They even have a brunch that is off the chain!! Check out this craziness at Florencia 13.

Another unassuming Mexican hot spot is La Esquina (The Corner). A taco stand on the surface, a kick ass brasserie & tequila bar down below. The food is great and the atmosphere is pretty cool. Grab a quick taco up top or chillax with your friends downstairs at the restaurant and have some rockin' avocado soup. Although you have to be on the list, have ressies or purchase tickets. It's worth the trouble though, look them up on La Esquina.

That's not all people!! I'm takin' some more bites out of this apple and sending the news your way again next week!!!

(Awesome sketch by my better half while havin' a nice afternoon in Central Park)

Loverboy in the Desert

Yeah, that's what I said, Loverboy! I know, what rock did they crawl out from under? I don't know but they were pretty great after all of these years! Being that they were doing the county fair and free park show circuit, we had to drive out to Palm Desert to see their old butts rock out. But it was well worth it!! A quick trip to the desert is always a fun treat for the soul and the tummy!

One place that needs no intro is Native Foods. They have locations in LA, Palm Springs and Palm Desert. It's a vegan paradise for fast food. From great pizzas, salads and scrumptious deserts, Native Foods will not disappoint. Check out their creative and mouthwatering menu at Native Foods.

It is an absolute must when you are in Palm Springs to have a meal at La Casuelas. Voted one of America's top 50 Hispanic Restaurants, there is no doubt why. They have a huge menu and almost any entree can be vegie or veganized. The black bean pizza or tostada is awesome as is there veggie enchiladas sans cheese. Their fiesta guacamole goes great with a big ol' margarita too!! See the yummy dishes at La Casuelas.

If you are in the mood for something deli like and quick, stop at Cafe Totonaca located in the Nature's Rx market . They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and everything is super tasty. their morning scrambles are delish as are their soy strip fajitas any time of the day!

If you want a little exotic flair from the east, definitely try Thai Smile (760- 320-5503,651 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262). They are not vegetarian but they have great veggie options and it is super tasty.

And lastly, if you need a quick pick me up, Cafe Zertz (250 South Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, CA 92262, 760-416-0980) is the ticket!! It's super cute and they brew up a mean cup of soy latte and serve up some good veggie sandwiches.

No need to starve out in the desert when you have all of these great choices in the oases that are Palm Springs and Palm Desert!

Yummy Yosemite

What can I say about Yosemite that you don't already know but WOW!! It really is breathtaking and I wish we had had more time but I'm sure we will be back soon ; ) From the short time we spent there, I still squeezed in time for a meal and did some research for next timehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.photo.gif!

We dropped into Curry Village to grab some souvenirs and in the gift shop they had scrumptious vegan cookies!! They also have a food courtish type commissary that had Mexican food, pizzas and a bunch of other lunch treats. I had a veggie tostada salad that was enormous and the guacamole was pretty damn good! Yosemite Village, like Curry Village, is inside the park, also has snacks and great selection of soups and salads.

If you want to live the high life at Yosemite instead of roughin' it outdoors with them there bears, definitely try a night or 2 at the Ahwahnee Hotel. Their main dining room has a gourmet menu that doesn't forget about those who chow on greens. They have soups that are veggie based, tasty salads and scrumptious entrees like pasta carbonara. They are great about labeling what is available veggie style!

At the Yosemite Lodge, their Mountain Room Restaurant is a vegan and organic haven. From vegan soups to quinoa based entrees, this is a nature lovers paradise and a must if you visit the park.

Just outside the park is the Wawona Hotel and dining room that also happens to be very veggie friendly. Fresh soups, salads and an assortment of veggie alternatives are always in season at this Victorian beaut of a lodge.

So if you are camping, be sure to bring lots of healthy goodies to sustain yourself during your explorations and lock them up good so the fuzzy wuzzy bears don't get to them first! But if they do, there is a nice size market in the park where you can re-stock. But even if you are roughing it, be sure to take a break and pop into one of Yosemites fine dining halls and eat up!!! Nature never tasted so good!!

"Goodbye God, I'm Going to Bodie!!"

That's a direct quote from a little girl whose family was moving to the infamous and wicked mining town in the 1880's. Now a genuine ghost town, Bodie, CA, is quite a step back into our nation's nutty past. On our way back from Black Rock City (Burning Man), we stopped into this town frozen in time before we passed through Yosemite.

Bodie has a great story and is worth the 8,000 ft mountain drive to get there. There are no inhabitants or services beyond the gift shop in Bodie so we stopped for dinner and slumber about 45 minutes past there in Lee Vining at Mono Lake. Lee Vining is a town of 300 people so you would think there wouldn't be a healthy morsel in sight. Wrong!! It was so easy and the people couldn't have been nicer.

Our first meal was at Bodie Mike's BBQ and I pigged out. They had a great veggie mexi burger (salsa in the veggie patty with guac on top!!) as well as a delicious soup and salad bar. I also saw that they had teriyaki veggie kabobs!They are at Hwy 395, Lee Vining, CA 93541, (760) 647-6432.

After a good night's rest, I popped into the Latte Da cafe (a few doors down from Bodie Mike's) where they served up organic soy lattes ; ) I broke fast with my travel buddies at Nicely's, directly next door to Bodie Mike's, where I got a big bowl of yummy oatmeal and fresh oj.

If you happen to pop into Lee Vining for some lake activities or before you head over the Tioga Pass into Yosemite, you can stock up at their local market with fresh produce and a ton of vegan, veggie and other healthy products like Amy's frozen goodies, tofurky and Odwalla juices. The selection was incredible and I highly recommend you poke in if you are thinking of heading into Bodie or Yosemite. Or if you miss the turn for Mammoth!!