Manhattan Guide Part Two
Wow. I never imagined I would be making another one of these blog posts about all the vegan things in NYC but here we are. I was just in the big apple again for my senior trip with my best friends and we did some serious exploring. We walked over 10 miles every we were there, discovered A TON of new places I never knew existed, and had basically the time of our lives. There is nothing like exploring a new city with your best pals and staying in a fancy hotel :)
Stay:
The NoMo SoHo Hotel
This hotel was probably one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in. It was only about two blocks away from where we stayed previously so it is still in a prime location. I was on the 18th floor which made us feel like royalty. A lot of the rooms have amazing views with floor to ceiling windows, the staff is very accommodating and helpful, and I basically want to move into this hotel. There is a restaurant on the first floor and in the basement, there is a pretty nice gym if you are one to work out while on vacation. Overall this hotel was 10/10 and I would recommend it to anyone.
Food:
P.S. Kitchen
A bit of a higher-end restaurant with a higher price range. The menu is mostly burgers with unique flavors and other sandwiches. Everything I tried was phenomenal, especially the fries! I had the P.S. Burger which is made with the Beyond Meat burger. Had great bread and a thousand island sauce which was killer. I also had the BBQ Seitan Sandwich and the Maple Roasted Honeynut Squash Sandwich.
This is a chain of small bakeries all around the city. The only things sold at Baked by Melissa are one bite cupcakes! They are so cute and they have 5 vegan flavors to try. All are really good but I highly recommend these ones: Chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing, Double Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Peanut Butter. They aren’t very expensive and you can try a bunch of them at once.
The Pennsy Food Hall:
A great place to grab a bite to eat. Tons of dietary options including a lot of vegan and gluten-free goodies! Lots of outdoor seating with a good view of the city. The next two places are both located at the Pennsy Food Hall.
Cinnamon Snail
All vegan place with an extensive menu of basically vegan junk food heaven. Nothing to complain about there. I wanted to try soooo many things but just didn’t have the room in my belly :) I tried the Beastmode Burger Deluxe. It was phenomenal and unlike anything I have ever tried before. It is an ancho chili seitan burger grilled in maple hickory bbq sauce with jalapeño mac n cheese, arugula, smoked chili coconut bacon, and chipotle mayo on a grilled pretzel bun. I mean you cannot go wrong there. I also tried a classic glazed donut and a lemon ginger donut. Both very good. Located in the Pennsy Food Hall.
A trendy booth within the Pennsy food hall with an extensive vegan and nonvegan menu. Their coconut soft serve basically tasted like cotton candy with coconut granola on top. One of the best things I’ve eaten in New York. They have a lot of vegan options including impossible meat tacos, house-made guac, salads, and rice bowls. Lots of great things to try there. I highly recommend checking this place out.
Van Leeuwen
Such a classic destination. No matter where you are in the city, I am sure you’re close to one of their 18 NYC locations. They usually have 5-10 vegan flavors at a time so there is something for everyone. During my four days in New York in June, I got Van Leeuwen 6 times so I think it’s safe to say I recommend it. They change their vegan flavor menu often so try as many as you can.
Chelsea Market:
Los Tacos No. 1
Lots of cool places inside and around the Chelsea market, including this Mexican booth. From the menu, I built my own ‘bento box’ with two different vegan tacos with a side of chips and salsa. Very good and tasted authentic. I really liked their house-made chips and marinated tofu from inside the tacos.
Chalait
Cute coffee shops and cafes galore in NYC and this one is one of my new favorites. Located right inside the Chelsea market, it is close to a bunch of shops and restaurants. I tried an iced vanilla latte and an iced chai latte. Both were so delicious and are in the top five coffees I’ve ever had.
Red Bamboo
Vegan comfort food at it’s finest. It’s a very extensive menu with lots of different types of food. Italian, American, and Chinese style food. I tried the orange chicken, chicken parmesan, Asian dumplings, and carrot cake. I would love to try more of the menu.
The Organic Grill
Holy cow. This place is a killer and I can’t believe it isn’t more popular! I heard about this place on a Plant Proof podcast and it was totally worth checking out! Everything I tried was AMAZING! They have breakfast and dinner menus which both look great. I tried things from the dinner menu but would really like to go back for some omelets. I had the fried mac and cheese bombs (umm yess!), the original OG burger, the cauliflower parm, and the fried buffalo pops which are basically buffalo wings. You have to go try everything!
The Confectionary
This all vegan dessert shop is amazing. They have cookies, brownies, and scones. But they specialize in french macarons and chocolates. I tried the classic chocolate chip cookie, s’mores cookie, shortbread, and 4 different flavors of macarons. Lemon poppy seed, lavender, jalapeno, and coconut. There are a lot to choose from, about 20 different ones a day.
