Blossom: Part Deux

Since I was so close by, I dropped by vegan eatery Blossom Uptown after the Macy's balloon viewing. I'm rarely in this part of the city, except when I frequent Central Park in the summer. So I figured...pourquoi pas?

To drink, my favorite of late: New York City tap water.

Possibly the best butternut squash soup I've ever had. Served with cinnamon croutons and a slice of bread, $6.

When ordering, my eyes were bigger than my stomach. The soup would have been enough.

Fettuccine in a cashew alfredo sauce with soy cutlets, $17. Their version included spinach, garlic and mushrooms. Good thing I brought my reusable container. I brought more than half of this heavenly dish home to enjoy again.


I didn't have room for their chocolate cake, $6, which is making my mouth water just writing about it. But I will be back. The quality of the food and the friendly service makes Blossom (both Chelsea and Uptown) one of my favorite veg spots in the city. I like both Blossoms, but lean slightly toward the Uptown location.

Visit Blossom Uptown, 466 Columbus Avenue (between 82nd and 83rd), New York City

While there, I dropped off some literature for my Advocacy Campaign Team friends at Farm Sanctuary. Lit dropping is a super-easy form of advocacy for busy, on-the-go activists.

Who Wants Earrings When I Can Eat Vegan Creme Brulee?

Fine jewelry? Not my thing. My favorite ring is a $15 "splurge" from the CATS Resale Shop. Perfume? Not so much. Electronics? My 10-year-old television set and old cell phone work just fine.

Instead, I was treated for my birthday to one of my favorite passions in life: food! Here's a recap of my humane dining experience at vegan Blossom Restaurant in Chelsea.

To drink, New York City tap water. Free and refreshing. Even when I'm not paying, $9 plus tax/tip for a glass of wine is simply too much.

To start, a Caesar salad, $8 (there's a larger entree size available). I love trying vegan versions of classic recipes, and this didn't disappoint. It was much lighter than the standard take, and no chickens or cows had to suffer.

Two entrees to share. First, Phyllo Roulade: French lentils and root vegetables in a phyllo crust, a carrot-cream sauce, with caramelized onions and Swiss chard, $18. A hearty and satisfying meal.

I couldn't wait to try the Wild Mushroom and Seitan Stroganoff on their online menu, but the waitress said they didn't serve it and the web site wasn't accurate. Sigh.

I couldn't sample the Bolognese sauce in Bologna, Italy, but I could try the linguini Bolognese, $21, here. As the judges on Project Runway might say, "I was a bit underwhelmed." The sauce was good, but didn't pair well with the spinach linguini and the vegetables, including the broccoli rabe, overpowered the dish.


French food loving-moi loved the lavender coconut creme brulee, $11. What a treat!

Apple cinnamon 'sticks' with vanilla soy ice cream and caramel sauce, $10. A comforting fall dessert.

But...these prices are too high, especially the desserts. Creme brulee is a rarity, so that was worth trying once. The high quality of the ingredients are worth more, and paying for the Chelsea real estate is part of the deal. But their prices limit this to a once, maybe twice a year, restaurant to visit.

One thing never to skimp on: the tip. Hard-working waiters and waitresses often have to share their tips with bus boys and food runners, are almost never provided with health care coverage, and shouldn't be nickle and dimed over the tax and alcohol. I say if one can afford to go out to eat, one can and should leave a descent tip for good service.

In an economy still struggling, it was encouraging to see such a bustling vegan restaurant. Visit Blossom Restaurant, 187 Ninth Ave., New York City. Find slightly more reasonable prices at their sister restaurant, Cafe Blossom, 466 Columbus Ave.

My favorite fine vegan dining experience in New York City? The Natural Gourmet's Friday Night Dinners still takes the vegan cake.

Dine at home for a fraction of the cost. Check out chef Karl Schillinger's recipe for Spaghetti 'Bolognese'. With the chilly nights ahead, have Italian night. Drink some wine if you imbibe, throw on an Italian film and enjoy the La Dolce Vita-frugal-style!

Check out Alicia Silverstone's Caesar Salad from The Kind Diet, available at local libraries. I would try this an even simpler recipe for Vegan Caesar Dressing from VegCooking, and top with Trader Joe's chickenless strips or Morningstar Farms Chik'n Strips for an inexpensive and tasty lunch.

Follow Alicia's adventures in The Kind Life. Just in time for Thanksgiving, check out her pumpkin pie recipe.

More Vegan Finds in Chelsea

Before my company subjected us to a relocation to overcrowded and homogenized mid-town (uh, Starbucks and McDonald's anyone?), I used to work in New York's hip Chelsea neighborhood. I personally want to stop every tourist I see walking through Times Square with their Disney bags and tell them there is so much more to New York.

You don't have to go to a vegan place to find great vegan food. Check out Rafaella on ninth, a quaint little bistro. I had their tasty Mississipi vegan chicken sandwich, with tomato, avocado and roasted red peppers ($7.95). I always order vegan offerings in non-vegan restaurants when I see them listed. The more we support them, the more they will appear.

In the mood for Indian fare? Visit Bombay Talkie (dinner only). I had the vegetarian casserole (baked potatoes, carrots, string beans and coconut milk), $18, followed by grape sorbet. Many months later, I still reminisce about that meal.

Blossom offers organic, all-vegan cuisine. This was their soy bacon cheeseburger with chipotle aioli and caramelized onions ($13), which I washed down with a raspberry fizz ($3.50).

Dining alone? Get a seat by the window and people-watch (and in NYC, dog-watch too!)

Cafe Blossom, their sister restaurant on the opposite side of town, is very close to Central Park...the ideal location for a leisurely stroll after devouring sweet potato gnocchi ($17) or seitan scallopini ($20). Save room for their mouth-watering chocolate cake.

Never be afraid to dine solo either. Food is one of the great pleasures of life in my opinion, and fabulous food can be enjoyed with or without dining companions. Bon Appétit!

Blossom Restaurant, 187 Ninth Ave. (between 21st and 22nd) and Cafe Blossom, 466 Columbus Ave. (between 82nd and 83rd)
Bombay Talkie, 189 Ninth Ave.
Rafaella on ninth, 178 Ninth Ave.