NJ Vegfest Vegan Pop-Up Shop, Asbury Park Edition

 

First, some backstory:
Last year I attended what I believe was NJ Vegfest's inaugural event in Morristown. My blogpost on the event was polarizing, to say the least, but the final update to the post was as follows:

UPDATE: Since this posted, the people behind NJ vegfest- Kendra specifically, have initiated and continued a dialogue, been extremely open to any criticisms and understanding of critique, as well as intent on vast improvement for future events. To say I am impressed by their kindness and openness is an understatement.

With their second large scale event under their belt (they also hold regular pop-ups in Morristown at The Laundromat), I'm happy to see that they are making impressive strides toward more spacious, organized, and affordable events. If the improvement between the fall 2016 event and this one is any indication, they are well on their way to solving the crowding/stock issues that seem to befall all veg events as of late. Congratulations for all you have accomplished in a very short time!

And, so...without further ado, onto the recap of my day at the NJ Vegfest Vegan Pop-Up Shop in Asbury Park.

We arrived about 15 minutes early for the event and had no problem finding parking right outside ($10/all day at the meter stands). In fairness, this ease may have been due to the overcast weather in the early morning.

Neither my friend or I had ever been to an event in the Asbury Park Convention Hall, so we were dumbly surprised to find that it was an actual show space. The best way I can describe it is that the vendors were set up in front of the stage in what would normally be floor seating. The stage (in back) was empty and the stadium seating, from where this photo was taken, allowed attendees plenty of options to rest/take a break/eat. There were a few picnic tables set up in the open space between the vendors and the stadium seating for those who couldn't or chose not to ascend the steps.

Admittedly, upon entry the event seemed small. NJ Vegfest had advertised ~50 vendors and, while I think only a couple were missing, when it was still early and the space was still relatively empty, it did appear to be a rather provincial showing. In fairness, I think this was due mainly to the layout of the arena.

Because we are vegan professionals, upon entry to the space we immediately made a beeline to:

If past events were any indication, we knew this would be the biggest draw and we wanted to get there first because I was under strict orders to bring home funnel cake donuts. We mistakenly thought that Vegan Treats having two booths meant they'd be at two locations in the space, but they actually had a double wide to hold all of their luscious treats- which made perfect sense.

I literally ran up to the table and immediately spied the booty. I excitedly flagged someone down (I'm not proud) for assistance and was all set to order a bazillion until...

I spied these black & white donut gems that I'd never seen before!

And then, I looked to my left, and it was a veritable vegan donut extravaganza. Heart palpitations commenced.

Even as a VT regular, I found it difficult to contain my excitement. But, I knew that I must because I was certain that the crowd forming behind me would grow impatient. So, I acquired my booty with relative decorum and breathed a sigh of relief as I walked off. That is, until I realized that in my excitement over the donuts, I'd missed the whole other half of the glorious booth: filled with cakes, cannolis, candy bars, brownies, and assorted GF specialties.

Mostly because there was a limit to how much I was willing to carry, I still felt okay about my haul. However, I was a bit sad to have missed these stunning Death by Chocolate cakes (the first VT cake I ever had and one of my favorites) made especially for Asbury Park. Killing it per usual, Danielle.

After that we headed over to Freakin' Vegan to start our day with our favorite broccoli cheese empanada. The lighting wasn't fantastic in this corner, so take a look at an interior shot from last week (yes, we stalk FV).

Satiated for the time being, we were able to make a quick pass through all the aisles to see what was on offer at the event.

Our friend, Gone Pie, came prepared with tons of her inventive & 100% gluten-free goods!

Brooklyn's Champ's Diner was representing in a double booth.

 

Red Bank's Good Karma Cafe was on hand with sammies, sweets, and a generous amount of staff. 

 

And Compassion Company had their stunning display of rad shirts, pins, stickers, hats, etc. at the ready. I picked up a few of their new magnets and I'm super excited for them not to be stolen off my car.

 

We decided next to snag some goodies from the Samosa Shack because their menu and staff were irresistible.

My pal ordered the Samosa Chaat: tofu tikka masala and potato pea samosa with roasted chickpeas, raita/yogurt sauce & chutneys.

 

I ordered the samosa & salad: potato pea samosa with Bhel Puri (Indian street food: puffed rice, potato, red onion, cilantro, tamarind chutney, PEANUTS!, chick pea crisps, turmeric) and Mini was super kind enough to put as little cilantro in my dish as humanly possible. THANK YOU! So very much appreciated.

We took our meals to the stadium seating, happy to have a destination. It was super cool to have someplace to sit with such a great view of the event- which had become considerably more packed in the hour or so since it had begun. The Vegan Treats line was our crowd barometer.

It was also enjoyable to be in a communal type seating area because you got to speak with or just overhear fellow attendees' conversations about veganism. There was a threesome behind us, in particular, that seemed to consist of 2 non-vegans and one vegan. We listened as they shared a Yeah Dawg and grilled their vegan friend on everything from faux meat, coconut bacon, and what makes some beer/wine not vegan. She was a champ!

I found it really exciting that these (and likely many more) non-vegans would attend an event like this and I would venture to guess that it was due in no small part to the fact that tickets were so reasonably priced. Yay for vegan-curious and new vegans! It made me wonder if it might be useful to have an "Ask a Vegan" booth at these types of events? The first time I ever saw such a thing was in NY, but I hear it's taken off elsewhere. Just seems like a really inviting, non-judgemental option since not everyone has a vegan friend. I believe the Animal Protection League of NJ was on hand doing a bit of this outreach impromptu, so I'd bet it would be even more popular if it was marketed as a live "ask me anything." Just a thought.

After we ate, I pretended I was PostMates and picked up lunch for some pals who were vending.

Ribs & potato salad from Green Mustache were very popular and well-received.

The marinara meatballs from Nature Has Flavor were a huge hit as well.

Then we ducked out for an hour or so to walk the boardwalk. It was nice to see that a lot of the area businesses were offering vegan options. So glad that they'd stamped our wrists upon initial entry; it made it very efficient to exit and re-enter the event.

 

By the time we returned at about 1:30pm, it was PACKED!! Look at the difference from the shot above and check out this video of the Vegan Treats line winding around half of the venue.

Samosa Shack had a long line.

Yeah Dawg was working their mob like pros.

And our pal, The Fanciful Fox, remained effervescent with everyone that came her way even though she didn't have a chance to take a moment's break.

One thing I'd like to point out to any vendors reading: PLEASE! You need a tall sign like this so that people can find you and know what you're about. Table and/or tabletop signs/menus are too easily obscured by crowds and just add to the frenzy.

I picked up these chocolate-covered pretzels and potato chips from Chocolate Calling for VM; she loves them both and, when I couldn't decide between the two, I was super-impressed that there was a mixed bag option. Very smart!                                   

If there was one thing that was lacking from this event, I'd say more non-prepared, take home food. We'd come with a tote bag and a cooler, but left with very little to put in it. Most of the food seemed to be for immediate consumption, which is great, but it's also nice to find new products to bring home to try in the days that follow. There's only so much you can consume in a few hours, try though I may to stretch it to the limit. Specifically, could have really used a vegan cheese vendor (VegNature, Cheezehound, That's Cheezy) because who doesn't love cheese? Or just a vegan grocery/snack vendor in general (Orchard Grocer, V Marks the Shop). Interspersing these kind of vendors whose packaged products can be sold with quick turnover would also possibly help with the long lines for prepared food that were melding into one another.

At around 2:00pm I started noticing some vendors who were completely or almost entirely sold out. Champ's was the first down, then Self Love- who put up a really sweet sign to that effect.

 Curiously, local Cookman Creamery didn't appear to be have restocked at any point.

While it truly is a shame when vendors sell out relatively early during an event, it was nice to see the boost it gave to newer/lesser known vendors with less name recognition. I know that bringing enough without bringing too much is a delicate equation to solve, but I think we can pretty much assume that vegan events are uber popular; vendors should err on the side of generous!

On the way out I stopped in a nearby shop and picked up this appropriate gem.

And then I packed up my stash and headed home.

Once home, my family promptly stuffed their Vegan Treats into their faces and everyone was happy.

In my opinion, this event was a raging success. Was it perfect? It couldn't possibly ever be. Was it an improvement from the last event? Unequivocally. Sure, it was extremely crowded. No one likes to wait in line, let alone line after line. But, in all honesty, the line/stock issues that affected this event are no different than what was experienced at the recent Vegan Street Fair and has plagued the NYC Vegfest for years. Not to say there can't be improvements. But, the bottom line is, veganism is popular. These events will get larger and larger until the world is vegan and events for non-vegans grow smaller and smaller. I'm glad the team behind NJ Vegfest, the vendors, and attendees are working towards this goal.

Cookman Creamery: MORE Vegan in Asbury Park

With all my jabbering on about Goldie's, you might be wondering if I am aware that there is a vegan-friendly ice cream store in Asbury Park.  To that imagined slight, I say, "What do you take me for- some kind of novice?"  I'll have you know that I've already been to Cookman Creamery a number of times.

Indeed, just a few blocks away from Goldie's is this mother/daughter-owned shop; I'd say the offerings are evenly split between vegan and non-vegan.

In essence, if you want it, they probably have a vegan version.

 

Every time I've visited there have been at least six hard-packed ice cream flavors: many of them satisfyingly kitschy (example: churro!).

They've also always had 2 soft-serve flavors on offer; my favorite so far: classic (and creamy) chocolate/vanilla.

But, let's be realistic; the cone above belongs to my friend.  This happened to be my first visit so I went for the whole shebang: the largest sundae available: made with cookie butter (speculoos/biscoff) hardpack and chocolate/vanilla twist soft-serve with peanut butter sauce, rainbow sprinkles, whipped cream, and a cherry.  The PB sauce is not made in house, but the whipped cream is.

Don't let this sad-face fool you; she tried some vanilla.

I will admit that the sundae unexpectedly defeated me and I'm not sure why.  It is the only time in recent memory that I haven't been able to finish a dessert and you know I'm not shy.  So, on my next visit I ordered a more normal size small cup which was brimming with chocolate and vanilla soft serve with peanut butter sauce (sadly, they were out of whipped cream).

I'm not sure if this is something that they do all the time, but this particular cup had peanut butter sauce on the bottom of the cup in addition to the top- which is genius.

for me?

 If this is a thing, please keep doing it!

For the record, the friend who was with me on this visit ordered apple pie ice cream which so horrified me (I hate apples) that I neglected to take a photo.

Cookman Creamery also offers most, if not all, of their novelties in vegan versions: flying saucers, chocolate-covered bananas...

They even have a pop that is reminiscent of "cherry-dip;" I believe they said it was a raspberry sorbet coating.  Non-chocolate desserts aren't really my thing, but I have a friend that's been dying for a vegan version of this so I'll let you know if she tries it anytime soon.

On another visit 89 had a sample of the raspberry soft-serve, which was paired with peanut butter (peanut butter & jelly; get it?).  Needless to say, she was a fan.

And the time after that she got a taste of the pumpkin/vanilla soft-serve swirl from a friend.

Not too shabby.

If you haven't been to Asbury Park recently, I highly recommend a visit to see what's new.  Besides great grub and desserts, you can walk to the boardwalk, take a ride on pedal-boats nearby, and visit the shops, galleries, and theaters within walking distance.

Did I mention Cookman Creamery also does cakes?  They do.  I've yet to try to test their travel-ability, but I'm sure as the weather gets cooler I'll be more likely to give it a go.

On a final note, Cookman (and Goldie's) are so pooch-friendly that 89 took it upon herself to break into this closed shop a few doors down.

Luckily no charges were filed.

Head on down to Asbury to see what's (vegan) to be seen!

Goldie's: Vegan in Asbury Park (beyond the choco taco...but, still... a choco taco)

You might recall how smitten I was with Goldie's after my first visit.  I've been back a few times since and the love affair continues; so, it was only fair to post a proper and more complete review- especially since the seasonal menu is expected to change sometime soon and then I'll be forced (!) to start the whole process again.

Goldies has soups and salads on offer, but I haven't visited yet where I didn't choose the house made chips with tomato/green chile salsa and pistachio-flax guacamole without being stunningly satisfied.

Seasoned and just the right amount of salt, these medium-thick chips make store-bought positively laughable.

The guac is creamy and filling- with just the right amount of crunch lent by the nuts.

Looks unassuming, but the salsa really packs a flavorful and perfectly textured punch.

As for drinks, I haven't made a bad decision yet.  This was a friend's sangria; I don't really like wine so I can't weigh in.

On this visit I again went with the strawberry limonada: strawberry-infused vodka (or tequila) with house made lemonade.  Refreshing and both sweet and tart without being too much of either.

Vegansaurus told me to order the yucca fries with cashew crema and I don't argue with Vegansaurus.  Crisp on the outside with a rich, creamily textured inside; I've never had anything quite like this.  Paired with the light cashew crema, this side dish is rich, rich, rich (the fries are also good dipped in the salsa- shhh!).

The chilaquiles (corn tortillas layered with chiles) onion, tomato, and daiya with grilled wild scallion salsa were totally different than I'd imagined, but really good.  I was for some reason expecting the Chi-Chi's cheese and onion enchiladas of days gone by (I realize that enchiladas are a totally different dish), but this was assembled as a shallow, Mexican lasagna that reminded me more of migas.  Post script: I love the little lime wedges that accompany almost everything on the menu.

The rodrigo (mushroom chorizo tacos) with potato, cashew crema, radish, fresh corn tortillas blew my mind.  For starters, anything that requires nothing more than your hands and mouth to indulge in is right up my alley.  And let's discuss the grilled, corn tortillas.  Goldie's has figured out how to make un-tearable, taco perfection with this trick.  As for the filling- wowza.  I'm not really familiar with chorizo, but the flavor it added mixed with the potatoes (!), cream, and crisp radish was completely ideal.  A must order in my book.

These are the little donkeys (pequeno bean burritos) with jalapeño hot sauce, lime; don't let the simplicity fool you.

The soft, flour tortillas are filled with the creamiest version of "refried" beans I've ever come across.  The heat comes from that seemingly innocuous swirl of jalapeño sauce that, when mixed into the delicious Mexican rice, is both steamy and satisfying.  This might be my favorite dish on the menu.

And, of course, a choco taco: waffle cone shell (looks like a pizzelle to me), spiced nuts, daily sorbet/gelato.  On this day the gelato was olive oil caramel (last time it was sea salt caramel), which sounds unusual, but tasted like good old caramel to me.

Interior:

Guess who wanted a taste…again?

And she got it: ice cream only!  No chocolate for dogs.

After 89 was satiated with her bit of choco taco, she took a nap.

This is how at home you feel at Goldie's!

Here's a groggy shot of us right before we left.

Till next time….

Some street art around the corner on Bangs.

The next time I visited was in the evening: offering a different perspective of Asbury Park and slightly worse food photography.

I chose the drink special: peach iced tea: vodka, white peaches, lemon and black tea.  It was a cross between sweet tea and a Long Island iced tea, both of which I'm partial to- with a subtle peach kick.

My friend ordered the cheese party (shiitake fundido) with charred tomato, daiya, flour tortillas.  I'm still regretting not tasting it; it looked like Mexican, cheese fondue perfection but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stop at a taste.  He really liked it and our waitress on a later visit told us it's one of her favorites.

The heirloom beans, which were gorgeous and, alas, also not mine.

I ordered the dang quesadilla: squash blossoms, caramelized onion, daiya, corn tortilla, cabbage escabeche (see what they did there?).  First of all, I love me some quesadillas!  A (vegan) quesadilla without (vegan) cheese is like a cheeseless pizza: worthless.  These were terrific: the tortilla was crisp and the fillings mighty in every way.

The cabbage escabeche accompaniment was a terrific variation of kimchi.

Because my (human) dining companion knows what's up, we reserved our choco tacos at the onset of our meal.  They had a blood orange variety, but we chose…caramel!  89 patiently awaited the arrival of her new favorite dessert.

That face went from concerned frown to ice cream smile (she gets that from me)!

Choco Taco perfection once again.

This is what happens when 89 thinks you're not paying attention; that blur is her tongue trying to make a choco taco connection.

Full disclosure: we also ordered the cinnamon sugar doughnuts: chocolate ganache, strawberry habanero sauce. But, not really; let me explain.

When we pre-ordered our choco tacos within seconds of being seated, the manager shared with us that the doughnuts were also a great choice.  I would never argue such a matter, so we agreed amongst ourselves to order them…with the caveat of double choco tacos also just in case.  As it turned out, the doughnuts were so incredible that we didn't really need the choco tacos, but they sure were good anyway.

Double-munchkin size, the cinnamon sugar-coated orbs were served warm atop a shallow pool of amazing strawberry sauce with a hint of habanero zing.  At the time I had no idea, so when I used my spoon to break into the donut, I was rendered ecstatic to see it come out coated in creamy, chocolate ganache.  Another huge Goldie's win.

We'd had another great evening at the beautiful outdoor Goldie's space, although 89 faded as the night wore on...

And eventually flat-out fell asleep at the table.

We also got another glimpse of the beautiful, ethereal interior that evening, but have yet to eat inside!

My most recent visit was…very recent.

I couldn't help but to order the special saltwater taffy martini with vanilla bean, whipped cream vodka, coconut milk, and crushed sea salt.  

Served in a rounded, martini glass reminiscent of vintage champagne glasses, this drink exceeded my wildest expectations.  I hope Goldie's keeps the recipe on hand because I'm going to try to order this one long after it's no longer a special drink for the holiday.

I finally ordered the tamale ringwald (love it!!!): tamale with chopped spinach, roasted garlic, black beans, and chipotle sofrito.  I love to order things like this out: something I would never think (or have the capacity) to make at home.  The sauce was delicious slathered all over both the tamale and the bean accompaniment.  And, fear not about the cilantro; Goldie's is smart enough to use it in it's full-leaf form so that it's easily removable (and still looks purdy in photos).

I may have also had a strawberry margarita: house made infused tequila, triple sec, and lime.  It was good, but the limonada is still my sweet fave!

And then Goldie's was kind enough to send some of those amazing doughnuts to the table.  Thank you so much!

My view of the donut stalker; click here for the view from across the table!

They were as good as I remembered (maybe better) and now I really want to go back yet again before the highly anticipated new seasonal menu: what a conundrum!

Alas, no choco taco for 89 this time!

It was a beautiful day in Asbury (until it rained), so we took the pooches for a nice long stroll through town and along the boardwalk.

I could not be more impressed with Goldie's; they are consistently inventive without being pretentious,  friendly without an iota of exclusion, and wholly welcoming to humans and pooches alike.

They've hit every note of dining perfection and I wish them continued success.  As for me, I'll keep doing my part!