One More Vegan Shop-Up left in 2013!

You guys, you know I love the Vegan Shop-Ups; this Saturday is the last one of 2013!  Here's a little recap of my November shop-up festivities to get you in the mood.

I started the day pretty early with a friend at The Bean for chamomile tea and a toasted poppy flagel with vegan cream cheese.

Then it was off to the Shop-Up for some cereal donuts from Cake Thieves:

Gone Pie Vegan Bakery had a new item: chocolate chip cookie sandwiches!  What more is there to say? 

This was also when I had my first taste of their incredible pumpkin snickerdoodles.

Some Snail food was in order for lunch: the week's special red curry grilled tofu banh mi: with pickled onions & basil, arugula, kimchi, and sriracha mayo on a chili oil grilled baguette.  I apologize, but it was way too crowded to photograph this loaded sammie; two hands were necessary at all times.

Washed it down with one of Pine Box's unmatched Bloody Mary's. Yes; that's a pickled Brussels sprout.

All...that...garnish....

And some salt & vinegar potato chips.

There was a new vendor at the shop-up: By Rye.  She had a bunch of warm, soft, and beautiful knits (she was even knitting during the event) to keep us toasty without harming any animals (it's not just leather and fur that's cruel; don't forget wool, down, and silk).

There was a flurry of excitement at her table as a few of us tried on a bunch of things and coveted each others choices.  I've been enjoying my new, cozy scarf ever since.

Thanks, Ryder!

I couldn't resist one of the seasonal drinks, so I took respite from the busy and crowded thoroughfare  by snagging a seat at the end of the bar to relax and enjoy.  I don't remember the specifics, but there was chai, almond milk, booze, and imported brandied cherries involved.

Next up, drinks for a friend's birthday elsewhere in Brooklyn (I'd had enough by then, thankyouverymuch), followed by a couple of slices from Vinnie's (1 each!). 

 

My veggie-laden, Daiya-fied, hot-sauced slice up close:

 

Vinnie's art:

 

Then it was a mad dash (the L wasn't running) back to Manhattan for treats from The Best Ice Cream Shop in the Universe.  A friend got this strawberry, walnut, cookie flurry that looked pretty impressive.

While I stuck with a carob ice cream root beer float because I still wasn't convinced winter was around the corner (sundaes are vastly more appropriate in winter).

Looking forward to another fun day this Saturday; see ya there and everywhere.

T.Hanks, Vinnie's Pizzeria!

If you've never been to Vinnie's Pizzeria, I emphatically suggest that you do whatever you have to do in order to get there immediately.  Vinnie's is an authentic, omnivorous pizzeria in Brooklyn that caters to vegans in a most welcoming and impressive manner.  The term "vegan-friendly" doesn't even begin to cover it; they don't just accommodate, they extraordinarily impress. They carry two types of vegan cheese: Teese and Daiya (Team Daiya here); if you don't see what you like, slices can be made to order; there are vegan specials of the day; and, they even have Vegan Treats for dessert (good luck saving room).

Upon my first visit, they could not have left me with a better feeling: we were in a rush, but they didn't hesitate to explain the options and then make us individual Daiya slices on the fly.  They were so delicious that my friend and I have been daydreaming about them ever since (okay, likely me more than him). 

Fast forward a year almost two years (how did that happen?!) and we'd made concrete plans to return with friends.  You can order any concoction you can dream up (we saw more than one avocado-topped slice go by), but the vegan special on that day was the vegan spare tire: chopped broccoli, vegan spare rib, and fresh basil topped with vegan mozzarella cheese and hot sauce.  Oh yeah.  We ordered a large pie: half special/half plain, and wondered how we'd survive the 15-20 minute wait.

Since we were all just sitting around not chewing, I took the liberty of ordering (confirmed vegan) garlic knots for the booth of us.  They were served with marinara and disappeared in seconds.

Then I photographed some of the sights in the small, authentic pizzeria.  Of course, their famous T.Hanks garbage receptacle.

And, this rendering of the Pope in a pepperoni hat. 

Finally, it was time to mangia.  Just looking at these photos makes me want to return immediately.

 

My Daiya slice doused with red pepper flakes and oregano.

And, the special slice: vegan spare tire: chopped broccoli, vegan spare rib, and fresh basil topped with vegan [Daiya] mozzarella cheese and hot sauce, also doused with red pepper flakes and oregano.

Both incredible!!!

Vinnie's is superb.  I'm sure they could be perfectly busy running an authentic, solely omnivorous pizzeria, but for some reason they choose to be vegan-inclusive and knock it out of the park.  Regardless of the fact that there is a constant crowd, the staff is impressively patient, efficient, and generally fab; our whole meal was seamlessly coordinated by a friendly, young woman who never missed a beat.

See, they're even nice about that.

I can assure you that it will not be another two years before I visit again.