Blossom...Best Appetizer in NYC

Another dinner at Blossom where two pathetic diners can't help but order the very same things they always do, but don't regret it in the least.

For starters, the beloved Black-eyed Pea Cake.  Oh pea-cake, how we love thee.  This was a decidedly rounder and less crispy (smaller?)version of Blossom's single pea cake appetizer (Cafe Blossom serves two miniature ones in their variation), but equally delicious.  Filled with yukon-gold potatoes, black-eyed peas, onions, bell peppers, and probably other unidentified goodies, this appetizer is a winner topped with and sitting atop of an addictive chipotle aioli.

For dinner, the (seemingly smaller) lentil-packed Phyllo Roullade swimming in a buttery carrot cream broth and served with swiss chard and carmelized onions: this alone could make Chelsea's Blossom your favorite of the group (and it has for us). I like to pretend that you can't adequately reheat phyllo dough as an excuse to finish the whole portion, but I will have to test this theory one day because I certainly wouldn't mind having this for dinner two nights in a row (or twelve).

We don't usually do dessert at Blossom, but for some reason I decided we should try the caramel apple cigars for dessert.  I am neither a fan of apples or fruit as dessert in general, but my companion loves the combo and I was feeling generous.  Error in judgement.  The boring, miniscule order consisted of 4 teeny phyllo sticks (~2" long with a dime equivalent circumference) "filled" with barely visible pieces of apple.  There was a tasteless, caramel-colored liquid sloshing around the plate, but the piece de resistence was the foul, melon-ball serving of "vegan ice cream".  Perhaps I'm now spoiled by Lula's, but for a restaurant whose food offerings I hold in such high regard to offer such an unappetizing ice cream was both surprising and disappointing.

Here's my current take on Blossom:

1. The food remains delicous, but the dessert is a definite pass*.
2. The portions are shrinking.
3. With prices on par with Candle 79, the Blossoms need to collectively up their game as far as service is concerned; the waitstaff is consistently adequate and that doesn't cut it.  Hipster swagger is ok for a coffeehouse, but not an upscale dining establishment.

* alternate dessert suggestion to be offered in next post

Blossom in Chelsea

Usually, I proudly visit the UWS cafe location for brunch (french toast, berry pancakes), shakes (butterfinger, chocolate peanut butter), muffins (banana chocolate chip) & cookies (giant chocolate chip), but Chelsea Blossom's more lunch oriented menu forced me to eat "real" food. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

The black eyed pea and potato appetizer was amazing; it reminded me of the delicious entree currently offered at Red Bamboo Brooklyn. Also delicious (but in 2nd place) was the ravioli in cashew cream sauce. There was a similar pasta entree on the menu that I'd definitely try for a main course next time; we snuck a peek at the order at the table next to us and it looked fresh, full of veggies, and basically divine. Though not my choice, the salad was fresh, light, and huge. But best was the Phyllo Roulade. It was almost beyond description: hearty, generous, and delicious.

It takes a lot for my sweet tooth/junk food addict self to admit, but clearly I have been missing out by not trying "real" food at Cafe Blossom. Blossom is not pretentious like Candle 79 and I found the dishes to be more inventive, better spiced, larger, and overall: infinitely better. They don't try too hard in an attempt at being considered avant garde, but they aren't afraid to play with spices and tastes (both the black eyed pea cake and phyllo roulade had a subtle and satisfying Indian flair). You leave feeling satisfyingly full of real, good food with flavors you couldn't duplicate at home. Finally, they are "...first and foremost animal caring"! If you are a member of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary (and why wouldn't you be?), they happily offer a 15% discount with a great big smile and a genuine thank you for helping the animals right along with them.

I will even admit that I was so full of good, real food that I skipped (!) dessert altogether. Yep, that's how good it was. Ok, I did have Vegan Treats cake at the T-Salon later that same day, but the point is that, at the time, I was fulfilled with real food.

So, how can you resist? Go here for a great meal. Only, don't make the mistake of going before Veggie Conquest as we did; there will be plenty of food there and your tummy will be full, full, full.

T-Salon in Chelsea

I went to see the High Line a few weeks ago (yawn) and stumbled into the Chelsea Market for the first time ever. The space is crazy; I'm going to have to do some research to figure out what it is because it looks like a renovated subway tunnel in a really cool & polished way. I don't know how to describe the collective establishments inside, though. Giant food court? (Non-vegan) cupcake overload? I mean seriously, how many cupcakes can non-vegans eat? On the healthier side, I should mention that there was a produce/spice/bulk market with the most incredible vegetables I've seen in the tri-state area. Great assortment and everything was fresh and reasonably priced; if I wasn't leaving for Portland in two days I would have stocked up. As it was I couldn't resist some cranberry beans from a youth farmstand on 9th...and was cramming them down the night before my flight.

But back to the matter at hand. Other than the produce market, I didn't see much vegan-friendliness in the Chelsea Market-- and the place is predominantly food. As a vegan, the only option seemed to be the T-Salon which I had read about on Supervegan. And T-Salon should thank them profusely because it it weren't for them I wouldn't have even bothered going in to check; they don't exactly advertise their vegan options. Which is a shame because with all of their vegan dessert offerings they should have a flashing "Welcome Vegans" sign. But, heaven forbid we scare away "normal" people with the frightening word. Instead we all seem to find these things through the Vegan Underground...tee hee.

The goal of the T salon seems to be to provide a calm oasis in the otherwise bustling Chelsea Market. This begins and ends with the meditative music.

The bad: the staff is horrendous- generally unpleasant, rude, curt, etc. They act like it is a chore to assist you and try their hardest to make you feel moronic. Also, there's lots of food, but the tables and chairs are not really conducive to eating. Worse, market shoppers with unruly, obnoxious children seem to think it's ok to utilize the seating area as a jungle gym, complete with ear-piercing shrieking. I should also note that there is only one tea menu (a binder), so if someone takes it to their table you're left to search for it on your own while the person behind the counter yells to no one in particular that "The menu is supposed to be looked at AT THE COUNTER!"

The good: lots and lots of Vegan Treats offerings (4 cookie choices, 5 cakes). After many eye rolls and exasperated sighs, the counterperson explained that ALL of the desserts were from Vegan Treats except for the red velvet cake. I should note that there (presumably) was a sign to this effect, but it had curled over in its holder. She could have simply propped up the sign, but then she wouldn't have had the pleasure of being a meanie.

Of course I had a VT lemon poppyseed cookie and three slices of VT cake: pumpkin cheesecake, raspberry cheesecake, and a chocolate bundt that the server told me was something that Vegan Treats "makes special for them". It was nowhere near as good as everything else VT, so I'm beginning to wonder what exactly is so special about them? Now that I think about it, it's more likely that the girl was annoyed at me for my vegan inquisitiveness and served me an egg-laden bundt. Ugh.

I did also tried the red velvet cake, which I suspect might be from Red Mango (per SuperVegan). The vegetarian I was with said it was the real deal and I found it surprisingly delicious since I don't usually go out of my way for red velvet, having never had the "regular" version. Red Mango, if it is yours you should make sure they share the info with the customers because you have turned me into a red velvet fan. *UPDATE* Red Mango has kindly confirmed that T-Salon does indeed carry their out-of-this-world red velvet cake. I urge everyone to try this and anything else from a bakery that can master the elusive red velvet!

So, overall, the service was very bad, but they have awesome vegan goodies! Other than that I didn't notice any vegan options in the actual food area (where everything looked pretty petrified). My advice: grab your (confirmed) Vegan Treats goodies and scram.

Update: the T-Salon is now closed.

Veggie Conquest II - Squashing the Non-Vegan Competition

A belated posting for my attendance at the incredible Veggie Conquest II. This event could not be improved upon unless the secret ingredient was a chocolate/peanut butter combo.

But seriously, I thought it was just going to be a nice evening with some yummy tastes. Instead, it was an event- literally and gastronomically.

The location in Chelsea was convenient and the space was decorated elegantly and appropriately for the seasonal secret ingredient (fall/squash). The hostess at the door was welcoming and friendly-- even when I almost stole two pins (they should put a sign there for those of us used to the adorable freebies at Vegan Treats)! There were plenty of friendly peeps to mingle with, including representatives from nearby NY state animal havens: Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen and the Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties.

When things got underway, the inimitable Joshua Katcher (aka The Discerning Brute) took control of the evening: effortlessly entertaining and simultaneously moving the event along seamlessly. Three judges: the well-spoken and equally kind and candid Michael Parrish DuDell from Ecorazzi, creator of Indiana's The Bake Easy: Amy Lynn Herman, and an extremely quiet Deborah Gavito, owner of Counter. I had wanted to take my frittata florentine issue up with her, but she didn't seem to be in the mood to mingle with the crowd, let alone hear me lament the removal of the incredibly praiseworthy dish from her brunch menu. So, unfortunately, it is not looking good for my frittata.

In any event, everyone was presented with tastes of the entries and then had the opportunity to vote. There were 1st, 2nd, and 3rd chef prizes presented (one donated by the wonderful Lula's), and even door prizes were bestowed upon a couple of lucky tasters who got to choose between vegan mac & cheese or white chocolate chips from Cosmo's.

NEXT, the tasters were treated to a ginormous smorgasbord prepared and presented by the very talented volunteers of the evening. And, as if those delicious and varied creations weren't enough to satiate, the generous Sara- of the infamous Sweet & Sara marshmallow line- donated platters upon platters of all of her scrumptious creations (toasted coconut marshmallow and rocky road bark are still my household's favorites!). Apparently the modest Sara was even in attendance, but since she didn't introduce herself she wasn't able to receive the praise she so rightly deserves to have bestowed upon her. I'll take the opportunity here to give her a resounding handclap; if the vegan corn dog deserves one (and it does), so too does the vegan marshmallow.

Eventually, the evening wound down with most everyone chatting happily about just about everything vegan. A hardy thank you to everyone responsible for the terrific evening: from founder Jessica Mahady to all of the selfless volunteers. Not a single detail was overlooked; the care is obvious and appreciated. From the ambiance (lighting, music, room prep) to the entertainment, to the generosity of the goodies: this is an evening not to be missed.