Daiya Pizzas- I tried them so you don't have to

As promised, more pizza! I gave these Daiya pizzas a try even though I've held a grudge against them ever since this happened.

First up was the fire-roasted vegetable pizza, which was a little less appealing looking than I'd hoped. There was just something unsavory about the oddly chopped veggies that rubbed me the wrong way and it wound up tasting no more than fine. Fine pizza is an oxymoron.

Next up was the margherita pizza, which was way more up my alley: just look at all of that cheese. I added sliced rockets: olives double stuffed with jalapenos and garlic.

While this pizza was definitely the favorite of the two- thanks in no small part to the cheddar mixed in with the mozzarella, it just didn't do it for me overall.

This had to do, in large part, with the thin crust. While thin crust is never my crust of choice, this was like a thick, tasteless cracker. [UPDATE 11/11/15: windy city vegan has kindly pointed out that this is a gluten-free pizza, so that explains a lot; please see her comment below.] The ratio of sauce to cheese was fine, but overall it was another meh; a grilled cheese would have been equally satisfying. No, probably moreso.

Guess I'm just over Daiya in more ways than one.

Revisiting John's for Eve Eve Eve Eve

My first visit to the historic John's of 12th Street was a magnificent hit.

 

The next two were considerably less so, but this year we decided to take our celebratory Eve Eve Eve Eve group there to see if their vegan game was still going strong.

Warning: #moodlighting #ambiance #poorlylitfoodphotos
The menu was very similar to what I remembered, but I believe that there were some minor changes.

Of course I had to get the bruschetta: garlic-grilled bread with avocado, basil and tomatoes. It was just as good as we remembered.

I was inordinately hungry, so I also ordered the vegan Caesar salad. It looked unassuming, but it was pretty darn outstanding and incredibly authentic. I couldn't believe my ears when the waiter for the next table told the diners it gets mixed reviews. Not from me!

Aaaaand, the vegan garlic bread. They also have vegan butter if you just have plain bread for the table, but why would you?

A couple of people ordered the grilled portabello mushroom with polenta and greens. While they  reported that it was good, the "greens" consisted of a few random leaves of mixed salad greens. While vegans have no problem eating garnish, it really seemed to be all it was; John's might want to rethink the description.

I didn't get a chance to photog the pizza and seitan alla rosa at the other end of the table, but on my end most of us ordered the famed, housemade, seitan parmigiana with Daiya cheese. Don't let the unfortunate lighting fool you; this was as good as ever.

And they even brought out Go Veggie! vegan parmesan. It's impressive that they even have this detail covered.

While eavesdropping on a conversation between the waiter and the vegan table next to us, we learned that John's decided to start making their own ice cream during the period that Lula's was not open and has continued to do so. While no one at our table partook, that table did and reported high marks on all counts. Instead, I shared the chocolate cannoli with a pal (we, of course, had plans to go to Lula's later that same evening). I admit that this was the lowlight of the meal; my heart definitely belongs to the cannoli from Vegan Treats.

The bottom line is that if you're lucky enough to have a good and pleasant waiter (or multiple as was the case with our large party), the food at John's will take care of itself and your experience will be primo.

Peacefood BRUNCH?! (psst: there are vegan omelettes involved)

A while back a friend invited me to brunch at Peacefood.  I've been going to Peacefood a long time: I don't believe their menu has changed significantly during that time (even their "specials" seem to stay the same) and I've never seen a brunch menu, but he was adamant that it existed.

 

I couldn't make it that day, but recently found myself downtown with another friend at 10am on a Sunday morning and what do you know?  Brunch!

In addition to this mini-menu, we were told that we could order off the regular menu (love that) [UPDATE 2017: they no longer allow you to order off the regular menu during brunch] and there was also an omelette special that could be ordered two ways:

• filled with mushrooms, carmelized onions, and Daiya
• filled with tomatoes and vegan goat cheese

I went the omelette route and chose the mushrooms, carmelized onions, and Daiya version.

My friend subbed tomatoes for the mushrooms.

photo credit: JD Gut

As far as omelettes go, this one fell somewhere between Organic Grill (thick and dry) and Mi Lah Vegetarian (omelette perfection). The omelette itself did err on the semi-thick and somewhat dry side, but the delicious accoutrements contained therein created an impressive balance.  The mushrooms and onions were perfectly prepared, mozzarella Daiya was a nice touch (I'd expected cheddar), and the accompanying potatoes were crisp and lightly seasoned with rosemary.

Our omelettes were pretty enormous, but I've seen other people's IG photos since and it seems like the size varies.  That being said, we also shared a ham and cheese croissant (don't judge).

 

I highly recommend sharing because it's really rich (also it's nice to share).

cheddar Daiya!

You can probably guess what happened next.

 Yep, chocolate chip cookie sandwich to-go.

Since the dining room was almost empty when we were there, I thought I'd spread the word that while the brunch-specific offerings are somewhat abbreviated, Peacefood does, in fact, offer an (early) brunch- which is hard to find in Manhattan.  Check it out!

PS: Anything you can eat I can eat vegan.

Blackbird Pizzeria (Vegan MoFo 2013)

I don't find myself in Philadelphia all too often, so when I recently had a whole day with friends- including a native, we tried to hit as many vegan spots as our stomachs would allow.

Blackbird Pizzeria, all vegan, has taken the physical place of a former is-it-or-isn't-it-vegan (not in a good way) establishment and it's a major improvement in every way.

Their menu includes all kinds of specialty pizzas, sandwiches, salads, etc.

Plus, they seem to always have an array of slices at the ready.  (The photos would have been better had I not been suffering the obvious effects of heat stroke* on this particular day.)

I was initially drawn to a potato slice, but my friend and I agreed to share this classic pepperoni slice in an effort to save valuable stomach space.  It was an excellent choice; the slice was huge, the pizza was stellar, the proportion of sauce to Daiya was spot on, and the toppings were generous and yummy.

They had a really awesome soda option on tap too: Maine Root blueberry soda, in fact.  It was a little nuts.

Oh, and they ALSO have Vegan Treats for dessert!!

It might be weird to say, but another great thing about this place is that their sink is outside of the restroom.  As someone who's constantly washing my hands, I love the idea of not having to go into the restroom to do so.  I didn't take a picture of it.  That would have been weird.

*In case you're wondering why I was so hot, it was about 1,000 degrees on this day and we spent most of it outside.  Heat notwithstanding, if you haven't yet been, I recommend that you visit the Philadelphia's Magic Gardens...on a cooler day.

It's one of my favorite places.

3 Brothers Farmingdale

As I was saying...since I am impatient couldn't wait for Jay Astafa to arrive with his delicious grub at the Karuna for Animals: Animal Rights and Vegfest, I decided to just go directly to 3 Brothers.

I'd only been to their previous location in Garden City, so this was my first visit to their new Farmingdale location.  When I approached, the restaurant and parking lot looked eerily similar to the original GC location that is no longer owned by the Astafa Family; I considered that I might have come to the wrong place.

wrong place!

It was dark when I entered, and there wasn't a soul around.  Then I realized I had to walk through to the pizzeria, where I was surprised to find only one customer and a small staff that all seemed intent on ignoring me.

still wrong!

When I finally got someone to acknowledge me, I asked for the vegan menu.  I was sort of relieved when I was told there was none.  I WAS in the wrong place- entirely.  Just a random, Long Island pizzeria named Three Brothers... in Bethpage: which is neither vegan or owned by the Astafas.

Luckily, some iPhone sleuthing revealed that the real 3 Brothers was about a mile and a half away. Check your navigation, people; don't let this happen to you: a pizza delay is no joke!  And then:

ding ding ding

Just what I was looking for:

The new space is bright and the dining room was crowded as expected.  The take-out business was bustling (mostly vegan orders were overheard!) and the pizza chef was extraordinarily friendly; I was definitely in the right place.

I somehow resisted the options that were available for immediate nosh, but take note if you're in the area and just want a slice.

Instead, I ordered a ton to-go.  How could I not?  I was surrounded by the sights and smells of extraordinary vegan pizza.

The dueling menus:

With every minute that passed I wanted to order something more.  Instead, I busied myself with a first: blogging right from the restaurant using my Blogger app.  I did have time to wait for my large order, so why not?  (note: publishing from my Blogger app inexplicably mis-ordered my post)

This is the grandma pizza: square pizza, tomato sauce, fresh basil, Daiya mozzarella, soy parmesan. I requested that it be made on a Sicilian pie instead of the thin crust because more dough is always appropriate.

I can smell the basil just looking at this picture!

My calzone: with cashew-tofu ricotta, Daiya mozzarella, peppers and onions.

 

If there's an appetizing way to photograph a calzone, please let me know.  In the meantime, know that it was huge and delish; I ate it with VM's marinara (coincidentally, I ate it with VM, as well).

 

Also, a large, round pie: with Daiya mozzarella, peppers and onions. 

Are these not the biggest Daiya shreds you've ever seen? 

A random pocket photo as I struggled to stuff everything in the car.

Why?  Because my little bit of vegan Italy...went in my trunk.

It was a long drive home with the scent of pizza wafting through the car.  You can't very well grab a slice while you're behind the wheel, so everything made it home intact.  It was worth the wait; totally delish: every morsel.

Suffice it to say I have plenty of leftovers frozen.

...because you never know when to expect a pizza emergency.

3 Brothers may have changed locations, but their food is as yummy as ever.  I know Jay Kitchen is already a catering company with plans to open a fine dining establishment in New York City, but I would implore them to consider opening an NYC 3 Brother's outpost as well.  Because eventually I'm going to run out of my stockpile.