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.

Make Your Own Veg Food Festival!

If you missed the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival, don't worry; there's always next year.  Until then, make your own!  This was our personal, NYC Veg Food Fest: before and after the real one.  Best part?  No lines and no nasty security guards.

We started our day at Terri...

because Butterfinger shakes are the breakfast of vegan champions! 

The shakes were possibly the absolute best we've ever had, and we unexpectedly met blogger Elisha from Veganthropology when she recognized VM- inexplicably as a result of this picture; how funny is that?  It was a hilarious start to our busy day.

Then we made our way to the real NYCVFF and the illustrious Cinnamon Snail. 

We took a brief detour to Cocoa V and, afterwards, headed over to Liquiteria for some refreshment.

VM went with a boring black coffee, but I had a stellar watermelon & lemon juice.

Per usual, it was a prime spot for people pet watching.

When it was time for dinner, we chose John's of 12th Street.  The friendly and charming co-owner, Nick, left as we sat down, and we were disappointed not to have the opportunity to chat with him.  Unfortunately, his absence also meant that the service was not on par with what we have come to expect at John's; we will definitely make a point to return at a busier time and day to avoid this misfortune in the future.  However, the food was as outstanding as ever.

Disclaimer: we missed the table by the window because some other dang vegans- whom I'd coerced into the restaurant when they were hesitant- snagged it first, so the lighting for my pictures suffered miserably. 

We started off with the must-order bruschetta: garlic-grilled bread with avocado, basil, and tomatoes.  It sounds simple, but it's incredible.

Then we tried the stuffed mushrooms, which seemed to be filled with a mixture consisting of breadcrumbs, herbs, and a hint of mozzarella Daiya.  Highly recommend.

For dinner, VM couldn't help her vegetarian self and ordered the Rolatina of Eggplant Parmigiana from the regular menu.  Boo hiss!  She said it was delicious.

I, on the other hand, ordered the Seitan alla Rosa: with artichokes and fire-roasted peppers in Marsala wine mushroom sauce.  WOW.  I am not a tremendous seitan fan, but the homemade version at John's is phenomenal.  Yes, homemade.  In an omni restaurant.  Extra credit!  This was positively the richest entree I have eaten as a vegan and I appreciated the decadence...even again as leftovers.

And of course we had a side of garlic bread.

Since we'd already covered so much ground we decided that instead of having dessert at John's, we'd continue our personal Veg Food Fest; "Why order Lula's out when you can go directly to the source?"

It was a three-scoop sundae day for me: rocky road, peanut butter chip, and- a flavor I've never tried before, toffee crunch.  Hot fudge, graham crackers, whipped cream and a cherry sealed the deal.  They're gonna have to institute some kind of super-scooper, quantity discount policy at Lula's because these giant, off-the-menu sundaes are going to break my piggy bank! 

Thanks, Mia!

VM went for a cone of rocky road and toffee crunch; we were both impressed by the new-to-us flavor that was sweetly swirled with a caramelly ribbon and studded with chips and crunchy bits (crunchy bits are where it's at).  Leave it to Lula's to never offer a flavor that isn't absolutely and generously filled with toppings; you won't find yourself digging for the good stuff; it makes it into ever single bite!

Before we headed home we realized that we had a Pommes Frites Groupon that was about to expire, so we unabashedly grabbed two cones of fries to go.

You know that we were incredibly full because it didn't occur to either of us to sneak a hot fry. 

I am happy to report that the frites re-heated incredibly well and you can recreate the Pommes Frites experience by making your own dipping sauces and toppings at home.

We used habanero ketchup, Secret Aardvark, chopped onions, and sliced jalapenos.

So there you have it; put next year's official NYC Vegetarian Food Festival on your calendar, but in the meantime: have your own.

Old School Restaurant Adds Vegan Menu That Will Knock Your Socks Off

John's of 12th Street is a NY institution that has been serving fine Italian food from the same historic location for 102 years.  About a year ago they decided that they wanted to add a vegan menu so that families and groups of friends could all enjoy a meal in one place.  But instead of throwing a portabello cap on the menu and calling it a day, they hired holistic nutrition chef, Rena Unger, to spend about a year developing a completely vegan menu that includes soups, salads, appetizers, pizza, pasta, mains, sides, desserts, and even coconut milk creamer for coffee/tea.  The result is the most respectful and all-inclusive menu I've ever seen offered to vegans at a traditional restaurant.

A good vegan friend and I decided to give it a try Saturday evening at around 8:30pm; the place was packed.  We met one of the owners, Nick, who was acting in the capacity of host; he seemed to know every diner in the room.  The wait wasn't terrible and, as we tried to stay out of the way of the efficient waitstaff, we passed the time trying to determine if any of the other diners were vegan.

Despite how busy he was, when it came time to seat us Nick formally introduced himself and, with sincere friendliness, asked us our names, where we were from, and if we'd ever been to John's before.  When we told him we had come for the vegan menu his eyes lit up.  He explained that they use all separate utensils and cooking surfaces to prepare the vegan items, and even went on to point out which wine and beer varieties on the menu are vegan acceptable (they also have a full bar).  I was already in love with the place and I hadn't even tasted a bite!  As if I wasn't already swooning, he then shared various tidbits of information about the historic dining room in which we were seated.  The decoration includes individually hand-laid floor tiles, mounted canvas murals, and imported marble walls; the lore involves talk of a second floor speakeasy during prohibition.  He unequivocally made us feel like revered, invited guests.

Now let's get to the really good stuff, the food.  For an appetizer we decided to share the bruschetta: garlic-grilled bread with avocado, basil and tomatoes.  It was extraordinarily rich and decadent in the most wonderful way.  Not even close to the boring standard tomato and bread usually offered to vegans, this bruschetta was instead an extremely well-planned and immaculately executed dish that I anticipate will be irresistible on all future visits.  And, judging by the frequency with which we witnessed the dish being served around us, we are not the only fans.

As carb fiends we couldn't help but to also order garlic bread to enjoy with our meals.  Perfectly toasted fresh bread with just enough butter and garlic; it was an authentic, guilty pleasure.  When was the last time you enjoyed garlic bread out at an Italian restaurant?  Delicious!  I'd venture to suggest a mozzarella Daiya covered version, but dare I be so gluttonous?  Yes, I dare.

After the two of us had scoured the lengthy menu for what seemed like days, my dining companion ordered the seitan parmigiana with Daiya cheese for dinner.  It was incredible (of course I tasted it) and he guessed that the seitan was homemade.  Not surprisingly, Nick confirmed that it absolutely was; John's is not fooling around with us vegans!

I couldn't help but to order the holy grail: eggplant parmigiana with Daiya cheese.  I suppose this was possibly unfair, since my Italian VM makes the best eggplant parmigiana with Daiya cheese ever in the history of the universe, but I had been so impressed with John's by that point that I couldn't resist putting them to the ultimate test.

• The sauce had a subtle sweetness to it which really suited the chunky tomatoes. 
• The spaghetti was perfectly prepared.  This sounds like an unusual statement, but the truth is that many Italian restaurants cannot get this right! 
• The eggplant was cooked to the absolute ideal texture with just the right proportion of sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella Daiya.  
• The serving was enormous, which is always a huge plus in my book. 

Overall: completely delicious!  VM has since enjoyed my leftovers and confirmed, so don't just take my word for it.

Much to our surprise, Nick was kind enough to formally introduce us to the chef, William Heras, who was incredibly humble for a man who, after 37 years of successfully preparing traditional Italian fare at John's, added a full vegan menu to his repertoire.  The idea, creation, and ultimate execution of this menu was no easy feat and it was heartwarming to meet one of the key players to have made it happen.

At this point I was beyond sufficiently stuffed, but there was a vegan cannoli on the menu; how do you resist that?!  You don't.  My companion agreed to share and we were very glad we did.

Served in a thick, waffle-y shell this was the most authentically cheesy tasting vegan cannoli I've yet to meet.  As a bonus, it was generously sprinkled with chocolate chips which, as a result of the warm plate it was served upon, melted upon fork impact.  

For those of you who aren't cannoli fans, along with a number of other items you can also choose Lula's Sweet Apothecary ice cream for dessert!  And really, in a perfect world wouldn't every restaurant serve Lula's?

I would be remiss if I did not mention the waitstaff at John's.  These gentlemen are professional waiters in an extremely popular restaurant and they manage to maintain their efficiency and good humor despite the demand of the crowds.  Most importantly, not one of them gave even the slightest indication that we were unusual or unwelcome.  We've all been the vegan in a "regular" restaurant where eye rolls, snickers, and lack of accomodation are the norm; not here, my friends.  The warmth of the staff made us feel extremely welcome; we were special guests without being a spectacle.  With gratitude I applaud them for both the respectful atmosphere and the authentic fare.

If it sounds like I'm gushing, it's because I am.  If given the choice I always choose to dine at an all-vegan establishment versus a "regular" or even vegetarian one.  However, for a traditional restaurant to welcome vegans in such a thoughtful and thorough manner, I couldn't resist giving them a chance and I'm so glad I did.  Whether you're looking for a restaurant to accomodate a group with mixed dietary restrictions, or you're just curious about their offerings: vegans, it's time to give John's a try.  

Consider their vegan menu your personal invitation.