Until Next Time, Cinnamon Snail

The Cinnamon Snail recently announced the shocking news that their trucks would cease to operate as of the end of this month. Chef Adam Sobel spoke to GrubStreet about the decision and it's incredibly worthwhile reading- if for no other reason than to assuage your disappointment, as it offers some harsh insight into the reality of running a food truck in NYC.

In light of this blow to your compassionate, mealtime rituals- an ode:
I'd already been eating Chef Adam's food for years when The Cinnamon Snail opened in New Jersey on Valentine's Day in 2010: Jersey City.

 

VM and I (and 89 when she appeared) became instant regulars at their Red Bank, NJ farmar location.

Then we were there when they made their New York debut only months later, where I began my love affair with the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough donut and continued to stalk them regularly in a second state.

When they began vending at the Bethlehem, PA Vegfest, I succeeded in eating their incomparable fare in a third state- most notably in a downpour.

I celebrated when their kitchen moved to Brooklyn and have tirelessly championed their generous endeavors. I've held silly contests inspired by their wackiness. I've mo-foed them repeatedly. I've shamelessly obsessed over the noberweiberweiberweiberhydrafab, and essentially ate all of their donuts all of the time. I even relegated a piece of my snapware collection solely to the collection and transportation of their donuts, dubbing it "The Snail Pail."

I participated in the recipe testing for their highly anticipated cookbook, Street Vegan, which will be available in May.

 

 Twice.

 

I've visited the Snail at events galore: from NYC Vegetarian Food Festivals to the phenomenal Vegan Shop-Ups. Essentially, I ate and blogged about them so much that I even had to resort to trying my hand at being witty- which is not necessarily my forté.

I've eaten breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert at the Snail more times than I can count (yes, even more than I've blogged), but it somehow seems as though it wasn't enough.

I visited for the last time this past Sunday for a slew of Snaily "lasts." Plenty of other fans had the same idea; we waited on line for 1 hour and 37 minutes and it was worth every second.

 

VM's favorite portabello carpaccio, which was also the very first Snail sammie she ever devoured.

My gochujang burger deluxe.

Oh, and my Thai BBQ tempeh (don't judge; you'd have eaten two sammies also)

89's arugula party.

And, of course, some donuts for the road.

I know there are great things on the horizon for Chef Adam...

as well as the entire award-winning Snail crew.

So, I won't say "goodbye".

 

Not "so long", "ta ta", or even "farewell". It's only until next time...and I can't wait to see what the future will bring.

 

Thanks to each and every one of you for every amazing thing.

 

Rock on!

A Bittersweet Farewell to Goldie's

In mid-September, my new favorite restaurant, Goldie's of Asbury Park, began to advertise a limited-seating, 5-course, chef's bar, fall-tasting dinner.  I didn't think I'd be able to fit it into my schedule, but couldn't stop thinking about their new, yet-to-be-revealed, seasonal menu.  Less than a week later, they began to advertise their fall hours, which got everyone thinking about the highly anticipated fall options.  I was wondering how I could arrange my schedule in order to fit it in when, only nine days after that, the dinner party was being unexpectedly advertised as a farewell.   I knew I had to make it my business to attend and so I reserved a coveted seat.

My excitement put my whole day on overdrive and so I arrived to the neighborhood quite a bit early.  I took a final shot of their golden window as melancholia began to set in.

When I found myself bidding adieu to their succulents I knew I had to at least try to pull myself together..

I took a walk as the sun set.  This is the view of the vacant carousel house in the distance.

And, of course, the nearby pedal boats (if I had my own lake I'd steal that dragon in an instant).

FYI: something is afoot in the bierhalle around the block.

And then finally it was time enough to go in.  Due to my canine companion, I'd only viewed the interior once previously- two days prior when a friend and I had visited for brunch on what I didn't initially realize was their last business day.  It looked even more stunning in the evening light. 

The seating was limited to the meandering bar that spans the length of the space and I had the best seat in the house: right in front of the stove and, therefore, all of the action (alas, no pets indoors!).

The evening kicked off with a complimentary, signature cocktail: lemon sage.  It was both refreshing and crisp, but I unfortunately had to nurse it in anticipation of the drive home; otherwise I would have surely had a few.

The meal began a little later than expected.  There was a palpable hesitation cast over the room, as everyone was aware that once the event was to start, the end was sadly inevitable.  I was lucky enough to have been seated next to an extremely lovely couple, Aurora and Frank, whose kindness and conversation made the evening ever more enjoyable.

The meal started off beautifully with an amuse bouche of smoked figs with herbed cashew chevre and Bartlett pear vinaigrette (spherification).  

 

They were at the same time smoky and sweet; the cheese was enough to turn any reluctant vegetarian vegan.  I'm certain that those who are quick to say they could never give up cheese have never tasted something so decadent.

And then the fun really began.  The first indication of my incredible seat was my enviable view of the choreographed salad plating.

Mache salad with red onion, hazelnut, orange, citronette and warm raisin puree.  It was an exquisite play of tastes, textures, and temperatures.

As if I wasn't already over the moon for Goldie's and the evening's festivities, I positively swooned when this clean fork was promptly placed before me after the salad course was cleared:  Goldie's consistently epitomizing the utmost service and attention to detail right until the end.

Next up was a pear & root vegetable soup with sage, verjus, and poached pear.

Pears are, admittedly, not my thing, but the soup itself was fragrant and extremely satisfying.  I took great care to consume every drop around the fruit, which I left.  Attendees were already remarking what wonderful options these dishes would offer to an autumnal Goldie's menu that wasn't to be.

At this point I could not have told you what I was enjoying most: the impeccable feast, the company, or the view.

 

For the pasta course, pine nut ricotta and lemon thyme ravioli with pesto, roasted baby beets, pistachio and bitter greens.  This dish was my favorite of the evening: every element was a hit- particularly the note-perfect ravioli and the dehydrated beet slice garnish.  Of course, I'm always a sucker for arugula.

The main was a maple sage mushroom tart with butternut squash custard, pecan puree and charred Brussels sprout leaves.

I was blown away by both the heartiness and layers upon layers of individual elements that formed this inventive and amazing entree.  The crust was flaky, the custard divine, mushrooms sweet and succulent.  Paired with the uber-rich puree and the crisp sprout leaves: I should have stopped eating long before my plate was clean, but I just couldn't.

Full disclosure: I was wary of the dessert.  Roasted apple & sweet potato turnover with sweet and sour kraut, sweet potato pie ice cream and dark cherry bourbon compote; so many unusual elements for my chocolate-centric palate to contemplate. 

To start, I don't like apples.  But, I was willing to forgive anything baked into a mini-pie.  Contrarily, the sweet potato filling made perfect sense as I recalled the sweet potato blondie from VCIYCJ.

I managed to block out the idea of the sauerkraut until I saw it being plated and it looked, well, exactly like sauerkraut.  Sweet potato pie ice cream?  Also weird, and I was beginning to wonder if this would wind up being a dish that simply tried too hard to be different.

When the dessert was set before me it looked harmless, albeit huge, and smelled of fall.  The healthy serving on the heels of 5 previous courses gave me new cause for concern, as I have a clean plate reputation to uphold.  On first bite, the ice cream erred on the heavy side and I couldn't reconcile the sweet potato.  The compote was stellar, and I tasted the pie: astounding.  When it was time to add the sauerkraut to the mix I didn't hesitate; I owed the fine folks who had just prepared the preceding, decadent meal a unabashed, trusting dive in.  And, somehow... it all worked together!  While I might never have an opportunity to consume such a combination again, I'm proud to say that I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of every dish (save the poached pear), including this one.  My stomach was stuffed, my taste buds impressed, and my heart warmed by the kindest restaurant staff I've known.

It was a truly successful event on all counts.  And then, just as if it never happened, the stove was still and quiet.

The incredibly talented folks who I'd come to know over the previous months through their precise and praiseworthy food and service gathered to bid us a heartfelt farewell.  My nearest dining companion and I were not the only two to well up.  I will indubitably miss Goldie's and the folks behind it.  Individually and as a team, I thank each and every one of them for making myself and 89 feel stunningly welcome every single time we visited- which was as often as possible for two fans who live an hour away.

As if all they had done during the short tenure of the restaurant and in this single spectacular evening wasn't enough, they sent us home with a parting gift: two divine smelling cookies that I was too full to consume until the next day.

And so my last Goldie's bite turned out to be as flawless as the first and all in between: a soft, chewy, moist chocolate cookie with chocolate chips, sugar, and a hint of heat that hit as an aftertaste and as a reminder that Goldie's is unexpected, enduring, and will hopefully return.

I still don't know what changed in that short period of time between anticipation of the fall menu and the unexpected farewell.  Every time I visited Goldie's they were crowded and the food, staff, and atmosphere were the absolute best I'd come by in a long time and by a mile. I have detected a bit of concern amongst vegans that this was a restaurant not owned and operated by vegans.  But, while I make it my business to support such endeavors, there is nothing wrong with non-vegans dipping their toe in the water; the more the merrier to spread the word- particularly in New Jersey!  Every vegan bite consumed is one less non-vegan bite born out of violence and cruelty.  Not to mention that I can think of a few vegan-owned and operated establishments that could take a lesson or two from Goldie's.

It is so rare to find a restaurant that is able to consistently deliver what Goldie's mastered with finesse and genuine appreciation for its fans.  I don't know what the future holds for the restaurant or its staff, but I feel like it captured lightning in a bottle for a brief moment and I'd like to once again thank them for everything; we do hope to see you very soon. xo AB & 89

Farewell Foodswings

A friend stopped by vegan fast-food staple Foodswings in Brooklyn this weekend to find it unexpectedly closed during normal business hours.  A little bit of Facebook sleuthing revealed that many others had a similar experience; so, it would appear that Foodswings has bid us an even earlier adieu than previously expected.  [UPDATE 1/24/14: Foodswings will be open today through 1/26!].  As you might have heard, Foodswings was originally slated to close at the end of the month, making this all the more surprising.

 

Normally I'd suggest keeping an eye out just in case they reopen for a goodbye blowout, but it's not looking promising.

aka Fatswings

Like many vegans disappointed by the impending demise of the institution of Foodswings, a few friends and I made a plan to enjoy some of their famous drumsticks earlier this month- before they disappeared for what seems like will be for good.

The place was pretty crowded- even Dr. Michael Gregor, nutrition expert, was there to show his support.

 

The decor was slightly different from what I remembered, but the atmosphere was as frenetic as usual.

The menu, however, was mostly the same.  Since I didn't want to waste any stomach space on extraneous foods I can enjoy elsewhere, I decided to focus on the delicious drumsticks.  I even waived the combo plate options of salad or mac.

The Southern Fried drumstick with sweet mustard dipping sauce has always been my favorite, so that was a given.

But, on this occasion, I decided to bid them all a fond farewell.

The assortment:
Southern fried (1 of 2!): "battered and fried;" also known as the best!

 

Barbeque: "drenched in BBQ sauce and fired up on the grill;" really good: a little sweet, a tiny bit smoky.

Buffalo style: "breaded, fried,and then smothered in buffalo sauce; served with bleu cheese;"  I know this is everyone else's favorite, but it's my least.  Plus, the bleu cheese doesn't hold a candle to the sweet mustard.

 

Sweet Southern fried: "battered, fried, and then drenched in a sweet BBQ sauce;" so, the problem with this one for me is that the BBQ mushifies the perfect crunch of the southern fried batter.

 

Aaaand, the rad sweet mustard.

 

We were all so focused on the matter at hand (stuffing our faces) that properly recording the table's other indulgences slipped my mind.  Nachos, disco fries, and mac 'n' cheese were all represented whilst I focused solely on the drumsticks.  No regrets.

Keep an eye on their Facebook page for any new developments, but it does appear that they've closed permanently.

Non-vegans are prone to dismissing veganism because "there are so many people who need help"- presumably before animals.  In most cases, those making such declarations don't actually do anything to help humans, so it's just a theoretical excuse.  In the broader picture, by helping animals we are helping humans; veganism is a tremendous start towards alleviating all unnecessary suffering.  And, the bottom line is: you don't bring any harm to humans by helping an animal. 

Support vegans.  Support their events, products and businesses.  But, most of all, support their plight.  It's just as easy to go vegan in order to consciously decrease animal suffering as it is to make excuses and continue to directly contribute to it.  Take responsibility for your actions.