East Coast United States — A Vegan Odyssey Part Two

So, where was I? Right — Washington, D.C. If there was one place to check out while there, it was of course Sticky Fingers, the all-vegan bakery and cafe. I only visited once but made it count, sampling the completely delicious s'mores cupcake with a soy chai latte, taking in the adorable laminated tabletops and glittery fuchsia-pink vinyl upholstery.




I bought a couple of things to take with me, including a slice of their vegan lasagna to heat back at my accommodation. It was a big slab of the stuff (I certainly wasn't planning to cram any salad or veggies onto the plate) and honestly, I found the vegan cheese made the whole thing a bit too creamy for my tastes. In my years as a vegan, I've generally not been one for lots of dairy substitutes, and that seems still to be true.

Possibly my favourite single meal of the entire trip was... well, a salad. On my last day in D.C. I happened upon a place called Chop't, offering choose-your-own-combo salads, with the ingredients chopped (see?) with a mezzaluna in front of you at the counter. I chose mesclun leaves, cherry tomatoes, edamame, corn chips, avocado and corn, with olive oil and lemon juice. It was the perfect light but filling lunch, capped off with a fresh lemonade. And only now, linking to the website, do I realise they have locations in New York, too. Oh well.



Having had a healthy (and late) lunch, I made up for it by having nothing for dinner except a cup of tea and the brownie I bought from Sticky Fingers the previous day. Yes.



So, after saying goodbye to Abraham Lincoln I went back to New York for a final few days. I stopped at Babycakes in lower Manhattan, and had their banana cupcake with strawberry frosting — it was... pleasant... but it's fair to say I'm not a convert. Very cute shop, though.



I stopped off at 'sNice (Manhattan location) one morning and picked up a tempeh Reuben sandwich for brunch, and a blondie that I enjoyed as a late-afternoon treat.



Travelling alone and trying to stick to a modest budget, I figured this wasn't the trip to be going to Candle 79 or Blossom, but I couldn't miss the chance to try a 4 Course Vegan dinner. Run by chef Matteo from his own place in Brooklyn and now in its seventh year, it's a weekly vegan dinner for up to thirty people for $40 per person. I reserved a spot well in advance (as recommended) and took myself along and was thoroughly impressed. The strangers I was surrounded by, charming company though they were, regrettably were not bloggers or PPKers or otherwise of an inclination to take photographs of food, and so I wimped out myself. Sorry, no pics — but I do have the menu, at least.

Spring Leek Bisque with
Toasted Sesame and Crispy Taro

Seared Portobello Salad with
Fresh Chickpeas and Horseradish Cream

Sunflower Croquette with
Roasted Parsnip and Sweet Chile Sauce

Chocolate Mousse Tart with
Meyer Lemon and Almond Date Crust

I don't know whether I can even imagine a venture like 4CV getting off the ground in Sydney, much less lasting for seven years with (apparently) a constant supply of new and return customers; but a vegan can dream, right?