Love your beef with a side of pork, but dining with a friend who won’t go near the stuff? Contributor Kelly Moore hears your pain…
I’ve been living in NYC for nearly 14 years, and I love going to new restaurants. I’m originally from the Midwest, so naturally I’m a meat-eater. I’ll even go farther—I’m from Wisconsin, so beer, cheese, and a bratwurst is really my idea of a great meal. I’ve found a ton of places in the city that I love, but I am now faced with a new challenge—a friend who is vegan. At first, we’d go out to eat at strictly vegan places where I’d be forced to eat things like seitan nuggets. I even had some strange substitute for eggs benedict once (I have no idea what it actually was, and I wouldn’t rush back for it). After a few of these “meals” (I’m using the quotation marks here in the same way that I see vegan places use them on their menus, i.e. “chicken” sandwiches), I went on a mission to find places that would suit both of us. We went to a place called Hangawi for a while where we both ordered a fried sweet ‘n sour mushroom dish, but I grew bored of the rule about taking off your shoes. Then we tried Franchia, where I was still stuck with some kind of fried mushroom dish (oh and soy cheesecake, which isn’t so bad). But then, the other day, I found a place that is perfect for both of us. It’s called John’s Italian Restaurant on 12th Street, just east of 2nd Avenue. It’s the only place I’ve found so far that has a full vegan menu with lots of options for starters, entrees, and desserts, as well as a full traditional menu. What a success! I had my shrimp parmesan and key lime pie, and my friend had the seitan parmesan and a vegan cannoli. We both left happy.
