New York City's Best Vegan Dessert Spots
Teany
90 Rivington St., btwn. Ludlow & Orchard Sts.
(212) 475-9190
www.teany.com
This Lower East Side café is a serene
haven for tea drinkers, vegans and vegetarians alike, though one of
its biggest draws is the tempting array of sweets. Order the brownie (pictured right) topped with insanely gooey chocolate morsels. Served warm, it has a crusty exterior and chewy center.
Lifethyme Natural Market
410 Avenue of the Americas, btwn. 8th & 9th Sts.
(212) 420-9099
This holistic supermarket has
a delicious selection of raw, vegan and organic treats ranging from whole
pies to small snacks. Opt for the coconut “chewie,” a deliciously hearty
cookie made entirely from oatmeal, flax seeds, dried fruit, and coconut.
Sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon, it’s simple, healthy and still satisfies your sweet tooth.
Caravan of Dreams
405 E 6th Street
(between 1st Ave & Avenue A)
New York, NY 10009
(212) 254-1613
Located in the East Village,
this restaurant is a hidden sanctuary not only for vegans, but also discriminating pastry lovers. We strongly recommend the live berry cheesecake
made with tofu cream cheese atop a crumbly, nutty crust studded with dried
fruits. The unbaked filling itself is thick and inescapably creamy,
with bright bursts of fresh fruit in each bite.
Sacred Chow
227 Sullivan St
(between 3rd St & Bleecker St)
New York, NY 10012
(212) 337-0863
Squeeze inside this charming, vegan bistro
and indulge on their velvet triple chocolate brownie. Gluten
free and loaded with healthy fats and fiber, this house made dessert delivers a crispy crust
and an immensely moist center. If you still have room, the sacred sundae is an entirely worthwhile exercise in indulgence: vanilla soy ice cream topped with chocolate sauce, rainbow sprinkles and toasted peanuts. Enough said.
Whole Earth Bakery and Kitchen
130 St. Mark’s Place
(212) 677-7597
Stop into this serene bakery
loaded with savory and sweet baked goods for
their signature vegan pumpkin pie. A whole wheat
crust surrounds an earthy filling of pure pumpkin folded with
cashew milk, spices, and unrefined sugar. You'll easily forget it's actually healthy.
Quintessence
263 E. 10th
St.
New York, NY 10009
(646) 654-1823
www.raw-q.com
This adorable café does wonders
with raw and vegan dishes, especially when it gets down to the sweet
stuff. The banana
split chia sundae reigns over the pastry menu here. Composed of bananas, strawberries, and creamy vegan
ice crème, it’s covered in the restaurant’s
popular chia seed pudding: a combination of rich cashew milk, walnuts,
and the energy-packed chia seeds themselves.
Birdbath-Build a Green Bakery
223 1st Ave
(between 13th St & 14th St)
(646) 722-6565
www.buildagreenbakery.com
This spinoff of the popular
City Bakery is known for its eco-friendly interior and its variety of
unusual organic baked goods, though one can’t ignore their delicious
selection of vegan treats. The oatmeal raisin cookie is a particularly
toothsome choice; the size of a dinner plate, it’s loaded with oatmeal,
plump raisins, and a chewy center that compliments its crispy exterior.
Angelica Kitchen
300 E 12th Street
(between 1st Ave & 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-2909
www.angelicakitchen.com
Call the number above to hear
the two dessert specials of the day, or stick with one of Angelica’s
most popular desserts, the ever-changing fruit kanten parfait. Animal-friendly
gelatin is layered with a different fruit and vegan nut cream that changes
with the day, and is a dubiously yummy combination of juicy
and delicately smooth textures.
Pure Food and Wine
54 Irving Place
(between 17th St & 18th St)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 477-1010
www.purefoodandwine.com
This Gramercy oasis with a lush back garden manages to attract not only raw foodies but also gourmands. Its raw interpretations of classic desserts
such as tiramisu and mallomars attract a loyal following. There's also an oddly addictive ice cream sundae: a softer, creamier version of the real thing. Nut-based vanilla and
chocolate “ice creams” are draped in chocolate sauce,
candied almonds, bananas, and a cherry.
Gobo...
Gobo
1426 3rd Ave
(between 80th St & 81st St)
New York, NY 10028
(212) 288-5099
www.goborestaurant.com
Gobo's desserts often outshine the savories at this vegan eatery, especially the warm apple and pear crisp paired with soy vanilla ice cream. A more elegant sweet ending is
the port poached pear which, filled with a luscious chocolate ganache,
disproves any skepticism about the decadence of vegan desserts.
Candle Café
1307 3rd Ave
(between 74th St & 75th St)
New York, NY 10021
(212) 472-0970
www.candlecafe.com
Generous
dessert portions grace the tables of this Upper East Side vegan
eatery. The chocolate mousse pie is praised for its rich texture and
intense chocolate crust, but the real find is the carrot cake with
vanilla frosting.
Exotic Superfoods
185-02 Horace Harding Expwy, at the corner of 185 St. (Fresh Meadows)
(718) 353-4807
Skip the healthy lifestyle books at this 100% raw vegan establishment
and head straight for the homemade desserts, which change daily. The
raw banana peach pie is perfect for summer; An orange crust made from
goji berries surrounds a creamy custard, finely thickened with
avocado. This dizzying concoction is topped off with the coconut.
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Errico
Until we eat again,
Restaurant Girl
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ON APRIL 2ND I CALLED THE LITTLE OWL TO MAKE A RESERVATION FOR MAY 2ND. THE RESERVATION WAS MADE FOR 4 AT 8:15. I WAS ASKED TO CONFIRM MY RESERVATION THE DAY BEFORE. I DID. AT 7:00 ON MAY 2ND, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE RESTAURANT TELLING ME THEY WERE RINNING LATE BECAUSE OF LATE ARRIVALS AND THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCOMODATE US UNTIL
9:00.I WAS TOLD WHEN WE ARRIVE TO CHECK IN WITH THE HOSTESS AND PERHAPS HAVE A DRINK AT A NEARBY BAR. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT ABOUT 8:45
WE WERE TOLD THAT THE LITTLE OWL COULD NOT ACCOMODATE US THAT EVENING. WE WERE WELCOME
TO HAVE DINNER AT MARKET TABLE, THEIR OTHER RESTAURANT,THEY KNOW WE ARE COMING. SHE SAID THE CHEF JOE WOULD CALL US THE NEXT DAY AND MAKE A RESERVATION FOR ANOTHER TIME. I TOLD HER NOT TO BOTHER HAVING HIM CALL BECAUSE I WOULD NEVER COME BACK. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE OTHER RESTAURANT WE WAITED ANOTHER HALF HOUR FOR A TABLE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, INEVER DID HEAR FROM THE CHEF OR ANYONE ELSE--NO APOLOGY OR ANY THING ELSE. I CANNOT BELIEVE ANY RESTAURANT COULD ACTUALLY DO THIS--I WAS HORRIFIED--TO BAD OCCURANCES LIKE THIS WON'T HURT HIS BUSINESS. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!
Posted by: MARCIA STERN | May 21, 2008 at 04:04 PM