Vegan in NYC
4 Must Try Iconic New York Foods - Vegan Style!
It’s been said that it would take almost 23 years to eat at every restaurant New York City. But do you have as many options if you’re vegan? Do you have to miss out on the iconic foods like pizza, bagels or NY style cheesecake!?
I’m here to tell you no you don’t! As vegan in New York City you can eat your way through the city AND still indulge in New York-style classics from vegan pizza to vegan NY style cheesecake, vegan bagels, and even vegan corned beef. With these mouthwatering options, you won’t be left hungry as a vegan in New York City.
So what’s the first stop you should make? Vegan NYC Bagels, of course.
1. Tompkin Square Bagels
Tompkins Square Bagels has two locations and it’s a top-rated bagel shop, so you know it won’t disappoint. There’s no shortage of vegan food options here.
The shop opened its doors just over a decade ago in 2011 dishing up bagels the traditional way—right down to the ingredients, for instance, they use barley malt instead of sugar. Although this can mean pricier ingredients, at the end of the day it pays off and keeps customers coming through the doors.
The dough is hand rolled by bagel masters, boiled in a kettle, baked on wood planks and seasoned. Each day the bagels are freshly made.
“All of those things together, I think make our bagel a little bit better than the average bagel,” Chris says.
The owner Chris says having a menu that maintains tradition, while being inclusive has been important to him since they first opened.
A few of their New York-style vegan cream cheese options include spinach artichoke, sundried tomato and garlic made from a tofu base that oozes out of the fresh, fluffy bagels.
“I just want to have something for everybody,” Chris says.
Peacefood Cafe vegan New York style Cheescake
2. New York Style Cheesecake - Vegan
Next up, a New York City vegan dessert in downtown.
What better way to treat yourself to dessert in NYC than with a large, creamy slice of New York vegan cheesecake? At Peacefood Café you’ll find your fix. This melt-in-your mouth vegan cheesecake is slathered in a strawberry jam and the presentation is picturesque.
While you’re in the area, don’t forget to check out Times Square.
A New York Slice - Vegan by Screamers Pizzeria in Brooklyn with vegan pepperoni
3. Screamers Pizzeria
Next foodie stop is Brooklyn to try some vegan New York-style pizza at Screamers Pizzeria, a NYC plant-based pizzeria that opened back in 2016 and now they have two locations. They make nearly everything in house including the dough, sauces and seitan.
Just about every NYC pizzeria has a buffalo slice so it makes sense that it’s the most popular slice here. Each slice is 18 inches in diameter, the dough is soft, the pizza is oily and you can hold it in half. A true New York slice.
Joy Strang, executive chef at Screamers, thinks that the reason the pizza is so popular in New York because it’s a really good on the go food walk and eat at the same time. Strang is proud to have so many non-vegans come in and say Screamers is one of the best pizza spots in New York—it’s good pizza, period.
Vegan Corned “Beef” by Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli
4. Sarge’s Deli
Next on the list is Sarge’s deli in Midtown which, based on first glance, might be the last place you’d expect to find something vegan, but in fact they’re stocked with Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli, plant-based deli slices as seen on the show Shark Tank.
The owner Andrew’s great grandfather started Sarges back in November 1964 and he just got this deli meat a few years back. “I’m even shocked by how much I sell them,” he said. He hadn’t tried the vegan corned beef until the day we filmed on camera!! What an honor haha. While he said it wasn’t his thing, he said it would be a good fix for him if he were a vegan craving meat.
The next time you find yourself in New York City, treat yourself on this loaded vegan food crawl, in the meantime you can check out the video version of this food crawl on my YouTube Channel. Catch you next time on Rated V!
