Dining Out in New York City - V-Note

Zucchini Pappardelle - V-Note Organic Wine Bar & Vegan Bistro

I made a last minute reservation at V-Note for dinner to make use of a Groupon voucher I had bought a few weeks earlier. It's not a spot that was on the top of my must-visit list, but I'm always excited to try a new vegan restaurant. It is run by the owners of Blossom and Café Blossom, two other well known vegan restaurants in NYC. I dined at this Upper East Side establishment with my non-vegan boyfriend on a Friday night. It's fairly small so I recommend making a reservation. 

Cape Cod Cakes - V-Note

Our waiter provided us with menu recommendations and great service overall. My boyfriend picked an appetizer for us to share. We had the Cape Cod Cakes that were a blend of hiziki seaweed, tofu, and herbs served with a side of greens and tartar sauce. They are similar to a crab cake in terms of flavor and looks, served as a small lightly fried ball. I was skeptical about them at first because I think it's more of a challenge to successfully veganize seafood, but they were super delicious! I would go back just for these or order them as takeout, definitely the highlight of the meal. 

For an entree I ordered the raw Zucchini Pappardelle with thinly sliced raw zucchini, avocado, cherry tomatoes, olives, red peppers, marinated onions, oyster mushroom, almond butter, and cashew cream. My boyfriend opted for the most "safe" and traditional dish on the menu, the lasagna, served with sauteed eggplant, broccoli rabe, and a red sauce. After having a warm appetizer that was outstanding it was hard to go to a healthier raw dish, but I still enjoyed mine. As most raw food is, it was very filling and tested fresh. My boyfriend was starving and wolfed down his lasagna. I got a taste and it was okay, but nothing special. 

Raw Zucchini Pappardelle - V-Note

Lasagna - V-Note

Butterfinger Shake - V-Note

I had my eye on dessert and was making a tough decision between the beloved Chocolate Ganache Cake with a peanut butter center or a Butterfinger Shake. The weather was unseasonably warm so I opted for the shake. I've had the Butterfinger Shake at Terri and in comparison I preferred this one at V-Note. Terri's shake was a little too sweet. This did have a slightly chalky taste and texture, but it's not too surprising with non-dairy milks. 

I would go back to try more of the appetizers, particularly the Yelpers' favorite Black Eyed Pea Cake. The ambiance is intimate and romantic, a good date night spot.

V-Note Organic Wine Bar & Vegan Bistro

1522 First Avenue 

(between 79th & 80th Streets)

New York, NY 10075

V-Note Website

Dining Out in Portland - Los Gorditos

Soycurl Nachos - Los Gorditos

I was excited about this place for the filling, "cheesy," dirty-in-a-good-way Mexican food. It's rare to find classics like nachos, quesadillas, and burritos that still have all the heavier, creamy ingredients like sour cream and cheese served in a vegan-friendly way. My friend and I ended up here because we discovered Blossoming Lotus had moved and was no longer across the street in the Pearl District of Portland. I had this on my list of top vegan food spots, so I wasn't too upset to give it a try.

Soycurl Taco - Los Gorditos

They have a separate vegan menu with lots to choose from. We were excited about trying the live nachos from Blossoming Lotus so we ordered nachos here to satisfy that craving. Unfortunately they weren't the greatest. They were too dry in a sense that there wasn't any melted cheese or enough sour cream or refried beans on them to get that loaded nachos effect going, you know when the chips get stuck together and it's so messy you have to eat it with a fork? Those are good nachos. They came with soycurls, a popular vegan item in Portland, rice, lettuce, onion, jalapeños, avocado, tomato, cilantro and refried beans. I had to get my filling of "cheese"so I ordered a Cheese Quesadilla Solo alongside an order of Soycurl Taco. The quesadilla was definitely more in line with the melted, greasy, cheesy taste I was looking for - they use Follow Your Heart brand. The Soycurl Taco was served in a soft corn tortilla with grilled fajita vegetables, beans, onion and cilantro. One cool part of dining here is that there is a self-serve sauce station offering salsas and hot sauces from mild to very spicy. I tried a few and stuck with the medium to spicy variety.

Cheese Quesadilla Solo - Los Gorditos

Overall the dining experience was okay. The staff was super friendly and helpful and the prices were below average, but the food wasn't outstanding and in Portland there are higher standards to meet. I would definitely be willing to try other menu items to give this a second chance... next time I'm in Portland!

Los Gorditos

922 NW Davis Street

Portland, OR 97209

Los Gorditos Website

Dining Out in Portland - Departure Restaurant + Lounge

BBQ Tempeh Buns - Departure Restaurant + Lounge

I heard about Departure from a few other vegan bloggers and also from Chef Chloe Coscarelli, who responded via Facebook to my question of where to dine in Portland. This year it made the list of 100 hottest restaurants rated by OpenTable diners. When I arrived in Portland I knew I had to try it. I am so glad I did! What I didn't know about this place that makes it so special, is its gorgeous view of the city! It's located within the Nines Hotel on the 15th floor, with outdoor space that would fantastic in the summer months. The entrance is very chic and modern and you feel like you're walking into a club, but have no fear it's a relaxed atmosphere. This is a great spot to enjoy a few drinks and they do offer a happy hour, though I highly recommend staying for a meal. It's a little pricey, but now living in New York City the prices here don't even compare, and it's well worth it for the overall dining experience.

Kimchee Fried Rice - Departure Restaurant + Lounge

They have a separate vegan menu (also available online to view) so it's easy to see the options; choosing becomes its own challenge. I decided on the Edamame for a starter, Sweet Potato Tempura Roll, BBQ Tempeh Buns, and Kimchee Fried Rice. Others I had my eye on were the Salt and Pepper Tempeh and the Brussels Sprouts that were highly recommended by our waitress. Everything was delicious. I really enjoyed the Sweet Potato Tempura roll prepared with spinach, ginger, and sweet soy.  I only wish it was served with brown rice instead of white. The large helping of Kimchee Fried Rice was good, but a tad too spicy for my liking. The standout of the night were the BBQ Tempeh Buns. I had had nothing like it before. The Korean barbecue sauce was just right, but the steamed bun was my favorite part! There weren't particularly easy to eat, stuffed with spicy slaw and oozing barbecue sauce, but that didn't stop me.

Sweet Potato Tempura Roll 
Departure Restaurant + Lounge

I apologize for the low quality photos for this post. The restaurant was dimly light and I didn't come prepared with a camera, hence the iPhone shots. Take my word for it, this is a spot worth visiting!

Departure Restaurant + Lounge

525 SW Morrison St.
15th Floor

Portland, OR 97204

Departure Restaurant + Lounge Website