Veggie Burger
by Cristy-Lucie Alvarado
August 25th, 2008
STAND
24 E 12th St
(5th Ave & University Pl)
212-488-5900
$
I thought I didn’t like veggie burgers because, well, I like real ones, but Stand has me talking, once again. My dinner companion suggested we do a little trade off. I was not excited to sacrifice half of my classic burger for a veggie one, but I gave in and was pleasantly surprised. Their veggie patty is made of quinoa, mushroom, and zucchini and you can opt for white cheddar if you’d like. Every ingredient in this flavorful patty is identifiable, unlike those in some veggie burgers that seem to remind me of cat food. The one downfall was that it was quite crumbly. I ended up having to ditch the great bun and just scrape the remainder up before it really fell apart. My companion was able to eat his half before it turned to crumbs. I would like to have eaten mine as a sandwich, too, but the patty had me so impressed that I wasn’t bothered.
Posted in American , Burger , Greenwich Village , Veggies
Goya Chips (bitter melon tempura)
by Celia Cheng
October 24th, 2006
TORYS
248 E 52nd St 2nd Fl
(2nd & 3rd Ave)
212-813-1800
$$
Goya chips are Torys’s (and Yakitori Totto’s) inventive version of chips using the healthy and uncommon vegetable, bitter melon. They hollow out the center, cut the remainder into ring-shaped slices, then batter and deep-fry tempura style. The outcome is a delightfully appetizing and visually beautiful snack that pairs perfectly with beer before dinner. Here’s something to relish while deciding which yakitori skewers to order.
Posted in Japanese , Snack , Veggies
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Stuffed Cabbage
by Celia Cheng
September 1st, 2006
POLAM INTERNATIONAL MARKET
952 Manhattan Ave
(India & Java St)
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
718-383-2763
$
Stuffed cabbage is one of those comfort foods that transcend nationalities. The ones at Greenpoint’s Polish market, Polam, usually sell out quickly. The meat and rice stuffing wrapped in cabbage leaves, simmering in tomato sauce, is not only scrumptious but also unbelievably inexpensive. Part of the prepared foods section, it’s sold by weight, and averages out to be about ¢70 per stuffed cabbage. Can you believe it? It’s too good to be true!
Posted in Meat , Polish , Veggies
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Vegetable Patty
by Celia Cheng
September 1st, 2006
CHRISTIE’S JAMAICAN PATTIES
387 Flatbush Avenue
@ Sterling Pl
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
718-636-9746
$
This vegetable patty consists of a cabbage-based filling mixed with carrots, peas and corn. The filling is moist and tender, but the cabbage retains texture and a bit of crunch, even when kept overnight. The smooth pastry shell is wheat-based, not flaky, but nice and doughy on the inside. I tend to not finish the crusts on most patties but I couldn’t get enough of this one. The proportion of pastry to filling is perfect and it tastes oh-so-good!
Posted in Bread , Jamaican , Snack , Veggies
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Fresh Vegetable Sticks w/ Warm Anchovy Cream Dip
by Celia Cheng
September 1st, 2006
BASTA PASTA
37 W 17th St
(5th & 6th Ave)
Manhattan
212-366-0888
$$
You might think that no matter how “fresh” vegetable sticks may be, they can’t be that exciting. Well, think again. The key here is the warm anchovy cream dip. This is not the thick creamy dip that you are used to seeing, but a thin soupy sauce that is so addictive that once you run out of vegetables, you’ll continue to soak it up with bread or whatever else you can find around you to consume. The vegetables served are also more interesting that the run-of-the-mill carrot and celery sticks, with okra, endive, asparagus, radish, and radicchio as part of the mix. (Selection of vegetables may vary depending on seasonal availability.)
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