Central Park is just as gorgeous as I hoped it would be…and much, much larger!
(umm hello, cute kissing romantic couple!)
The park was packed with people out walking, running, skating, biking, and rollerblading all enjoying the unseasonably warm temperatures. I think it reached about 18C (64F) on Saturday! We both had to rip off our jackets because we were sweating to death! We were so thankful for the weather because it could’ve easily been snowy and cold at this time of the year.
After exploring for a couple hours, we soon found ourselves ready to fill our bellies for a very late lunch. We headed to Cafe Blossom which is a popular vegan restaurant in the Upper West Side of Manhattan not far from Central Park. Cafe Blossom also has vegan “sister” restaurants, Blossom, as well as V-Note, Blossom Du Jour, and Cocoa-V all located in the city. Umm, WOW!
The cafe has a clean and inviting atmosphere with cozy wood and modern stone accents.
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Because of the way the cafe is set up, it feels very intimate and you don’t feel crammed in next to other tables.
For a “cafe”, I was extremely impressed with the atmosphere. They really did it up with class!
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Going out to eat is such a treat and I appreciate every minute of not having to prepare the food myself! This trip is a nice break from my kitchen. I feel so spoiled when I get to order anything off a menu.
I had a the Field of Greens juice with spinach, cucumber, apple, lemon, and ginger. Ah, it felt so good to have greens after the flight.
For lunch, I ordered the COLLOSSAL Quinoa Salad layered with black beans, quinoa, julienne peppers, watercress, toasted pumpkin seeds, mango guacamole, and poblano dressing.
OH MY LORD. Have mercy. I am embarrassed to say how quickly I inhaled this!
These pictures really don’t do this salad justice either. It was absolutely amazing and perfect in every way. I am definitely going to try to recreate this salad at home…come to mama!
Eric ordered the Veggie Grain Burger made with lentil-quinoa burger, hummus, lettuce, tomato, pickles on multi-grain and fries. He loved the meal and was nice enough to share a bite with me. It was really good. The only thing I would change is the texture. It was very soft, almost like mashed potatoes.
I’m always asked what kind of diet Eric eats and that’s a bit hard for me to answer because he doesn’t like to label himself. He eats a mostly vegetarian and vegan diet now, with the occasional meat & dairy products as desired. He’s really embraced a plant-based diet and loves trying all kinds of new foods these days.
It’s really crazy to think of the foods he used to eat when I first met him. He was a fast food, Coke, and meat & potatoes kinda guy and the only vegetables he ate were staples like peas, corn, potatoes, and tomatoes. I’m happy to see him so content with the balance he has in his diet now. If he wants pizza or chicken, he usually eats it, but he also enjoys a lot of vegan and vegetarian dishes too. I think everyone needs to find the balance that works for them personally.
Since our lunch was so late and our dinner reservation was early, we hesitantly skipped the dessert menu and headed back out to explore and take advantage of the nice weather. I am so sad I was only able to eat at this cafe once during our stay…I would love to sample everything off the menu! They nailed casual, yet gourmet, vegan cuisine.
It was really busy around the city on Saturday, not surprisingly! Bustling with shoppers galore.
All the shops on 5th Ave are decorated so pretty for the holidays! It really got us into the holiday spirit even though it could have been a summer day. ;)
Cool night display:
…and we soon found ourselves like this…unable to move.
…the only thing that motivated us to move again was the promise of more food, alcohol, and chocolate molten cake ;)
Stay tuned for more food, Rockettes, a celebrity sighting, NYC vegan goodies, naked cowboys, and more…
Viewer discretion is advised.
Oh my god the naked cowboy haha!!! wow the quinoa salad looks amazing, I look forward to you trying to re-create it. Glad you’re having a great time, loving these NYC posts! Kiss from England.xo http://hannahalehandra.blogspot.com/
That pile of guacamole– WOWZA!!! I might have just licked my screen :-)
I’m much like Eric in my eating patterns. I do eat primarily a vegan diet but have a family and social circle that doesn’t understand the idea of no cheese, no eggs, no butter etc. So I often find myself indulging in vegetarian dishes when I’m with other people. However, I understand veganism to be an entire lifestyle that encapsulates not just eating decisions but also decisions regarding self-care products and the avoidance of animal products in other parts of my life. And for years, I’ve I ascribed to that whole-heartedly. If people ask, for simplicities sake, I tell them I’m vegan. If they’re willing to talk about it, I’ll go into more details.
I love reading your experience of NYC, it’s one of my favorite places in the world!
I hope you had the privilege of consuming the fare at Candle 79. Thanks for the restaurant suggestions for my next visit to New York.
Candle 79 was the first place we went to for dinner….omgggggg it was easily my FAV of thr trip!!
My husband’s diet sounds just like yours! No label required. Have a great time in NYC!!
Aaaaaah I love NYC! I have never heard of Blossom though!! I am going to have to try it out next time I’m in the city!!
you really lucked out with the weather. I mean, this time last month there was a freakin’ snow storm :P I love reading about what people doing on their vacations to NYC. gives me ideas for things I haven’t done and it’s fun reading about stuff I have :P
I know right? I cant believe the weather….
you are too cute. NYC is amazing and I wish I were vegan when I went in 2007 just to eat at cool vegan restaurants. I guess I will have to go back. Can’t wait for your next post.
Lucky you! I want to visit the big apple so bad. It’s the only other place I may want to live in, other than Vancouver… even though the two cities seem to be complete opposites.
I am intrigues and can’t wait
“a celebrity sighting, NYC vegan goodies, naked cowboys, and more…”
YES please! I love a good naked urban cowboy sighting. I live in the part of San Diego where scantily clad cowboys happen a lot. lol
Glad you guys are having a wonderful time!
Please recreate that quinoa salad, it looks so good! I love quinoa since it’s the only grain that is a complete protein….great for vegetarians!!!
New York City is literally just made of magical fairy dust.
i love blossom!! I just found your blog btw and love it! also, if you ever want recommendations, i can give you lots of great vegan recommendations. The east village is a mecca. My personal favorite is red bamboo. I went to lunch at cafe blossom and wasn’t that impressed but then went to cafe du jour a different time and it was AWESOME! other faves of mine include the loving hut, angelica’s kitchen, cafe viva (vegan pizza), these random places in harlem (very odd, but they seem to have alot of alot of “soul food” type places). also vegan cupcakes are not too hard to find (babycakes, molly’s cupcakes and sogo for ice cream)
thanks for the suggestions!
Yum! The quinoa salad looks delicious. I look forward to seeing your recreation of it :)
that photo of the christmas lights up close is incredible. it should go into your “may submit to fun contests” folder. so unique and perfect coloring
Such beautiful pictures! I want to go to New York even more now. It’s always been a dream.
Woah. What is that guy wearing behind his guitar? :O
So glad you and Eric got to get away for a much deserved vacation! I live in NYC now and it’s an awesome city. Love reading about what you’re getting up to while you’re here!
Looks like an awesome trip! New York in the Fall is perfection.
Im so glad you had that salad! It’s literally my favorite salad of all time. And adding the tempeh bacon really makes it RIDICULOUS. I’m lucky I live so close but my wallet isn’t so lucky. I need to recreate that mango guac!