Veganism and Christianity Discussion at MCCNY!

I’ve been asked to participate in a conversation on Veganism and Christianity presented by the Metropolitan Community Church New York. I would be thrilled if you could attend. We can meet/greet at the reception following the conversation.

The panel is:

– Rev. Dr. Tyson-Lord Gray, NYU professor, attorney, and minister (https://tysonlordgray.com)

– Leah Kirts, whose expertise is grounded in connections across food, ecofeminism, queerness and veganism (http://leahkirts.com)

– Michelle Carrera of Chilis on Wheels with a specialization in decolonization and veganism in Puerto Rico (http://www.chilisonwheels.org)

-Marina Benedetto owner of Yeah Dawg, a small business making plant-based hot dogs (https://www.yeahdawgvegan.com)

– Jim Allen, organizer of VegOut, a social group for LGBTQ vegetarians, vegans, and friends. (you’re already there)

Following the conversation, join us in the 3rd floor gallery for a reception featuring vegan snacks and treats!

Free!

Luanne’s Wild Ginger Crown Heights!

Wow! Brooklyn, right? Who knew that this Borough would score high on just about all vegan fronts? You want fancy schmancy? Bklyn has it! You want casual? You got it! Pastry shops, cafes, body product apothecary, bars – it’s vegan paradise!

We’re heading to one little bit ‘o heaven – LuAnne’s Wild Ginger All-Asian Vegan on Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights.

Time Out NY has this to say: “Vegan dining feels more like a hip lifestyle choice than a restricted diet at thisBrooklyn eatery. The sparse décor, soft Elliott Smith piped over the speakers and flickering candlelight lull diners into a blissful mood. The lengthy menu,filled with refined mock-meat interpretations of Thai, Chinese and Japanese dishes, helps too. We enjoyed an appetizer of lightly battered salt-and-pepper king oyster mushrooms, which approximated the shape and crisp-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside texture of a great fried calamari. A lighter choice is the avocado salad, which was pepped up with fresh greens and a zesty carrot-ginger dressing. All too often, vegan offerings are slathered with overly sweet, fruity glazes, but the General Tsoy’s soy protein avoided that blunder. Thick chunks of breaded faux chicken, whole red chilies and broccoli florets were doused with a spicy brown sauce and served with a side of nutty rice. If the atmosphere and the eats don’t put you into a Zen state of mind, a glass of beer, sake or wine just might.”

LuAnne’s has several locations between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Here is their menu: http://places.singleplatform.com/wild-ginger-7/menu

So let’s do a little exploring in Crown Heights on Friday, the 18th at 6:30pm!

VegOut Enjoys a Good Pickle!

So VegOut enjoys a good pickle whether it be savory or sweet or even the dramatic “I’m in a real jam” kind of pickle. So many varieties and so many definitions of pickle(s). What kind of pickle defines you best?
Anyhow, the Lower East Side Pickle Festival happens once per year – a bucket list item for anyone who loves pickles. What if you can’t make it there? Well, from M-F, 11a-4p there is Pickle Shack at Industry City in Sunset Park. If you’re off work this week or work an alternative schedule then this little dilly is just for you!
All things Pickle Shack are here: https://brineanddine.com
All things nabe are here: https://sunsetparkopportunity.com
All things Industry City are here: https://industrycity.com/inside-ic/
All things food at IC are here: https://industrycity.com/food-drink/

Accessibility: Industry is accessible and has accessible bathrooms. The navigation isn’t entirely fluid but going from building to building can be done on a specific path. Regarding the MTA, the bus is the best option.

Break Bread at Bunna Ethiopian Cafe (+ Pine Box Rock Shop!)

I meant tear bread but it doesn’t have the same ring, does it?

Bunna Cafe is about a tradition of sharing. They say that “Meals are shared, coffee is shared, homes are shared. It is a source of pride and honor to be able to give what you have to those that do not. Bunna Cafe supports people and organizations that engage in the art of sharing for the betterment of those in need — be it in Ethiopia or elsewhere.”

Bunna specializes in the vegan food, coffee, tea and alcohol of Ethiopia. Their food is delicious. The rolled bread – injera – that you see in the photo – fantastic! The wats (stews) are composed of different lentils, beans and vegetables all seasoned with heady aromatics. A recent dinner I had there included a summertime kale/avocado salad with a unique Ethiopian twist.

If we’re thus inclined we can then head over to Pine Box Rock Shop, NYC’s only vegan bar which is just a few blocks from Bunna. It’s seriously fun! As the name implies, Pine Box used to be a casket making facility. The Rock Shop is because events are planned in the back room space, usually bands.

All things Bunna can be found here: http://bunnaethiopia.net/bunna/index.php

All things Ethiopia can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia

All things Pine Box Rock Shop are here: http://www.pineboxrockshop.com

Take the L train to Morgan Avenue. It’s about a 10 minute walk from there through the TriBeCa of Brooklyn.

Thanksgiving in Yonkers!

We aren’t eating birds on Thanksgiving. Once again, we’re gathering at Abdullah’s fabulous apartment in Yonkers for fantastic holiday vegan fare. We can truly be thankful that no one was harmed for our meal.

What am I thankful for? I am thankful for ever evolving consciousness. I am thankful for the many friendships that I’ve made and that you have all made through VegOut. Most of all I’m thankful for turkeys and grateful for how they enrich our world. Their absence during this holiday season is my wish for them and you.

The Details:

Please bring a vegan dish (no meat, fish, eggs, dairy, or honey) or drink to share.

Please take your rsvp seriously. This is Thanksgiving. We can accommodate 12 people. You will be reminded a few days ahead to update your rsvp if you can’t make it so that someone else can.

Viva Vegan Mexicana at Black Flamingo!

Let’s get together the day before Halloween for some seriously good food at Black Flamingo in Williamsburg. I recently stopped in with VegOut’s Aaron and enjoyed their flautas (upper left corner) and immediately fell in love with food, staff, music and ambience. Aaron ordered the burrito and it was well-received by him. Black Flamingo gets it right on all counts.
New York Magazine says: “Here’s a new one: “midlife millennial.” That’s who Bryce David and his partners had in mind when they opened this bar and dance club, a spot for grown-ups who still want to rage but feel too old for the hangarsize dance bars like Output and Verboten. Upstairs, revelers can chitchat at the Miami-inspired bar: Palm leaves brush up against redbrick walls, and a vegetarian bar menu offers miso-tofu tacos alongside simple cocktails like a $12 ginger caipirinha. Once the drinks take hold, folks can head downstairs to the 70-capacity dance cave, where DJs keep everyone moving with discoinflected house music inspired by the days of the Loft and Paradise Garage.”
Yup, it’s a nightclub, too! There isn’t anything planned for the evening we’re there so the atmosphere will be mellow.
Who’s in for healthy vegan Mexican food at Black Flamingo?

Greedi Vegan!

Spicy Bowl! Small but beautiful counter eating in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Delightful staff and decor!

Those are vegan crab cakes (Gardein), spicy chickpeas, summer squash and fermented cabbage carrot slaw over brown rice. Just your basic good for you yumminess with just a teensy bit of fried to the side.