A (soy) cafe au lait and a half a crusty baguette (hold the butter) with red raspberry Bonne Maman jam, $5.25. I brought the jam jar home to reuse as a container to transport salad dressing for lunches.
My cafe au lait even garnered a compliment from a gentleman standing in line, who thought it looked just charming. Don't you agree? I can't imagine a paper cup with a plastic lid.
Chelsea Market offers much for vegans. I didn't visit it, but One Lucky Duck now has a location there. Check out Sarma Melngailis' blog post, "I'm Not a Vegetarian." I think her sentiments on labels are very realistic and healthy, especially for those having trouble committing to veganism. I struggle myself and fall off the wagon. Me and cheese: a forbidden love.
Closer to my office, Macaron Cafe is my slice of Paris. Most of the staff are French, and the place is brimming with real Frenchies and those Frenchies-at-heart who just adore good, simple food.
The Farm Salad, $8.25. Evian or Perrier? Tap water please.
C'est cher, non? Oui. I usually opt to brown bag it, but sometimes, I need a little mental health time away from my cramped cubicle and fluorescent lighting. Have to have a little French music on the iPod. For good measure, I like everything from the campy - Georges Ulmer - to the modern - Kaolin. Even Belinda Carlisle covers French classics.
I was watching another French-inspired cook, Barefoot Contessa, on Food Network. She shared a favorite vinaigrette recipe. Ready? Olive, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard, with a dash of salt and pepper. Easy.
2 comments:
The Macaron Cafe looks good. I didn't know it was there since I seldom wander below 38th street on my lunch hours. There is a couple of French restaurants in the 20s on Park Avenue whose names I can't recall. They do a good job at transporting you to France, even for an hour.
It's hard to imagine it's even there amid all the fast food options that surround nearby Penn Station.
I used to like Le Grainne Café in Chelsea when I worked closer to it, and had a charming bistro right across the street which since closed. I so wish I could find vegan quiches, crepes and such more easily, and at reasonable prices. I understand Cocoa V in Chelsea has vegan quiche, but if it's like Blossom (same owners), it won't be cheap. Blossom's vegan crème brulee was out of this world, but $11 turns into closer to $14-$15 with tax/tip.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/dining/02vegan.html
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