Late Summer Harvest

"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants," advises Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivores Dilemma and In Defense of Food. These were the wise words on wallet-sized cards at the Natural Gourmet Institute's Friday night dinner. More about those cards later.

This my fourth visit to the Natural Gourmet, and will not be my last. Students prepare a wholesome, 3-4 course vegan meal each Friday at 6:30 as part of their final project before graduation. The cost: $40, tax and tip included, and you can bring your own wine, which all New York City diners can confirm is a huge savings. Not cheap, but not outrageous either considering the quality of not only the ingredients but also the preparation. This is my favorite vegan dining experience in New York City, and I can see why this place draws both vegetarians and meat-eaters.

A bare bones classroom is transformed into an intimate, candle-lit dining room, with communal tables. The theme for the night: Late Summer Harvest. The only thing that would have made the night more magical is to eat outside under the stars.

To start: a refreshing sparkling ginger drink, made from the ginger and peach juice used for the night's dessert. I also sampled water with slices of cucumber. So simple, yet so refreshing. Do try it at home.

Migliorelli Farm beefsteak tomato with herbed 'ricotta', and corn from the same New York State farm. Bravo!

Tarragon-infused farro and vegetable trio, with creamy white beans, mushroom-artichoke ragout, and bitter greens. An omnivore couple across from me were commenting on how the mushrooms satisfied the savory craving. I couldn't agree more.

Ginger poached peach with vanilla bean ice cream. Sometimes I tire of sorbet being a vegan's only dessert option at most mainstream restaurants. I love poached fruit, so was happy to see this on the menu. Disappointingly, the peaches weren't poached quite enough, and I didn't detect any ginger flavor at all. The vanilla ice cream didn't live up to the heavenly cinnamon ice cream I had on a prior visit. Still, it was a light end to the charming meal.

Two cards were presented with each place setting to educate diners about making more informed food decisions.

One was the Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides, listing the dirty dozen (buy organic) and the clean 15 (lowest in pesticides). Leading the dirty dozen list: peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery and nectarines. The cleanest: onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple and mango. Learn more.

Local and Organic Food Sources in Your Area was the other guide, with information about Local Harvest, a guide to small farms, farmer's markets, CSAs and more, and the Eat Well Guide, a listing of everything from farmers and caterers to coffee shops and bed and breakfasts.

Visit the Natural Gourmet Institute, 48 W. 21st St., 2nd floor (between 5th & 6th Ave.), New York, NY. Learn more about their Friday night dinners, their professional program, and their public classes, which include multiple vegan and vegetarian options.

An Evening out at Candle 79

There's been a lot of DVD and vegan pizza nights on my end, so when it was time for a special evening out, Candle 79, one of the most famed vegan restaurants in New York City, seemed like the perfect place to splurge on a nice dinner. Here's a recap of my first visit.

The homemade ginger ale, with agave, sparkling water, lime, and mint, $7. In a word, divine.

The amuse-bouche of the evening was edamame. I thinking they could have provided something more inspiring.

New York Times critic Frank Bruni said this was one of the more enjoyable hummus appetizers he has tried in the city, and I can taste why. Served with grilled paratha bread, olives, and a roasted garlic bulb. Pricey at $13, and they are stingy with the bread so we had to order more, for which they charged $2.

My dish...the seitan piccata, served with spinach, a grilled potato cake, oyster mushrooms, and lemon-caper sauce, $23. A tasty and humane alternative to a dish more associated with veal. The spinach wasn't "creamed" as the menu described, disappointingly...more steamed.

I sampled the Fall Harvest Paella, $20. The smoked seitan sausage was hard to find. This dish was good, but missed the Wow factor.

The dessert special, Mexican chocolate cake with ginger ice cream, $12. The cake was light and airy. The ginger ice cream made this dish. Too bad this isn't on the permanent menu.

If you're going for a romantic night, ask for a table by the window on the second floor. The great thing about dining out is it inspires my dishes at home. I never thought to grill my bread with hummus or serve it with roasted garlic. And I would definitely try making that ginger ale at home. But at these prices, Candle 79 is for special occasions only.

I asked the bartender why there weren't any local wines from Long Island on the menu, and she said it's because they had trouble finding a good wine that was vegan and organic. A shame. Also, the menu listed draft beer as $7, but the bill listed it as $8. A good reminder to always check your bill.

Visit Candle 79 at 154 E 79th St. btwn Lexington & 3rd Ave., New York City.
Click here to see Frank Bruni's audio slide show of his visit.

That said, my favorite place in NYC for vegan dining is still The Natural Gourmet's Friday night dinners. It's $40 per person for 4 courses, but that includes tax and tip, and bringing your own wine saves a fortune. It's communal dining, so you won't have the privacy, but the quality has never disappointed.

A flashback to my visits: fall seasonal fare and a night with guest chef Melissa Gellert .

Seasonal Fare at the Natural Gourmet Institute

The third visit to the Natural Gourmet Institute for their Friday night dinner was an absolute charm, as were my prior two experiences. I love eating fresh, seasonal foods. For $40 a person, tax and tip included, I think the quality, presentation and service you experience here is a tremendous value. I'd much rather eat out less often if it means being able to eat wholesome, gourmet vegan food like this. Being able to bring your own wine is a major savings. I like organic wine as much as anyone, but not at the $12 a glass price level I see at so many places.

Unlike my last visit, when a guest chef prepared and executed the menu, this time, the students of their professional program designed and prepared the offerings, with some guidance from faculty. The portions, thankfully, were much smaller. In a world of food shortages, these more modest plate sizes were welcomed.

Here's a snapshot into the evening.

An inviting table awaited.

Cream of Spinach Soup and Caramelized Onion, White Bean and Spinach Streduel with Roasted Red Pepper Coulis

Watercress, Radicchio, and Butter Lettuce Salad with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Toasted Walnuts, Pomegranate Seeds, and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Butternut Squash Risotto Cake, Spicy-Garlic Kale, and Wild Mushroom Ragu with Carrot-Ginger Sauce and Sage Pesto

Trio of Fall Tarts: Cranberry Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice, and Caramel Apple with a Cinnamon-Vanilla Steamer

Our talented chefs. With food like this, they have a bright future ahead.


I left full (but not over-full), content, and guilt-free. The steamer was to die for. In a Q&A session with the student chefs, they revealed it was made with a combination of rice and almond milk, vanilla beans, cinnamon and a touch of Agave nectar. Do try this at home!

Visit them at 48 W. 21st St., 2nd floor (between 5th & 6th ave), New York, NY

Public classes are also offered, including some vegan classes. I've personally never taken any.

The Natural Gourmet Institute's Friday Night Dinner

The best-kept secret in the vegan food world in New York City has to be the Natural Gourmet Institute's Friday night dinner.

Every Friday (6:30, one seating-only), students of the school transform their classrooms into cozy, candle-lit dining rooms, where you feast on their divine four-course vegan dinner. Optional dairy occasionally shows up on the menu, but you can leave it out.

For $36 (tax/tip included; BYOB) I got all this:

Mushroom & Roasted Fennel Soup with Crisp Mushroom Garnish
Roasted Beets & Baby Arugula Salad with Toasted Walnuts & Balsamic Vinaigrette
Lemon-Thyme Tofu with Bitter Greens and Mediterranean Quinoa with Caramelized Onion Sauce
Apple Cake & Cinnamon Ice Cream with Caramel Sauce

While the students usually design the menu, that night guest chef Melissa Gellert was in charge. It was all scrumptious, except for the tofu, the only major misstep of the meal. It was uninspired, tasteless, and what is the stereotype of vegan food...a bland piece of tofu. And the portions sizes are never this big (I left having to walk off my indigestion for an hour!)

A word of warning...it can take a few weeks to get a reservation, so call ahead. Reservations required. Prices are soon going up to $40, but it's worth every penny.

Visit the Natural Gourmet Institute, 48 W. 21st St., 2nd floor (between 5th & 6th Ave.), New York, NY

Here are some pictures of our feast...