Vegetarian Trip to NYC

Day 32 -- A Mouth-Watering Trip to New York -- New York, New York by Frank Sinatra

Was fortunate to take a trip out to New York City this weekend. It was the perfect opportunity to treat my inner-vegetarian foodie. My number one priority when traveling besides seeing the sights is filling my belly with the best food that the area has to offer. As most of you know, New York is the place to check out for any food obsessed individual out there.

Before heading out, I mapped out a few budget-friendly places that I wanted to try out. So if you find yourself in the Big Apple soon, check out a few of these vegetarian spots. (Rating Scale: One tofu cube being the lowest and 5 tofu cubes being the highest).

Spice in East Village

Some colleagues took me over here, praising it for its affordable Thai cuisine. Spice is certainly one of those stereotypical she-she NYC restaurants, where they could sucker you into paying for cupped air. Though, the interior is on the swanky side; the food is actually quite affordable. (But a bit on the pricey side for lunch. Average menu item is around 12 bucks).

You get a free appetizer with your lunch here; so make sure to mention that to your server. For an app, I ordered the vegetable steamed dumplings. There was nothing remarkable about them, but were somewhat worth the calories.

For an entree, I believe I ordered the drunken spicy noodles with Tofu. This dish proved that this Thai restaurant deserves its real estate space in the Village. The noodles were uniquely shaped like grilled calamari or something. The tofu was perfectly prepared and took in the great, spicy sauce.

Spice gets 3 out of 5 tofu cubes.

Taqueria el Fogon in Buswick Brooklyn, NY

This small Taqueria definitely doesn't see its share of tourists, being hidden in an industrial and less than picturesque neighborhood in Brooklyn. But that's what makes this restaurant so charming. The servers don't understand a word of English, but generally get what you're saying with a few hand motions and points to the menu.

I ordered a vegetarian burrito with a side of green salsa. Not to quote Rachel Ray, but this place was yum-o and dirt cheap! I got a water and a burrito, the size of my head, for around 7 bucks. I really didn't notice that any meat was missing from this dish. My friend sat in awe as I housed the burrito in about 5 minutes.

4 out of 5 tofu cubes

Le Barricou in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC

This charming, French restaurant sits in Brooklyn's hipster neighborhood, Williamsburg. Walking into this place was like stepping into a scene out of a Roaring 20s film. The interior was completely comforting and historic of those prohibition days.

Not gonna lie, I had a major challenge of will power with the primarily seafood dish menu. Seafood is like my kryptonite. So if you feel like cheating one day, check out the mussels and sea-friendly dishes. Don't stress, I fought my temptations off and stuck to a vegetarian dish. I grabbed the vegetable risotto, which was quite delicious. According to the server, Le Barricou uses seasonal items in this dish, so mushrooms were the main component.

Everything down from the complimentary olives to the excellent service, makes this place a must-stop for vegetarians or not. Also, the prices were very affordable. My dish was only 12 bucks.

4 out of 5 tofu cubes (bad veggie options, but that's not why you go here).

Fan of NYC? Post a comment on some vegetarian-friendly places I should check out!

Best in Boston Falafels

Day 30 -- Take a bite out of Falafel Heaven

As a big fan of Middle Eastern/Greek food, I struggled with substituting my favorite ingredients, lamb and chicken. My main lunch eatery spots consisted of meat carts in the city. (I may have even reviewed a few of them on Yelp). So when I decided to give up meat, I found myself missing the sight of that lamb carving station. That's where falafels came into the picture. Once considered a great late night munchie snack has now turned into my main course when eating Middle Eastern Food. So if you find yourself out in Boston, check out the spots below to gobble down food or places to run by. Rating is based out of 5 Falafel points; 5 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. Not digging fried food? Check out this baked falafel recipe.

Falafel King in Downtown Crossing

Sure, this place may also be the residency to many homeless people, but leave your peripheral vision at the door and make sure not to sniff around too much, because that's definitely urine you're smelling. Keep your eye on the prize. Despite the dumpy food court location, Falafel King is one of the premier destinations of business people around the city. As you wait in line, the owner, otherwise known as the King, gleefully greets you with a free Falafel dipped in the delicious hummus.

Usually falafels can be on the dry side, but this business lives up to its namesake -- Falafel King. The fried ball of chickpeas are moist and taste great dipped in with their homemade hummus. Their hummus tastes watery compared to the packaged kind in stores, but it's a welcome change.

Whether you're more of pita or salad person, there is something for all. I usually get the salad and fafafels with the hummus and pita. You can assemble your own sandwich this way.

Rating: 3 Falafels

The Greek Corner in North Cambridge

I used to frequent this place quite a bit during my carnivore days. Their chicken gyro is worth coming here. The falafels, on the other hand, are so dry that you'll need a gallon of water to toss these suckers down. The tahini sauce is also extremely bitter tasting and doesn't compliment the sandwich. So if you do come by here, ask for taziki sauce instead. The cucumber sauce moistens up the dry falafels.

The buttery pitas and sides almost make up for how bad the falafel is, but I still don't think I'll be coming back here until they stop over frying their food.

Rating: 1 Falafel

More reviews coming soon. In the meantime, take a look at what Yelpers have to say.

Restaurant Review -- Christopher's in Cambridge

Day 18 -- A Veggie Burger Come True -- APUNK by Vampire Weekend

Alas! I went to a vegetarian-friendly restaurant last week. In other words its vegetarian options didn't taste like a salted foot. (well, not a foot, but you get my point). My friends and I were starvin' one evening at around 5pm. After some indecisive back and forth on where we should grab our early bird special meals, we decided to go to Christopher's in Cambridge, MA. (I may have been pulling for Chicago Uno's...). If you've never been to Cambridge, it's the mecca land for intellectual yuppies, so naturally I gravitate to this area. (Minus the intellectual part!) Here, you'll find a sea of progressive restaurants, pushing any flavor-of-the-minute food trends.

Christoper's is great, because you'll find lots of traditional pub, comfort food, but with a delectable, pretentious twist. I.E. They actually have a dish called Yuppie Nachos (Sundried Tomatoes, artichokes, cheese, and other yummy, toppings). But, the best part about this place is that you won't pay your standard she-she prices! I got their award winning veggie burger with a side salad and fries for around 9 bucks. That may sound expensive to you, but the portions were huge. (I am feasting on the leftovers as I blog!)

Also, if you're looking for some interesting specialty drinks, try the restaurant's Cool as a Cucumber Martini! (I may have had a few of these...) The drink is delicious and uses organic cucumber vodka. Not sure what that is really, but damn is it good!

Whether you're visiting Boston, or been here for years. Try this place out! Christopher's has clutch food that would please a crowd. Also, there's a great music venue next door, called Toad. The bar plays music every night of the week at no cost. So out of towners, come on by. It's the perfect off-the-beaten tourist trap path destination.