New York City Food: Part Three of Four? I think?

You may want to sit down for this installment of the riveting series of what I ate in New York City. I am covering a potent trio of Lula's, Candle Cafe and Soy and Sake. Whoa. I know. Can you handle it?

Let's start with Candle Cafe. Alice and I decided to eat here because A) it was close to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (yay for more planning!) and B) it was cheaper than Candle 79. Alice and I decided to split an appetizer and an entree for maximal dining pleasure with minimal cost. I was a little intimidated by the prices- I tend to get nervous in fancy restaurants, but the amazing food quickly quelled all my fears. Alice and I started our meal with the delectable quesadilla- crisp on the outside, melty goodness on the inside, with a serving of fresh salsa to top it all off. The appetizer was a success. Our entree was the Tuscan Seitan Parmesan Sandwich (which came with two sides, more fiscal prudence) and was also a hit. The cheese on it was freakishly melty and the tomatoes in the side salad were unbelievably fresh. If I get the chance to go back, I will probably order the tofu club, but this was the perfect introduction sandwich to Candle Cafe- hearty and delicious with a topping of quality vegan cheese.

That evening we ventured to Soy and Sake, a vegetarian sushi restaurant, with a full non-sushi menu similar to Red Bamboo, located by the IFC Center (more planning!). While it wasn't the same quality as Shojin, they did have the advantage of filling your sushi with fake fish. Fake vegan fish. Of course, I wanted to try it all, so I got the maki platter with the ginger salad. This meant I got three rolls: tuna avocado, salmon avocado and eel avocado. Whoa. The rolls were all delicious, though they had an appearance reminiscent of cat food and I couldn't really tell which fish was which, but they were filling and savory and calmed my strange craving for vegan fish. The meal was finished off with a Peanut Butter Bomb from Vegan Treats. Rich, delicious, made for sharing. I was definitely satisfied with this meal.

The final installment in this trilogy of joy is Lula's. Lula's is an all vegan ice cream shop with a smorgasbord of flavors, and ice cream coming in both traditional and soft serve. Due to my two visits there, I got to try both types. Of the traditional ice cream, I had the drumstick flavor covered in hot fudge. This flavor consisted of vanilla mixed with bits of cone and chocolate, much like the non-vegan treat of the same name. Yowza. Creamy and rich, but not overwhelming, I wanted to get a second scoop but did not have the money at the time. Fortunately, I came back to Lula's for a second time and treated myself to a flurry, which is basically Dairy Queen's Blizzard, but without the dairy. It was even better than I could have dreamed. Cake batter soft serve with mint creme cookies created a perfect treat for sitting on the sidewalk and watching people go by. Lula's is an adorable little shop and will definitely be on the itinerary when a return trip to the city is scheduled. Highly, highly recommended.

One more and then NYC food is done! Portland soon!

PS- I'm sorry these photos are arranged in a visually displeasing manner, but blogger is being wonky about letting me put them where I want them. Sorry!