Greetings From Asbury Park
March 24, 2019
There always seems to be something vegan to eat in Asbury Park. As the area makes a name for itself as a food destination, the vegan realm reaps the benefits. The folks setting up shop in Asbury Park have to care about quality, as the restaurant next store or down the block has already lifted the level high. I appreciate the spread of quality. And I appreciate vegan options that contain no packaged ingredients (Hallelujah!) Now we just need some more parking spots.
With a food itinerary in the Spring sun, we started out at Cardinal Provisions for breakfast.
I love a vegan breakfast option. But first, let’s start with vegan hot cocoa with a brûléed marshmallow top. Oh my goodness, yes. The marshmallow meringue was housemade and delicious. No, they’re not just throwing some Dandies in here. They’re whipping up marshmallow meringue.
We both got The Big Sketchy Bagel, the most expensive bagel I ever ate ($15) had avocado, cashew cream cheese, coconut bacon, and some greens on an everything bagel. It was yummy, as its ingredients list surely predict. I would have loved more cashew cream cheese (in comparison to the avocado level) and thought large coconut shards would be a better choice.
Delicious though!
We saw these in the display case upon arrival and got very excited about hem. Vegan chocolate xuixo, a Spanish pastry that is croissant-like but better as it is deep-fried and coated in sugar. They also had housemade vegan apple fritters. [Yes–so listen up Manhattan! This is the thing: make your own food if you want to open a restaurant. Make everything. Don’t open packages and play with processed food; don’t order the same vegan treats from PA that all the other places have; don’t cut corners with those corners are so delicious! Asbury Park is doing it right!]
Our xuixo… so pretty, so good
But we needed more sweetness for the road! So a stop at Purple Glaze Donuts would do the trick. They have an extensive vegan menu including a bunch fancy and filled.
Our selection: The Health Nut (Vanilla donut with vanilla glaze, pepitas, almonds, and ginger slices), Triple Threat (Chocolate donut, chocolate icing, chocolate sprinkles with a chocolate buttercream), The Chipwich (chocolate donut, vanilla icing, chocolate chips) and The Fluffer Nutter (chocolate donut, peanut butter glaze with chocolate and marshmallow drizzles).
The donuts were so flavorful and reminiscent of the snack cakes and treats from our youth. Very well done! But it was onward to a spontaneous trip to Atlantic City for some time-killing before eating again. That place is so weird. I’m going to write about that another time, because it’s now dinner time!
At Modine, which I am certain is one of the most beautiful restaurants I ever set foot into. It was just perfection in every way.
It used t o be a bank, I suppose, given the entry stairs and vault in the back… which serves as a unique dining spot for a large group. The ceiling is like a mile away, the tremendous and gorgeous arching windows bring in loads of light, the art deco motif, one of my favorites. Before I had even looked at the menu, I had eaten up so much. The space is delicious. Add the fact that they have a small menu of vegan specials which, our server informed us, would be growing soon, and I’m already one happy vegan food blogger.
Then the food was outstanding. Southern-inspired down home cooking from the folks who brought me such a delicious vegan pizza option a few blocks away. Our first dish was a plate of Romanesco cauliflower and Brussels sprouts with pickled peppers, peanuts, and a tangy BBQ sauce. It hit every note, pleased all of the tastebuds. I didn’t want t to end.
But then the Vegan Chicken Biscuit came. Seitan treated like their award winning fried chicken. It was succulent and tender, as some times seitan can NOT be. It was in between two rich, buttery biscuits and topped with pickled cucumber and a tofu ranch. It was absolutely dreamy. This place is perfection.
If I had to make a suggestion, I’d like more sauce and a bit less biscuit as sandwiching the precious breaded seitan between two such thick biscuits compromised the texture of it a bit. But it is an unbelievably good option.
Perfect seitan.
Asbury Park, you are turning out to be a brutal force in the vegan options world. Keep up the sky high standards!
Also, this place. I’d love to get this signage on my apartment.
