June 8, 2018
Along the perimeter of McCarren Park in Greenpoint, is a hot new veg-heavy eatery and “farm brewery,” Annicka. It sources veggies and brews locally… and they also claim they have a “no a**holes” policy! I met a friend to bask in the sun of their outdoor seating, ready for some delicious Read more…
April 24, 2018
First, Ovenly‘s salted chocolate chip cookie. Such a delicious cookie from this Brooklyn bakery. I dare say my favorite chocolate chip cookie? Well, maybe I’ll just have to do a chocolate chip cookie bracket! I treat myself with one or two on the way home when the middle schoolers are Read more…
April 8, 2018
Even a bad veggie burger patty can be a vehicle of delicious flavors and textures by way of its fixings. Though a bad burger/good fixings shouldn’t be an eatery’s goal, fixing compensation can certainly sway a battle. In that same vein, a veggie burger’s bun also plays a very important roll. Read more…
April 5, 2018
That’s a flyer from the zine I made in the 90’s. Yes, I always liked to hear myself write. And that’s 90’s me… but this isn’t a post about how the 90’s were the last hurrah of authenticity and coolness, though that is truth. It’s about burgers. One from a Read more…
March 10, 2018
From a half breakfast in Ridgewood, Queens to a half breakfast in Bed-Sty, Brooklyn (a mile away from each other), we headed to Port Morris, Bronx for The Bronx Brewery Tasting Room… but also to stalk Sol Cacao and their chocolate tasting room soon to be opening nearby. Breakfast halfsies: The Read more…
December 19, 2017
Walking into a sunrise like this on my way to work does all kinds of things to perspective and priorities. And it makes me later than usual. What is better than a pressed, warm sandwich with your favorite morning foods within… in your hand and on the way up to Read more…
December 10, 2017
I’ll be straightforward here. New York City’s vegan burger game has evolved incredibly since I endeavored to find The Best. But I’m at a point where I need to start a ‘best of the best’ bracket. It is such a shame to bid some burgers farewell, while less amazing burgers Read more…
November 19, 2017
Much can be conveyed in one glimpse. One glimpse of Brooklyn, in one isolated second, is a masterpiece. Action, composition, color, texture, emotion, layers, industry, human interest. I like walking in Brooklyn. One glimpse of her, standing tall from afar, with a heart-shaped leave. Worth a sidewalk pause. A glimpse Read more…
November 6, 2017
My birthday keeps on keeping on. A gift trial of the all-vegan Petit Vour means even more creams and salves in my medicine cabinet. Driving this stretch of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway from South Slope, Brooklyn to Long Island City, Queens, I get distracted by the gorgeous outer borough of Read more…
October 12, 2017
In September, I long for this October feeling… when the dust settles and I’m back in the swing of things. Routines are set, classroom is running smoothly, and Brooklyn and me are friends again. Good friends, maybe lovers. I begin to re-appreciate her, her beauty which can be overshadowed, and Read more…
October 7, 2017
It’s been a while, I know. But there are NYC vegan burger happenings that have brought me out of “retirement.” Here are a few notes on the updated brackets above. These are entirely new* burgers from my last battle. And there are many more. Ok, so the “*” is for Read more…
September 28, 2017
The Farmers Markets end. I eat dinner in my classroom on Back to School night. (Kiku Sushi) Things get organized into colorful bins… …and I spray paint other things. The sunset grows more potent, weeping for the fall of its crown. (Long Beach, New York) And a small, sliver of Read more…
September 13, 2017
Above: What’s left of Stephen Powers’ Brooklyn mural. I kind of love him. He is so damn clever. But cleverness does weird stuff to men’s hair. The vegan chocolate donut at Doughnut Plant. I appreciated it, like someone holding the door a few seconds longer than what is conventionally acceptable. But Read more…
August 29, 2017
There are signs of the end of the summer season that teachers are highly attune to. They’re small things that collectively gain power in quantity. Cicadas, REI’s Labor Day sale, football teasers, Halloween candy, a bunch of meaningless games for The Mets because they didn’t make the play-offs, summer clothes Read more…
August 3, 2017
This picture was taken in June as a teacher pal and me rebelliously snuck out of a PTA-sponsored lunch for sundaes at Van Leeuwen. In some ways June seems like years ago. In other ways it remains piercingly vivid. I think I was in denial that the school year was Read more…
April 18, 2017
With spring definitively here, the bulbs I planted last September are starting to poke out their heads in the backyard… like these late daffodils with the complicated faces. Trees are finally blooming. And so I stored my winter coats and sweaters away. I’ve gushed about tulips plenty, but how about the Read more…
March 13, 2017
Beautiful snow striations. Winter’s last word. Dumpling peaks. Blackstrap yolk. Who dun it? M.O.B.‘s California burger in Brooklyn. Carrot poker chips.
November 19, 2016
For perspective, a stop at Long Island National Cemetery during menial errands on Veterans Day. So many lives. Savory crepes at Lil Choc Apothecary before Choir! Choir! Choir! in Brooklyn. Pulling beets prematurely. Educating the youths.Soon after he raked the yard. #futureman Dinner party planning with the help of Frank.
October 30, 2016
Luckily, my birthday celebrations expand many weeks–there’s me-time travel involved (the sloths), us-time travel (London), family, friends. Eventually, all sides have been represented, leaving me smiling and grateful. I love October; and I love how my birthday delivers me to the excitement of autumn and winter holidays. And I love October sunrises, Read more…
October 3, 2016
Fogwood & Fig vs. No. 7 Veggie It’s not surprising that Diane Bezanski has a background in photography. If the images of her veggie burgers, under the name Fogwood & Fig, were all I had, they might still win a few battles. It is true that you eat with your eyes Read more…
September 24, 2016
Tofu is only going to be as good as you make it. It’s ready to suck in flavor and build its texture–but that takes you. After creating a powerful marinade and letting these Lincoln logs bathe in it all day, I build texture, roasting each side 25-ish minutes. Good tofu is worth Read more…
September 12, 2016
Here we are. The long overdue conclusion of my first New York City Vegan Victuals Burger Battle! After 16 burgers, a champion has emerged. And it’s Brooklyn’s Toad Style! With a commitment to housemade excellence, Toad Style sets a high standard for all those who hope to create a top-notch vegan burger. Read more…
August 12, 2016
Bushwick, Brooklyn is now home to Elisa’s Love Bites, a gluten-free bakery with a few vegan options always on-hand. At the time of my vist, marked v-options included the Black Heart Cake, Original Sin Cake, Fig Buddies and Fluffers, aquafaba meringue cookies. The Black Heart Cake was what I devoured right Read more…
June 25, 2016
Match #4 of the V.V. Burger Showdown Semi-Finals: Brooklyn Born. Toad Style vs. Cafe Ghia We are nearing the end. With a new summer brings another new burger battle. There is no rest for the vegan eats these days. But before a new beginning, an end. Each burger in this battle has made Read more…
June 18, 2016
I used to shy away from vegan pizza pie. Either it was piled high with heavy, wet veggies on a soggy crust or it was topped with the dreaded Daiya. But these days, vegan stuff is improving. Like at Greenpoint Brooklyn’s Adelina’s, who has been on my radar since they started doing Meatless Read more…
June 12, 2016
These are a few of my favorite things: Mango & sweet sticky rice (from Thaism, my work Thai spot) Lunch after errands at Bareburger, because… Brooklyn date at M.O.B. because traffic was so bad to drive anywhere else! I got their delicious seitan meatball hero with pesto and a ton Read more…