Vegan Long Island Roaming

In a gesture of goodbye towards my old home of Brooklyn, I now have a brand new car! Embracing suburban life here on Long Island is a bit difficult without one… but more than that, I love to drive. Though it’s been less than a week with wheels, I have begun my scouring of Long Island for an increase in vegan options, clearing my To Do/To Go & Eat/LI bookmarks one at a time. Here is my report from my most recent excursion:
Long have I been eye-balling The Purple Market Cafe‘s sun up and sun down menus and daily specials, admiring their vegan-friendliness from afar. There’s always a vegan soup and entree listed… and they always sound delicious! I was excited to finally have the opportunity to taste their eats.

I got the Tofu Skillet, a bowl of cubed tofu along with farm fresh organic vegetables, avocado, tomato, vegan sausage (think it was Tofurky) and Daiya vegan cheddar. It was a hearty and satisfying breakfast! I loved the slices of broccoli stems. They added great texture. And of course, the potato.  It had a tad too much Daiya. (Readers, you know how I feel about the stuff. In fact, readers you know how I don’t like packaged, processed foods period lingering with fresh ingredients. It’s confusing why vegan processed food is celebrated so much.) 

Check out the beautiful view behind the cafe. I will certainly return to The Purple Market Cafe. Besides their vegan breakfast options, they offer some delicious-sounding dinner entrees I’m ready to devour: Vegan Seitan Escalibada (Spring Veggies over Brown Rice) and Seitan Marsala with sauteed summer veggies.Yum! Nothing beats a housemade seitan. Yes, not you, May Wah.

I headed over to Juice N’ Blenz in Babylon to try some goodies from High Hopes Vegan Bakery, a Strong Island all-vegan mail order and wholesale bakery with some seriously drool-worthy treats. I’ve been following there gallery on instagram for a few weeks now and have been blown away by what I’ve seen. The morning of my visit, Juice N’ Blenz had a good spread.

I bought a chocolate chip cook sandwich–a perfect vegan chocolate chip cookie specimen… times two, filled with a tangy and sweet cream.

I also picked up a vegan raspberry Linzer Tart, the one I tasted with my eyes on Instagram a few days ago. I was excited with these kinds of selections–they were not your run-in-the-mill vegan treat offerings. High Hopes is the real deal, an exciting vegan development for Long Island. As a vegan who has hit bakeries all across the United States, I am thrilled to have discovered the top-notch High Hopes here in my home. I had High Hopes, and they delivered. Figuratively and literally–they do deliver. 🙂 I look forward to a store-front? Please! (Triple please, the mark-up at the Juice N’ Blenz register is a bit high. Just Sayin’)

I think I need to show this bad boy again…

And again. Bravo!

As if we needed more sweets, we headed to Baci Gelato in Williston Park. (Aw, baci translates to kisses in Italian. That sounds familiar. Maybe CP told me that already?) They have soy and coconut based gelato that is so darn good. I had the pineapple and coconut, a pina colada without the rum. Delizioso!

I know it is crazy that I was in Williston Park and did not visit the brand new storefront of the all-vegan Sweet To Lick! I met the owner about a year ago at a farmers market and he let me know he was saving for a storefront. I am ecstatic his vegan dreams have come to fruition. And I will visit very, very, very soon. But not after a chocolate chip cookie sandwich, linzer tart, and two scoops of vegan gelato. The new all-vegan Long Island offering deserves my sweet taste buds’ complete attention.