On Sunday I had lunch with my old babysitter! Yes, I am 40 years old, but we met when I was just 3 years old and we've been in touch on and off throughout the years (birthdays are always a time to connect...) My dad, a carnivore at heart but a full supporter of my vegan diet, suggested we make a reservation at the acclaimed vegan, organic cafe
Blossom in New York City, just blocks from the Joyce Theater, where my parents were headed shortly afterwards for a ballet rehearsal with the American Ballet Theater.
My husband and son were not jazzed about this option but I was! French toast, black-eyed pea cakes, ravioli in cashew cream...even the biggest doubters could find something to wrap their minds (and lips) around!
My husband and former sitter got the veggie burger. Simple ingredients, nothing to scary for a skeptic, and they enjoyed what they said tasted like felafel. They also loved the fries. My son loved the fries too, which he got accompanied by a tapioca cheese burger with tempeh bacon! I have raised him to be an adventurous eater and he is surely the family member who could most likely go vegan (not now but maybe one day...) My mom also played it safe with a salad but I think she enjoyed it!
My dad, such a trooper, got the Blossom Benedict: steamed tofu, soy ham, hollandaise sauce, a multi-seed gluten-free English muffin, grilled asparagus, and roasted rosemary potatoes. Yumsville! (FYI - if you ever find a typo reading my blog, it means my dad hasn't read it yet :-)!)
As for me, you know how I love my options! I decided on the burrito with rice, beans, shredded cheese and grilled seitan. The flavors and textures were spot on and I was absolutely full when I finished. Well, I still had a few bites of the chocolate ganache cake with peanut butter drizzle and vanilla ice cream but you know what I mean...