How apropos that I write my first blog while in New York. NYC is the place where I started my culinary journey.
I flew on Virgin America for the first time and it won’t be my last. I raise my carrot juice to Richard Branson. Forward thinking! His airline will become the standards of air transportation. Comfortable, quiet, my own private TV screen, free Wi-Fi, compliments of Google. I even got a tee shirt that says, “I hooked up @ 35,000 Ft.”
Two hours after I arrive, I’m chowing down at Souen on 13th street eating dinner with my dear friend Pablo Vela. Pablo and I go back a long way to our days at Goddard College. We have kept up through the past three decades. He has led an amazing life as a theatre artist from teaching to acting to working all over the world. Food at Souen was scumcious as always. I went right for the kimpira as an appetizer and their cabbage salad with the famous secret carrot dressing. It’s hard to find anyone preparing burdock in LA except at a few Japanese places. Burdock is a medicinal food, it warms the body, strengthens the blood. I can feel its power bolting through my veins. This macrobiotic restaurant has been going strong for 30 years in Manhattan with several downtown locations. The Souen menu has a great explanation of the macrobiotic way, ???
On my first morning, I awake to marching bands outside my window. I love the fanfare, but I remember it’s Veteran’s Day. By the time I get on the street, a dozen bands are lined up waiting to march down Fifth Avenue. I thought I saw the Hell’s Angels but it was firemen lined up on their bikes ready to roar. It’s a hoot, especially the cheerleaders with pompoms. New York just liked I pictured it.
While I grabbed lunch at Angelica’s Kitchen, I got to visit with Leslie the proprietress and the love and energy beyond this landmark. I had the wee dragon bowl, with soup and cornbread and spread. Damn that cornbread slathered with tahini miso spread, something about it is amazingly satisfying. I was at Angelica’s on the first day it opened in the late 70’s. I remember I was fasting so I didn’t eat anything. Ha, I have to laugh on that one.
From the lower east side I high tailed it up to Columbus Circle to visit friend and RFD shareholder, Jane Velez Mitchell, TV personality, author, vegan and animal activist. Link to her site. Jane while LA based for the past decade, now is living in the city while hosting her show for CNN. She is joyously spending precious time living with her 93-year-old mother who is in great shape from years of dance and movement and eating vegan. Wow, I want to be like her when I grow up.
Back to Souen, this time the location in SoHo for dinner with another dear friend Margie. I mentioned the famous carrot dressing that for 30 years everyone has been trying to get the recipe for. At this location it was perfectly made, thick and sweet and you want to pour it on everything.
Following day, I trek through the rain and white to the Upper East Side to stop by Candle Café. I run into a RFD long time customer. Yummy split pea soup and nice salad of millet and black lentils. Take food for the plane ride back. Baked sweet potato, slow cooked grilled onions, braised tempeh, and sautéed mustard greens that were so deliciously bitterly good.
Good for you.