a love letter to nyc: food edition - part 1

come for jazz, stay for the food. proving there is no shortage of plant-based eatery in new york city.

Oct 28, 2024

New York, I love you. I always have, and I always will. My first visit dates back to 2008. This city has a charm like no other. My husband and I just recently came back from a visit. We saw one of our favourite jazz bands from London, Kokoroko, live at the Warsaw Theater. It was the absolute best night ever. This show was the first of their North American tour and easily memorable.

We came for the jazz and stayed for the food—literally. Oh, there are many things we’ve eaten, from dumplings to pizza to fried oyster mushrooms, doubles, steamed BBQ buns, and Bangladeshi street foods. Did I mention dumplings?

This post is part one of the series, and I hope you’re ready for the ride because we’re going places, many of them!

We landed in JFK at 8 a.m. — no time to waste. The doors for the show opened at 7:30 p.m. later that evening, so we had some time. I did have to work remotely, so aside from the morning meal, my morning was booked due to work.

Our first stop is A&A Bake Doubles and Roti for some doubles. If you’re not familiar with them. They are a popular Trinidadian street food. Always filled with chickpeas and sweet tamarind sauce. We got a couple fillings and they were pretty delicious. My favourite had to be the green beans and cabbage.

We ordered a total of 12 doubles... Yes, we're animals.

After our doubles throwdown, we headed to Villager, a coffee shop. I needed to tackle some work, and we both needed our caffeine fix.

My husband works in specialty coffee and is part of the founding team at Portrait Coffee. Check them out—shameless plug.

Of course, we had to visit a couple of coffee shops—stay tuned for more if that's your vibe.

I ordered an oat matcha, which was okay. After getting some work done, we met our good friend Daniel, who hosted us for our stay. We returned to his place, caught up, and walked a bit, which was terrific. The weather was amicable, and I couldn't get over it. I'm talking about the late 60s—pure bliss.

It is past 5 p.m., and I have officially entered vacation mode. I was ready for the night to begin. We started the night at Spicy Village. My husband has been raving about this place, and for great reasons!

Spoiler Alert: They have the absolute best dumplings I have ever had. I mean it.

My only regret is not taking more pictures of the filling and the saucy situation with their homemade hot chili oil. I was in the moment. The spicy vegetable hui mei noodles were good, but the dumplings were the show's star. I wish I had gotten an extra order. We’ll be back!

Vegetable Dumplings with Hot Chili Oil + Spicy Vegetable Hui Mei Noodles

She's a little hole-in-the-wall but cozy, welcoming, and BYOB. Please don't skip this place. Add it to your list; you won't regret it. There's something for everyone.

My husband and I at Spicy village. Pic by our friend, Daniel. Me in my element, snapping away.

We stopped by The Craic on our way to the Warsaw Theatre for a happy hour cocktail, and then the real fun began.

Kokoroco Live At The Warsaw Theater 09/10.

Kokoroko. The show was nothing short of amazing. I didn't realize people in NYC were so tall. I felt surrounded by giants the entire time. I am so thankful that my husband and I saw them live as they started their North American tour. It was well worth the trip—one to remember.

Okay, back to food — that's why you're here! :) Post-show, we ended up walking down Bedford Ave., and of course, we had to stop at Vinnie’s Pizzeria. I’ve been visiting Vinnie's Pizzeria since my first visit to NYC in 2008. It's a monumental NYC staple for me.

Luckily, they had a couple of vegan slices available, including a slice of my favourite pie, T.Hanks (vegan)—BBQ chicken, red onion, mozzarella, cheddar, and BBQ sauce—a real delicacy.

Vinnie's Pizzeria - T.Hanks (Vegan), Cheese Slice (Vegan), Vinnie's Great Grandma Pie Slice, BBQ Chicken Slice

Lastly, ice cream! Van Leeuwen, that’s the caption. I got to try their vegan offerings and landed with a scoop of their Vegan Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb. It was pretty good, but it was tied with the strawberry shortcake.