Living in NYC I am so blessed to be within walking and / or subway distance to a ton of restaurants that are laser focused on the quality and sourcing of their ingredients. Nothing makes me happier than to hear that a restaurant buys their produce or meat from the local farmers’ markets (there are a lot more in the city than people expect). Instead of getting stressed out about where their food comes from or how its prepared, with these 3 places I can sit back, relax and actually enjoy my delicious food!
1. Hu Kitchen - This is a more recent obsession of mine. Hu Kitchen opened only a few months ago and I’ve already been here 10 times. Yes, 10. Hu Kitchen is the perfect destination for people with any dietary concern or lifestyle: it caters to everyone from Paleo eaters to vegans. I think it’s fantastic that their meat is all organic and grass-fed. Also, most of their items are made completely from scratch. This is wonderful, particularly for when I want an almond milk latte because to my knowledge, there are no packaged almond milks on the market that don’t have questionable additives like carrageenan in it. I also have to give a special mention to their mouthwatering desserts: I can never say no to their chocolate chia seed pudding or their macadamia nut (grain-free) brownies, which are super moist and decadent.
2. Gust Organics - A great brunch option for a lazy Sunday. Another place where meat eaters and vegans can eat together happily. Gust Organics is actually the first certified organic restaurant in New York City; knowing that everything is 100% organic just gives me so much peace of mind. They have an awesome $20 prix-fixe brunch option which includes coffee, fresh-squeezed orange juice and one entree. They also have great juice options for those of you who need your green juice fix.
3. Pure Food and Wine / One Lucky Duck - A mecca for you raw vegans out there. Even though my dietary choices definitely skew more caveman than raw vegan, I’m still madly in love with their food. I often wake up having intense cravings for their salads and zucchini “lasagna”. When the weather is nice, you must try to snag a seat in their gorgeous garden area (see above). I’m also infatuated with their swan greens juice (pineapple, spinach, mint, yuzu, grapefruit) and their blonde macarons. But beware if you’re in a rush – their service is definitely mediocre at best. I often find myself waiting for my food for a bit too long, but the food is good enough that I’m willing to put up with it.
You obviously know that this made my morning. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you posted this! I’m going to NYC for New Year’s and I was hoping I wouldn’t have to completely change my diet while I was there. I hope I have time to try these out!
http://jerrellrenee.com
So happy you found it helpful! You definitely won’t have to change your diet when you come to NYC…there are soo many other healthy options that I didn’t even include. Just do a bit of Yelp-ing and you’ll find enough for all your meals, every single day : )
can’t wait to try these next time i’m in the city! i do love PF&W and OLD but it’s nice to have different options! we have some decent raw restos and juice bars in MPLS but they are all still fairly crunchy vs. cool
Definitely! It’s amazing that there are new juice bars opening up in every neighborhood here – juicing and healthy eating isn’t just for those “crazy vegans” anymore…these days, I feel like I see people carrying a green juice everywhere I go!
Can we go to Hu Kitchen when I’m back in NY? Looks awesome!
YES! Of course! We can go anywhere you want : )