Angelica Kitchen

One of the oldest vegetarian joints in NYC, Angelica Kitchen is more an institution than a restaurant, and as amazing as it sounds, I'd never been there. Luckily, my pal hadn't either, so we were excited to try it. The warm colors and high ceilings give the dining room a warm airy feel, and we were elated to sit down and peruse the menu. Of course, part of our elation was simply because we were seated- we had many city miles on our feet by then! Or tootsies may have been tired, but it was only when we had the menu in our hands that our brain got a workout as well. So many choices! Did I feel like Asian noodles? Southwest chili? A big gorgeous salad? A burger?

In the end, I started with a salad and my friend and I split the walnut lentil pate. It was delicious, but I wish it has been served with something other than those rice crackers you can get at any health food store. Some crostini would have been perfect. Still, it was good, and it prepped my stomach well for my entree:


The Tempeh Reuben. Those who know me know I LOVE sauerkraut, so when I saw I could have it atop some smoky tempeh with horseradish mustard, I was thrilled. Even better was that it was everything I wanted it to be - the perfect combination of earthiness and spice. I highly recommend it.

On the other hand, if you're in the mood for noodles, my friend's Soba Salad was amazing. The tahini peanut sauce was creamy, with spot-on flavor, and it even came with more sauerkraut. Can't beat it!




The desserts here looked amazing, but we had one final destination - perhaps the highlight of the whole trip - that would soon serve us up some of the most insanely good vegan ice cream we ever did have. Be patient, I'm getting there.....