It’s Smoargasburg time again in Prospect Park, and the crowds were there for it this past Sunday. As in previous years there are tons of vegan options; I opted for the Nasi Tempeh combo from Mas Budi, and Indonesian street food vendor. The fried tempeh was the real star here, as good or better than any I had when I was in Indonesia. I followed it with a creamy vegan banana pudding from Dylana’s Sweet Treats, served in its own glass jar.
Smorgasburg — Breeze Hill, Prospect Park
We’re at a strange place with vegan food at the moment. The ubiquity of Beyond/Impossible meats means that vegan options can be found in almost every dive bar, diner, and neighborhood bistro. It also means that sometimes there is very little thought put into those options, and we have gotten complacent. At JJ’s Southern Vegan Kitchen though, they have not gotten complacent. Located in the back of the Drift, a dive bar in the shadow of the BQE, they are turning out vegan versions of Southern staples like hot chicken and mac & cheese. I had never heard of them until recently, when the Instagram algorithm showed me a short clip of a weekend special: bbq brisket sandwich, made with lion’s mane mushrooms. I knew I had to try it. The sandwich did not disappoint; savory mushrooms with a hint of char, with crispy salt pickles and creamy slow to offset the sweet and spicy bbq sauce. I also got a side of slow-cooked collard greens, much improved by a splash of Texas Pete’s pepper sauce. It’s places like JJ’s that make me excited again about the state of vegan food.
JJ’s Southern Vegan Kitchen — 579 Meeker Ave (Inside the Drift Bar)
There’s a great new series on Eater about vegan, immigrant-owned businesses around the city. That’s where I read about GreenPot, a sandwich shop and small grocery in Greenpoint that’s all vegan. I got the aptly-named Sloppy Meatball, less of a meatball sandwich than a sloppy joe. I also picked up a chocolate croissant, which was light on chocolate but heavy on crisp pastry. I was more impressed with the wide variety of vegan products available, if you ever wanted to put together a vegan charcuterie board GreenPot should be your first stop.
GreenPot –– 86 Greenpoint Ave
Although Georgian cuisine is primarily known for breads like the khachapuri (at least here in NYC), a recent visit to Chama Mama’s new Brooklyn outpost provided us with some excellent non-bread items. In fact, my lobiani (a bean-stuffed flatbread) was my least favorite item of the day. The Georgian salad was bright and fresh, while the roasted mushrooms were warm and earthy. Almost everything is tossed with fresh herbs and pops of brightness, like pomegranate seeds, which is maybe why I love the food there so much. Contrasting flavors, textures, and temperatures are always a big win in my book. And with so many items clearly labeled as vegan on the menu, it’s a place I want to go back to again and again.
Chama Mama — 121 Montague St
brooklyn vegetarian 