We shared a few NYC restaurant tips exclusively for the Brazilian fitness blogger, Gabriela Pugliesi. Take a look at 5 healthy food spots in NYC where you can go to eat well or even, break your diet.
Today’s post today is a delicious one!
There is nothing better than talking about travel and food, right!?! So, if you’re coming to New York City, we’ve shared 5 great restaurants with the Brazilian Fitness Blogger, Gabriela Pugliesi, that should be added to your To-Go list!
Some are very healthy, and some are great places just to go when you feel like breaking your diet for the day!
A macrobiotic organic restaurant: Souen
Many will read “macrobiotic” and be immediately intimidated by the words. Don’t be!
In a nutshell, macrobiotic cooking is simply a term for identifying a food that is rich in whole grains, very healthy, that teaches us to be aware of what we eat. Why? The food we eat will become part of us – yes, it has ancient Japanese teachings behind this cuisine too! Plus, they do not use industrialized products. Moreover, there is still an explanation of macrobiotic food related to Ying-Yang, but we’ll not get into this now.
Well, this cuisine is made up of whole grains, vegetables, sea vegetables, beans, fish and soups.
Whoever liked the brief description above, will love the Souen. With on location in the East Village – the restaurant was founded in 1971 and offers some of the city’s best natural organic and vegan foods.
It’s hard to say what to try, since anyone who enjoys healthy food will probably come back a few times to order different dishes. But, some of our suggestions are: the dishes with Seitan (wheat protein), the wheat noodles are delicious, the salmon and the cod are divine too. You can still add to your order a salad and other side dishes.
Ah! Be sure to order the gluten free desserts! It will certainly be a different experience.
Chic Vegan Spot: Pure Food & Wine
Located at 54 Irving Place, Pure Food & Wine celebrated this year, 10 years!
Considered the 1st high-end vegan restaurant in New York, the menu is entirely based on vegetables. They do not use processed ingredients and nothing is heated above 118 degrees – thus it is possible to preserve the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in the ingredients.
This restaurant is a great option for the lovers of healthy, vegan food, and also great for those who can’t eat gluten or lactose – neither of which are used on the menu.
In addition to the great take-out menu and an amazing presentation of the dishes, the ambience is super stylish with an outside area – certainly difficult to find in New York.
The waiters are very friendly and you certainly won’t stay for only 1 drink.
Farm to table: Market Table
Launched in 2007 and a huge success to date, Market Table is a restaurant with a farm-to-table menu.
Located on 54 Carmine Street, in the West Village, the restaurant is small, cozy, with impeccable service, giant windows and brick walls with that rustic feeling, serving healthy food. Their menu changes according to the season, so you’ll be sure to always have something new to try.
The kitchen is open, which gives the chef the pleasure of seeing the customer’s expression at their first bite! Certainly a thrill!
Dishes are simple, yet tasty and delicious. In the summer you can expect a menu with burrata, salads, seafood, vegetables and vegetables. In the winter, the food is a bit more full-bodied, like the pork rib dishes, but New York’s cold days call for these dishes too, right?
It’s a great place to go for dinner, or just go for a quick lunch. The wine list is very good too!
More than a restaurant, a lifestyle: M.O.B. – Maimonide of Brooklyn
Brooklyn has got a new vegetarian restaurant called M.O.B. – Maimonide of Brooklyn. M.O.B. it’s not only a restaurant, but the story of this project is pretty cool too!
Before we speak of this place, we’ll quickly explain the name. Moses Maimonides, from which came the name “Maimonide”, was a Jewish physician, philosopher and religious man, born in Cordoba in 1135. One of his great studies was to understand the health benefits of various combinations of fruits, vegetables and seasonings.
The French restaurateur, Cyril Aouizerate, Founder of M.O.B., studied for many years the philosophies of Maimonides and the HipHop movement, until he decided finally open a store at 525 Atlantic Avenue, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.
Cyril joined forces with Michelin-starred chefs, Alain Senderens and Jerome Banctel, and American chef Neal Harden to create the menu.
The main course, called the M.O.B., of course, is kind of tart with vegetables, fruits and spices, and is served on a tray and is shaped liked the Brooklyn Bridge. Must haves on the menu are: burgers, hot dogs, mac&cheese. Plus, the desserts are to die for.
The place still offers a complimentary Comic Books, created by Cyril himself. You’ll find children puzzles, M.O.B.’s story, texts and poems and a comic book where the protagonist is a boy that discovers that his power comes from a pill he takes, made of vegetables and fruits. Very cute!
In addition, every detail of the place was carefully thought about and the result was amazing.
Cyril hired the duo of punk architects, Kristian Gavoille and Valerie Garcia.
The tables are giant and communal, with several drawers, where you find chalk for children, cutlery, etc. One of the walls has a giant United States flag and on the other wall, hunting trophies with a short description of what was “hunted”, such as: “Miss. Banana, June 2008-August 2008, died for banana bread”, or “Mr. Avocado, 2009-2010, died for guacamole” and even “Mr. Potato, May 2009 – July 2009, died for french fries”!
They also have a great bar and a gift shop. Anyway, it’s surely a unique experience in Brooklyn!
Who says eating healthy can not be fun ?!
For the Burger-holics: BareBurger
Do you ever crave and just enjoying breaking your diet with a juicy hamburger or cheeseburger? Most likely, yes! But, can you eat it free of guilt?
BareBurger has countless different locations and is an organic & all-natural restaurant serving burgers, snacks and shakes.
The menu has their famous burgers, delicious salads, other types of sandwiches, some snacks and incredible shakes. The cool thing is that, unlike some places where only the meat is organic, Bare Burger works with all organic products from eggs, dairy, cheese, etc.
Plus, their organic options range from chicken, turkey and lamb to exotic meats like bison, elk and ostrich.
These exotic meats are considered leaner and have more protein than traditional meats. Just be careful if you have cholesterol issues.
To accompany any of the dishes, you can still choose a wine or a beer. Also organic!
If you enjoyed this post, you might want to read about a post about wellness and trendy lifestyle in NYC that we also wrote for Gabi Pugliesi.
Photo Credits: Courtesy of Erica Graff and Raven + Crow Studio
*Last Update on Feb/2020.*
