Tag Archives: Catering

Seasoned Vegan: A Harlem Restaurant That Will Change Your Life

Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Raw Lasagna Featured Pic

We love Harlem and everything about it! Seasoned Vegan is Harlem’s very 1st full-service Vegan restaurant and is truly a hidden gem in the neighborhood.

Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Raw Lasagna
Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Mac N Cheese
Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Stuffed Avocado
Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Dishes
Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Chicken Nuggets
Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Red Velvet Cupcake
Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Brenda and Aaron Beener
Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Kitchen
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Raw-Lasagna
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Mac-N-Cheese
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Stuffed-Avocado
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Dishes
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Chicken-Nuggets
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Red-Velvet-Cupcake
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Brenda-and-Aaron-Beener
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Kitchen
previous arrow
next arrow
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Raw-Lasagna
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Mac-N-Cheese
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Stuffed-Avocado
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Dishes
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Chicken-Nuggets
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Red-Velvet-Cupcake
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Brenda-and-Aaron-Beener
Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Kitchen
previous arrow
next arrow

The food you love, veganized.

A while ago, we were invited by a dear friend of ours, to go up to Harlem and try this amazing local vegan restaurant.

Our answer immediately was “Yes! Of course!”. Our Founder is vegetarian, going on vegan and we just love everything we can learn about this growing lifestyle.

We really enjoy Harlem and everything about that neighborhood, from the restaurants, to the vibe, to the shops and nightlife. Everything there has a special taste. The uniqueness is hard to describe.

Getting there was, of course, super easy and in no time, we dropped off 110 Street Station Central Park North, on the 2/3 (red line).

Just a 5-minute walk from there, we arrived at Seasoned Vegan, Harlem’s very 1st full-service Vegan restaurant.

We were very lucky to be hosted exclusively by the owner, Brenda and her son Aaron Beener.

Our restaurant specializes in preparing a very unique type of cuisine: gourmet vegan soul food. We use the term “soul food” loosely because we are not referring exclusively to the typical cuisine of the Southern region of the United States.

This sounds great and extremely normal, right? Now, imagine back in the 1980’s, when Brenda decided to go vegan with her family! The entire community judged them and didn’t really get what they were doing, nor why.

In the beginning of this journey, during Thanksgiving celebrations, no one would invite them over after this dietary decision. Brenda even mentioned that they literally felt as if they were aliens.

But, as time went by, little by little people from their community started to open up, tried her dishes and now, every-single-person wants to be invited to her Thanksgiving parties! Haha!

The restaurant was finally founded in 2014 and is quite spacious, with great natural light that certainly give it more life! You can see through inside the kitchen and peek in to see how everything is prepared.

The dishes are organic and 100% vegan! If you’re the carnivore type, we truly recommend you to give it a chance and stop by. We are certain they won’t disappoint you.

It’s incredible how all the dishes we’ve tried are extremely flavorful and clearly made with love.

So, you might want to try:

  • Lemon Crusted “Chicken” Nuggets: fermented soy chicken nuggets breaded and fries
  • Stuffed Avocado: one avocado sliced, pitted and filled with almond meat and topped with cashew “cheese” and pico de gallo. Seasonal and Gluten free
  • Raw Lasagna: raw zucchini sliced and cashew “cheese” layered into shredded spinach, topped with homemade raw marinara. Gluten free

In addition, for dessert we ate one of the best Red Velvet cupcake of our lives!

And still, if you’re not able to go there, or if you need to schedule a quick pick-up, you can do it all online, though their website. Also, take a look at an IGTV Video we did during one of our visits!

For the master chefs out there, stay tuned! Brenda has had plans of launching her own vegan cook book with yummy recipes. We hope it comes out soon!

Be sure to enjoy and explore the neighborhood before or after going to Seasoned Vegan!

So, if you’re also a fan of Harlem, you might enjoy some of the places that the beauty Africa Miranda shared with us!

Finally, to try some cooking at home and be sure how to stay fit and healthy, take a look at these bodybuilding meal plans for vegans. And try the handcrafted, dairy-free and SO delicious bite-size vegan cupcake flavors at Baked By Melissa!

Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday: 5pm – 10pm
Friday: 5pm – 2am
Saturday: 11am – 2am
Sunday: 11am – 9pm

Location: 55 Saint Nicholas Avenue

www.seasonedvegan.com


Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kim-Julie Hansen
*Last Updated on Feb/2020.*

Padoca Bakery: An Upper East Side Brazilian Bakery in NYC

Dining Padoca Bakery Empanadas

The Upper East Side of Manhattan is gorgeous and has countless places to visit! If you’re around, visit a Brazilian Bakery called Padoca, with goodies that you will love!

Dining Padoca Bakery Products
Dining Padoca Bakery Sweets
Dining Padoca Bakery Empanadas Oven
Dining Padoca Bakery Egg Sweet
Dining Padoca Bakery Salad
Dining Padoca Bakery Coffe And Pastry
Dining Padoca Bakery Chocolate Cookies
Dining Padoca Bakery Mussarela Panini
Dining Padoca Bakery Breads
Dining Padoca Bakery Cake
Dining Padoca Bakery Avocado Toast
Dining Padoca Bakery Empanadas
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Products
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Sweets
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Empanadas-Oven
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Egg-Sweet
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Salad
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Coffee-Pastry
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Chocolate-Cookie
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Mussarela-Panini
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Fresh-Breads
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Cake
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Avocado-Toast
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Empanadas
previous arrow
next arrow
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Products
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Sweets
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Empanadas-Oven
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Egg-Sweet
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Salad
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Coffee-Pastry
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Chocolate-Cookie
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Mussarela-Panini
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Fresh-Breads
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Cake
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Avocado-Toast
Dining-Padoca-Bakery-Empanadas
previous arrow
next arrow

We woke up early today to visit a place that has been highly recommended by a few close friends. Padoca Bakery is a beautiful neighborhood bakery with the most amazing seasonal in house made products.

The Brazilian inspired spot, with clear International influences, is owned by the dear Marina Halpern.

The amazing pastry Chef, Rachel Binder, definitely surprised us with the variety of goodies. Plus, the fantastic smell as you walk in is priceless and everything we saw looked delicious!

Sweets range from chocolate dulce de leite babkas to oatmeal cookies and to-drool-for scones. They also sell the super traditional Brazilian PDQ (a.k.a. Pão de Queijo or cheese bread) that is definitely one of the highlights. Plus, the Empadinhas are done in-house, daily.

Their coffee, Nobletree, “is an innovative coffee brand of farmers, roasters and baristas based in Brooklyn, with proprietary coffee farms in Brazil”.

You can come by for lunch too. They serve Salads, Sandwiches and daily soups, all created by Chef Rocky.

Are you Vegan? Do try their Açai Bowl! We are sure you will love this Brazilian bakery in NYC.

Last but not least, they offer Catering Service, so feel free to contact them so they can help you host a great breakfast or brunch for friends!

Here are a few places you can visit and explore the neighborhood, since you went all the way up there.

You can have lunch (or dinner), in a few of our favorite restaurants like The East Pole (super trendy British tavern) and Uva (if you love truffled dishes)!

In addition, if you’re feeling like splurging a bit while shopping, why not buy that statement jewelry at Jack Vartanian. Take a look at our Private Jewelry Shopping & Consultation Services and get to meet the designers through an extremely exclusive experience.

Finally, if you are organizing a company dinner for your clients or c-level executives and team, read about our Corporate Services and how we can make it all seamless for you.

Hours:
Monday – Friday: 7am – 7pm
Saturday – Sunday: 8am – 6 pm

Location: 359 East 68th Street

http://padocabakery.com


Photo Credit: Courtesy of Padoca Bakery
*Last Update on Feb/2020.*

Big Mozz: Fresh Hand-Pulled Mozzarella Makes You Beg For More

Shop Specialties Big Mozz Smorgasburg Brooklyn

A while ago, we did something different and adventured ourselves into the touristy Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, and gladly discovered Big Mozz. Their fresh hand-pulled mozzarella is to-die-for!

Shop Specialties Big Mozz Smorgasburg Brooklyn
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Big Mozz

Even though many people know about Smorgasburg, and yes, it’s quite a touristy spot, believe it not not, many others have never heard of it.

Yes, it’s super crowded, but we know that every time we risk ourselves in the ocean of tourists (and locals too), we always find something new to share! There are countless amazing vendors that sell their products there, and many eventually succeed to the point of opening one or more brick & mortar locations.

You don’t believe us? Well, Wowfulls is a perfect example of this. We met them at Smorgasburg and now, they have a super cool spot in the Lower East Side.

So, we’re writing this post because we actually did discover a new supplier that we simply loved this last time we were there! Not only their product is literally to-die-for, but the name is also great: Big Mozz (a.k.a. Mozzarella)!

One of the owners, Elliott Anderson, told us that The Atlantic Ave Co. started off selling delicious and tasty red sauces. All product have “no preservatives, no tomato paste, and no added sugar, ever”. Their new venture is Big Mozz, with amazing fresh hand-pulled mozzarella!!!

We are vegetarians, so we couldn’t say no to trying one of their creations, right?

Elliott was actually doing a delicious freshly-pulled mozzarella while telling us their story! So cool.

The process is amazing and they also offer classes, teaching professionals and aspiring chef the “How To’s” to stretching and making the perfect mozzarella ball. The idea is: you learn, you stretch and you dine!

“Big Mozz hand-stretches fresh mozzarella cheese, sourced locally from Caputo Brothers Creamery in York, PA. We are a local NYC startup, and our team was selected to Zagat’s 30 Under 30 list for 2015.

Our stretching class is the perfect way to learn the art of cheese making while enjoying delicious appetizers from our catering menu, and lots of wine.”

In addition, they also offer catering, which will leave all your guests breathless with their food! The Mozzarella Sticks are some of the best sellers, leaving guests wanting more.

Thank you Elliott and Matt for the amazing gastronomic experience! Your fresh hand-pulled mozzarella deserves every award it’s received! We are your newest fans!

During our crazy NYC lives, you may want some additional help to organize your upcoming private event. Contact our experts to see how they can make your life easier!

For Corporate events and activities, our team is fully prepared to cater to all your needs. Let us know what you need.

Hours: Please check website for specific hours and locations!

www.bigmozz.com


Photo Credit: Courtesy of Big Mozz
*Last Update on March/2020.*

Little Treats NYC: Tradicional Brazilian Brigadeiros In Town

Shop Specialties Little Treats Brigadeiro Fall

If you’ve been to Brazil, you have probably tried one of their amazing tradicional chocolate sweets named Brigadeiro. To our happiness, Little Treats NYC offers some very exclusive flavors!

Shop Specialties Little Treats Brigadeiro Pistachio
Shop Specialties Little Treats Brigadeiro Chocolate
Shop Specialties Little Treats Brigadeiro Nuts
Shop Specialties Little Treats Brigadeiro Varied Boxes
Shop Specialties Little Treats Brigadeiro Medium Box
Shop Specialties Little Treats Brigadeiro Big Box
Shop Specialties Little Treats Brigadeiro Box of 5
Shop Specialties Little Treats Brigadeiro Fall
Shop Specialties Little Treats Brigadeiro
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Pistachio
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Chocolate
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Nuts
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Varied-Boxes
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Medium-Box
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Big-Box
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Box-of-5
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Fall
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro
previous arrow
next arrow
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Pistachio
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Chocolate
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Nuts
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Varied-Boxes
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Medium-Box
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Big-Box
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Box-of-5
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro-Fall
Shop-Specialties-Little-Treats-Brigadeiro
previous arrow
next arrow
UNFORTUNATELY THIS COMPANY PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

What are brigadeiros? They are basically a small, handcrafted truffle-sized sweet ball made with condensed milk, chocolate and butter.

Sounds simply delicious, we know! And they are! This is the #1 Brazilian traditional sweet that is part of the amazing culture. Probably, one of the reasons Brazilians are so happy! Ha!

Well, the sweet itself seams relatively simple to make. Moreover, it’s actually hard to compare to anything we know around here, since it’s looks like a truffle, but the taste is completely different! So much better, we have to confess!

Well, the chocolate flavored are the original ones. In time, due to the sweet’s huge popularity – being the top “sweetheart sweet” in the country – there are today infinite variations and flavors. Plus, even sizes! We find some very tiny ones and, on the other hand, some massive ones! To be honest, we just think the normal sized ones are perfect for any type of craving.

In addition, if they are smaller, the action of eating more of the small ones, for some weird reason, is so much more fun! Go figure…

Now, if you’ve never been to Brazil or tried one of these beauties, you can try them here in New York City!!!

A few years ago, Cinthia and Andreza – two super polite and dear Brazilians girls we met – opened they own Brigadeiro company called Little Treats NYC! Every time we ordered with them, or bumped into their kiosk at a market place, the sweets were amazingly fresh! They always seamed to be super recently baked.

Little Treats NYC has a few special flavors like: capuccino, coconut, Oreo, lemon and pistachio.

You can buy the online, which is great, and they also offer catering services for every type of event. After all, Brigadeiros are the perfect sweet for any occasion!

Lastly, if you want to adventure yourself and bake them, search online for the recipe and follow it precisely. The BEST part of it all is: scraping the pan at the end, with that chocolate leftovers still hot! OMG…

Enjoy and save some of us!


Photo Credit: Courtesy of Little Treats

css.php
MENU

Pin It on Pinterest