Superiority Burger
Vegetarianism can be damn fun! That's the message this hip diner trumpets loud, clear, and quirkily. Set in the space that had been a beloved Ukranian diner for many decades, it has kept the long counter, though its dimmed the lights, and added a bar at the back. It also has filled the place with oddball ephemera from the neighborhood—a display of branded plastic bags and menus from long-time local businesses; placemats with ads for Alphabet City institutions that sell rubber stamps, vinyl records, and socks; and a soundtrack in the bathrooms featuring classic ads for long-gone services, like Dr. Zizmore's skin care. For native New Yorkers, all of these touches are catnip, though visitors will enjoy them, too. None of this would matter if the food wasn't good, and it is—spectacular, in fact. The menu dances from hit to hit, like an appetizer of vinagered beets in a pool of spicy cream cheese, topped by fried pretzels, to a foccaccia sandwich with kale so rich in darkly vegetal flavor it must have been a prime rib in another life. The signature dish, an all veggie burger crafted from 14 ingredients including chickpeas, quinoa, walnuts and fennel seed (the recipe has been posted online) is a wonder: set on a perfectly griddled soft bun that's slathered with eggless mayo and topped with roasted mayo and shredded cabbage, it may well be the most satisfying burger in Gotham. You won't miss the meat I promise. Desserts are primo, too.
Vegetarianism can be damn fun! That's the message this hip diner trumpets loud, clear, and quirkily. Set in the space that had been a beloved Ukranian diner for many decades, it has kept the long counter, though its dimmed the lights, and added a bar at the back. It also has filled the place with oddball ephemera from the neighborhood—a display of branded plastic bags and menus from long-time local businesses; placemats with ads for Alphabet City institutions that sell rubber stamps, vinyl records, and socks; and a soundtrack in the bathrooms featuring classic ads for long-gone services, like Dr. Zizmore's skin care. For native New Yorkers, all of these touches are catnip, though visitors will enjoy them, too. None of this would matter if the food wasn't good, and it is—spectacular, in fact. The menu dances from hit to hit, like an appetizer of vinagered beets in a pool of spicy cream cheese, topped by fried pretzels, to a foccaccia sandwich with kale so rich in darkly vegetal flavor it must have been a prime rib in another life. The signature dish, an all veggie burger crafted from 14 ingredients including chickpeas, quinoa, walnuts and fennel seed (the recipe has been posted online) is a wonder: set on a perfectly griddled soft bun that's slathered with eggless mayo and topped with roasted mayo and shredded cabbage, it may well be the most satisfying burger in Gotham. You won't miss the meat I promise. Desserts are primo, too.
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