A Very Soy Christmas

December 21, 2011 10:04 PM

Christmas Eve, New York City, vegetarian dining.

Someone recently posted a list of NYC restaurants offering special meals on Christmas Eve, but I didn't see many (or any?) vegetarian options on there. Price and location aren't a big deal, I'm visiting with my sister and a friend of the family will be treating us. Neither the friend nor my sister eat eggs. I'd love to go to a great vegetarian restaurant or at least a place with a good vegetarian option. My main caveat is that the restaurant's atmosphere is more about the food and less about the ethics of a vegetarian diet. I've been to a few places with clumsy combinations of the two and been occasionally put off by menus of prancing cows and illustrated recycling tips. Help me find a delicious vegetarian feast that doesn't awaken my inner cynic.

posted by ajarbaday to travel & transportation around New York, NY (10 answers total)

Indian
posted by brujita at 10:57 PM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Candle 79

I don't know if they have anything special planned for Christmas Eve (or if they're even open for that matter, you'd have to phone them), but I can recommend the food and overall experience whole-heartedly. I was there on a recent NYC visit and it was one of the best meals I've had.
posted by Laura in Canada at 4:31 AM on December 22, 2011

I ate at HanGawi one New Year's Eve long ago. It was great.
posted by mr_roboto at 5:07 AM on December 22, 2011

For Indian, I'd look at Junoon or Tulsi.

I just tried Candle 79 on OpenTable and they appear to be pretty booked up, but you can always call to ask.

There's also:
Dirt Candy
Scarpetta -- they have a separate all vegetarian menu
Kajitsu -- it may already be fully booked up, too

Many restaurants will be fully booked already so start calling ASAP. Popular NYC restaurants book up 3-4 weeks in advance, and Christmas Eve is 2 days from now. Good luck!
posted by kathryn at 6:40 AM on December 22, 2011

Candle 79 is vegan, not vegetarian. Not sure if that makes a difference to the OP.
posted by dfriedman at 6:59 AM on December 22, 2011

If it's vegan, it's vegetarian.
posted by John Cohen at 7:12 AM on December 22, 2011

Awesome, I got a reservation at Candle 79 by calling. Scarpetta also looked great, but they were booked up for parties over two. I prefer vegetarian cuisine since it includes dairy, but vegan works also. Thanks!
posted by ajarbaday at 7:52 AM on December 22, 2011

Looks like you've already made a reservation, but I was coming here to recommend Josie's West. We (a vegetarian, a vegan and an omnivore) got there for Thanksgiving, and everyone is happy.
posted by Pineapplicious at 8:32 AM on December 22, 2011

Blossom, Candle 79, and Pure Food and Wine are all good options for a slightly more upscale (and tasty) NYE experience.
posted by Rudy Gerner at 10:09 AM on December 22, 2011

Candle 79 is the sort of place a vegetarian who hasn't eaten out in 20 years because of dietary restrictions thinks a good restaurant is supposed to look and taste like. Both it and its sister cafe are a little stodgy--and worse, the food is really uneven and hasn't improved much over the past several years.

Blossom, on the other hand, is exceedingly good all around. It's also a vegan restaurant good enough to take a non-vegetarian to, without any sort of disappointment.
posted by yellowcandy at 12:35 PM on December 22, 2011