Things to do in New York this weekend.

March 19, 2007 6:03 PM

Some happy business is taking me to New York City Thursday through Sunday. I'm coming from Tucson, though, so to me it'll be freaking cold and I'm looking for indoor activities. Can anyone suggest any good vegan or vegetarian restaurants, astounding modern art museums (famous or obscure), Off-Broadway or Off-Off-Broadway shows worth seeing, or anything fun I haven't thought of, whether off the beaten track or on it?
posted by kyrademon to travel & transportation (27 comments total)

Vegan restaurants:

Caravan of Dreams

Kate's Joint
posted by josher71 at 6:25 PM on March 19, 2007

Just about every friggin museum in nyc
posted by jourman2 at 6:26 PM on March 19, 2007

I really enjoyed the American Museum of Natural History. (They've got a Tyrannosaur, for one thing.)
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 6:29 PM on March 19, 2007

For modern art museums that aren't MoMA (but are still very much on the beaten track), I always like the Whitney. You might also like P.S. 1, though I've never been. The Guggenheim (closed on Thursdays) is running a Spanish painting exhibition that I really wanted to see.
posted by goingonit at 6:29 PM on March 19, 2007

A couple of my favorite vegetarian/vegan restaurants are:


Gobo
There are two locations - 3rd Ave. between 80th and 81st and 6th Ave. between Waverly Pl. and 8th St. Great place to go and share small dishes.

Candle Cafe
Hardcore vegan place. A little pricey, but the food is unbelievable... even for a meat eater.
posted by kmtiszen at 6:40 PM on March 19, 2007

i like the Rubin Museum of Art:
http://www.rmanyc.org/
posted by amethysts at 6:50 PM on March 19, 2007

As for a vegan restaurant, Red Bamboo. 140 W 4th St, New York 10012 Btwn 6th Ave & MacDougal St. Excellent faux meat selection of appetizers and sandwiches in the heart of Greenwich village, a stone's throw from the IFC theatre. Even my carnivorous friends love the eats!
posted by amileighs at 6:54 PM on March 19, 2007

As veggie restaurants go, I've enjoyed Zen Palate.
posted by ilana at 6:55 PM on March 19, 2007

MoMA's free on Friday nights; use your ticket stub to get into PS1 for free the rest of the weekend.
posted by one_bean at 6:57 PM on March 19, 2007

Strictly Roots is a great vegan Caribbean restaurant/bakery in Harlem, very friendly & very cheap. They make moist, savory baked goods of the "you won't believe it's vegan" variety. You pick foods from their display and you can taste whatever you like before you order.

A few minutes' walk from Strictly Roots is the gorgeous Studio Museum in Harlem which is only modern art.

Both of these are a quick ride from midtown on the subway (2/3 train to 125th St).
posted by allterrainbrain at 6:58 PM on March 19, 2007

The Russian Turkish Baths! Went last week for the first time, after dying to visit after reading about it on AskMeta constantly (it always get a mention in threads like this)- it was so great!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:01 PM on March 19, 2007 [3 favorites]

Turkish Baths are fantastic! Must! Go!
posted by Dizzy at 7:18 PM on March 19, 2007

Right next to red bamboo is vegetarian paradise 2 with some very good vegan (mostly) chinese food.

For dessert i highly recommend babycakes @ 248 broome st. between ludlow and orchard.

Candle and Candle Cafe are very good, but some of their "cheese" has casein in it. Just in case you happen to be glatt vegan.

I also strongly second Caravan of Dreams and Kate's Joint.
posted by brevator at 7:43 PM on March 19, 2007

From the Turkish Baths website: "...you'll be spanking clean"
posted by recurve at 7:50 PM on March 19, 2007

As for a show, what about Edward Scissorhands at BAM? I've heard good things.
posted by lampoil at 8:01 PM on March 19, 2007

I second Strictly Roots!
(and thanks, allterrainbrain, that's the first thing I thought of to recommend and then couldn't remember the name)
posted by hippugeek at 8:23 PM on March 19, 2007

I suggest the American Folk Art Museum, especially if you like outsider art. They have some great work there.

There are two great places to eat in my neighborhood - Galaxy Global Cafe, which serves the gamut from vegan to meat, with some amazing choices, and Pure Food and Wine, which serves raw food that tastes phenomenal. Both are on Irving Place (which is between 3rd and Park). Galaxy is at 15th and Pure is between 17th and 18th.

Union Square is only a few blocks away from the restaurants, so you can grab a cup of coffee or shop a little afterwards, though most of the shopping in Union Square now is chain stores. So sad.
posted by bedhead at 9:06 PM on March 19, 2007

If you end up in Brooklyn check out Foodswings on Grand. The best gross vegan fast food you'll ever have. Plus its owned by some rad people and supports a lot of great stuff. One of my favorite places I've ever been to.
posted by teishu at 9:14 PM on March 19, 2007

You can poke around the Union Square Greenmarket on Friday and Saturday. Spalding Gray:Stories Left to Tell is still running at the Minetta Lane Theatre (he was a fellow Emersonian).
posted by brujita at 9:49 PM on March 19, 2007

I usually recommend the the Dream House when people ask about obscure/amazing art.

It's an intense audio+light installation in a loft. It's been running every Thursday & Saturday (2pm-midnight) for years. There's no way to represent it in a photo, so its website can't really give you any idea... you just have to go.

You walk around or lie on the loft's floor (with big pillows & plush carpet) and you have an adventure in perception. It can be a love it or hate it experience for new people, but if you love it the love can be profound... and if you hate it, well, it was only a few bucks and now you're in Tribeca/SoHo where a million other interesting things are.
posted by allterrainbrain at 11:22 PM on March 19, 2007

Thirding Strictly Roots and Kate's; they are my favorites for casual-friendly-affordable. Strictly Roots is more simple & pure, Kate's is more "vegetarian comfort food."

Pukk is the city's only 100% veggie Thai place and it's excellent, with good-value midrange prices.

If you can afford upscale my strongest recommendation would be Hangawi, an incredible Korean place that's all about presentation and amazing flavors. Their $20 prix fixe lunch is the best value I know for fine veggie cuisine.
posted by sparrows at 1:07 AM on March 20, 2007

Now being inspired to look at Hangawi, I see that Barbara Walters calls eating there "the most beautiful experience I've ever had." Eating at Hangawi has therefore been empirically shown to be more beautiful than interviewing Anwar Sadat, Michael Jackson or Indira Gandhi -- there you have it! :)
posted by sparrows at 1:21 AM on March 20, 2007

Reviews of vegan-friendly NYC restaurants here.

I second Foodswings for junk food and nominate Angelica Kitchen for fancier but still comforting stuff. (One of the best meals I've ever had: open-faced tempeh sandwich with mashed potatoes and brown rice gravy on a bed of greens.) Oh man, now I'm hungry for both.
posted by clavicle at 6:47 AM on March 20, 2007

In case you didn't know, on Thursday and Friday there will be less than a 10 degree difference between the weather in NYC and the weather in Tucson. Unfortunately the two cities will also share something else in common: rain.

It'll get colder this weekend but still temps will remain in the 50s. So, don't overdress, and don't forget an umbrella.
posted by ducksauce at 9:57 AM on March 20, 2007

Pongal

Vatan is all you can eat. It's really great.
posted by zackola at 10:12 AM on March 20, 2007

Good timing to see this exhibit.
posted by allkindsoftime at 1:41 PM on March 20, 2007

Angelica Kitchen & Zen Palate = bland & ucky. I'd recommend Candle as above or Counter.

Also, it is supposed to be in the 50s and 60s this weekend (so far).
posted by dame at 6:13 PM on March 20, 2007