The New York City Vegetarian & Vegan Meetup

Join us for a beautiful summer evening in Hoboken, mostly by the Hudson River. But first we'll get a delicious and inexpensive dinner at world-famous Mamoun's Falafel.

Mamoun's Falafel is outstandingly good and nicely inexpensive. Longtime New Yorkers can tell you about the continual line streaming out the front door, at any time of day or night, at their original location on Macdougal Street in Greenwich Village. Founded in 1971 and featured in the book 1,000 Places To See Before You Die, it is New York's original falafel restaurant.

Mamoun's has expanded with locations throughout the Tri-State Area. They seem to particularly focus on college towns and scenic towns, with locations (among many other places) in Hoboken, New Brunswick, New Haven and Princeton. As good as the New York locations are, the non-New York locations are even better. Why? Larger menus (with more menu items) and more-and-better seating space.

One item I particularly love that is their "Pickles" (pickles, pickled turnips and olives). It's my favorite pickled dish anywhere in the world, and it's a perfect accompaniment.

Of course, what made Mamoun's a New York legend was their falafel sandwiches. These are served to eager Macdougal Street patrons (who make a line out the door day and night). Mamoun's of course has the Middle Eastern standards: hummus, baba ghanouj, tabouli, plus lentil soup (so delicious!) and grape leaves (my favorite grape leaves) -- all perfectly made and all inexpensive! Their side order of hummus, served with plentiful "pita ends", is just about a meal in itself. (Tip: you can ask for extra pita ends. They are free!)

I love tamarind drinks - tamarind seed, sugar and water. They can be hard to find, but I have tasted several. Mamoun's is the best I've tasted. Also on the drinks menu: mint lemonade, mango juice, and Mamoun's spiced tea (hot or cold).

Vegan & Vegetarian Warning: Mamoun's serves meat. But they seem to be excellent at keeping and cooking their meat dishes separately. Check their menu for the many items marked vegan, and ask the counter person if you have a question about the vegan-ness of any dish. Generally speaking, all the dishes that seem like they should be vegan are vegan.

While this Hoboken location has sit-down tables, there is no waiter service. You order your food at the back of the restaurant, and then bring it yourself to your own table.

Hoboken is known and loved for its outstanding views of the Hudson River and New York City. Walking along the Hudson in Hoboken is a summertime pleasure not-to-be-missed. Stop Two on our itinerary is Pier C Park (directly on the Hudson).

Pier C Park is a magnificent structure and an architectural wonder. It literally juts out into the Hudson River, with beautiful walkways and greenery, and gives the most breathtaking views of the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline. Take in the views as you stand on a beautiful walkway, with the water of the Hudson River underneath your feet.

Train Directions from Manhattan: Take the PATH train to Hoboken. From the Hoboken PATH train station, walk to the corner of Washington St. & 3rd Street. Mamoun's is on the corner.

Where to Meet: You will see us sitting at the tables in front of Mamoun's (outside).

Join us for a delicious vegan dinner at Mamoun's, followed by a stroll on the Hudson River featuring the magnificent Pier C Park -- an architectural marvel with breathtaking Hudson River and Manhattan skyline views. And see what can only be seen from Hoboken at night!

David

Let's enjoy Summer with a Food Crawl! Join the Vegetarian and Vegan Meetup group at quick serve restaurants in the East Village! Feel free to meet us at any stop along the food tour according to the timings listed below. (But for ease of staying with the group, we recommend you meet us first at our first stop, Punjabi Deli.) After picking up food we'll head over to the East River Promenade, for a picnic directly on the river in John V. Lindsay East River Park, to enjoy the beautiful river views and cool off from the city heat.

This food crawl has both official and optional stops. You can do the tour your way, with a mix of official and optional stops, plus feel free to add your own. You may wish to order ahead at one or more places. As an example, while at Punjabi Deli, David plans to place an online order at an additional venue along our route, for pickup.

OFFICIAL STOPS - TIMED AND NUMBERED 1 TO 4

1. PUNJABI DELI 7:00pm to 7:20pm - 114 E 1st Street, between 1st Avenue & Avenue A
"An irreplaceable gem" according to The Infatuation web site. This budget friendly *cash only* vegetarian storefront serves snacks such as samosa chaat, chana masala, and pakora, pronto.

NOTES:
a. This venue is 90 percent vegan. Yay! Just be sure to confirm that your order is vegan.
b. This place has become a favorite of many of our members.
c. They serve large portions at an inexpensive price. They are designed for takeout and they serve quickly. Generally they have 7 main dishes, which you order by number. (You may ask what each dish is and confirm if it is vegan. Specify one, two or three dishes, and whether or not you want rice included). They also have wonderful samosas and other small appetizers. Once you order, they will heat your food in a microwave (they have several microwaves going at the same time) upon request. Most people do want their food hot.

TWO SUGGESTIONS:
a. If everyone arrives here at 7:00pm, there will be a pile-up. Please feel free to get here early (like 6:40 or 6:50) and get your food early.
b. While we are at Punjabi ordering food (or before or after ordering) you may want to place an ONLINE order at one of our other venues for PICKUP. The following places are either directly on our official route or just steps off our route: CADENCE, LADYBIRD, SUPERIORITY BURGER and TWO BOOTS PIZZA.

2. TWO BOOTS PIZZA EAST VILLAGE 7:25 to 7:45pm: 42 Avenue A bet. East 3rd St. & East 4th St.
Not vegetarian, not vegan. Offbeat chain where any type of pizza pie can be made with vegan cheese. They also have optional vegan meat toppings, like vegan sausage and vegan pepperoni. Dare to try the spicy habanero pepper topping?

3. CONFECTIONERY SWEET SHOP 7:55pm to 8:10pm : 440 E 9th Street bet. Avenue A & 1st Avenue
Vegan sweet shop! All vegan! French macarons, cookies, chocolate, cake, baked goods by a team from New Paltz!

4. JOHN V. LINDSAY EAST RIVER PARK 8:25pm - ON
After visiting CONFECTIONERY, our group will walk up Avenue A one block to East 10th Street, and then make a right on to 10th. We will walk east down East 10th Street all the way to the East River, and have a picnic directly on the river, on the East River Promenade

OPTIONAL VENUES - ON (OR ALMOST ON) OUR ROUTE

LADYBIRD: 111 East 7th Street bet. Avenue A & 1st Avenue
All vegan. A favorite of many vegans.

CADENCE: 111 East 7th Street bet. Avenue A & 1st Avenue (yes, the same address as Ladybird)
All vegan.

SUPERIORITY BURGER: 119 Avenue A bet. East 7th St. & East 8th St.
Widely loved restaurant. Often difficult to get into. Not vegan, but has excellent vegan options.

OTHER OPTIONAL VENUES

BAR VERDE / DOUBLE ZERO / PLANTMADE: 65 2nd Avenue bet. East 3rd St. & East 4th St.
All vegan. One restaurant with a large variety of menu items such as pizza, tacos, shareable nachos, and pasta.

DIVYA'S KITCHEN: 25 1st Ave bet. East 1st St. & East 2nd St.
Ayurvedic vegetarian meals and fusion vegan options like paneer nori and stir fry with Bhutanese rice. Their chilled almond milk chai might just be the most refreshing drink on a hot summer day.

VEGAN GRILL: 58 St Marks Place bet. 1st Avenue & 2nd Avenue
All vegan. Plant-based wraps, gyro platters, burgers, and wings to go!

B&H DAIRY RESTAURANT: 127 2nd Avenue bet. East 7th St. & St. Marks Place
Circa 1940 diner specializing in borscht, blintzes, and soups. Not vegetarian, not vegan. Almost all their soups are vegan, just confirm when ordering. David loves this place and highly recommends the soups.

Everyone pays for themselves.

FOR OUR NEW MEMBERS - We are an incredibly friendly, FUN, and welcoming group! Join us for a stellar evening of lively conversations and great food/drink with fellow vegetarians and vegans!

WHERE TO MEET: PUNJABI DELI 7:00pm to 7:20pm - 114 E 1st Street, between 1st Avenue & Avenue A.

TRAIN INFORMATION: F train to 2nd Avenue station. Exit the station via the 1st Avenue exit.

We look forward to seeing you on Monday, July 28th at 7 PM! As noted above, feel free to arrive at Punjabi Deli ten or twenty minutes early (at 6:40 or 6:50) to avoid a pile-up.

Michael