Hi friends, welcome back! A few weeks ago, I joined a Flirting With Vegan East Village food tour. I am not vegan, but I always enjoy checking out new spots around the city and learning more about the city. This was my second food tour in NYC, the first being a donut tour, and I was excited for the delicious adventure ahead. We met in Union Square and learned about the area before heading to our first stop. Here we are ready to eat!
Our first stop was at Unregular Pizza so I knew it was going to be a delicious tour! I’ve been to this spot before, but we weren’t thinking and went the day of Santacon, so the Santas had eaten almost all the inventory. This experience was much better. We each got a sampler plate of mushroom pizza, marinara pizza, chicken parm & garlic bread. The garlic bread and chicken parm were my two favorites on the plate, but it was all good!
The next stop was right next door at Plnt Burger. I’ve previously been here for an event and I think it’s like the vegan equivalent of Chick-fil-A. We got to have the cheeseburger, chicken nuggets & soft serve oat milk ice cream. Their nuggets are so addicting! If you’re ever here I definitely recommend their sweet potato fries too.
Next up, Confectionary for a cookie & chocolate of choice! I went with the s’mores cookie and a caramel and rosemary dark chocolate. I brought these home so Jon and I could enjoy them together.
We then headed into Raiz for a jackfruit birria taco. This was my first time having jackfruit so I was a little nervous because I’d heard mixed things, but it was so flavorful and prepared perfectly. I’m amazed at how far vegan food has come. A lot of things we had on the tour I would never have known it wasn’t meat.
As you can imagine we were all getting full, but we weren’t a group of quitters. We stopped at Spicy Moon next and shared some General Tso mushrooms. I am not a fan of mushrooms so this was my least favorite bite of the day, but everyone else was obsessed! The flavoring was great, I just don’t like the texture of mushrooms.
Last but not least, we ended the tour with delicious cheese fries at The Bronx Brewery. The saltiness of the fries with the savoriness of the vegan cheese was an addicting combo.
I would highly recommend checking this tour out and coming hungry! I had so much fun trying out all the different spots and loved the variety of items we had. Our guides, Beth and Tamar, were so fun and did a great job making the tour so streamlined without feeling rushed from stop to stop. It was the perfect way to get some steps in, meet new people, explore more of the city, and try some delicious new spots! To learn more about the tour you can check out their events here or Instagram here. Would you join this tour?
Food tours are the best. They give you a taste for things you might never try, so you can decide if a longer visit is required. As our kids are veggie/vegan, we often benefit from their experience and there is very little we have not enjoyed. Jackfruit is quite often one of the ingredients. Thanks for sharing Lyssy. Allan
They are the best. It is nice getting a little bite of everything, it is deceivingly filling! Ten years ago I would’ve thought twice about joining a food tour, but nowadays it’s all delicious. Vegetarians/vegans have gotten very creative with their dishes.
I love a food tour, always so good to eat your way around a city 🙂
I agree! They are always fun and delicious 🙂
I would definitely join the tour, Lyssy. All of the foods looked amazing. The first things I would want to try would be the burger and the chicken nuggets. Thanks for sharing your experience. You’ve inspired me try some vegan options next time I’m somewhere that offers them.
Vegan food has come a long way! The chicken nuggets and burger were delicious, good choice. Food tours are a fun way to spend an afternoon.
We have a gazillion restaurants, but I’ve never heard of a food tour here. That would be fun though!
That does all look so delicious!
Such a yummy tour!
What a great food tour Lyssy. I’m not vegan either but have been invited to some amazing vegan restaurants and adored the food presented. At one place we had burgers and, like you, I would never have guessed they weren’t meat! These sort of tours are great for mingling and making new friends too . What a lovely evening you had.
Some of the vegan restaurants in NYC are so exquisite! You never would know they are vegan looking at the dishes. It’s pretty amazing how they can get the same texture as meat. Tours are a good way to make new friends too 🙂
Omg I’m taking notes
It was awesome!!
Wow, just look at all the different dishes you had a chance to try out – I’d say that you don’t even have to be a vegan to enjoy them. I love culinary experiences, therefore I would love to join the tour. I’ve tried many vegan dishes in Ireland and around Europe, so it would be pretty cool to see what vegans eat in New York City. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
I love culinary experiences too! I’m lucky to live in such a foodie city. I’ll have to try some vegan dishes when I travel now to compare. You’d definitely love this tour. Have a great day!
It all looks fabulous Lyssy. If this is what’s on the menu I would have no issue with going vegan for a bit. Have always enjoyed the vegan dishes we’ve tried over the years. When you can’t tell if it’s meat or not they’ve definitely knocked it out of the park. I have my eye on the jackfruit birria taco.
I would have no problem going vegan if this was the menu either! It’s amazing how well they prepare each dish these days. The taco was delicious, they also have these amazing nachos I’d like to try one day.
How fun to go on a vegan food tour. It sounds like a great way to sample different types of food. The s’mores cookie looks dynamite.
S’mores cookies are always a good idea 🙂 It was the perfect way to sample things and try new places.
Wow, all of these vegan dishes look so good! The jackfruit does actually look like meat, that is so crazy! This sounds like a very fun tour.
I’d try this tour, Lyssy, but only after reading you survived and kept everything down – ha. Even though the foods are vegan, they sound a lot tamer than I expected. I pictured nettles, roots, and weird nuts instead of typical foods where they simply substitute the meat. Sounds like a great way to try new things, even if you go straight back to your preferences after. Also, sorry to learn about your dis-affection for mushrooms. You’re missing out 😉