Peacefood Cafe

The Peacefood Cafe located on the Upper West Side of New York City at 460 Amsterdam Avenue (at 82nd Street) is one of my favorite eateries for a vegan lunch. The atmosphere has a bohemian, eclectic and retro feel which is really quite charming. There is a 50’s style counter with stools, and many tables for comfortable and casual dining. The waitstaff is always pleasant and attentive, and my waitress today was bright and cheerful in her crisp yellow uniform. I was thrilled to find out on Peacefood Cafe’s website that a new location is opening up near Union Square in December 2012. Yippee!!

The only problem I have dining at this lovely all-vegan establishment, is deciding what to choose from its extensive menu. Choices include salads, soups (today’s soup was potato, cauliflower and mushroom), vegetable plates, raw foods (including sushi rolls, raw lasagna and raw pizza), hearty sandwiches (including tempeh avocado, tahini sprouts and roasted japanese pumpkin), paninis, pizzas and a wide variety of side dishes and extras. There is also an impressive selection of hot and cold drinks, juices, smoothies and desserts (including raw keylime pie, cashew cream cheesecake and cocoa mousse pie).

Today, I ordered this beautiful Asian Greens salad consisting of seasonal baby Asian vegetables, mixed sprouts, shredded carrots, tomatoes, marinated and baked tempeh, ground peanuts, in a garlic, ginger, cilantro, ponsu and sesame dressing. It was hearty, delicious and filling.

My husband, Jeff, ordered a panini made with pan-seared french horn mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, artichoke aioli, mint and basil pesto served on homemade focaccia bread. Of course, I tried that too and it was delish!

I simply could not resist a side of chickpea fries with a hint of Indian spices, served with a house dipping sauce…truly decadent!

The Peacefood Cafe has a wide assortment of baked goods, including cookies and raw baked goods. There is a huge bakery cabinet filled with an assortment of goodies! Unfortunately, my photos of the the bakery cabinet had too much glare from the sunlight so I could not post. Trust me, the selection was awesome! I opted for a vegan and gluten-free “grasshopper cookie sandwich” which is a double chocolate cookie with mint filling! Yum! I love chocolate mint anything! My husband ordered a traditional chocolate chip cookie which was excellent, as well.

I absolutely love the Peacefood Cafe for a healthy, delicious and “easy-peasy” meal and highly recommend it for vegans and non-vegans alike, especially if you happen to be in the neighborhood of NYC’s lovely, charming Upper West Side. Although I have only been there for lunch, the cafe serves evening daily specials from 5-10pm. You can inquire or read about them on the Peacefood Cafe’s website.