Imagine this, you’re walking into a bar, and not only are there magnificent hand crafted looking Bloody Mary’s in every ones hand, but a monster wave of aromatic flavors are inhaled and instantly adored. It’s macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, pizza, lasagna, empanadas, pies, brownies, donuts, and more possibilities teasing you at the tip of your tongue. Hello food heaven. You scurry around, trying one of everything. Maybe even having two of the same! You just want more. And the best part is- you can have more! No calorie counting. No fats. No additives. No GMOs. And absolutely no cruelty! It’s all vegan (plant based). You can eat a hot dog, an empanada, and three donuts while wash it down with a Bloody Mary and still feel light as a feather!
Welcome to my world- more importantly, my exciting weekend at the one and only Vegan Shop Up at the Pine Box Rock Bar in Brooklyn. It was filled with yummy new and familiar vendors offering food and beverages, and a great group of lovely individuals.
Yeah Dawg, offering vegan soy free hot dogs was present with whom I met at Catskill Animal Sanctuary featured in a previous post. I couldn’t resist a Yeah Dawg even in 30-degree weather! It was even more satisfying than the first time! Yeah Dawg is beyond wonderful and always impresses me. It is certainty my number 1 recommended vegan food vendor on the East Coast (BIG NEWS: I will be traveling out West in December to check out a few vegan restaurants and food trucks). The women are friendly at Yeah Dawg which makes it all even more worthwhile.
Proceeding, we grabbed a treat from Gone Pie, another vendor whom I met at CAS. It was great to chat and catch up! They teased me the night before with posting a picture on their Instagram of a rocky road chocolate pumpkin brownie! You better believe it was what I got! I loved every bite of it- which was followed by a nice stroll around the neighborhood. It was time for a walk to burn off the first round of food! We saw some great street art and were surprised by the glorious view of the Freedom Tour below!
I was really excited about going to the Vegan Shop up as I got wind Cinnamon Snail, a food truck out of Manhattan would be there. I have been hearing others rave about their Korean and Asian inspired dishes, which range from pancakes, to burgers, to bahn mi sandwiches, to an array of donuts! (I haven’t tasted a donuts in over two years!)
After looking through their menu the night before in preparation, I decided to go with the Gouchujang Burger Deluxe with sautéed kimchi, arugula, pickled red onions, black sesame gomasio and sriracha mayonnaise on spelt bread as they ran out of the herb grilled focaccia it normally would come on. The crowd was large and Cinnamon Snail was definitely the number one attraction so this was expected. (Picture was shot in my car as no seating available at the Pine Box Rock shop)
The burger was scrumptiously good. The flavors were infused with Korean excellence, which was the best part. I really enjoyed it as it’s not something I usually cook or eat regularly especially in the area I live in. It quickly evaporated from my hands.
Although, the serving size was small for the price, and didn’t come with any sides. The toppings were light and not as creative as I have had in the past. Literally the best innovative part was the sauce and as you can see most of it ended up on my wrapper. Would I go back and order that burger again? I wouldn’t. Yet, I would be willing to try a sandwich, as they have a big selection, yet the hoopla over Cinnamon Snail compared to my experience disappointed me.
And the donuts- how was I to pick 1 donut out of the handful they had available? I haven’t had a donut in years! I was so excited! I went with my gut (no pun intended) and I picked grand total of 6! And I regret to inform you they were all just.. Okay. The selection ranged from coffee cake twist, glazed with coconut flakes, peanut butter, peanut butter pumpkin with cookie dough, crème brulee (not enough crème in the middle), and apple cinnamon spice. I must have saved the best for last, which was the peanut butter pumpkin with cookie dough. That was a resurrection from all the others as it was moist, fluffy, and the cookie dough center was finger licking good!
Other NYC vendors were present, such as Monks Meat and She’s Got Balls. A few vendors were not present that were on the vendors list in which I was looking forward to seeing.
The atmosphere of the venue, The Pine Box Rock Shop was cozy, casual, and comfortable. The con of the venue was it became crowded very quickly due to the event. It really couldn’t handle the crowd. I ate my Yeah Dawg standing up, my burger in the car, as well as a few donuts.
All in all, I had such a wonderful time! It was great to co-create with like-minded conscious individuals and businesses. I came hungry and I left stuffed while making some great connections and relationships along the way. I look forward to the next Vegan Shop Up event in December and would definitely recommend visiting Pine Box Rock Shop bar if you are in the neighborhood! Toodles!
Namaste! Stay warm.
Ingredients
Yogi Vibes 