Guest guest Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 By Mike McLaughlin The Brooklyn Paper Enlarge this image The Brooklyn Paper / Shravan Vidyarthi It’s Vegetarian Restaurant Week — and Papasitos restaurant and beer garden chef-owner Cody Utzman is ready. Meat is certainly murder — murder on vegetarian restaurants, that is. Next week is Brooklyn’s second annual vegetarian restaurant week — but even the organizer says the herbivorous event can’t blossom because diners keep getting steered towards beef, pork, poultry and other protein-packed pleasures of the flesh. Only seven restaurateurs from Greenpoint to Park Slope concocted special vegetarian and vegan menus to lure in plant-eaters for “Brooklyn Goes Veg!†between Oct. 19 and 25. Many of the proprietors told The Brooklyn Paper that demand for their animal-free fare has flattened out. Melissa Danielle, the restaurant week producer, said that the crash of vegetarianism is a result of livestock being raised more humanely and in a more environmentally conscious manner — reducing the knee-jerk reaction against consuming animals. “[That has] something to do with vegetarian food losing momentum,†she said. But even if the movement is losing traction, Danielle said Brooklyn Goes Veg! will be a feast for the ages. “It’s not necessarily about bringing new people in, it’s about celebrating what exists,†she said. Danielle added that she tried to cook up support from NYC & Co, the city’s official tourism promoter, but claimed the promotional group didn’t want to send a message that tourists should limit themselves to flora when on vacation in such a diverse food city as New York. “They get very sensitive around you using the word ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan,’ because they don’t want to say, ‘Don’t eat meat,†Danielle said. Not all the participating eateries are strictly vegetarian. The reason? If you want to be successful these days, you can’t risk having patrons ask, “Where’s the beef?†— a main problem of all-vegetarian joints. That’s why Cody Utzman, chef-owner of Papacitos, a Mexican joint on Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, offers tacos and enchiladas in meat, veggie and vegan varieties. (Next week, all lunch tacos are $1.50 for the fest.) But don’t count out vegetarianism entirely. There are still some people who are willing to experiment with the vegan lifestyle for a night or two, said Matteo Silverman, the chef at 4 Course Vegan, a private supper club in Williamsburg. “Sixty to 70 percent of my customers are not vegan,†he said. “They’re just seeking out quality, seasonal food.†But even Silverman admitted that there are fewer and fewer new vegetarian restaurants in the last year or two because non-vegetarian eateries are doing a better job, thanks to increasingly high quality local produce available at green markets. Eating vegetarian no longer means pasta primavera seven nights a week. Still, the trend appears to be in the direction of all-vegetarian menus going the way of the dodo bird (which, apparently, tasted pretty darn good) since the bumper years of vegetarian restaurant, 2002–2005. “People tend to be a little less abusive to the restaurant†for selling meat dishes, said Charlie Statelman, the owner of Café on Clinton in Cobble Hill, and veteran of the seminal Patois on Smith Street, a bistro that did not cede any ground to vegetarians. “[Vegetarians] used to come in and expect special orders and be hard on the wait staff,†he said. Not anymore. Brooklyn Goes Veg! runs from Oct. 19–25. Visit www.bklyngoesveg.com for info and a list of participants. ©2008 The Brooklyn Paper < Editorial: Bloomy’s Coney baloney Awesome: A must ‘Watch’! > Reader Feedback View discussion (7) veggiedude from South San Francisco says: And if —— tasted good, you'd be eating that too. Your point? Report abuseThursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 8:54 am veggiedude from SSF says: I meant to say dung Report abuseThursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 8:56 am kyle from Sunnyvale says: Yes, vegetarianism is flattening out but Veganism is gaining speed quick. Report abuseThursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 4:28 pm Pamela Rice from Nolita says: Veganism is far from dead. It's coming into its own. Google Veggie Pride Parade. Meat eaters have now officially been put on notice. Report abuseThursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 9:33 pm Elaine says: Some people would have you believe that vegetarianism is merely a trend or a fad. Well, it's not. It's a philosophy. And it's growing. WHO YOU EAT MATTERS. Omnivores need to take a closer look at their consumption choices and stop eating animals. Report abuseThursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 10:48 pm Daniel from The Great White North says: Aristotle and Socrates were vegetarians. So were Einstein and Gandhi. Vegetarianism isn't a fad, it's been around for millenia - God even commands man to be vegetarian in the Bible (Genesis 1:29).Raising animals because we like the taste of their flesh (it isn't necessary to eat meat to maintain good health) is barbaric and cannot be done "humanely" because in the end the animals are slaughtered. If that's what it means to be humane, then why don't we allow euthanasia for humans? Because it's not humane to kill people and it's not humane to kill animals.The vegan potlucks I attend each month have grown tremendously over the last two years. Long live Compassion! Long live Vegetarianism! Report abuseFriday, Oct 17, 2008 at 5:20 am Daniel says: This is what history tells us -- All liberation movements will, given enough time, succeed. Report abuseFriday, Oct 17, 2008 at 7:43 am Peter vSend instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 blah blah blah... NYC is such a culture of flash in the pan fashion anyways. i can say here, new veggie restaurants are opening all the time still, which has to be some sort of miracle in this economy and, for the record, dodo's apparently tasted horrible, so the reporter should look things up first Peter VV Oct 17, 2008 1:02 PM Re: Vegetarianism is dead — long live meat! By Mike McLaughlin The Brooklyn Paper Enlarge this image The Brooklyn Paper / Shravan Vidyarthi It’s Vegetarian Restaurant Week — and Papasitos restaurant and beer garden chef-owner Cody Utzman is ready. Meat is certainly murder — murder on vegetarian restaurants, that is. Next week is Brooklyn’s second annual vegetarian restaurant week — but even the organizer says the herbivorous event can’t blossom because diners keep getting steered towards beef, pork, poultry and other protein-packed pleasures of the flesh. Only seven restaurateurs from Greenpoint to Park Slope concocted special vegetarian and vegan menus to lure in plant-eaters for “Brooklyn Goes Veg!†between Oct. 19 and 25. Many of the proprietors told The Brooklyn Paper that demand for their animal-free fare has flattened out. Melissa Danielle, the restaurant week producer, said that the crash of vegetarianism is a result of livestock being raised more humanely and in a more environmentally conscious manner — reducing the knee-jerk reaction against consuming animals. “[That has] something to do with vegetarian food losing momentum,†she said. But even if the movement is losing traction, Danielle said Brooklyn Goes Veg! will be a feast for the ages. “It’s not necessarily about bringing new people in, it’s about celebrating what exists,†she said. Danielle added that she tried to cook up support from NYC & Co, the city’s official tourism promoter, but claimed the promotional group didn’t want to send a message that tourists should limit themselves to flora when on vacation in such a diverse food city as New York. “They get very sensitive around you using the word ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan,’ because they don’t want to say, ‘Don’t eat meat,†Danielle said. Not all the participating eateries are strictly vegetarian. The reason? If you want to be successful these days, you can’t risk having patrons ask, “Where’s the beef?†— a main problem of all-vegetarian joints. That’s why Cody Utzman, chef-owner of Papacitos, a Mexican joint on Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, offers tacos and enchiladas in meat, veggie and vegan varieties. (Next week, all lunch tacos are $1.50 for the fest.) But don’t count out vegetarianism entirely. There are still some people who are willing to experiment with the vegan lifestyle for a night or two, said Matteo Silverman, the chef at 4 Course Vegan, a private supper club in Williamsburg. “Sixty to 70 percent of my customers are not vegan,†he said. “They’re just seeking out quality, seasonal food.†But even Silverman admitted that there are fewer and fewer new vegetarian restaurants in the last year or two because non-vegetarian eateries are doing a better job, thanks to increasingly high quality local produce available at green markets. Eating vegetarian no longer means pasta primavera seven nights a week. Still, the trend appears to be in the direction of all-vegetarian menus going the way of the dodo bird (which, apparently, tasted pretty darn good) since the bumper years of vegetarian restaurant, 2002–2005. “People tend to be a little less abusive to the restaurant†for selling meat dishes, said Charlie Statelman, the owner of Café on Clinton in Cobble Hill, and veteran of the seminal Patois on Smith Street, a bistro that did not cede any ground to vegetarians. “[Vegetarians] used to come in and expect special orders and be hard on the wait staff,†he said. Not anymore. Brooklyn Goes Veg! runs from Oct. 19–25. Visit www.bklyngoesveg.com for info and a list of participants. ©2008 The Brooklyn Paper < Editorial: Bloomy’s Coney baloney Awesome: A must ‘Watch’! > Reader Feedback View discussion (7) veggiedude from South San Francisco says: And if —— tasted good, you'd be eating that too. Your point? Report abuseThursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 8:54 am veggiedude from SSF says: I meant to say dung Report abuseThursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 8:56 am kyle from Sunnyvale says: Yes, vegetarianism is flattening out but Veganism is gaining speed quick. Report abuseThursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 4:28 pm Pamela Rice from Nolita says: Veganism is far from dead. It's coming into its own. Google Veggie Pride Parade. Meat eaters have now officially been put on notice. Report abuseThursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 9:33 pm Elaine says: Some people would have you believe that vegetarianism is merely a trend or a fad. Well, it's not. It's a philosophy. And it's growing. WHO YOU EAT MATTERS. Omnivores need to take a closer look at their consumption choices and stop eating animals. Report abuseThursday, Oct 16, 2008 at 10:48 pm Daniel from The Great White North says: Aristotle and Socrates were vegetarians. So were Einstein and Gandhi. Vegetarianism isn't a fad, it's been around for millenia - God even commands man to be vegetarian in the Bible (Genesis 1:29).Raising animals because we like the taste of their flesh (it isn't necessary to eat meat to maintain good health) is barbaric and cannot be done "humanely" because in the end the animals are slaughtered. If that's what it means to be humane, then why don't we allow euthanasia for humans? Because it's not humane to kill people and it's not humane to kill animals.The vegan potlucks I attend each month have grown tremendously over the last two years. Long live Compassion! Long live Vegetarianism! Report abuseFriday, Oct 17, 2008 at 5:20 am Daniel says: This is what history tells us -- All liberation movements will, given enough time, succeed. Report abuseFriday, Oct 17, 2008 at 7:43 am Peter vSend instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger. Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance. Confucius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 Hi Fraggle, That reporter is wrong. Last time I was in NYC..in agust.. there where like ten or twelve vegetarian restaurants. (at least) I have never seen so many. and they were doing well. There are vegan only restaurants that have been established for years now. And a growing population(mostly college, young) but all ages really, of vegans and vegetarians. Also this year, we had our first ever veggie pride parade in nyc with people from all ages. He oughta do some research before writing an article. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 Yup--like Red Bamboo, for instance. Gods I loved that place!! :DOn Sat, Oct 18, 2008 at 1:22 PM, flower child <zurumato wrote: Hi Fraggle, That reporter is wrong. Last time I was in NYC..in agust.. there where like ten or twelve vegetarian restaurants. (at least) I have never seen so many. and they were doing well. There are vegan only restaurants that have been established for years now. And a growing population(mostly college, young) but all ages really, of vegans and vegetarians. Also this year, we had our first ever veggie pride parade in nyc with people from all ages. He oughta do some research before writing an article. --- To send an email to -! Groups Links <*> / <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: /join ( ID required) <*> To change settings via email: -digest -fullfeatured <*> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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