Calling Bullshit on Ambiguous Vegan Fare in New York City

[Guest guest]

by Brownbird Rudy Relic

December 19, 2008 12:02pm

Filed under:

 

New York City

Restaurants

Stupid

 

 

...I'm calling bullshit, ya heard?Vague menu descriptions, Ill-informed wait-staff, greedy establishments who would rather take your money than inform you that the vegetarian food they're shucking falls far from the vegan tree, are the scourge of the vegan restaurant-goer. Restaurants guilty of the above create a fallacious illusion that what you're eating is vegan: when it's not.So, SuperVegan readers, here's your chance to call bullshit on those culpable few who knowingly (or unknowingly) serve out the mendacity (after-all, some of us NYC vegans may be in the dark) Leave your tips, grievances, complaints and stink-eyed daggers in the comments section. I'll start it out:

 

Kate's Joint does not go out of its way to tell you that their "non-dairy" cheese is not vegan. It has casein in it. Bullshit! While Crif Dogs should get points for offering a vegan hot dog, they deserve a big fuck you for serving it on a non-vegan bun. Bullshit! It's quite nice that Red Bamboo has teamed up with Bamn Automat, but, other than the fries: nothing is vegan. Bullshit!

Update I got an email from Bamn Automat; although they do offer vegetarian items, only the salad is vegan.

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Comments

 

1. Comment by SeitanSaidDance on December 19, 2008 1:52pm:

It says the soy cheese contains casein in pretty big letters across the bottom of the left page of Kate's menu.The soul chicken sandwich isn't vegan? The menu on Red Bamboo's site doesn't note that (which is SERIOUS bullshit).

2. Comment by BrownbirdRudyRelic [www] on December 19, 2008 2:03pm:

Thanks for the heads up Re: Kates. Has it always said this? I don't seem to remember it saying it anywhere - is this a new addition? And. The "filet" (if you will) is vegan, (according to the staff) the bun and sauce that are not. So. Red Bamboo is vegan. The Bamn version is not.

3. Comment by SeitanSaidDance on December 19, 2008 2:27pm:

I don't know if it was always like that. I was there last week and only remember it was on the menu because I didn't notice it until someone pointed it out. Then I felt stupid for not seeing it, but I guess lots of people are missing it.Thanks for clarifying about the sandwich.

4. Comment by ariela on December 19, 2008 5:56pm:

thats so dumb that the sandwich at Bamn isn't vegan when they get it directly from Red Bamboo! that makes no sense! and as for Kates..ive been with people who didn't notice the writing about casein..and also a lot of newbie vegans not even know what casein is..the whole non dairy cheese but having casein in it still makes no sense to me..it shouldnt be called non dairy! > and i remember once the waitress at kates said to someone "there's only a teeny bit of dairy in it" as though it was no big deal.

5. Comment by ariela on December 19, 2008 6:01pm:

i wish there was an edit bottom..supposed to say a lot of newbie vegans *might* not know what casein is

6. Comment by alan on December 19, 2008 6:11pm:

i think these restaurants and their staff are ignorant, not greedy. vegan food is available in EVERY restaurant. it is up to you to educate the wait staff in a pleasant way, and be nicely persistent.

7. Comment by gemgyrl on December 19, 2008 6:54pm:

hmm... i don't know. there were a few articles/postings here and there about staff misleading vegans about what's in their establishment's food. In my own paranoid vegan mind, I often wonder if things are really vegan----at counter---all those creamy sauces or especially at non-vegan places or meat-establishments---I wish someone would write a story on this... did you read time out where they asked restaurants---is it really vegetarian--40% answered no.

8. Comment by danny [www] on December 19, 2008 6:58pm:

i have a problem with Nana on 5th ave in bklyn. they have fish sauce in an eggplant dish which is clearly in the vegetarian section. i had a feeling to ask and just dont understand how little they cared as i pointed it out. they didnt see a problem.

9. Comment by aa on December 20, 2008 1:04pm:

I'm going to agree with Alan. It is about lack of knowledge and making this list seems silly and just hating unless folks are planning on backing it up with (polite, respectful) communication with places encouraging them to have vegan options and showing that there is a customer for vegan options. Playing out the stereotype of the vegan that can't eat anything and complains about it is boring.

10. Comment by Laura Leslie [www] on December 20, 2008 1:23pm:

Complaining works. Look at Vegetarian's Paradise 2 and Zen Palate. Their menus used to obscure what was and wasn't vegan (and servers would give a different answer every time). When enough people complained, they both changed their menus to clearly state what is and is not vegan.So, please, keep complaining. This is an issue of deep ethical importance, and the restaurants we pay our money to owe us honesty.

11. Comment by Laura Leslie [www] on December 20, 2008 1:25pm:

And, yeah, what the hell is up with Kate's? It's not like it's hard to find good, melty vegan cheese these days! If a zillion other restaurants can do it, they can and should.

12. Comment by BrownbirdRudyRelic [www] on December 20, 2008 1:34pm:

I agree with Laura. If you make your voice heard; results will happen. Shortly after I posted this, Bamn emailed me; we had a (yes, polite) discussion about what it would take to veganize their Red Bamboo sandwich. The manager was courteous, agreeable and he assured me he would look into it. I'm all for having a polite discussion with restaurants about vegan options (It often works!), but, I mainly wrote this post so that we could share information...http://supervegan.com/blog/entry.php?id=1212

 

Peter vv

[Guest guest]

wow, reminds of the gelatin scare at my (formerly) local " vegan " asian place in san diego....blake On Sat, Dec 20, 2008 at 1:21 PM, Peter VV <swpgh01 wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Brownbird Rudy Relic

December 19, 2008 12:02pm

Filed under:

 

New York City

Restaurants

Stupid

 

 

...I'm calling bullshit, ya heard?Vague menu descriptions, Ill-informed wait-staff, greedy establishments who would rather take your money than inform you that the vegetarian food they're shucking falls far from the vegan tree, are the scourge of the vegan restaurant-goer. Restaurants guilty of the above create a fallacious illusion that what you're eating is vegan: when it's not.

So, SuperVegan readers, here's your chance to call bullshit on those culpable few who knowingly (or unknowingly) serve out the mendacity (after-all, some of us NYC vegans may be in the dark) Leave your tips, grievances, complaints and stink-eyed daggers in the comments section.

I'll start it out:

 

Kate's Joint does not go out of its way to tell you that their " non-dairy " cheese is not vegan. It has casein in it. Bullshit! While Crif Dogs should get points for offering a vegan hot dog, they deserve a big fuck you for serving it on a non-vegan bun. Bullshit! It's quite nice that Red Bamboo has teamed up with Bamn Automat, but, other than the fries: nothing is vegan. Bullshit!

Update I got an email from Bamn Automat; although they do offer vegetarian items, only the salad is vegan.

Permalink

Previous Post »

 

Comments

 

1. Comment by SeitanSaidDance on December 19, 2008 1:52pm:

It says the soy cheese contains casein in pretty big letters across the bottom of the left page of Kate's menu.The soul chicken sandwich isn't vegan? The menu on Red Bamboo's site doesn't note that (which is SERIOUS bullshit).

2. Comment by BrownbirdRudyRelic [www] on December 19, 2008 2:03pm:

Thanks for the heads up Re: Kates. Has it always said this? I don't seem to remember it saying it anywhere - is this a new addition? And. The " filet " (if you will) is vegan, (according to the staff) the bun and sauce that are not. So. Red Bamboo is vegan. The Bamn version is not.

3. Comment by SeitanSaidDance on December 19, 2008 2:27pm:

I don't know if it was always like that. I was there last week and only remember it was on the menu because I didn't notice it until someone pointed it out. Then I felt stupid for not seeing it, but I guess lots of people are missing it.

Thanks for clarifying about the sandwich.

4. Comment by ariela on December 19, 2008 5:56pm:

thats so dumb that the sandwich at Bamn isn't vegan when they get it directly from Red Bamboo! that makes no sense! and as for Kates..ive been with people who didn't notice the writing about casein..and also a lot of newbie vegans not even know what casein is..the whole non dairy cheese but having casein in it still makes no sense to me..it shouldnt be called non dairy! > and i remember once the waitress at kates said to someone " there's only a teeny bit of dairy in it " as though it was no big deal.

5. Comment by ariela on December 19, 2008 6:01pm:

i wish there was an edit bottom..supposed to say a lot of newbie vegans *might* not know what casein is

6. Comment by alan on December 19, 2008 6:11pm:

i think these restaurants and their staff are ignorant, not greedy. vegan food is available in EVERY restaurant. it is up to you to educate the wait staff in a pleasant way, and be nicely persistent.

7. Comment by gemgyrl on December 19, 2008 6:54pm:

hmm... i don't know. there were a few articles/postings here and there about staff misleading vegans about what's in their establishment's food. In my own paranoid vegan mind, I often wonder if things are really vegan----at counter---all those creamy sauces or especially at non-vegan places or meat-establishments---I wish someone would write a story on this... did you read time out where they asked restaurants---is it really vegetarian--40% answered no.

8. Comment by danny [www] on December 19, 2008 6:58pm:

i have a problem with Nana on 5th ave in bklyn. they have fish sauce in an eggplant dish which is clearly in the vegetarian section. i had a feeling to ask and just dont understand how little they cared as i pointed it out. they didnt see a problem.

9. Comment by aa on December 20, 2008 1:04pm:

I'm going to agree with Alan. It is about lack of knowledge and making this list seems silly and just hating unless folks are planning on backing it up with (polite, respectful) communication with places encouraging them to have vegan options and showing that there is a customer for vegan options. Playing out the stereotype of the vegan that can't eat anything and complains about it is boring.

10. Comment by Laura Leslie [www] on December 20, 2008 1:23pm:

Complaining works. Look at Vegetarian's Paradise 2 and Zen Palate. Their menus used to obscure what was and wasn't vegan (and servers would give a different answer every time). When enough people complained, they both changed their menus to clearly state what is and is not vegan.

So, please, keep complaining. This is an issue of deep ethical importance, and the restaurants we pay our money to owe us honesty.

11. Comment by Laura Leslie [www] on December 20, 2008 1:25pm:

And, yeah, what the hell is up with Kate's? It's not like it's hard to find good, melty vegan cheese these days! If a zillion other restaurants can do it, they can and should.

12. Comment by BrownbirdRudyRelic [www] on December 20, 2008 1:34pm:

I agree with Laura. If you make your voice heard; results will happen. Shortly after I posted this, Bamn emailed me; we had a (yes, polite) discussion about what it would take to veganize their Red Bamboo sandwich. The manager was courteous, agreeable and he assured me he would look into it.

I'm all for having a polite discussion with restaurants about vegan options (It often works!), but, I mainly wrote this post so that we could share information...http://supervegan.com/blog/entry.php?id=1212

 

 

Peter vv