A pitch for VSpot (100% vegan restaurant in Park Slope)

terra · November 2006

If you are a vegetarian, a vegan (especially!) or are simply interested in healthy and tasty food, check out VSpot, a relatively new 100% vegan restaurant on 5th Ave. between Douglass and DeGraw. If you visited the place in the summer when they just opened and was disappointed, give them another chance. The food has improved greatly and they have new items on the menu.

http://www.thevspotcafe.com/

Elena

P.S. I am in no way related to the restaurant, except by patronizing it often. But I do have a healthy self-interest in helping them succeed as they brought really good vegan food to the area and it would be a shame if they were to fold.

pitu · November 2006

There sure was alot of posting here about how bad the food was, even though the owner seemed nice and was pleading with people to try again . . . and some of those poor vegans went back, and it still sounded like anyone could do better at home with frozen food.

Anyone else been going back more recently?

cheflady · November 2006

fool me once, shame on you....fool me twice, shame on me.

terra · November 2006

Well, all I can say is that the cooking sure is better than Vegetarian Palate and my family would be sad to see them fold.

The food DID get incredibly tastier and the place is much better organized now than it was when it just opened.

8thandprez · November 2006

Do they have Kates-style buffalo un-chicken wings? I would single-handedly keep V-Spot in business if I could get those un-wings in the Slope. Deeeeeeeelicious!

anonymous · November 2006

I recently ordered from there and was baffled by how they could stay in business with the gruel that they have on offer. I'm a vegetarian and generally love the fake meat, but this was just awful.

8thandprez · November 2006

10-Year Sloper wrote: I recently ordered from there and was baffled by how they could stay in business with the gruel that they have on offer. I'm a vegetarian and generally love the fake meat, but this was just awful.

Have you tried Hunan Delight on Union+6th? They have excellent fake meat dishes...

mypasswordwontwork · November 2006

pitu wrote: There sure was alot of posting here about how bad the food was, even though the owner seemed nice and was pleading with people to try again . . . and some of those poor vegans went back, and it still sounded like anyone could do better at home with frozen food.

Anyone else been going back more recently?

I went there a few times in October. I'd always order the sweet potato fries to go which were sometimes really good and other times soggy and not good. I stopped going there because the person who served me (not sure whether or not he is the owner) was not very friendly and on two occasions made a big point of saying "is that all you're having?" and then looking disapproving when I said yes

So I'm not overly impressed and I doubt I will go in there again

If you want healthy food: Second Helpings on 9th STreet and 7th Avenue is a good option and they deliver pretty much all over Park Slope

isa · November 2006

Yeah, sorry. 4 strikes rule. I kept trying because I wanted to support vegan business but come on.

carnivore · November 2006

Isa wrote: Yeah, sorry. 4 strikes rule. I kept trying because I wanted to support vegan business but come on.

I bet yours will be much much better (and cooler too)!

anonymous · November 2006

Would like to see this place suceed as well being a vegetarian. I ordered the chicken cutlet sandwich with fries a few months ago and found it to be fine. Nothing to rave about but not utterly dissapointing either. Maybe boring would be the best way to decribe it. The staff was distant, like Foodswings, but that doesn't bother me. I think V-Spot should look at Swings' menu for more ideas. Foodswings is focused in what they do, they have a true vegetarian junk food menu at reasonable prices. V-Spot has the healthier salads and pastas and then the junk food like sandwiches. Maybe they're trying to please everyone. One thing they could do is make their food sound more exciting. Foodswings has a "Vegan Heart Attack," who can deny that?:-) (grilled soy burger with soy cheese and soy bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and fries for $7.95)

Thanks for your post, Elena. I'll give 'em one more try even though the consensus here isn't positive. I live pretty far away and I dont think the sandwich/fries meals stand up well to delivery so I'll have to trek down there. Maybe eat at the Great Lakes while having a brew.

terra · November 2006

Guest #2 wrote: I'll give 'em one more try even though the consensus here isn't positive. I live pretty far away and I dont think the sandwich/fries meals stand up well to delivery so I'll have to trek down there. Maybe eat at the Great Lakes while having a brew.

I just love their brunch menu -- whole wheat pancakes (with berries or chocolate chips), scrambled tofu and breakfast burritos. The grilled seitan, lasagna and penne with vodka sauce on the entree menu are pretty good too.

raw · November 2006

Iâ€™m all for a Kateâ€™s Joint, Pukk, Zen Palate, Dimple or Angelicaâ€™s Kitchen in Park Slope, so these vegheads on 5th Ave better get their act together. I love vegan food, put to sleep by V-Spotâ€™s plain jane menu. I hope the food is not as bland as the nondescript descriptions on the hardcopy menu. Reading about foodâ€™s texture, taste, spices, sauces, methods of preparation, and even colors excites me. I was hoping V-Spot rewrote their menu for their website, but when I went online, the text was too small too read.

raw · November 2006

8thandPrez wrote: [quote=10-Year Sloper]I recently ordered from there and was baffled by how they could stay in business with the gruel that they have on offer. I'm a vegetarian and generally love the fake meat, but this was just awful.

Have you tried Hunan Delight on Union+6th? They have excellent fake meat dishes...

Agreed!

raw · November 2006

Guest #2 wrote: Would like to see this place suceed as well being a vegetarian. I ordered the chicken cutlet sandwich with fries a few months ago and found it to be fine. Nothing to rave about but not utterly dissapointing either. Maybe boring would be the best way to decribe it. The staff was distant, like Foodswings, but that doesn't bother me. I think V-Spot should look at Swings' menu for more ideas. Foodswings is focused in what they do, they have a true vegetarian junk food menu at reasonable prices. V-Spot has the healthier salads and pastas and then the junk food like sandwiches. Maybe they're trying to please everyone. One thing they could do is make their food sound more exciting. Foodswings has a "Vegan Heart Attack," who can deny that?:-) (grilled soy burger with soy cheese and soy bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and fries for $7.95)

Thanks for your post, Elena. I'll give 'em one more try even though the consensus here isn't positive. I live pretty far away and I dont think the sandwich/fries meals stand up well to delivery so I'll have to trek down there. Maybe eat at the Great Lakes while having a brew.

What is Foodswings?

terra · November 2006

raw wrote: What is Foodswings?

http://www.foodswings.net/

raw · November 2006

Nice menu!

cheflady · November 2006

Vegan Junkies I see....
If you'd like to try some real food (aka vegetables, grains, etc.) I'd love to cook for you! I'm a vegan chef and I teach cooking lessons in your home as well as meal delivery!

Cheers!

dead · November 2006

ok ok the food is not amazing but its gotten much better each time i go. the nacho chips themselves are amazing!! cooked on the premises. i still would prefer to have food swings, candle 79, VP2 or RedBamboo in Park Slope but Vspot is pretty good and getting better.

alafairnadia · November 2006

terra wrote: [quote=raw]What is Foodswings?

http://www.foodswings.net/

that menu is actually part of my problem with vegan food. yes, yes, I know, vegans want "meat-like" products. but I find an entire menu of mock-meals when, frankly, I'll eat the real thing, pretty lame. I prefer creative use of veggies, beans and tofu.

I just don't want to eat fake meat. I want to eat creative food with non-meat if I'm at a vegan/vegetarian joint.

cheflady · November 2006

I agree!!

Isn't a main advantage of a vegan and vegetarian diet for health reasons (for ourselves, animals and the planet)? I don't understand the mock meats....all they are are processed foods made in a factory just like any other junk food. Why spare yourself killing an animal but yet eat factory food? It doesn't make sense to me.

BTW - what is that in your picture? Just curious....

anonymous · November 2006

i love fake meat & would not be vegetarian if there was not fake meat.

anonymous · November 2006

cheflady wrote: I agree!!

Isn't a main advantage of a vegan and vegetarian diet for health reasons (for ourselves, animals and the planet)? I don't understand the mock meats....all they are are processed foods made in a factory just like any other junk food. Why spare yourself killing an animal but yet eat factory food? It doesn't make sense to me.

BTW - what is that in your picture? Just curious....

People chose vegan and vegetarian diets for many different reasons. Some vegetarians love animals and care little about their health. Some vegetarians are obsessed with their health, care little about animals, and even wear fur. Some vegetarians don't care much about their health or animals, but are concerned about the environment. Some vegetarians have phobia of meat. Some vegetarians don't eat meat for religious reasons. Some vegetarians are vegetarians for all of the above reasons. Everyone is different. Everyone likes to eat different things.

terra · November 2006

cheflady wrote: I agree!!

Isn't a main advantage of a vegan and vegetarian diet for health reasons (for ourselves, animals and the planet)? I don't understand the mock meats....all they are are processed foods made in a factory just like any other junk food. Why spare yourself killing an animal but yet eat factory food? It doesn't make sense to me.

I am a vegan exclusively for ethical reasons, and accept the health benefits as a nice by-product of my ethical choices. I also very much like the taste of meat, so if I can get an ethically acceptable substitute, I will buy it, even though it may not be the healthiest option.

alafairnadia · November 2006

cheflady wrote: BTW - what is that in your picture? Just curious....

that's a pic of me drinking bubble tea in chinatown during a court break. I'm also wearing a hat with a braid attached. my work friends think they're funny.

8thandprez · November 2006

off topic, but i always thought you were hitting a bong in your photo... :oops:

alafairnadia · November 2006

8thandPrez wrote: off topic, but i always thought you were hitting a bong in your photo... :oops:

I've heard crack pipe. how come youdidn't think that????

but yeah. it's totally me makin' sweet love to some bubble tea.

anonymous · November 2006

Subject: awful

V-Spot is awful!!! Its a shame too. The Slope could use a great Vegan place.

miriam · November 2006

I was in V-Spot once with friends. Ordered bruschetta - came on a white baguette, cold, no taste at all.
Generally, as a vegetarian of 16 years, I like a variety of things, so I don't mind having fake meat here and there. The best I have had so far - I agree - is at Hunan Delight. (Beans and grains agrees with me more...)
After expecting much, I was very dissapointed in V-Spot - bad and expensive. But I am willing to try again, especially since I want to write about vegan restaurants in the area.
Looks like the Slope does not have much to offer that would be strictly vegetarian or vegan.

I am right?

anonymous · November 2006

miriam wrote: I was in V-Spot once with friends. Ordered bruschetta - came on a white baguette, cold, no taste at all.
Generally, as a vegetarian of 16 years, I like a variety of things, so I don't mind having fake meat here and there. The best I have had so far - I agree - is at Hunan Delight. (Beans and grains agrees with me more...)
After expecting much, I was very dissapointed in V-Spot - bad and expensive. But I am willing to try again, especially since I want to write about vegan restaurants in the area.
Looks like the Slope does not have much to offer that would be strictly vegetarian or vegan.

I am right?

Yes, Park Slope does not have any good strictly vegetarian eat-out options, unless eating lettuce, cheese made with cow's milk, and bread is your idea of a good, "vegetarian" meal.

Hunan Delight on Union Street is the most vegetarian sensitive restaurant offering a large strictly vegetarian menu.

Vegetarian Palate on Flatbush Avenue is 100% vegetarian, but I prefer getting take out from Vegetarian Palate so I can bring the food back home and add in my own sauces and condiments.

I've heard good things about Red Hot on 7th Avenue.

I also want to praise V-Spot, but so far I cannot. V-Spot's food needs some excitement and pizazz injected into it. Right now its food is as exciting as a box of frozen Morning Star vegan burgers that you can pick up at any old grocery store.

mrdennis · November 2006

Subject: V-Spot

I like the V-Spot. Its one of my favorite places to eat in the slope. I like the American style vegan dishes that seem to have improved in the 6 months I've been eating there.

The one major except for the music: always too loud and often annoying (a little too hard rocking for dinner).

A pitch for VSpot (100% vegan restaurant in Park Slope)

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