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Review: 4th Annual NYC Vegetarian Food Festival
I think it's safe to say that everyone, including myself, would love for this event to be moved to a larger venue - like The Javits Center - to accommodate all the people without having to wait on such a long line to get in. Granted, this year we only had to wait 45 minutes - past years, people waited for hours and never got in - but it would have been nice to wait on a much, much, shorter line.
We didn't actually get into the building until after 2pm, so we weren't able to listen to a lot of the speakers, but we did have ample time to roam around and check out all the awesome vendors and sample their products!
I think the biggest disappointment of the day, for me, was that Sweet & Sara wasn't there this year. I was looking forward to stuffing myself with some vegan marshmallows and stocking up on some Easter Treats. Also, I missed checking out the latest fashions from Vaute Couture. Please come back, next year, okay?
While there were a ton of awesome exhibitors, I did manage to narrow it down to my top three favorites: three very new and delicious products, that I hadn't seen at the past events, that I hope to see more of in the future.
http://www.veganfastfoodny.com/
@VeganFastFoodNY
As a Buffalo Chik'n connesiour, I've tried some amazing vegan drum sticks, namely from Red Bamboo [NYC] & Veggie Heaven [Teaneck, NJ], and I don't know what kind of magic these guys put into their food, but these Buffalo Drum Stix are probably the best ones I've ever had.
The outside of the drumstick was nice and crispy and the chick'n inside had a kind of creamy texture but it really was fantastic and the hot sauce had just the right amount of heat in contrast to the coolness of the blue cheeze dressing.
There's very little info on these guys right now, but it seems that they're going to be opening up a shop, somewhere in NYC, in the very near future. I can't wait until they do!
http://www.heatsweets.com
@HeatSweets
Nuttin Ordinary
http://www.nuttinordinary.com
@nuttinordinary
I'm not a fan of "nut" cheeses, so I was completely surprised when I tried the Spicy Cheese Spread and loved it! The spicy version has a distinct nacho flavor and none of the weird aftertaste that I've noticed with some other brands I've tried. Definitely a HUGE thumbs up!
| Onto the Speakers... |
We were so busy checking out all the vendors that we missed most of the speakers, but we did head upstairs, to the Apple stage, and wound up catching a couple that I had wanted to see.
Dr. Joel Kahn
http://www.drjoelkahn.com
@drjkahn
It's always nice when you hear about a medical doctor embracing plant-based nutrition and holistic medicine. I fully believe that Western medicine is useful, in some cases, but a lot of today's diseases can be cured with preventative care & maintenance. If more doctors would incorporate at least some of these ideas, people would much healthier and in turn, be paying less in medical bills and for prescriptions.
& Mariann Sullivan
Fed Up? A New Way to Feed Your Body, Your Soul and the World
http://www.ourhenhouse.org
@ourhenhouse
I volunteered with Jasmin, at some events, for Farm Sanctuary and I gotta say that she is one amazing human being. Her and Mariann have done so much to make the lives of animals SO much better.
While I've heard a lot of the information presented before I did enjoy the skit on 'What would it be like if an alien came to earth and saw how we were living." While it made everyone in the audience laugh, there were some very valid points made - which is one of the best ways to get a message across to people. Kudos you two!
All in all, I had a fantastic time and am looking forward to what next years vegetarian food festival brings. If you're vegan, vegetarian or even the slightest bit curious OR just love yummy food, you should definitely plan to be there next time. :)
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