Gobo is a vegetarian’s paradise in Gotham. With two locations, one in the West Village and the other in the Upper East Side, there is really no excuse for any vegetarian or vegan to visit one of their restaurants.
- Gobo, photo courtesy of nymag.com
I’m usually very skeptical of vegetarian/vegan only establishments, as I find that I normally have to have at least some sort of meat to really feel mentally satisfied with my meal. Gobo, however, is quite the exception.
I wanted to introduce Jen to KTMc, who I consider a good friend, despite the infrequent opportunities we have to see one another, so it was nice we could get together for a meal to chat and catch up. KTMc suggested Gobo, which sounded as good as any given Jen’s dietary restrictions. With an extensive menu offering, it was pretty difficult to figure out what to eat. We opted for three appetizers to help start us off and get our OMNOM on: the Scallion Pancakes, Pan Seared Vegetable Dumplings, and Roti Canai. All three of these dishes were solid choices. I was a little dismayed that the Roti Canai only came with one piece of flatbread to complement the curry tofu in the dish, but it was still delicious.
The main courses arrived quickly thereafter. KTMc ordered the Natural Seitan Medallions in Sizzling Spicy Citrus Sauce, which had strong citrus tones that helped enhance the texture of the Seitan. Jen had the Butternut Squash Risotto with Toasted Almonds, which was perfectly well put together. The chunks of Butternut Squash worked well with the creamy and soft texture of the risotto. I had the Sizzling Soy Cutlet Platter with a Black Pepper Sauce, served with cutlets that was very similar to the texture of KTMc’s Seitan. I suppose there’s only so much you can really do with vegetarian proteins. I was fortunate to try all three dishes, and I really think that the dishes using Seitan at Gobo are outstanding.
There’s even a juice bar out in front if you’re just passing by for a healthy drink during the day, and a ton of great people watching to do in the West Village. Jen and I parted ways from KTMc in search of desserts around the corner. There’s a Beard Papa that serves up amazing looking puff pastries, and a Grom Gelato shop, both within a few blocks of walking of Gobo. We opted for the gelato, saving a visit to Beard Papa for another time.
- Grom Gelato, photo courtesy of tregny.com
Grom is a direct transplant from Torino, Italy, serving the freshest of the fresh gelato. The company prides itself on using eco-sustainable cups and utensils and high quality ingredients to make their gelato.
What’s the big difference between gelato and ice cream? Both Jen and I wondered the exact same thing. Both use very similar ingredients such as fresh cream, eggs, and sugar, but gelato tends to have less fat and less air whipped in during the production process. The end result is a much more flavorful scoop of deliciousness served into your cup or cone. Gelato is also more dense than normal ice cream, and needs to be served a higher temperature than regular ice cream…so be prepared for it to melt as soon as it’s prepped and handed off to you! I had the Crema Come Una Volta (Egg cream prepared, “as it was, once upon a time”) which had a smooth, slight sweet taste, but there were plenty of others (Cocco e Cioccolato, Bacio, and Nicciola) that made it hard to pick. The Grom in NYC is the company’s first global outpost, and I have to say it holds up very well to the gelato I’ve had in Italy on my trip there a few years back. The tiny storefront has several sliding glass doors that open up to the street, a perfect view to watch the people passing by. Their gelato is the perfect way to cool off on a hot New York summer’s day, or to top off a meal with the people you care about the most.
