Located at the corner of greasy fried foods, Corner Bistro, and the sugary sweet concoctions of Chocolate Bar stands a little piece of vegetarian heaven. ‘sNice, situated at 45 8th Avenue is just south of 13th Street. Besides being a great little coffee shop, it offers up paninis, salads and desserts. Being mainly a chicken and meat kinda guy, the thought of dining at a vegetarian café left me a little uneasy. I was pleasantly surprised.
Stepping into its large space, ‘sNice’s atmosphere was one of relaxation, calmness and subtle creativity. The exposed brick walls were delicately decorated with photographs taken by independent photographers from around the city. One wall featured a large antique bookcase outfitted with various novels for customers to enjoy while sipping on their soy lattes. The ceilings of ‘sNice had ceiling fans. Yes, ceiling fans! I have this great love of ceiling fans. They give a great air flow to prevent a stifling atmosphere. They also bring a sense of home and relaxation to any coffee shop. The back of the shop, outside of the iron New York City grates was a graffiti-decorated wall. I’m not sure if they intended for patrons of the shop to take great notice of what the outside wall showed, but it added that artistic and creative feel to ‘sNice that gives it such great character.
The food offered at ‘sNice may be off-putting to some people if they are accustomed to the traditional burger or sandwich. While they do offer food such as the Cuban panini or a grilled chicken sandwich, the “meat” at ‘sNice is actually a soy-based product. Most of the foods mimic meat with seitan, tempeh, or TVP (textured vegetable protein). Actually quite delicious. For dinner I had the Quinoa salad (pictured). Quinoa is a complete protein, is easy on the stomach, simple to prepare, and tastes great (see more info for great Quinoa recipes at Recipe For Life). Besides the grain, this salad featured freshly cut avocado, vine-ripened tomatoes, corn and black beans. At only $8.95, this dinner was definitely well worth every penny.
For dessert, I enjoyed a Decaf Soy Latte and an Apple Bran muffin. The latte was incredibly smooth and delicious. The espresso was beautifully ground and pressed into my cup for me to enjoy. The muffin, vegan, was amazing. Tasting of cinnamon, apples, sugar and freshness it is difficult for me to believe that it was healthy. Also, both the latte and the muffin cost me only $5.50, a steal for any coffee shop in the City. I will most certainly be stopping by here in the future for dinner, a cup of soy latte and freshly baked muffin.
