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Pure Food & Wine, Union Square

For our wedding anniversary, John and I made a dinner reservation at Pure Food & Wine. Raw vegan fine dining in a casual, relaxed environment. The weather has cooled off a lot recently (yay!), and the garden setting was just lovely. Pure Food & WineSquash blossoms filled with picholine olive cheese, topped with fennel cherry tomatoes, melon, saffron tomato sauce, and almonds ($17). We shared the appetizer, which worked out nicely as the olive cheese was quite rich. The saffron tomato sauce was a vivid yellow and tasted heavenly. Lots of tangy, summery flavors. Squash Blossoms - Pure Food & WineI loved how relaxed this meal was. You order your appetizer, slowly nibble away at it. Then the waiter asks if you want more appetizers or if you’re ready to order entrees. No rush, no fuss. You’re there to take in the flavors and setting at your own pace. On a different note, I’ve gotten some sun this summer, and the warm lighting makes me look much more tan (eek, orange!) than I really am! Pure Food & WineJohn ordered the curried vegetables with sprouted quinoa poppadom with coconut cumin, cilantro mint, and tomato tamarind sauces ($22). His entree came with some impressive looking heirloom tomatoes. Beautiful dish. It disappeared quickly, even the tomatoes, which he normally doesn’t like raw. Curried Vegetables - Pure Food & WineI ordered the salsify noodles with english peas, asparagus, ramps, pea greens, capers, lemon pine nut cream, and watermelon radish crisps ($24). Every dish is a work of art. So many colors, flavors, and textures. Overall, refreshing and lemony. The salsify noodles had a lovely, light crunch. Small bites, chew slowly, savor the flavors. So good. Salsify Noodles - Pure Food & WineI got about halfway through my entree when I remembered we were at a raw restaurant! Last time I had raw food back in November, it didn’t do all that much for me. It’s definitely a seasonal thing. Eating raw food when it’s cold and rainy out makes me sad.

We were originally planning on skipping drinks as we had some cava at home, but they had a 16.9 oz organic pilsner for $9. Golden color, light taste, paired well with our meal. Pinkus PilsnerOverall, quite impressed with Pure Food & Wine. This place is a must try for every vegetarian/vegan/foodie in NYC. Prices are on the steep side, and with fine dining you expect tiny portions that don’t fill you up at all (especially when it’s all plant-based), but that’s not the case here. I couldn’t finish my entree and had to pass some over to John. We both left the restaurant feeling satisfied and happy. Happy anniversary to us!

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3 Comments

  • Reply
    Mitzie Mee
    at

    Summer in new York! I almost regret that I’m going to Las Vegas and not NYC..
    Btw. Love your haircut:)

    • Reply
      wazwu
      at

      Thanks! I’ve had this hairstyle for over a year now, but I don’t have many photos of it. It’s nice in the summertime… cool and breezy on one side. :P

  • Reply
    Pure Food & Wine | Let's Nom Nom!
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    […] The last time we visited Pure Food & Wine was in July, the perfect time for enjoying their garden. This time, we had a good spot in the dining room. Woody textures and a lovely warm glow. A cozy, intimate setting for date night.We ordered the organic Pinkus Pilsner again. Tasty with all the fall/winter flavors, which were not as tart as our previous meal here during the summer. Appetizer: Tuscan Kale with Shaved Fennel and Orange ($16) with orange blossom scented honey, fennel pollen, candied almond crumbs. Lately, I’ve been craving some good leafy greens. This impressive mound of kale did the trick. I noticed other people nearby marveling at the kale too. The candied almond crumbs were delish. Entree: Cauliflower and Sweet Corn Polenta with Bourbon Maple Persimmons and Radicchio ($25) with cherry tomatoes, mache, candied pistachios, cashew cheese, avocado pistachio vinaigrette. After a bit of ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the colors of this dish, I finally settled in to enjoy the different flavors. Ooh, and more candied nuts! I need to try recreating this yummy polenta sometime. The cashew cheese was great, too.  We didn’t get to try their desserts on our last visit. This time, I had a game plan… we shared the appetizer and entree so we wouldn’t miss out on sweets again.Dessert: Chocolate and Jungle Peanut Butter Cheesecake ($16) with a peanut butter cup, salted peanut butter ice cream. Isn’t it a beauty? Let me remind you that everything here is organic, vegan, and raw, which I find quite impressive. It tasted as good as it looks! I’m glad we were sharing the dessert as the cheesecake was very rich. The peanut butter cup was essentially an upscale version of Reese’s pieces. And that ice cream! I wish our vegan ice cream came out like that. What’s their secret?! […]

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