A few Fridays ago, I set about to have a perfect afternoon in Manhattan. Naturally, a few elements were required: friends, food, coffee and shopping.
My first stop covered the first two vital elements, as I met up with a vegan buddy at the newly opened Terri (23rd between 5th & 6th). Terri, managed by former employee of the acclaimed vegan stop Blossom, offers an array of sandwiches, wraps, salads, smoothies and other assorted goodies that are all 100% vegan. My lunch order consisted of an ersatz bacon chicken ranch “burger” which, although it does not come with fries (we can’t have everything) was a splendid and satisfying amount of food for less than $9. I also opted to add buffalo wing sauce from the buffalo chicken sandwich, which the girl at the counter was happy to do for me, and a modification I highly recommend. And by the way, the staff there is excellent, very friendly and helpful, and I think that’s a very necessary feature to emphasize when starting a new food shop in this economy in New York City. Good prices+good food+good service=rare and return-worthy.
On the down side (there’s always a down side), my friend ordered a fake tuna salad sandwich that was my second-choice option, and apparently the meal was a little too wet with veganaise (vegan mayonnaise). Not only is this used to mimic the consistency of tuna salad (this version made with chickpeas) but it also coats the roll, so that overall there was just too much of it to balance the more subtle textures and flavors of the sandwich. I would opt to order this with the additional mayo left off. The deli-style shop only has limited stool seating along the windows, and I wish the seating had backs or was slightly more comfortable. There was also nowhere to hang or store purses and coats, so all of the patrons had shoved their various accoutrement onto the minimal eating space. Chairs with backs or hooks beneath the counters would go a long way toward streamlining the utility of the eat-in option at Terri.
While our food was well-priced, I was hoping to try a smoothie but they didn’t seem a big enough size or a big enough draw to spend $5 or above, since my sandwich barely cost more than that. My friend and I did, however, split a vegan ‘chocolate’ cupcake with ‘buttercream’ icing and it was perfectly rich, moist and just amazing.
After this, we grabbed a quick coffee at the Starbucks down the street to accompany us on our stroll down to Union Square, where I was to leave my friend off to his errands. Walking through the streets with good conversation and a Venti Chai Tea Latte certainly belongs in an ideal afternoon in NYC.
When we parted ways, I took the F downtown to SOHO, where I was attending the trunk show of Naana B, a designer from Columbia University who uses her art to reflect the influence of handmade fabrics from Ghana. I had the opportunity to meet Naana herself, who was warm and cordial but also very knowledgeable about her design direction, which is always a pleasure. I loved the versatile snakeskin clutches as well as hand-printed, mid-length trench jackets. Proceeds from all sales go to the Rural Communities Empowerment Centre in Ghana.
Because I was already in the area, I couldn’t pass up the chance to stop by the Sephora at 555 Broadway. Although the store was the busiest and most poorly staffed I’ve ever seen, I managed to pick up a new foundation since my own was running low and, unfortunately, discontinued as well. I am gravely disappointed that I had to ask two salespeople for help and was still verbally directed to brands and pointed in the general direction of the shelves, without actually being helped in any way. I wouldn’t shop there again if I could possibly avoid it; other locations are much more shopper-friendly and less painful to navigate. For now, I’m back to the same old Sephora brand mattifying foundation until I can find my next favorite to replace the Smashbox powder I so adore(d).
Although I then intended to swing by Trader Joes for some groceries on the way home, I decided that my day had been full and rewarding and there was no reason to end it on the harried note of the long grocery store lines, so I instead went home. Still; all things considered, I managed to have an ideal afternoon in NYC.
~SB
