leave no sample unturned: the nyc vegetarian food festival

yesterday marked the first ever nyc vegetarian food festival. it turned out to be a beautiful day, and as the festival was free and advertised delicious sampling from a plethora of veggie-friendly vendors, every vegetarian in all of new york city turned up. and their mommas. yep. mark and i arrived around noon and the line was already wrapped around the next block. not wanting to miss out on the magical treats that lay within the altman building on 18th street, we decided to stick it out along with the other hungry vegan masses. an hour and a half into our wait we were hungry and grumpy, but too stubborn to abandon our posts.  i decided to get into another line, which was for famed jersey-based vegan food truck, cinnamon snail.  now in directionally opposing lines, we waited and waited. friends came to join us in our quest and finally, minutes before we entered the food festival i returned to the main line with provisions; a barbecue seitan and kimchee creation in a tortilla, and a miso teriyaki seitan sandwich for mark. also, vegan apple cider donuts and a raw brownie. we ate ravenously, as if it were the last tofu on earth. and it was good.

cinnamon snail, i heart you so. please get out of jersey and come live in nyc where your vegan vittles are desperately needed.

so anyway, we finally got in. after a 3-hour wait (yep. yep we did.) i was determined to try every offering in the house. from grape kombucha to raw slaw i tasted each and every one until i emerged sick and dizzy with sugar and soy. but it was worth it. some favorites included a rocking soy mac & cheese from williamsburg restaurant, food swings, and the amazing vegan marshmallows by sweet & sara. peanut butter smores marshmallows = the bomb. i got pics of some other favorites seen below:

waiting in line three hours for a vegetarian food festival may sound like a crazy way to spend a sunday afternoon, but i didn't mind at all. i'm so grateful to the organizers for putting together this festival. it was  hectic to see so many people waiting to get in, and i'm sure there were tons of people who heard "free food" and got in line, but i think it's fantastic that so many people were inspired to be a part of such a great event. i'm glad i waited and i'm glad i was there for their first year. i hope it will be an annual tradition for many years to come.  viva la veggie!!