Vegan MoFo, Day 11 - Cafe Review: Moon & River Cafe
This weekend's post...eatery review! Remember how I mentioned a few posts back that it's almost impossible to dine out vegan near where I live? This still stands true, but the almost is a little less bleak now that I've discovered the menu at Moon and River Cafe in Schenectady.
I've known about Moon and River for several years, but mostly knew them as a tiny coffee shop and live music venue. Lately, though, they've expanded their menu exponentially to include many vegetarian and vegan food options for every meal. Though their menu does offer many omni dishes, they tout themselves as "90% vegetarian" now. I was very impressed by the selection when I saw the menu online, and decided that the new dishes needed a test run!
I headed over on Friday night to meet a musician friend and have dinner. After much deliberation, I settled on the "Greek Gyro"; a long pita bread topped with sauteed vegan Boca burger chunks, onions, zucchini, grape tomatoes, and spices. (Unfortunately, all I had with me to take pictures was my phone, so they're not the greatest.)
Now, the food wasn't five-star. It wasn't anything I couldn't have made in my own kitchen. But keep in mind that Moon and River is a very, very small place. Not exactly a hole in the wall, but definitely on the "local small business" end of things. Which, in my mind, makes the size of their menu all the more impressive. Having to stock all the ingredients necessary to make whatever the customer decides to order is a big deal financially, and having staff trained to prepare all the dishes has got to be a demand on time.
Speaking of, when my friend and I arrived, it was before the evening rush and the cafe was staffed solely by the owner, Richard Genest. He was friendly and helpful, and prepared our meals single-handedly. I liked the effort he made in the artistic presentation of the food. The gyro was perhaps a bit more oily than if I had cooked something similar myself, but overall it was quite enjoyable, and light enough that I felt I had room for dessert, which is almost unprecedented for me when I eat out.
What does one have for dessert at a small cafe? Why, vegan chocolate pie, of course!
Not only was this delicious little slice of chocolate heaven vegan, it was also wheat-free (and inexpensive). Notice that it was so tasty that we couldn't wait to try it before taking a picture. Along with a cup of coffee that was strong enough to meet my approval (another nearly unprecedented event!), it was the perfect end to a light, tasty meal.
All in all, I'd say that Moon and River is a great place to spend an evening with a friend or two. In addition to their expanded menu, they continue to have live, local music seven nights a week. My friend and I didn't get to stay for that, but I have seen shows there and played there myself in the past and can attest to the fact that it's an intimate venue and a lot of fun.
Richard also has a sense of humor.
My friend and I were highly amused.
I've known about Moon and River for several years, but mostly knew them as a tiny coffee shop and live music venue. Lately, though, they've expanded their menu exponentially to include many vegetarian and vegan food options for every meal. Though their menu does offer many omni dishes, they tout themselves as "90% vegetarian" now. I was very impressed by the selection when I saw the menu online, and decided that the new dishes needed a test run!
I headed over on Friday night to meet a musician friend and have dinner. After much deliberation, I settled on the "Greek Gyro"; a long pita bread topped with sauteed vegan Boca burger chunks, onions, zucchini, grape tomatoes, and spices. (Unfortunately, all I had with me to take pictures was my phone, so they're not the greatest.)
Now, the food wasn't five-star. It wasn't anything I couldn't have made in my own kitchen. But keep in mind that Moon and River is a very, very small place. Not exactly a hole in the wall, but definitely on the "local small business" end of things. Which, in my mind, makes the size of their menu all the more impressive. Having to stock all the ingredients necessary to make whatever the customer decides to order is a big deal financially, and having staff trained to prepare all the dishes has got to be a demand on time.
Speaking of, when my friend and I arrived, it was before the evening rush and the cafe was staffed solely by the owner, Richard Genest. He was friendly and helpful, and prepared our meals single-handedly. I liked the effort he made in the artistic presentation of the food. The gyro was perhaps a bit more oily than if I had cooked something similar myself, but overall it was quite enjoyable, and light enough that I felt I had room for dessert, which is almost unprecedented for me when I eat out.
What does one have for dessert at a small cafe? Why, vegan chocolate pie, of course!
Not only was this delicious little slice of chocolate heaven vegan, it was also wheat-free (and inexpensive). Notice that it was so tasty that we couldn't wait to try it before taking a picture. Along with a cup of coffee that was strong enough to meet my approval (another nearly unprecedented event!), it was the perfect end to a light, tasty meal.
All in all, I'd say that Moon and River is a great place to spend an evening with a friend or two. In addition to their expanded menu, they continue to have live, local music seven nights a week. My friend and I didn't get to stay for that, but I have seen shows there and played there myself in the past and can attest to the fact that it's an intimate venue and a lot of fun.
Richard also has a sense of humor.
My friend and I were highly amused.