241370 Sun Oct 19 16:16:09 -0700 2003 6 19 Outer Boroughs 0 1281213 I stopped for lunch at Tchefa (512 Flatbush, nearest the Prospect Park Q/S train stop) today. The "new" signs are still up, so I think it opened pretty recently. The sign says juice bar and sandwich bar. No sandwiches in sight though. It's a strictly veggie (though not vegan) place. The food seems at first to be Caribbean like so many others in Crown Heights and Flatbush, but it turns out to be a Southern (American) inspired. You order a combo plate and they fill it with a variety of dishes. Is it really satisfying comfort veggie food, great if you're in the park or at the Gardens? Yes. Is it worth a trip? Probably not. Veggie patties are slightly better than average. The best dish is probably the cornmeal crusted BBQ "shrimp." That's saying a lot for me, because I usually find fake shrimp to be repulsive. The jerk "chicken" wasn't bad either. But there was a dull tofu dish in a strange fruity sauce, and the side dishes were boring too. The mac & cheese was just bad. I almost forgot to mention that there are actually seats and tables here. Anyone who has been to places like Caribbean Delicacy or Ras Diggi knows what a rarity that can be for Brooklyn veggie food. The place is clean, comfortable, and safe. Wish I had better news to report. But there are just too many good vegan places in Brooklyn and Queens to go out of your way for this one. Sun Oct 19 16:16:09 -0700 2003 0 JC 1 1281215 Just wondering...I too have noticed the dearth of seats and tables at many Brooklyn veggie places. I wonder why this is? Sun Oct 19 19:09:12 -0700 2003 1281213 0 Kerry 2 1281241 Good question about the lack of seating. It's weird. D'Ital has one booth. Caribbean Delicacy has no seats. Irie has no seats. I can only guess that it has something to do with the neighborhoods. All of the places I just mentioned also have the cash registers (if not the entire kitchen) located behind bullet proof glass. I guess they just don't want to encourage customers to hang out for too long. I don't know about you, but I usually want to eat my food when I order it--walking around with piping hot curry is usually not a good idea. It's funny though because, at least from my experience, the customers at these veggie places tend to be pretty laid back people. I think the lack of meat protein and the added soy (which results in greater estrogen production) makes people a little more mellow ;) Mon Oct 20 16:48:04 -0700 2003 1281215 0 JC 3 1281243 LOL maybe I need to eat some more soy! I could stand to be a bit more mellow ;-) Mon Oct 20 16:58:46 -0700 2003 1281241 0 Kerry 2 1281507 I've read that the dearth of non-tourists in Italian restaurants in Little Italy, even in their heyday, was based on the cultural expectation that one would eat at home. My guess would be that this is also true in the Caribbean community, and people therefore generally take even their food prepared home to eat it. Anyone with actual knowledge and the time to answer? Sun Oct 26 06:02:38 -0800 2003 1281215 0 JanetG 2 1281508 I've read that the dearth of non-tourists in Italian restaurants in Little Italy, even in their heyday, was based on the cultural expectation that one would eat at home. My guess would be that this is also true in the Caribbean community, and people therefore generally take even their food prepared home to eat it. Anyone with actual knowledge and the time to answer? Sun Oct 26 06:02:47 -0800 2003 1281215 0 JanetG 1 1281226 Thanks for the heads up about the veggie "shrimp". It's usually pretty hard to find those on menus. Mon Oct 20 12:40:48 -0700 2003 1281213 0 DeeDee