Sacred Chow

[AdinaA]

It's a vegan place in the village that I like. You can go on Shabbat, so can people paying cash.

In addition to listing their hashgacha, Sacred Chow has added this to their website:

“Sacred Chow offers a full line of food that can be served Kosher for Shabbos. Look for the KS symbol on our menu. Please email sacredchow at aol dot com with payment and meal details to set up pre-payment. Arrangements for payment of Kosher for Shabbos meals must be made before 4 PM on Friday. Restroom lights are left on from 4 PM Friday until 8 PM Saturday.

“Those observing Netilat yadayim La'Pat are welcome to use the hand washing sink in the server's station. Cups are availalbe on the shelf behind the station and can be filled from the sink.

“All food cooked in Sacred Chow is Beit Yosef. All baked goods are Pas Yisroel and cooked foods are prepared through Bishul Yisrael.”

I find them very different than the other places that are open on shabbos.

[marissaj]

At risk of sounding like a complete idiot: "All food cooked in Sacred Chow is Beit Yosef". Doesnt Beit Yosef refer to a sephardi form of hashgacha on meat? How can a vegan restaurant lay any claim to serving Beit Yosef? And how is a food cooked 'Beit Yosef'. Is it me or does this make absolutely no sense?

[The Chowhound Team]

Folks, just a reminder that the intricacies of dietary laws and classifications are really off-topic here. It's fine to report what certifications a restaurant has, but debating whether they're appropriate or acceptable for different people is more a religious question than a food one, and something we try to avoid. Thanks.

[CloggieGirl]

It's not a religious issue to wonder why a vegan restaurant is making claims that only apply to meat. Could someone who understands kashrut mod this board so we don't get these (rather patronizing) notes when they don't apply?

[GilaB]

Yes, AFAIK, this is pretty similar to a vegan restaurant claiming to serve only humanely slaughtered food. Wouldn't you wonder what was going on, mods, or would you warn the vegans asking the question that it was unsuitable for these boards?

[zsero]

That's just the point. "Bet Yosef" does NOT "only apply to meat". Bet Yosef is a multi-volume work that covers almost every conceivable aspect of a Jew's life! And the "Cliff's Notes" to Bet Yosef, published under the title "Shulchan Aruch", became *the* definitive text on Jewish law! To reduce it to one particular opinion about how an adult mammal's lungs are to be inspected is incredible. It makes just as much sense for a vegan restaurant as for a meat one to claim (correctly or not) that its standard of kashrut complies with the Bet Yosef's opinions.

[vallevin]

Marissa....I was wondering the same thing myself, although I'm going to make educated guess that Beit Yosef doesn't just apple to meat

[mrmoose]

i assume it refers to bishul akum. The Beis Yosef requires that a Jew take an active part in the cooking process while for the Rema starting a fire is enough.

[zsero]

That would be my guess too, and one I posted last week, but it got deleted.

[zsero]

You wouldn't have to make that guess if the moderation team hadn't deleted the previous discussion on just this question.

[SoCal Mother]

I agree with Cloggie Girl. This is a kosher board and discussions about kashrut are COMPLETELY appropriate to a discussion of food.

If this were a discussion of the cleanliness rating of a take-out place, the mods would not delete it, and the kashrut of a place is a similar issue.

Why is an explanation of Bet Yosef (which we clearly do not all understand,) any different that if I said that "restaurant X had great food but their rating is only a B, and a B rating means that the inspector found whatever so I don't want to eat there but my kids will."

[SoCal Mother]

And this wonderful place is in which country and city???

[zsero]

NYC, which seems to be the default location for discussions on this board; if we're talking about other places we tend to specify.

Specifically it's in the NYU area, between Washington Square and Houston

[AdinaA]

It's in the village. I am constantly amazed by how provincial New Yorkers are. Like me. Sorry.

2nd try

It's a vegan place in Greenwich Village, lower Manhattan.

I should also add that we are talking about a really small vegan place. Some of the dishes are wonderful, some are weird, but all are simple. I ate there last night (which was why I had that snippet from the website yesterday). I had two items form the specials menu. An cherry lassi soup that was wonderful. And a tapa of soy croquettes with a garlicky Chinese dipping cause. Outstanding. And a tapa plate of root vegetable latkes with a sauce; both were dull. My companion enjoyed a grinder featuringf tofu in a western sauce. And ordered the cherry lassi for dessert because I had enjoyed mine so much. We each had an iced tea. Dinner and the tip came to $60. Low for New York.

The most wonderful thing about it, for me, is that it is in a place where I often have some reason to be at mealtime. And I thought others might find it useful and not have known about it.

[DeisCane]

I don't think you have to commit hari kiri. There were multiple mentions of NYU in the thread. It should have been pretty clear where it was. Unless someone thought it was near Northern Yorkshire University. :-)

[AdinaA]

I think SoCal Mother is right, though. I should have put the city right up front. I'd like not to have New York as the default location, but, rather, to encourage more people from LA and Miami and New Haven - and London, Tel Aviv and Hong Kong, to post here. So that we'd have better coverage of food in other cities.

[SoCal Mother]

The original post just said it was "in the village." I don't want to bother opening the thread and read through all the posts just to discover that the new restaurant is 3000 miles away.

[CloggieGirl]

It's also confusing when people call items grinders instead of sandwiches/heros/subs/hoagies. This is not an NY thing as far as I know. I have heard it from my Pittsburgh and Chicago friends.

[DeisCane]

There are many names for sandwiches made on long bread. The term grinder comes from the Boston/New England area, actually. Not sure how this is confusing though.

[zsero]

It's confusing because it's not known in NYC, where this restaurant is located. It's as confusing as talking about a "bubbler" at a NY restaurant, whatever that is (I know it's another term used in the Boston area, but I can't remember for what).

[DeisCane]

A bubbler is a water fountain.

This is a foodie website; using regional food terms should not be a big issue.

[serenarobin]

AdinaA, do they focus on any type of vegan food (indian, chinese)? Can you recommend any dishes?

[zsero]

More like "crunchy-granola" type food. There's a "hummus of the day", a "protein of the day", a "grain of the day", and then there are all sorts of appetizer-sized plates that you can order one at a time for $7.50, or 3 for $18.

The menu is at http://sacredchow.com/menu1.htm

[AdinaA]

The food can be wonderful - or, to may taste, weirdly vegan; I simply don't like tempeh.

The daily specials are extensive and varied and very often wonderful.

Last time I was there I had a watermelon gazpacho (I think that's what they called it) - it was out of this world good. I've had wonderful hot bean and vegetable soups and curries. Their breads are first-rate. They server grinders on rolls that are heavenly - various soy meats in sauces. And fritters made from freshly shredded vegetable combinations. And things that just surprise you.

It's very casual. Funky casual. Lots of NYU students. It's cheap. It's fun. The food is different, and often very, very good. Vegan eclectic. (zsero is not wrong when he says crunchy-granola) Oh, also the drinks. Hot and cold. Fruit smoothies. Ginger tea.

It's really nice to have a place to eat near NYU and everything else that happens in the village. Like, this week, there's a Zionist musical opening at the Fringe Festival. http://www.seedofabrahamamusical.com/ Right on Bleeker Street.

[serenarobin]

Thank you! A veggie friend and I will be in NY next week and may give it a try.