Pure Food & Wine (raw vegan)

[slkinsey]

In retrospect, I've decided that the key to raw food is moderation. An entire meal left my stomach feeling a bit, um, unsettled thoughout the rest of the evening. But I'd gladly go to PF&W's takeaway for a quick bite, or to the restaurant for dessert or drinks & appetizers. Just not perhaps an entire dinner again. The food was lovely but too much roughage for my system to take all at once.

One of the effects of cooking food is that it greatly increases overall digestibility, which is to say that the body is able to absorb more of it. Most raw foods contain a substantial percentage that is not digestible by humans (and some raw foods, like spinach, actually contain "antinutrients" which inhibit digestion as a part of the plant's defense strategy). The bacteria living our guts, however, don't have that problem and happily munch away on whatever we cannot absorb. The inevitable result, especially when combined with a lot of fiber, is an "unsettled stomach."

[sarmasarma123]

I think the Pure Food & Wine takeaway "kiosk" is about to open or recently opened in the space that used to be "Verbena to Go" (on 17th St. between 3rd & Irving).

I hope they sell the non-dairy ice cream by the quart, I will buy one in every flavor.

We just opened Pure Juice and Takeaway today, in the space that was formerly Bar Demi, on 17th.... and to answer your question about the ice creams, we will be selling them by the pint - coconut, chocolate, pistachio, almond brittle and greenmarket flavors that vary daily, like sugarplum or gooseberry. All are non-dairy with no refined sugar. YUM. :)

[alacarte]

The chocolate and pistachio ice creams rock. Pints will have to do!

[hshiau]

In retrospect, I've decided that the key to raw food is moderation. An entire meal left my stomach feeling a bit, um, unsettled thoughout the rest of the evening. But I'd gladly go to PF&W's takeaway for a quick bite, or to the restaurant for dessert or drinks & appetizers. Just not perhaps an entire dinner again. The food was lovely but too much roughage for my system to take all at once.

My wife and I went to PF&W on Monday for dinner. The outside area was packed so we ate indoors. That was just fine by us...air conditioning is always welcome on a muggy day. We both had the lemonade with mint (?) which was very nice. For appetizer, we shared the Thai lettuce wraps and for our entrees, we also shared the lasagne and the squash pasta. The lasagne was amazing! I still can't believe there's no cheese in this dish. The squash pasta, while flavorful, did not do as much for me. I think it was just too much squash. Gets to be like eating a salad with just one type of lettuce and some dressing. The dessert was a dark chocolate something and was completely decadent. I should have gotten a tall glass of milk with it.

I fully enjoyed my meal there and will be returning with friends. However, it turns out it wasn't my wife's cup of tea. She liked the lettuce wrap and the lasagne just fine but I don't think any of it thrilled her. The only item she really liked was the dessert. Different strokes.

As for the upset stomach, I did have some issues later that night. Oddly enough, my wife didn't. Could be because I ate the bulk of the food. Is this something that will continue to happen or does the body get used to it?

Edited August 4, 2004 by hshiau (log)

[alacarte]

I stopped at the takeaway yesterday on my way home -- I recommend the juice drinks (there's even one named after Sarma )

I tried the "Fruit Spice" -- pineapple, pear, and ginger. It was really refreshing, if a disarming shade of green (I'm assuming that's the pear).

Also couldn't help but notice the photos on the wall of adorable goslings. I think I remember pictures of full-grown ducks or geese in the main restaurant. Get it?

[jeunefilleparis]

a la carte, I m curious, really as how you can still be hungry, i admit i am a fairly small framed woman, but i am always left stuffed when i leave there, maybe its the extra dessert i eat that fills me up, who knows! I guess that for me when i used to eat sushi, it would take a lot to fill me up,,,,

[jeunefilleparis]

I stopped at the takeaway yesterday on my way home -- I recommend the juice drinks (there's even one named after Sarma )

I tried the "Fruit Spice" -- pineapple, pear, and ginger. It was really refreshing, if a disarming shade of green (I'm assuming that's the pear).

Also couldn't help but notice the photos on the wall of adorable goslings. I think I remember pictures of full-grown ducks or geese in the main restaurant. Get it?

goslings is a fun word.

sorry random thought, it s been a long day

[sarmasarma123]

It HAS been a long day, and mine's only like one third over... anyway... i'm just happy someone appreciates the baby ducks... i love them! the original duck picture in the restaurant was printed in Gourmet mag about 8 months ago - i loved it so much for some reason - just seemed like the duck had a very cool expression on his face. So I tracked down the photographer - turns out he lives right nearby on East 4th St. and I ended up getting the series of three ducks, plus the baby ducks from him. And then because of that we ended up getting the ducks in our logo graphics. He's a great photographer - Francesco Lagnese. Does nice food pixies too.

I need to change that shake named after me - one of our staff came up with it - it has wheatgrass in it - which I have to admit is not the tastiest stuff in the world, even though I love drinking it. And with all the pineapple and other stuff in the shake, it looks cool. The Clockwork Orange is my favorite... mango, oranges and fresh tumeric, which gives it a spicy kick and makes it really intensely orange colored, and tumeric is insanely good for you. And it has vanilla and agave nectar in it too to make it extra tasty.

OK... i'm off to return a few calls while lying on a bench in our garden... cannot believe it's august and so cool out. amazingly beautiful... hope it lasts. We're opening for lunch on Monday... again, all you egullet junkies out there... ask for me if/when you come in and I'll be happy to send out extras and samplers etc.

QUACK

Sarma :)

[jeunefilleparis]

It HAS been a long day, and mine's only like one third over... anyway... i'm just happy someone appreciates the baby ducks... i love them! the original duck picture in the restaurant was printed in Gourmet mag about 8 months ago - i loved it so much for some reason - just seemed like the duck had a very cool expression on his face. So I tracked down the photographer - turns out he lives right nearby on East 4th St. and I ended up getting the series of three ducks, plus the baby ducks from him. And then because of that we ended up getting the ducks in our logo graphics. He's a great photographer - Francesco Lagnese. Does nice food pixies too.

I need to change that shake named after me - one of our staff came up with it - it has wheatgrass in it - which I have to admit is not the tastiest stuff in the world, even though I love drinking it. And with all the pineapple and other stuff in the shake, it looks cool. The Clockwork Orange is my favorite... mango, oranges and fresh tumeric, which gives it a spicy kick and makes it really intensely orange colored, and tumeric is insanely good for you. And it has vanilla and agave nectar in it too to make it extra tasty.

OK... i'm off to return a few calls while lying on a bench in our garden... cannot believe it's august and so cool out. amazingly beautiful... hope it lasts. We're opening for lunch on Monday... again, all you egullet junkies out there... ask for me if/when you come in and I'll be happy to send out extras and samplers etc.

QUACK

Sarma :)

i wish my office was a garden too,,,, but i have central park across the street for lunch i guess that s good enough....

[SkyeBlue]

Yay! I just joined eGullet because I've been reading all the posts about PF+W and I had to join in. Sarma, you sound like the coolest chick I've never met! I can't wait to meet you. I stopped at the takeaway place on my way home today and I tried the almond brittle and sour cherry ice creams. Omigod they were so amazing. I bought a pint of the almond brittle. You've answered my prayers. I don't eat dairy or soy, and the most of the non-dairy ice creams have so many preservatives and stabilizers and junk in them. Before you opened PF+W I had been bitching about why someone couldn't make a nut milk or coconut milk ice cream and sell it pints.

Thank you, Sarma. You rock.

Emily

[sarmasarma123]

Hi Emily... what a nice posting!! I've been away for too long... am glad you like the ice creams! DO say hello - i'm there MOST of the time... except for now - I escaped with Matthew to our little cottage in Maine - my first (and probably only) time away this summer. So while all you fools are sweating back there in the city... we just lit a fire b/c it's so CHILLY here on the ocean! LOVE the fire in wood cabin smell. So, to make this posting relevant to those obsessed w/ food... a big part of what we love up here is the most AMAZING produce that we get froom a place calle d Chase's Daily... they pick everythign from their farm in the early AM and bring it to their store by 10am - the most amazign salad greens one could imagine.. makes our own nyc greenmarket seem like some moldy Gristede's crap in comparison. OK, not really like that. I feel bad saying that now. HOpe they still sell to us! It's just different. Butter lettuces that are so crisp you would think they would squirt rain water when you bite into them. So, yes... we rawfoodists CHEATED a bit tonight - Chase's Daily serves dinner one night per week - they are vegetarian and serve breakfast and lunch most days, but dinner only one night. IT's the kind of place that really OUGHT to be profiled in Saveur, but you can tell they have no ambitions for such press. They ought to be written about everywhere, but I'm glad they are not... their taste is amazing... antique bar stools, very charming mix and match antique-y dishware, high ceilings, wood floors, the most amazing bread that they bake right there - kitchen is on the same floor. So yes, we had (aside from quite a bit of a very good NZ sauvignon blanc) beautiful salads and then i ordered a mezze plate that had, among other things, grilled halloumi (did i spell that right?) - YUMYUM SALTY YUM... it was good. other than that - we ate just vegetables. OH... except the desserts we tried. A strawberry granita - very nice and not too sweet, probably had jsut a WEE bit of that nasty refined sugar we try to shield ourselves from. But the chocolate "sunken" cake w/ coffee ice cream and a drizzle of caramel - served in a shallow bowl that looked like it came from the back of your mother's cupboard - was better than any dessert I can remember having in any big city by any big name chef. It was crispy and light and rich and (to my horror) buttery! These occasional detours off the raw trail which we blaze are well worth it, in my opinion. Really, this place would blow away anyone, but it's tucked away in Belfast, Maine - so genuine and lovely - run by the CHase family. We'll be getting there by 10am when their little truck arrives to get the best heirloom tomatoes we've ever had, crispy little cucumbers, fresh herbs... radishes - if only we could cart this stuff back with us - maybe we will after labor day? Being away from the restaurant for the first time is hard!! IT's like a mother leaving her baby... ? I had half hoped that it would rain and that it would be a quiet weekend, just so we wouldn't have to worry as much, but alas, despite the reportedly gnarly humid icky weather there right now, it's very busy. We resist the urge to call every five minutes, but so far hear that everything is going well in our absence. I'm still scared. Since we opened, it'st he first time that we have both not been there at the same time. But we figured, late August in the city is as good a time as any to get away... aside from maybe labor day, we'll be back there every night again as usual - can't wait for the fall and can't wait to try different dishes for the cooler weather. Up here we can actually think a bit more creatively. Working on a laptop sitting in a butterfly chair on a wooden dock on the water with a chipmunk eating almonds from my lap (which I put there for him - I have photos to prove it - they love us... we fed them almonds for the last three summers and now they are all over us like affectionate puppies) - so where was I? yes, working on menus and such on a laptop by the ocean is REALLY REALLY NIce. Stepping away is good for a bit - have tons of ideas to implement at the restaurant and the takeaway... if we can find hte time when we get back... will find it. I miss being there - it's like home.

Such a pathetically long post... MK has passed out on the little 70's patterned couch by the fire. Like a sweet puppy. Will probably be mortified if he reads my post tomorrow, as will I surely. On that note... LATER for all you food loving egulleters... i love food too - just not always how it makes me feel... and that's why we do what we do, and I love it.

CHEERS from chilly maine... (where I had the most AMAZING teeny wild blackberries today - i can't stop myself... love it here) goodnight!!

[JennyUptown]

Has anyone been to Pure this fall? I noticed Sarma hasn't visited for awhile so I was curious to know what's up with the menu.

[sarmasarma123]

Has anyone been to Pure this fall?  I noticed Sarma hasn't visited for awhile so I was curious to know what's up with the menu.

←

OH my... I just wrote a really LONG post and then LOST it...

i'm going to go bang my head on the wall till it bleeds now.

Will repost soon, I promise, but I'm too upset now. Wrote ALL about our new fall dishes, about new stuff at the takeaway, about our cool new kitchen with glass storefront, about a recent dinner at kittichai, about the new book am writing (which is why have not been posting at all) and lots of other stuff you all never wanted to know..... I am such a dork that I lost it.

:(

Will be back when I recover from my own stupidity.

Sarma

[Pan]

Sarma, please don't bang your head against the wall! Probably the overwhelming majority of people who post on eGullet long enough have lost long posts. I know I have, and I don't even consider myself a dork (though I guess that could be debatable

).

We'll look forward to your input whenever you post it, and if you're concerned about losing a post again, try typing it up in Microsoft Word or WordPad or something and then cutting and pasting it.

[Liz B-F]

Sarma,

I'm a new eGullet member, and it was actually the thrill of finding your posts that inspired me to join! Pure Food will be a splurge for us, but we plan to have a meal there over the late fall or early winter. (We've had juices and shakes at Pure Juice--yum.) I'm looking forward to hearing all about the new fall dishes.

[alacarte]

Welcome Liz!

I haven't been back to PF&W myself, but I've been a regular at the takeout kiosk. I love the spring rolls and veggie nori rolls, and we've been trying all the wonderful non-dairy "ice creams." (Sarma, if you want some feedback, the chocolate and almond brittle are particular winners in our house...the blueberry got a big thumbs-down, too many skins. Ever consider adding vanilla to your roster?)

[JennyUptown]

Is this place still open?

[mdhl]

Is this place still open?

←

Indeed, and it's doing quite well for the colder months. I pass it every day and the place still packs a full dining room on many nights. They did a nice job creating new dishes that are weather-appropriate, considering the limitations of raw food. I have to admit I'm surprised (pleasantly, people!). It made me realize they'll be doing really well when spring kicks in.

(Note to self: good going leaving your job there)

[JennyUptown]

mdhl - were you affiliated with the restaurant? If so, what did you do and where are you now?

[KVentura]

I'm heading to Pure this weekend on a trip up to NYC. Would love to here what they're offering now if anyone has been lately...

[JennyUptown]

From today's Page Six:

THAT Kyle MacLachlan, Candace Bushnell and Elisabeth Rohm are expected at Monday's launch for "Raw Food, Real World" by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Mangailis at their restaurant, Pure Food and Wine.

[sarmasarma123]

I'm back to say that they butchered the spelling of my last name in that little bit quoted here. Not really. They did, but that's not why I'm back. It has just been a VERY BUSY few months for me... when I logged in I think it said the last time I was on the site was November!

The restaurant is busy... lots of things have changed, but it's a beautiful night in the garden, book is out, and I'm busier than ever before. Though something reminded me of egullet and I thought I'd check back. Our chef Amanda, who has taken over the place like the creative and sweet little dictator that she is, takes good care of things while we work on ancillary projects, about which I'm very excited. Don't know what else to say... feel silly assuming that anyone cares about anything I have to say, though am having to work hard at forcing myself to get over it. See my latest project and it will be clear why.

SO... what can I say? Favorite newest dish at the restaurant? Squash Blossoms... with herbed macadamia cheese filling, zucchini pasta, pecans and red pepper sauce. It's yummy AND pretty. And Coffee Cocoa Chip ice cream, as well as Almond Butter Cup... both better than anything we've had before. Lots of new desserts. Selling packaged products at Whole Foods now. We try. And hopefully get better and better.

Latest pet project: oneluckyduck.com - it's meant to make the whole thing fun.

Almost forgot... went to Spain last winter, (for one of those all expenses paid - do nothing but eat and talk about food with other food people - food trips), was at Hacienda Benazuza and had a 26 course tasting menu. Yes, I will eat non-raw food having any such unusually worthwhile opportunity. I asked them for a long strip of register tape on which I wrote notes on every single extremely interesting and thought provoking course... it was amazing and I had grand delusions of writing a long and mouth watering description on egullet of the entire experience when I returned. Oh well! Though I still have that crumpled register tape somewhere...

From today's Page Six:

THAT Kyle MacLachlan, Candace Bushnell and Elisabeth Rohm are expected at Monday's launch for "Raw Food, Real World" by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Mangailis at their restaurant, Pure Food and Wine.

←

[sarmasarma123]

After that last posting, I just realized that I actually referenced that same Benazuza dinner in the book... and said some potentially controversial things about Anthony Bourdain in the same section. I swear, I was overworked and delirious when I wrote them!

One of my fantasies? To get both Bourdain and Jeffrey Steingarten (LOVE him madly... not sure why so madly considering I have never met him) to eat with me at Pure Food and Wine.