Saturday, March 5, 2011

No for vegans at Big Nicks in NYC

I hate writing a review like this. I always hope to bring another place to the table, so to speak, where those of us can eat side by side with those who are not yet so enlightened and be offered uncomplicated ordering of vegan options.

I think, when a place advertises vegan options on a menu, it means two things to me. A) I don't have to go through my "education" speech and the wait staff know what it means and B) when I say vegan the wait staff uses that knowledge to help me get what I want and is more than a conveyance system from the kitchen to my table.

I'm even more disappointed in Big Nicks because I personally went out of my way a few weeks ago and invested time, effort, and energy to make this establishment better for us. I met with the manager a day after I found out one of the vegan cheeses they were offering contained casein. I was assured that the problem would be taken care of.

Here I am at Big Nicks again.  I tell the waiter I want vegan cheese.  I ask, "Do you know what that means?  I want it to be vegan."  He obviously speaks English as a second(?) language but says, "Tofu, tofu."  It's noisy.  I just don't feel like yelling a vegan lesson.  I was assured by the manager that he was going to give the staff a lesson in vegan.

So my portobello sandwich comes, I take one bite and taste the honey.  Since the menu had a D next to the item and I "veganized" it, is it really too much to ask that since the establishment caters to vegans, advertises for vegans and holds itself out as catering to vegan needs that I get a VEGAN sandwich with no surprises?

Sorry Big Nicks, this is strike two and I have no intention of eating here again to see if they can pull off strike three.

I can't recommend Big Nicks.  Sorry.

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