This weekend I had the pleasure of being in Watkins Glen, NY for the Green Grand Prix (more on that here). Despite the area being wonderfully pretty, just off of Seneca Lake, one of the largest of the Finger Lakes, Watkins Glen was also a cute town.
Both nights I ended up eating at a place called Wildflower Cafe. The first night we were guided there by an ecomodder I didn’t know what vegan until later, and then the second night by a guy with a Prius painted to look like a shuttle craft from Star Trek. Certainly interesting company.
Day 1: Mushroom Burger and Sweet Potato Fries
The first time we went to Wildflower Cafe it was late on a busy Friday night. Despite the ruckus, we received good service and our food was out promptly, which I think reflects well on the quality of service at the establishment.
I didn’t know what to order so I let my fiancee chose for me: a burger made of some sorts of mushrooms and together we split an order of sweet potato fries. Overall, the burger was a little bland, but not unpleasant to eat. The fries were much better. I am a big fan of yam fries and the Wildflower Cafe definitely gets a thumbup for theirs. They also came with delicious dipping sauces, including avocado and some sort of spicy catchup. Good stuff.
Day 2: Moonrose Ribs and Haystack Onion Rings
Returning for a second time, I decided to order my second choice from the night before: Moonrose Ribs. The ribs were, of course, not real ribs, but a soy-based concoction in a tangy sauce (picture above). The onion rings were not traditional rings, but rather thinly shredded and without the breading. This time, it was the onion rings that were slightly bland and the main course that was delicious.
The Moonrose Ribs did not disappoint, and were even enjoyed by one of my omnivorous companions. I will definitely return to Wildflower Cafe next year for more of these ribs.
Overall, this was a great restaurant with good service and reasonable prices (dinner for 4 was less than 50 dollars). I look forward to returning and would recommend it to anyone.
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I’m the aforementioned omnivore. And I also give those “ribs” two enthusiastic swine flu-free thumbs up. (It’s all about the BBQ sauce with ribs, anyway.)
This place was the only vegan option (of course aside from asian food) in Watkin’s Glen found on happycow.net. Happycow is a really useful tool for the traveling conscious eater if you haven’t heard of it. Probably the only reason Watkins Glen has any deliberately vegan options at all is due to the nearby Farm Sancutary (farmsanctuary.org) and it’s supporters.
There are actually several restaurants/cafes in Watkins Glen that have Vegan options. Farm Sanctuary has a pamphlet that lists the places and I believe it is on their website. There is even a nice little natural grocery store that has a lot of Vegan items.
Thanks for the comment, I will definitely look into this next time I am in town.
No problem. We even have a place that sells Vegan icecream (including soft serve). Although what they sell changes day to day it seems. Besides Farm Sanctuary having a Vegan bed and breakfast there is another Vegan bed and breakfast in town called the Ginger Cat.