Grateful

Believe it or not, this blog was unplanned. Nonetheless, it's a blog that I must write. How far do I backtrack? Well, let me just say that I've been vegetarian since March 2010, and I've been vegan since February 2011. In some ways, that doesn't seem very long, but as I've been saying for a long time now, everything happens for a reason.

Fast forward to actual Thanksgiving Day 2012. For those of you who don't know (and that's pretty much everyone except maybe two people), I spent quite a bit of the day planning for an online rally for the dolphins and whales that swim near Taiji, Japan. Now, some of you may think I'm crazy for doing that. Maybe all of you do. But it was worth it to me. And I would do it all over again. That holiday weekend, we saw five straight blue cove days.

Saturday, December 8

So this past week, I had been obsessing over going to The Cinnamon Snail to get a donut – hopefully a jelly donut. I love jelly donuts. I learned that the Snaily (affectionate term for fans of the award-winning food truck) would be at the Vegan Holiday Shop-up in Brooklyn on Saturday. Recently, on Saturdays,the truck has been serving neighborhoods affected by Super Storm Sandy. For FREE. So I've been missing my opportunities to get my favorite ancho chili seitan burger, but I have no reason to complain: I love the fact that they are helping the victims of Sandy get back on their feet. I arrived at the truck a little bit before noon yesterday. I was the first person in a line of one for about half an hour. Okay, yes, that was totally awkward, but once they opened, a long line formed very quickly, and I didn't have to wait in it! Boom. Worth it. I was greeted with a cheerful "Good morning!" and I ordered a Thanksgiving Sandoo, plus two treats, one of which was a cranberry jelly donut!

I briefly popped into Pine Box Rock Shop for a quick look around the shop-up. I've already bought Christmas presents for my family, so I just wanted to see what the vendors were selling, just in case! I then made my way on foot to Dun-well Doughnuts which, by subway, is one L train stop away. But I used the time to stroll and eat and savor my Thanksgiving Sandoo. I normally don't eat while walking, but that sandwich was perfect for multitasking. It held together nicely, and it was OH SO GOOD. It was heaven in sandwich form. Though I brought my camera with me, I didn't take a picture. Sorry. If you're in the NYC area, get the Thanksgiving Sandoo. You will be singing its praises, trust me.

By the time I got to Dun-well Doughnuts, I was so full that I convinced myself to only get one doughnut to go: traditional glazed. After all, I already had two treats from Snaily to eat later. ;)

Sunday, December 9

During my planning for the Vegan Holiday Shop-up, I browsed the website and took a look at all the vendors that would be there. I got really excited when I learned that Chickpea & Olive was among the food vendors! Now, I honestly can't remember how or when I'd first heard of them, but I have indeed. Their logo is adorable. Then I learned that they'd be at Bread and Yoga's Om Grown Market on Sunday, so thankfully my dilemma over which food to eat on which day turned out to be a no-brainer: I could have both Snaily and Chickpea & Olive in one weekend!

I was originally planning to go to a vegan holiday market down in SoHo on Sunday, but once I learned about the holiday market in my own neighborhood, again, it was a no-brainer. You can't beat local.

I made my way around the market and then stood in line at Chickpea & Olive's table. I heard a few people in front of me ordering the grilled cheese sandwich. They had run out of Daiya, so it would be a ten-minute wait. No worries. I already knew I wanted the Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich!

I had a little chuckle when Danielle, the woman who took my order, said "Another Gracias" to Daniel, the chef. Yes, I notice the little things, and even that was appreciated by me.

My order was ready in a few short minutes. There wasn't really anywhere in the market that I could sit down and eat, so I packaged up the sandwich in a "to go" container that I brought with me and took it home.

I devoured the first half of the sandwich in less time than it takes to boil water. I told myself to slow down, waited for my water to boil, and then savored the second half. The sandwich is perfect. In every bite, you get seitan, you get gravy, you get cranberry jam, you get pumpkin. It's a slightly messy but OH SO GOOD sandwich.

Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich from Chickpea & Olive

Chickpea & Olive, I bow down to you. I support you because you are more than the amazing food you make. You are the only food vendor that I have seen retweet Sea Shepherd's updates about the horrors in Taiji. To me, that means everything. It's nice to know that someone else in NYC cares about dolphins and whales and is making a difference doing something they love.

So again, dear reader, if you find yourself in NYC, please support Chickpea & Olive. Their food is so incredibly satisfying! I am already a fan and look forward to trying more of their creations.

Full of gratitude and full of Thanksgiving leftovers,
Allison