Peacefood - Union Square — Restaurant in New York

I have eaten at Peacefood a few times and always found it pretty good, albeit a bit pricey. I went with a couple friends Saturday and ordered the 'golden beet salad' which was an item on their special seasonal menu. The description made it sound like it would be composed mainly of beets with a bit of greens. Toasted, crushed pecans and vegan goat cheese were the toppings. When the salad came it was a big bowl of greens with maybe about 1/3 of a beet cubed on top and what looked like 1/2 cup crumbled nuts. Now, I know that vegan cheese is usually nut based, but what was crumbled on top didn't resemble anything close to cheese and was just purely crushed nuts with maybe a bit of seasoning. I searched through the bowl for any sign of goat cheese, took one bite and tasted nothing resembling vegan goat cheese, and then motioned for the waitress. I politely asked her if there was any goat cheese in the salad. She brought back a menu and pointed to the kale salad and said "There isn't goat cheese in this item." I responded "I didn't order the kale salad, I ordered the golden beet salad,," and pointed directly at where it said 'vegan goat cheese' in the description. She checked with the manager and came back to explain that the crushed nuts were indeed the goat cheese. Since I had ordered the salad expecting vegan goat cheese that at least vaguely resembles goat cheese (which I have had in the past, being lactose intolerant) and a significant amount of beets I asked if I could send it back and order something else as it was not what I was expecting. I should preface, I have never in my entire life sent anything back to the kitchen and felt incredibly uncomfortable during this entire encounter trying to explain my point. In the past, even if I really didn't like something I would grin and bear it because I've worked in the food industry and don't want to add undue stress to the hard-working staff. The waitress through this entire encounter was very pleasant and helpful and took the plate back. Two minutes later she returned with the plate and set it down in front of me, apologetically saying that the manager had said because 'the food was already prepared' that it could not be sent back and if I wanted something else I would have to pay for both items. I have never heard of something like this before. Restaurants take back food all the time - and of course it's already prepared! But they still take it back! I honestly would not have said anything in the first place about my disappointment in the dish, but this meal was definitely a splurge and because I was paying $15 for a salad (which is expensive for me) I wanted to have something I actually enjoyed. I don't understand the manager's reasoning behind not taking the food back, but I wanted to warn future patrons not to expect to return anything if they are not completely satisfied with it. I, for one, will not be returning to this establishment and will pass this message on to friends and family. There are several other vegan restaurants in the vicinity I would urge you to...

If you want bold FLAVOR this is the place! They have LARGE portion sizes so I can understand the price along with it being vegan food. Went there last night for the first time for a treat to celebrate "World Vegan Day".

The "VEGGIE 'CHEESE' BURGER" will have to tie with the other best veggie burger I have EVER had! It is huge and filling. My meat eating friend liked it so I had to have a taste. He also ordered the "VEGETABLE TEMPURA". While crispy I have to say I wish they would use the wine sauce like most Japanese places would. It balances out the flavor. It was way too salty with the soy sauce for dip instead but I'll tell you the portion size for it is meal size we could not finish it so I applaud them on giving lots of food.

I had the "VEGAN POT PIE" and while it was tasty I would wish they would have more of the pastry... The sides were too crumbly to eat and I ended up feeling more like I was eating a yummy vegan gravy than pot pie. I also would URGE them to add some sort of dressing at least on the side for the "KALE SALAD" that comes with it. I could not eat it as it was just bland and had no dressing. At least offer an options. There are many vegan lemon dressings or even balsamics or vinegrettes that are easy to make or don't use honey. I also had to have them remake it as it does contain corn along with the pot pie so keep that in mind if you are sensitive. The "CHICKPEA FRIES" were BEAUTIFULLY spiced and the creamy dip paired well with them. I enjoyed having "HOT CHOCOLATE" again which I had given up when going vegan. The slice of "VANILLA CAKE" is the BEST I have ever had in my life. It tops even the ones with dairy I had back when I was younger and ate that stuff. It is SOOO moist and delicious. My most favorite part of the meal last night.

Our waitress was pleasant and accommodating. We were told the owner will be trying to add even more items. I have to say out of all the vegan/vegetarian restaurants I have been too, this one has the MOST and BEST variety of food. You know they're an amazing chef when they are able to make a vegan dish taste like the food a meat eater would eat. It's actually the first restaurant I've never needed to ask for any sort of spice to add like salt, pepper, or sugar and I am a salt addict. Everything has a wonderful and full taste. I will most CERTAINLY be back very soon to try more of the items. It's a bit too dark at night time so hopefully I can get better photos next time if I make it during the day as even flash did not help that. Decor of restaurant is like that of a wealthy persons dining room and living room. Loved all the art work. The designer definitely knows their stuff. Wonderful warm ambiance. GO...

Came here to have a little birthday dinner with my husband. We enjoyed everything about this establishment. The decor is gorgeous and really sets the mood, the space has really great energy. It's lower lighting in the evening, candles on the table- but it's not a hindrance like it can be in some other places. It's perfect. It's not loud or overwhelming, jazz covers of well-known songs were playing when we were there, and it was very enjoyable to listen for what would play next.

The service was incredible from start to finish. Everyone was so welcoming and warm. I also appreciated that they weren't overbearing, our wait person- Nathan, had great timing, was great at his job overall, and was very charming. We had a lot of fun and laughs with him! Definitely adds to the overall vibe of the place.

Let's talk about this food... it's incredible. The portions are extremely generous, everything was fresh and hot, and the flavors were to die for. We started off with a smoothie at my husband's suggestion because it sounded really good- and it was SO fresh and beautifully made, I can't remember which kind it was, but I can remember I was happy and will be trying more in the future- and that's all that matters! My husband had a curry dish that was phenomenal (too spicy for me, but I did steal some bites anyway because it was very good). I ordered the burger and fries, and I thought it was an absolute showstopper. The flavors were out of this world and the focaccia bread it comes on was so soft and pillowy, almost doughy and perfectly complimented the burger with all of the wonderful toppings. This dish came with fries that were very crispy and tasty. My husband kept stealing bites from me too! Everything was presented very nicely, and I think the price point is extremely reasonable for the ingredients, the portions, and the experience you'll get here.

We were absolutely stuffed by the time we were through with dinner, but wanted to get a piece of cake to go, so we went over to peruse the bakery case and took a look at the menu as well. We took home a slice of carrot cake at Nathan's suggestion, and when we were finally able to eat it the next day- it was a delight. Some of the best carrot cake I've had, hands down. I have a huge sweet tooth, and that's not generally what I would jump at, but this was different, and I'm looking forward to having it again.

Overall, I would highly recommend dining here and supporting this business in full- I can't wait...