New York City is a leader in any cuisine news, so when vegetarian comfort food made its way onto menus around the city trend curators perked up.
Traditional dishes like macaroni and cheese, pizza and mashed potatoes are staple comfort foods; translating them into vegetarian dishes means creations like mac 'n' cheese with kale and mushrooms or pizza with wild mushrooms and chicken-fried cauliflower.
Nikki Dinki helped champion vegetarian dishes as palatable and healthful. Dinki is the star of “Junk Food Flip” on the Cooking Channel and a cookbook author (“Meat on the Side”).
"People are less afraid of the word 'vegetarian' because they are realizing that it can mean super yummy food like charred broccoli tacos and not just a garden salad," said Dinki.
Living in New York City, she has firsthand knowledge of the city's vegetarian scene, calling Gato her absolute favorite. Dirt Candy, Nix and Little Beet are also some of the most notable spots to snap up these inventive, filling dishes.