While everyone knows you can’t win friends with salad, sometimes you just need some leafy greens in your life. The Butcher’s Daughter has been a hit ever since it opened on the corner of Delancey and Elizabeth. It looks like it was hand picked straight out of health-conscious, sunny LA. The bright yellow chairs and clean modern decor inside make you feel like you are putting great things in your body as soon as you are seated. The vegetarian and dairy-free menu has changed quite a bit over the last year or so which is why I’m reviewing again. I was definitely missing out on the dinner menu (although I still dream about their homemade peanut butter toast for brunch). The Angel Hair Squash Carbonara“pasta” with Cashew Ricotta is just unbelievable. Between you and me (and you and me only), I think this is almost better than any handmade carby pasta in the city. It’s dense, creamy, and you feel great indulging in the entirely large portion. While I was a bit disappointed that the Kale Salad changed because the apples really killed it in there, the vegetarian Caesar dressing is equally as craveable and these leaves are huge with some a little rougher than others. The dressing is spicy and the crispy shallots and 7-grain croutons add some crunch.
Angel Hair Carbonara
Butcher’s Daughter is by no means fast-casual, but with the addition of the Egg Shop and By Chloe not too far down the road, they give off this same exciting feeling of: I’m putting good things in my body, and I’m not going to have to roll out of here like an Oompa Loompa (unless you eat the whole biscuit at egg shop or too many fries and kale ice cream at By Chloe). The point is, you really have a choice at these places and you don’t have to wait a year for a reservation or show up polished. It’s important to have those few places in your rotating circle where you can just pop in unannounced and get the grub you deserve. At The Butcher’s Daughter, you can do this and your carnivorous friends won’t hate you because, hey, they can essentially get angel hair, tagliatelle with black bean and tomato bolognese, and a burger. Any spot that makes cauliflower the star of the show is my friend. Order the cauliflower here for the table or go for some smashed avocado toast bites or mushroom-walnut pate charcuterie.
If it’s too crowded for lunch or dinner one day, there is a to-go spot next door that already has a few pre-made options and juices. Butcher’s Daughter is your cool, vegetarian spot that makes you forget you haven’t had meat, which in my book is pretty hard to do.