The best part of New York City’s gastronomic culture is the sheer breadth of food we can pick from. In our hometowns we were forced to frequent Panera or Chik-Fil-A because it was the only good food dispensary nearby. Now, cinnamon-swirl bagels and homophobic fried chicken is but a small portion of the diverse food we can indulge ourselves in.

Restaurants in this city create their own alternative space for food; if people will continue search for something new to put in their stomachs, places can push the boundaries of that food. Caravan of Dreams, on East 6th Street and 1st Avenue, inhabits this alternative stomach space and carves out its own niche of delirious deliciousness. 

The draw of Caravan of Dreams is the formidable dietary restrictions. First off, the menu is entirely organic and vegan. As the website dictates, “Absolutely no animal ingredients are used, nor is outside food allowed with its walls, and the wearing of fur (and, for that matter, all animal materials) is gently discouraged.” The Caravan does not mess around. Not only that, the menu is rife with raw food and gluten-free options, each clearly indicated beside their menu listings.

The true mark of any restaurant working under such restrictions is whether or not a vegan and a meat-eater will both enjoy the food experience. The answer is yes. The taste rises from the ingenious combinations of food that comes together. It just so happens that none of the ingredients involved come from animals. Caravan’s kitchen has put together careful and sometimes bizarre matches for ultimate taste possibilities. Hummus at the bottom of a pesto seitan stir fry? Two kids of oranges, grapefruit, and basil with a balsamic vinegar glaze? Pumpkin seed crust and house-cultured kefir cashew cheese on a pizza? I want to go to there.

The building itself is deceptively big, like the way your aunt wears vertical stripes. The front area looks just as large as, and with similar seating to, a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant like Frank, yet the back stretches out into a much larger seating arrangement. While Yelp classifies the atmosphere with the vague qualities of “hipster” and “romantic,” one does get the sense that this is the exact place that hip couples come to share a coconut-milk ice cream shakes with two straws or deliver tiny morsels of beet ravioli to each other’s beautiful mouths. You want to be in love and so cool and eat at Caravan of Dreams.

If you’re looking for a celebrity endorsement, currently-beardless Orthodox-Jew reggae master Matisyahu loves this place. As Dot S. writes on Yelp, “Friend/client of mine Matisyahu brought me here for a quick bite before one of his shows. WOW. LOVED IT. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this gem until now.” If its good enough for the official song of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, its good enough for you.

While it may be too expensive for a weekly outing, it is worth a visit for a special occasion, like a birthday dinner or the final destination of an intricately planned Valentine’s Day mystery scavenger hunt. Go exploring, be adventurous, and eat well; Panera will be there when you get back.

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