After Esther and Anna’s ill-fated quest for vegan snacks, the two staff writers got together to eat their way to a vegan salvation.

First, we stopped at Chef Mike’s Sub Shop to try a vegan build-your-own sub. We were really impressed with the vegan-friendly options. They had two different pre-made vegan sandwiches and heaps of vegan toppings. We ordered a sub with guacamole, chipotle tofu, banana peppers, lettuce, balsamic, and olive oil (Esther added red onion to hers as well, because she doesn’t mind stinky breath). 

We munched with gusto. The tofu was flavorful, the bread was crunchy and soft, and all the ingredients paired well together (we have sophisticated palates). We wished Chef Mike’s had a panini press to make the sub warm, and Anna, a messy eater, ended up wearing most of her sandwich, but other than that, we were thoroughly satisfied. Anna gave it a 7/10, while Esther rated it 8/10. We also thought the ambiance was top-tier, and the rap they played was fire. Anna had a lot of fun trying every drink in the soda machine, too. It’s definitely vegan-friendly and the perfect snack spot for late-night studying in Uris. 

We then braved the chilly night to try John Jay. First, we must acknowledge the overstimulation and lack of seating. How can you enjoy vegan food without somewhere to sit? The most stressful part of our adventure was finding somewhere to plop ourselves with our findings. We were definitely more impressed by their dinner offerings than Ferris’ a few weeks ago. Instead of empty containers, we were met with colorful pasta, Beyond sausage with sauce, and string beans—very healthy and appealing to the eye! Esther, an avid pasta lover, was extremely excited (she would eat pasta for every meal if she could). We enjoyed a delicious meal while sharing Barnard English department gossip and stressing over class registration, which definitely added to the taste. Food always tastes better over shared insanity. The pasta could’ve used a little salt, but that’s easily remedied, and it was definitely cooked and tasted like pasta should! That’s a win in our vegan books. Esther rated it a 7/10, and Anna, who was a bit less of a fan, rated it a 6/10. 

Of course, we had to finish with desserts. The holy grail of non-dairy soft serve, Dole Whip, caught our eyes, but by the time Anna went to get us some, it was tragically finished (whyyyyy). So, we settled for a shared plate of peach cobbler, chia pudding, and overnight oats. Some might say these are breakfast foods, but we disagree. Esther enjoyed the cobbler more than the peach bits, and Anna enjoyed the bite-size portion of overnight oats she rounded dinner out with. 

Overall, it was a lovely experience, and we are glad to add a vegan win to Columbia’s record. Praise the vegan gods

Vegan foods via Bwarchives