Friday, May 9, 2014

The Green Radish Food Truck - Update!

I first reviewed the Green Radish food truck last summer (you can read my review from that visit here). As I mentioned then, they were sold out of the black bean burger, so I had a chickpea burger instead. It was great! But ever since, I’ve been dying to go back to try the other burger (plus, I wanted to try their now-famous donarts).

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I don’t usually end up working in midtown, or having time off that allows me to go to midtown on a weekday, but finally the stars aligned and I had a meeting near Bryant Park the other day, so I excitedly hurried over to the Green Radish’s parking spot on 38th Street and Broadway afterwards (coincidentally, the same location I had visited them at last time – although their location varies from day to day).

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When I stepped up to the window to place my order, I learned two things: 1. I was in luck, and they had not sold out of the black bean burger yet! And 2. They had revised their menu since my last visit, removing the chickpea burger (RIP) and the mushroom burger. Now the only burger they serve is the black bean one – but they assured me that it would be delicious! (and everything on the menu is still 100% vegan)

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They were right – this is a really tasty burger! The toppings really pack a flavor-punch: “melted onions” (not sure what that means, but they seemed like really soft caramelized onions to me) with a generous spread of avocado puree and one of the best spicy mayo sauces I’ve ever had. Yum! That is a winning combination of toppings.

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The whole wheat bun was soft and fresh, although one side had gotten a little soggy from all the toppings by the time I walked a few blocks back to Bryant park and found a spot to sit down and enjoy my lunch – so make sure you don’t have far to travel if you are ordering this burger!

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The patty itself was surprisingly light-colored compared to most black bean patties I have seen, so I’m guessing there are more ingredients than just beans in it. And it was well-seasoned (especially appreciated after my recent encounter with an under-seasoned black bean patty!).

Make sure to ask for extra napkins though – this is definitely one of those messy burgers! The patty is quite soft and falls apart as you eat it, and the toppings could not be contained by the bun. So if you were in Bryant park on Wednesday afternoon, I apologize if you witnessed me stuffing my face with a veggie burger while my fingers were covered in onions and mayo in a very un-ladylike fashion (it was worth it, though!)

Luckily, even after that great burger, I still had room for dessert…

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The friendly guys from the Green Radish convinced me to try all three flavors of their donarts (described on their menu as “a baked donut/tart” and proclaimed by Refinery29 to be “the new cronut”). Even a dessert-lover like myself could not eat all three in one sitting though, so I ate the cinnamon donart as my after-lunch treat, and brought the others home (ostensibly to share with others, but honestly I just ended up eating them myself. No regrets!).

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Yum! I think the cinnamon might have been my favorite flavor, although I loved the raspberry and chocolate too when I ate them later. I have a special place in my heart for cinnamon donuts though.

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Isn't it great that it finally feels like Spring here in NYC???

Cost: $11.00 for the burger (donarts are $5 each)
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Burger patty: 4       Bun: 4      Toppings: 5

The Green Radish
Parking in various locations around Manhattan, check their Twitter feed or facebook page for current location.
917.512.1599

YumVeggieBurger review #131

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