05/21/2026
Big accomplishment for me: I was able to leave LA and step away from work for 5 whole days to celebrate my oldest niece graduation in New York at . 🥹🗽✨
I’m so proud of her. We’re very close, and getting to spend this time with family while exploring the city felt so special.
Of course, a huge part of the trip revolved around food. 😂🍽️ While in NYC, I visited a mix of vegan spots and restaurants my omnivorous family chose, and I was honestly so happy to see how many vegan options were available all over the city.
One of my favorite parts of traveling is getting inspired by what other chefs, bakers, and restaurants are creating—the flavors, ingredients, atmosphere, plating, and conversations that stay with you long after the meal is over.
This trip left me feeling inspired to keep learning, growing, and doing better. I really love how supportive the vegan, plant-based, and gluten-free community can be. 🙏💞✨
Some highlights from Part 1:
✨ — creative vegan dishes + incredible desserts 🏆✨
✨ — plant-based, gluten-free, refined sugar-free bakery in Brooklyn (I absolutely loved meeting owner Talia Tutak, and her incredible apricot blueberry donut and babka muffins..I’m still dreaming about them! 😭)
✨ NYC by — nourishing gluten-free options and fresh juices
✨ — surprisingly great vegan-friendly options.
These are only a handful of places from the trip because apparently I documented every meal like it was my job 😂 so this will be a little NYC food series.
Overall, such a fulfilling few days filled with family, food, walking, conversations, inspiration, and reconnecting with like-minded people. It reminded me how important it is to step away sometimes.
If you want to read more details about the restaurants, what I ordered, ingredient conversations, and the full experience, I wrote more about the trip on my Substack: YvonnesVeganKitchen✨
WhatIAteInNY
