Happy New Year!  We’ve begun a new year and have claimed our new but maybe some repeat resolutions. I would bet some if not all of them are along the lines of eating healthier, drinking less, indulging less and/or being a better person.  This is the time to redirect our consumption to a cleaner, a more raw, environmentally sustainable array of food and drinks.

I always feel cleaner and lighter after a few days of not having consumed any alcohol or few high sugary foods (because I need at least 1 piece of chocolate in my life) and have consumed gallons of water. But come on, we all have our vices and let’s admit it, it’s not that easy to keep up in our busy lives – not to mention the cost of buying all of the organic fruit and vegetables can add up.

All in all, my husband and I have discussed to eat vegan at least one meal a week to allow our bodies the vacation from digesting the many foreign bodies I’ve put into it over the years and to aid in the those new years resolutions we’ve all put in place (many times over).

Pure Food & Wine is an upscale vegan restaurant on Irving Place that serves food that are entirely plant based, does not use any processed ingredients and nothing that is heated above 118 degrees.  Not realizing exactly what this place was about, we had popped in a few years ago, sat at the bar and had some organic wine and sake.   The sake that was from a keg behind the bar – it was unique and delicious.  The food that was  being served to others looked delicious and made a note to return for a proper meal.

The decor is of a warm red hue with lush red chairs, red booths and complimented with dark wood tables and wall paneling, perfect for a cold evening.  They have an outdoor garden with an additional bar that is open during the Spring and Summer.

As appetizers, my husband and I shared 2 – the king oyster mushroom scallops with brussels sprouts in a shiitake miso broth and served with miso glazed pecans, shaved radish and micro mustard (left) and the pear ravioli with smoked long pepper mousse, preserved lemon mache, truffle honey, almonds and shaved burgundy truffle (right).  I thought this was a good opportunity to play with the stylus pen functionality on my new Galaxy Note II.  We love mushrooms of all types – as you can probably guess by our choices for apps. The “scallops” had the texture of a true perfectly cooked scallop while the miso complimented it . I also love brussel sprouts which added the right amount of texture to the tender scallops.  The ravioli was everything a ravioli should be – soft, somewhat sweet with the addition of the pear and honey yet savory with the truffle and almond.

As our main entree we shared hen of the woods tacos with smoked guacamole, hearts of palm, fresh corn, guajillo crema fresca and pickled onions along with the portabella mushroom with cauliflower and horseradish aioli with kale chimichurri, mango salsa, barbecue sauce and haricots verts.

The tacos were amazing – giving me the idea that if you were to eat at a descent latin restaurant most of the ingredients should be close to that of a vegan diet.  The mushroom entree left a little be to desired.  Although still very tasty, it was more of a light app than that of a main course – at least for my large appetite.  Jayson and I make cauliflower puree at home using just sauteed cauliflower and truffle oil which I believe is tastier than what was here.

The big winner was the pear ravioli with the layers of so many wonderful flavors we had to remind ourselves what the description was on the menu to know what we were eating and tasting.

In the event one of your new years resolutions is to save money, you don’t have to dine at Pure Food & Wine to keep to your clean diet.  Sarma, the owner of the restaurant and now author of 2 books has opened 2 “Juice and Takeaway” locations to grab a juice or a vegan snack – 1 in E17th near the restaurant and 1 in Chelsea Market.  Check out this link below for more ideas as to stay healthy http://oneluckyduck.com/pages/juice-and-takeaway

Again Happy New Year! Cheers to happiness and good health in 2013!