Shirari Industries :: Blog :: Food for the Planet Opening Weekend

While there are a lot of vegans in Ithaca and many accommodating vegetarian and omni restaurants, there is not a single vegan restaurant. There was a little raw joint by The Commons which had weird hours and closed after a few months, and back in the day when we were Cornell students Susie's Seitan had a stand at the Ithaca Farmers Market where she made vegan reubens and other amazing sandwiches with a panini press. ABC Cafe, my favorite vegetarian spot in town (and also the site of some of my first music gigs) sadly closed a few weeks ago due to economic woes, and while Moosewood is delicious, they serve fish and are quite pricey.

There's been a renaissance of vegan desserts in recent weeks with the opening of Emmy's Organics and Free Critter Baking Co. at the market, but where can a lady go to get a solid vegan brunch? The answer is here! Our friend Maija Cantori just opened the aptly-named Food for the Planet, an exclusively vegan restaurant serving dinner Thursday-Sunday and brunch on the weekends. While the grand opening is August 8th, they started welcoming diners last weekend and Ari and I stopped by for Sunday brunch. Our friend Frank's photos were on the wall, there were living plants in pots on every table, the staff was extremely welcoming, and most importantly, the food was soooo good. Check out the photos and stop by if you're in town - you won't be disappointed!