Lynn Yaeger and Michael Musto at Spicy Moon.
Photograph: Dolly Faibyshev
Michael Musto, the legendary nightlife and gossip columnist and one in every of my closest buddies, has a number of causes for hating vegan meals, or extra particularly, for hating vegans. “A part of my distaste for vegan meals all these years,” he says, “is that I demonize vegans as being holier-than-thou and patronizing about their decisions.” I stifle an eye fixed roll as Michael continues. “I typically really feel like they disapprove of me even when they don’t say so. However in actuality, most of them are literally completely positive people.”
I smile at Michael reassuringly and say, “We do disapprove of you.”
In fact, I’m kidding. I’ve been vegetarian for 38 years, after making myself ailing with a weight loss plan of burgers, fries, and Cokes straight out of Tremendous Measurement Me. And though I’ve shut buddies who’re additionally lifelong vegetarians, I even have BFFs like Michael and magnificence icon Lynn Yaeger, hard-core carnivores that I’ve recognized and beloved for years.
Lynn and I met within the ’90s on the CFDA bus that shuttled trend editors from present to point out throughout Vogue Week. Regardless of each being trend lovers, we’re additionally very totally different. I like royal historical past, and Lynn is a left-wing former union negotiator. I’m a cruelty-free vegetarian, and Lynn is a fur-coat-wearing trend plate whose go-to meal is steak-frites.
We’re sitting collectively for lunch at Spicy Moon. A buddy first took me to the restaurant final yr and I fell in love with their yummy vegan Sichuan meals: contemporary, amazingly seasoned, spicy, and scrumptious. Together with Indochine and Cafe Gitane, it grew to become one in every of my favourite NYC spots. I had turn into used to having just a few choices to select from at most eating places, however at Spicy Moon, I might actually order something on the menu with out worrying whether or not or not it was veg. Giddy and overwhelmed, I used to be in vegan-hog heaven. I grew to become pleasant with one of many companions, Jo Mee, after I posted concerning the restaurant just a few instances on social media. Jo Mee mentioned she’d love for us to do one thing collectively, and instantly a lightbulb went on over my head: A lunch for individuals who say they hate vegan meals!
Collectively, Lynn and Michael are anti-tofu activists of the best order, as Lynn will fortunately inform folks. “We had been as soon as at this charity dinner, me and Mikey, and the menu mentioned ‘cauliflower steak,’” she begins. I can think about the place that is going. “We had been tremendous excited. We thought it was a giant steak with cauliflower on high, however, the truth is, when it got here, it was a cauliflower. We had been like, What the hell? Do not forget that, Michael? That was very upsetting.”
Michael does keep in mind: “I don’t like one thing pretending to be one thing else — apart from Lynn.”
Lynn explains her friendship with a jewelry-world pal of hers, Michelle, who’s vegan. 4 instances out of 5, after they’re having dinner collectively, they go to non-vegan spots. “With Michelle, we often make her include us, and often she has to order corn on the cob — with no butter!” Lynn chuckles. “There’s nothing for her to eat.” We plant-based eaters all know the trauma of consuming a vegetable facet dish as our predominant course at unenlightened eating places.
Spicy Moon started as a small vegan Sichuan restaurant within the East Village in 2019, based by June Kwan (who’s the mom of Daniel Kwan, one of many Daniels, the filmmakers behind Every part In all places All at As soon as; there are those that say June is the inspiration for Michelle Yeoh’s character in that film). From the phrase go, the restaurant’s dumplings created an enormous splash, and Spicy Moon expanded to a second location within the West Village in 2020. They opened their third location on Bowery in 2023, and one in Chelsea debuted final yr. Jo Mee joined the household as a companion in 2021. (She is a proud rescue-pit-bull mother of two and a board member of Korean K9 Rescue who’s on “a mission to advocate for animal rights by providing a scrumptious, ethically sound different that elevates plant-based eating to new heights.”)
At lunch, as we’re chatting, the appetizers begin to arrive. Wontons in chile oil are full of mushrooms and spiced pressed tofu and drizzled with the restaurant’s personal spicy oil. The carcass-consuming cuties gobble up the wontons, however how might anybody hate a wonton? Subsequent up are chopped-cheese spring rolls, made with vegan beef, onions, peppers, vegan mozzarella, and love. They’re one other smash. “That is scrumptious,” Lynn broadcasts with greater than a whisper of shock in her voice. “It’s simply … I discover it unbelievable. I simply don’t know what to say. Michael?”
“I’ll by no means eat meat once more.” Michael declares. “And all it took was one spring roll!”
Michael can be cuckoo-crazy concerning the dan dan noodles, heat flour noodles sitting in additional of the home chile oil, candy soy sauce and sesame paste, topped with fermented veggies and scallions. It is sensible that Michael loves them as a result of they’re principally spaghetti in a scrumptious sesame sauce, and Michael’s late mom was an unimaginable prepare dinner. “I grew up with my mom being the most effective Italian American prepare dinner in historical past, and regardless that she did great greens together with broccoli, eggplant parmesan, and escarole, her specialty was meat,” he remembers. “We began our meals with what she referred to as gravy meats.” Gravy meats, I believe to myself. It feels like a horror film. Michael continues, “She would actually make retching noises if anybody talked about Ragú sauce within the bottle on the grocery retailer. She made her personal sauce and would put in sausage meatballs — these are the gravy meats,” Michael laughs, “and that was an appetizer!”
As we’re chatting, the subsequent spherical of mouth-watering munchables arrives, together with a few of Spicy Moon’s signature vegetable dishes: sautéed inexperienced beans with a contact of dry peppers, crispy Brussels sprouts drizzled with Sichuan peppercorn oil, and steamed asparagus with a conventional black-pepper sauce.
Whereas we chow down on this trio of greenery, Michael jogs my memory why — regardless that veggie-first diets are rising in reputation and acceptance on this nation — some meat eaters stay caught up to now: “Are you able to clarify to me like I’m in third grade, what’s the distinction between vegan and vegetarian?” he asks Jo Mee.
“Vegan …” she begins, earlier than Lynn jumps in to complete the thought: “… is even worse-tasting than vegetarian.” Jo Mee continues graciously and explains that she’s strict sufficient to keep away from honey and truffles, since each are produced or discovered with animals.
Lynn and Michael, together with the story’s creator and Jo Mee.
Photograph: Dolly Faibyshev
I begin to really feel a bit nervous as we’re sizing up our predominant programs, Normal Tso’s vegan rooster made with seitan and dry pot: combined veggies and tofu stir-fried and served in a mini scorching wok. I’m frightened as a result of I occur to know that Lynn is especially doubtful round “pretend” meats just like the seitan rooster. Additionally, every little thing we’ve had up thus far had been issues that might simply be meat-free beneath regular circumstances. These two predominant dishes characteristic vegan substitutes for his or her star components. However each my guinea pigs are shocked and delighted with how a lot they take pleasure in the entire meals.
“Let me ask this,” Michael says between bites. “What’s the predominant motive folks eat greens solely? Is it for their very own well being or is it for issues about animal cruelty?” Jo Mee explains that she is aware of vegans who’re in it for well being causes, however the principle issues are over animals and the local weather. I soar in so as to add, “Local weather-change consultants say the 2 largest issues anybody might do to reverse local weather change are to cease consuming meat and by no means purchase a automobile.”
“It’s not for feeling higher?” Micahel asks. “That too,” Jo Mee responds. “I do know some those that had well being points and most cancers and their docs mentioned that they need to flip plant-based, and it reversed a whole lot of their points.”
“I’d reasonably die consuming a steak,” says Michael earlier than he takes one other chew of his Normal Tso’s seitan. It may not be gravy meats, however I take into account that final chew a superb begin to my vegan-haters attraction marketing campaign. It’s gratifying to see how shortly some wonton diplomacy can begin to win over the hardened carnivores in my life.