New York City Argentine restaurant Balvanera offers vegan dishes in celebration of Veganuary.
More New Yorkers are participating in Veganuary than ever before and the city is seeing a boom in independent restaurants jumping onboard by investing in plant-based options! After witnessing this increase in requests for more vegan and vegetarian options at his Argentine restaurant, Balvanera, Founder and Chef Fernando Navas decided to create a Veganuary-inspired menu that “lets the vegetables shine instead of the meats.”
Balvanera, which specializes in Buenos Aires’ porteña cuisine, is putting an end to the belief that traditional cuisine cannot be successfully veganized. “When most people think of Argentina… meats and slow-cooked asado are usually what come to mind,” says Navas, when speaking of his home country, “but Argentines love vegetarian and vegan dishes too.” Balvanera is even donning the slogan “Argentines eat vegetables too!” for the month of January, while the restaurant showcases vegan-friendly and vegetable-forward dishes like Cavatelli, which is made up of squash, sage, toasted hazelnuts, and Pecorino nut ‘cheese’.
“We invite anyone who is partaking in Veganuary, looking to be healthier this year or wanting to try something new this month, to stop by the restaurant” says Navas, but he hasn’t forgotten about the rest of us! Get your own taste of vegan Argentine cuisine by making Balvanera’s Remolachas. “With a creamy ricotta salata and the saltiness and crunch of pistachios and garlic chips — it’s an easy-to-execute dish at home that you are bound to love.”