Where veganism may be the trendy thing to do now, the plant-based model Eddie Mitsou has been eating green since her early teenage years. In 2012, she launched her first food blog highlighting and sharing where to get the best vegan eats in major cities (which was almost non-existent during this time) and favorite recipes. We got served a quick passing on where Eddie’s top spots are out here in the Big Apple.

DIRT CANDY

Located in the Lower East Side, they serve amazing gourmet vegan food if you’re looking for fine dining. Enjoy a five course sitting full of interesting flavors and textures. The menu changes depending on what’s in season — and on the mood of the chef. Last time I went I enjoyed vegan fish roe, followed by a cauliflower cake. Both insanely delicious.

LIFETHYME MARKET

This is a little West Village health-food store I’ve been going to for years. The selection of produce is good, but my favorite is their salad bar and daily freshly made raw food to-go meals. They used to have a pesto zucchini pasta named “Eddie’s Spaghetti” that I fooled so many people it was named after me 😉 Honestly could’ve been since I ate it daily. Don’t miss out on their raw unbaked vegan falafel or the raw, naturally sweetened strawberry shortcake. Their desserts are mainly sweetened with just dates, so you can have it for breakfast.

BIRCH COFFEE

This is a coffee chain that’s spread throughout NYC. They were one of the first cafés to serve hemp milk, and I love them forever for that. To this day, when most places stick to their oat milk, they still have their hemp milk option — which is everything. Something about their coffee beans and the hemp milk just makes the most splendid combination; a hemp-milk cap here will change your life.