They got there a little earlier than I and were deep into their thirteen dollar cold-pressed juices by the time I joined them. In addition to the array of juices there are "Vibrations" (lots and lots of Vs here, thanks to Vongerichten) which are described as restorative tonics, combing such peculiar flora as ashwaganda, St. John's wort or rhodiola to achieve various temperaments, like mindfulness and centering. For two dollars more, I opted to center myself with an excellent Vespaiolo; for my sake, a wholly vegetarian dinner still seems a bit virtuous so I felt fully justified indulging in a glass of wine, even if my tablemates did remain securely belted atop their respective wagons.The menu is broken down into Vegetables: Light & Fresh or Warm & Hot, starchier Noodles & Rice and Legumes, and a couple of Dosa options. The vegetable dishes are somewhat less substantial in terms of satiety than the latter two, but the portions are no less generous.
From the Light & Fresh category, little could be fresher than avocado lettuce cups, with saucer-sized leaves cradling fanned-out slices of avocado, punched up with Serrano pepper, cumin and a bright blast of citrus. Lovely nasturtium blossoms added a little more pepperiness and a lovely shot of color to breakup the. monochromatic greenness of the un-deconstructed salad. A smoky puree of
eggplant was just a bright and zesty, although a little more robust. It was served with chilled crudités and warm, chewy pita bread, but the crisp veggies held it better within the bounds of its category. Cute little dollops of
yogurt and polka dots of tomato chutney gave a whimsical, festive appearance and assimilated brilliantly into the creamy dip. A beet tartare could have been easily mistaken from afar for its carnivorous counterpart- visually, that is. The thinly sliced crimson root's earthy sweetness showed well against a light dijon vinaigrette, surprised with pickly bits of sliced cornichon and a dab of avocado puree to soothe the tang. 
Moving on to Warm & Hot (which I think I could have gratefully ordered and inhaled ALL of), we began with some lusty donku shiitakes, which were both as picturesque as they were delicious, thus you get to enjoy two photos of them until you can reward yourselves with the real thing. Drizzled in yuzukoshu green goddess and paired with richly roasted cipollini onions, it was just a playground of layered umami. I was in anguish choosing between roasted cauliflower and and char-grilled artichokes, but our server steered us to the former, and my tablemates were in cahoots, so I missed out on those thistley harbingers of spring. Not that there was any complaint to issue about the cauli; 
it was a lovely rendition sluiced in tahini and tossed with pomegranate arils and pistachios for crunch. It's just that the whole roasted cauliflower (in truth, we opted for but a half) is getting a little played-out, and it is one dish easy enough to make on one's own... as opposed to artichokes, which are a comparative lot of work and subsequently a greater treat, imho. 
With a table of three, we still had ample room for some of the starchier options, and that's even as we had all earned Clean Plate Gold Stars from the previous dishes. Mushrooms called out to us again, though, so we tried both the Morel
Wontons and a bolognese riff substituting walnuts in for beef. The wontons in the former were simply filmy-thin. shrink-wrapping their morel filling. They were the utmost pleasure to bite into and release the toothsome, plump mushrooms embraced within, and the broth marvelously rich, especially considering its lack of animally bits and bones usually crucial to good stock. I preferred it greatly to the carrot paccheri pseudo-bolognese, its floppy pasta tubes a little undercooked and
stiff, and the sugo under seasoned. But I find that is normally the case with vegan/vegetarian food, too. It is at its best when it focuses on the ingredient, and not when it is trying to replicate a traditionally un-veg concoction, upon which most of ABCV triumphs.
Desserts were pleasant but perhaps slightly less noteworthy, but that is perhaps because the one I so desperately wanted from the menu had somehow become unavailable (a strawberry-rhubarb sundae that had my name written all over it) . Instead, the combination of the two we ended up choosing actually worked best combined with one another than on their own: a coconut custard cut the dense richness of the chocolate mousse, and the tropical fruits of mango and passionfruit worked well with the
islandy custard. And the custard's cape gooseberries, strewn like jewels alongside more pomegranate arils, are always a novel delicacy on their own.
Now, I cannot say in truth that I didn't wake up hungrier than perhaps I normally do after a dinner out, but I inarguably felt absolutely sated upon completion of our meal at ABCV. That said, we ordered quite a lot of food, so volume had a lot to do with it. But the flavors and composition of the dishes were more than satisfying, and the competence of the chef (who is Neal Harden, by the way) evident in both in the deliciousness and the artistry of his plating. For omnivores and even devout carnivores, ABCV might be the best veg NYC has to offer, especially during pre-bikini season. You can certainly indulge here and tax your calorie RDA to the hilt if you make a point of it, but it is just as easy if not easier to get a brilliantly flavorful, rejuvenating and inspiring meal keeping things light as feather... or perhaps a sweet pea blossom.
38 east 19th street new p: 212.475.5829
