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Meat?
FUGEDDABOUDIT! A
t Plant Based Mafia, the “goombahs” don’t whack animals, they whack plants. The scratch Italian kitchen serves “NY-inspired classics with a twist,” i.e. everything on the menu is made using 100% plant-based products. But before you protest, “I’m a meat eater,” just read this article about what Plant Based Mafia does differently, and consider giving their food a try! Countless people, including Abby and me, have been amazed by Plant Based Mafia’s incredible ability to transform plant-based products into classic, beloved, and downright delectable Italian and American dishes that are, normally, dependent on meat. In fact, individuals from all over our state, throughout our country, and even across the globe have become enamored with Plant Based Mafia, “joining the family” to break bread with the Plant Fathers. Brian Fitzpatrick (an Irishman) and Dan Costanzo (an Italian) met on their first day of school together in 1979. They, along with Dan’s brother Ben Costanzo (another Italian), grew to become close friends over the years, but they never imagined themselves owning a vegan restaurant together! These Brooklyn boys were used to eating hearty, savory, heavy meals without a care about calories or carbohydrates. It wasn’t until 2016 that the trio came together to, first, start a food blog — Plant Based Mafia — for men to teach them how to cook their favorite meals without using animal-based products and, thus, eat healthier. Their goal was to make plant-based eating fun, not exclusionary, and, ultimately, absolutely delicious. By 2020, Brian, Dan, and Ben had expanded the blog to open their initial storefront
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for Plant Based Mafia, and the rest is history. We started with the “meataballa parmigiana” appetizer ($12.95), which comes with 3 hand-rolled, golf-ball sized, oven-baked meatballs topped with melted mozzarella and house-made sweet ricotta. Smothered in Plant Based Mafia’s signature, award-winning sweat heat marinara, the meatballs were spiced perfectly and, somehow, tasted succulent and juicy. It was genuinely mind-blowing… I couldn’t believe they didn’t have any meat, as the texture was right on the nose. Abby agreed, calling them “phenomenal,” before admitting, “These may actually be the best meatballs I’ve ever had… and they’re not even real meat!” And that sweet heat sauce? Sultry seduction for your tastebuds, it piques your interest with its bright sweetness, then fully grabs your attention (and adoration) with its slow evolution to stunning spiciness. The fresh, creamy ricotta rounds out the flavors on the plate, and the result is so good that, by the time you’re finished eating the whole plate, you won’t care that you didn’t eat meat. Instead, you’ll be impressed that you ate some really amazing Italian food that just so happened to be plant based. For our main courses, Abby and I sampled a few items on the menu. To experience all of the best parts of classic, authentic Italian flavors, order “The Joe Costanzo” entrée (half goombah - $14.95; full goombah - $26.95). Baby spinach, broccoli, fresh garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian sausage are sautéed in extra virgin olive oil, then arranged over a generous bed of delicate angel hair pasta and finished with sea salt and red pepper flakes. The freshness of the ingredients, combined with the salty smokiness of the tender plant-based sausage, brought me back to the summertime pasta dinners that were lovingly handcrafted by my Nonni and Nonno. It was clear that the same type of care and attention-to-detail was put forth into this dish. If vegan meat alternatives just aren’t you’re thing, then Abby and I recommend Momma Marie’s Eggplant
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