Cheapeats, Inc. Blog

During “Yoga In Central Park”, we were all given a little cardboard handbag that held a delicious chocolate treat inside. Wow, this is pretty tasty. Where’s it from?  Low-Carbon cuisine that loves life and the planet? What’s this all about? I must investigate.

Otarian is a fast food joint that serves up Vegetarian cuisine in an environment that promotes a low carbon footprint. Are you kidding me? I’m not. This all white spot has a mod feel to it. You are immediately greeted by a smile behind the counter and insights into the menu. You will need it because even I found the menu extremely confusing.

The menu categories are like stories. It would be so much easier to just post – salads, wraps, soups, combos, desserts. But I’m determined to support so I decide on a spinach paneer wrap and an iced tea. Within minutes I’m handed my tray and empty cup to help myself to the drink fountain to the side. Plastic cups? I thought this was environmentally friendly? Turns out the cups are made out of corn and are biodegradable. The sandwich container is 100% compostable. Impressive.

My spinach wrap is very much like Sag Paneer which is a classic Indian dish containing spinach, cheese (a cross between tofu & feta) mixed with exotic spices. The wrap itself was a little dry but overall, not bad.

I applaud the staff in the midtown location. They were lovely. Extremely knowledgeable about the menu and generous in offering recommendations. I even got a Carbon Karma card that will allow me to accumulate points for future deals.

I think the concept is fantastic. They use ingredients that are local and sustainable…never air freighted. I especially love that their packaging is compostable and bio-degradable. I just think the menu categories need to be simplified. Remember the phrase KISS – keep it simple stupid.

Cheapeats isn’t about fast food but I thought this was special enough to share with our fans. If you have to eat on the run, why not go to one that serves up a healthy alternative. I wish good luck and good karma to Otarian. Namaste.

Happiness, $25 and under.

Tags: Carbon Footprint, cheapeats, Love Food, Love Life, Love the Planet, New York City, Otarian, Sustainable, Vegetarian/Vegan

This entry was posted by Rosemarie on Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 at 9:00 am and is filed under Greenwich Village, Manhattan, Midtown West, Organic/Green, Vegetarian/Vegan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.