Remember when Chef Adam Sobel broke all of our hearts by taking The Cinnamon Snail trucks off the street last year, only bestowing upon us a pea-size mound of hope by promising that there were a lot of different opportunities he wanted to explore? Relive the horror and sadness here, but rejoice because THEY’RE FINALLY BACK!*
Behold The Pennsy, a “new innovative culinary destination” located in NYC at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue, showcasing the work of 5 chefs: including the incomparable Adam Sobel! It’s a sprawling first floor space right at Penn Station and Madison
Square Garden (read: lines will be long) offering innovative, fast casual
fare to eat in (swanky couches and rustic tables with stools abound) or
take out. An exaggerated staircase has also been installed outside,
which will surely hold lots of nomming folks in the warmer weather.
Blah, blah, blah…THE FOOD!! If you’re crafty (i.e. vegan), you’ve already magnified the first photo to see if your Snail fave made it to the menu. I, on the other hand, had the explicit pleasure of checking for myself firsthand (Thai BBQ Tempeh- score!), having been invited to the pre-party earlier this week. Let me tell you, this place is humming! It’s large, welcoming, and has Snail food! What more could you ask for?
I want to go on record as saying that ABBY BEAN HAD THE FIRST CINNAMON SNAIL MEAL SERVED (to guests) AT THE PENNSY! Yep, my innate anxiety loyalty had me on line way early and in the door with a beeline towards the glorious donut that marks the resto before anyone else. If there were awards for culinary dedication, I would surely win.
Oh, wait: there kind of is! In this case it was in the form of the perennial fave of most Snailians: korean barbeque seitan: served open faced on a grilled tortilla slathered with chili butter, kimchi, and greens. My buddy ordered the same as a bowl, which means it’s prepared over greens and red quinoa pilaf instead of bread: new option! Yep, there are some new additions to the menu as well. Spoiler alert: pretzel bunz.
Speaking of donuts (I’m pretty much always speaking of donuts), fear not! There. Will. Be. Donuts. You can expect these giant cases to be filled with a vast array of the Snail’s sweet, illustrious, circular, dough confections from now until forever (pretty please?).
In case you were wondering, The Pennsy also has a bar. They were serving non-alcoholic cocktails at the pre-party, but there promises to be an assortment of alcoholic libations upon opening.
I’ve been loving on The Cinnamon Snail a good long time, which makes me especially proud and excited that they are part of this groundbreaking new addition to the midtown landscape. Furthermore, I’m proud (but not surprised) to report that their handcrafted menu items were the most appetizing items circulating The Pennsy! Flawless execution by a fun-loving team.
I was there the day the truck opened in NJ and the day they expanded to NY, so I’m particularly grateful to have had the opportunity to bear witness as they embark upon yet another installment of their well-deserved success: this time sans wheels. The Cinnamon Snail reached a TON of non-vegans in their tri-state travels, but now that they’re staying put in the heart and hub of NYC I believe their reach is farther than ever.
Get thee to The Pennsy!
*opening January 11th
We know there are Vegansaurs far and wide, so if you can’t make it to NYC, be sure to get yourself Street Vegan for more Snaily food you can even dream about. As for me? I’ll just bring a sleeping bag to The Pennsy.