Long Island Pizzeria Debuts Vegan Drunken Grandma Pie

Long Island, New York-based Italian shop Frankie’s East Side Gourmet Pizza debuted its new vegan menu last week to media outlet Digital Journal. The dishes were developed by owner Dan Romano to meet customer requests for vegan options. “A large amount of people asked me to do a vegan menu,” Romano said, “and it started snowballing. We started very simple, and we started growing.” Romano’s new menu includes vegan versions of Italian classics such as six different ravioli dishes, vegan chicken drum stick appetizers, soy-based chicken Parmesan, lasagna, and a selection of pizzas—including the “Vegan Drunken Grandma,” a type of pie made with vodka sauce instead of traditional marinara. Romano swaps all dairy on the new menu with either almond or coconut milk and offers cheese from Daiya Foods as a topping for pasta dishes. Frankie’s joins a growing list of vegan-friendly Italian restaurants in New York, including NYC’s all-vegan eatery Screamer’s Pizzeria, which opened in Brooklyn last year.