Vegan Café Replaces Mysteriously Closed Quintessence in NYC

New café Vegan Love held its soft opening in New York City’s East Village neighborhood last week. Vegan Love’s short menu features several burgers (topped with guacamole and mushrooms), a selection of create-your-own salads, daily soups, air-baked sweet potato fries, and a squash-based mac and cheese, along with smoothies and desserts. The café occupies the space of restaurant Quintessence—which closed its doors in June without explanation after operating as a raw-vegan mainstay in New York City for 17 years. In addition to Vegan Love, the East Village is home to a growing number of vegan eateries, including Mexican-inspired Bar Verde, Japanese eatery Arata, and pizzeria Double Zero—which are all owned by acclaimed vegan chef Matthew Kenney.