THE CINNAMON SNAIL
2 Pennsylvania Plaza, New York, N.Y.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
Menu: http://cinnamonsnail.com/the-pennsy/
Suitable for: Travelers, tourists, NYC natives, and anyone who wants a good doughnut or sandwich.
We had the good fortune of traveling to New York City three times last year! As it stands, we’re just a 4-hour train ride away from the city, but even so we don’t get up there as often as we’d like. We made up for lost time in 2019, though, with a visit in August to see Queen; a visit in November to see “We Will Rock You,” which I won tickets for at August’s Queen show; and a visit in December for Christmas.
Other than Queen and their allies, what I was looking most forward to about our time in the city was, naturally, the food. And as I’ve chronicled in great detail in the Vegetarian Travel Guide, we certainly haven’t starved on any of our trips to New York. And while we’ve tried to fan out across the city and try new spots at every meal, in December we did swing back by a new favorite: The Cinnamon Snail in the Pennsy Food Hall.
First, a word about the Pennsy. Adjacent to Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, it’s a wonderful spot with a ton of veg-friendly options (and plenty of beverages for drinking, as well, which we’ve also been known to partake of). From sushi to tacos to pizza, vegetarians and vegans of all stripes will feel well-represented and at home. But The Cinnamon Snail takes it all to a whole new level.
As soon as our train pulled into Penn Station on our Christmastime trip, I felt the siren song of The Cinnamon Snail call to me from next door. Naturally, LeeLee and I followed the notes to the walk-up counter and, as LeeLee staked out a table in the food hall, I bellied up to the cash register to place our order.
The first thing you’ll notice – and that, sadly, I did not taste-test on this occasion – is the array of doughnuts and pastries lining up down the display counter like good little soldiers. Vegan options all, there is a multitude of choices to satisfy your sweet tooth – and we’ll definitely be back to try some for ourselves.
But back to lunch.
LeeLee chose the basil grilled tofu banh mi, which I’d enjoyed in November. The crispy baguette provides a great landing place for the spicy tofu, arugula, wasabi mayo, jalapeno and scallions, and in concert the ingredients make a lovely harmony indeed. At first blush, it seems like too much food, and maybe it is, but the bites come one after another and before you know it, you’ve mowed down the whole sandwich in record time.
I went with the cheesy portobello steak baguette, which I’d eyed in November and finally ordered on our next visit. I’m a sucker for a cheesesteak, and The Cinnamon Snail’s version was certainly one for the record books! Sufficiently messy and drippy, with plenty of heft, it made for a gloriously decadent cheesy lunch. (The jalapeno queso was a delightfully spicy surprise!)
And I would be remiss without mentioning the jalapeno mac and cheese, which competed fair and square with our sandwiches for Star of the Show. This is hands-down one of the very best dairy-free mac and cheeses I’ve ever had in my life, and the addition of the jalapeno put it right over the edge.
Next time you’re passing by (or through) Penn Station, give The Cinnamon Snail at the Pennsy a try! And save me a doughnut, won’t you?
:)