One of the things I thought I would immediately let go of forever when I became vegan was a weekend staple – bagels and cream cheese. There’s just something about a New York bagel that is unlike any other bagel I’ve found. If I’m not in the city, you would never see me eating a bagel. But they’re just so amazing here, a little crispy on the outside when toasted, but so moist and chewy on the inside. Slather on cream cheese and you have a cure-all for last night’s party or whatever kept you up and out late.

Barney Greengrass is amazing in its own right. Some day I’ll actually eat in and photograph, but for the time being you’ll have to trust my description (or their website). It’s this amazing little deli that has been around for 100+ years and is the quintessential Upper West Side old-school deli. One step inside and you feel like you’ve been transported back in time. Known for its lox, I never in a million years would have guessed I could still frequent. But I was so wrong. Enter Barney’s tofu cream cheese. While it’s not exactly the same as regular cream cheese (because what is) it has the exact same consistency and when paired with an everything bagel and Barney’s always fresh tomatoes, I’ve died and gone to vegan heaven.

This is basically the only reason I get out of bed on Saturday and Sunday mornings.