Long Island’s Only All-Vegan Restaurant Opens This Friday Under Chef Jay Astafa

Courtesy of Jay Astafa

Despite New York City’s innovative attitude when it comes to food, nearby Long Island has lagged behind—at least in the plant-based arena. Surprisingly, there isn’t a single Long Island vegan restaurant that’s currently open, says Chef Jay Astafa.

Luckily, Long Islanders have something to look forward to. This weekend, 3 Brothers Vegan Cafe is opening in Copiague, Long Island, under the direction of the renowned vegan chef.

Astafa is also the chef at Farmingdale, Long Island’s popular 3 Brothers Pizza Cafe, known for its plant-based pizza options, and he’s earned a name for himself in NYC with PLANT by Jay Astafa, a pop-up vegan dinner series.

“I’ve been cooking vegan food on Long Island for six years now, and I have always wondered why there haven’t been any other restaurants that followed our path,” he tells Latest Vegan News. “I guess for some restaurant owners and chefs, cooking vegan seems foreign. I originally started the vegan menu because there were very limited vegan options for me on Long Island.”

The new outpost’s menu will feature appetizers, salads, pasta dishes, entrees, wood fired pizza, and house-made desserts.

“The restaurant also has an in-house cheese program where we make all of our cheeses such as my signature cashew milk mozzarella, cheddar, blue cheese, parmesan, and ricotta,” Astafa says. “We are the only vegan pizzeria who is making their mozzarella in house.”

The cafe isn’t only designed to appeal to vegan eaters. Astafa wanted his options to be appetizing for everyone.

“Before our opening we have had quite a few omnivores walk in to the cafe and being really impressed that we are going to serve an all vegan menu,” says Astafa. “My goal when creating the menu was to create a menu that appeals to everyone while still being plant based.”

In the end, he hopes his cafe inspires other restaurants to offer more vegan options.

“I just think now is the perfect time for an all vegan restaurant on Long Island.”

3 Brothers Vegan Cafe opens on Friday, July 31. It’ll be open from 4 to 10 p.m. daily at 1038 Montauk Hwy in Copiague, New York.

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