For my second Brooklyn Goes Veg! meal I had lunch at Earth Tonez in Park Slope. It could not have been more different than my meal at Jill’s Cafe; where Jill’s was concerned with plating, and had a three course prix fixe meal, Earth Tonez served me a messy sandwich on a paper plate. However, one thing that both restaurants have in common is the obvious love that their respective chefs have for the food.

I arrived at Earth Tonez soon after they had opened, and was greeted enthusiastically by the staff (they were finishing up a meeting when I walked in). I found out later that two of the people behind the counter were the owners & founders of the restaurant, but everyone there wanted to make sure I had everything I needed and obviously cared about the restaurant. Behind the counter the only cooking surfaces I could see were a hot plate, two panini grills, and a broiler.

For the Brooklyn Goes Veg! week they were offering a special on selected salads, but I wanted a sandwich. I went for the Philadelphia sandwich, a vegetarian version of a Philly cheesesteak (they offered to make it vegan, which I declined).

The chef came out from behind the counter after a few minutes to apologize for the wait with the food, which was nice but unnecessary. When the sandwich arrived, with a side of blue tortillas and a corn salad on the side, I was ready to tuck in (despite not having been given any eating utensils).

The sandwich was great — freshly cooked peppers and onions, some kind of moist and flavorful fake meat, and organic cheddar all gooped together in a delicious hoagie roll. The corn salad was cold and fresh, with lima beans and something spicy in with the corn. There were two disappointments on the plate. The blue corn tortilla chips were obviously pre-packaged and covered, for some reason, in a few pieces of grated carrot. The other disappointment was the pickle wedge, which tasted like it was from one of the off-brand generic pickle jars. I expected more from a place that pushes the natural and organic stuff.

However, I’ll definitely be returning to try some of their other sandwiches, this one was so good. It was almost like having a home-cooked meal. If they can produce this kind of food on a hot plate and a panini grill, there is some serious talent at Earth Tonez.

Earth Tonez — 349 5th Avenue, Brooklyn

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