VSpot, New York

It's nearly impossible to be one-of-a-kind in New York City, yet VSPOT Gramercy just may have accomplished that feat with a menu that is all at once Latin, organic, and vegan. Dan and Alex Carabano and family friend Steven Simicich opened their first restaurant in Park Slope in 2006, where the Latin-influenced, vegan menu filled a void in meatless cuisine. The combination of culinary styles was a natural choice for founders Alex and Dan Carabano: they are vegetarians of Colombian descent who were born and raised in Brooklyn.

Their latest location VSPOT Gramercy is housed next to New York Comedy Club, where the menu stays meat-free through an artful balance of veggies, nuts, legumes, and seitan, blending them in dishes such as lasagna with cashew ricotta and daiya mozzarella. Chefs make Colombian empanadas from potato, corn, and seitan, while avocado strips are deep fried and served with mayo to make unique and crispy avocado fries. The seitan that stars a prominent role in many dishes is made from scratch in-house, as are the organic dairy-free desserts VSPOT Gramercy offers for dessert.