Atlas Café is a Moroccan bazaar of vegan, vegetarian, and non-vegetarian fare.
Its eight colorful tile-and-wrought-iron tables liven up the atmosphere while leaving just one pathway to the tiny café’s cash register. Behind that, close-quartered cooks sing along with the persistent soundtrack of classic and Top 40 Middle Eastern tunes.
Chalkboards and mirrors hanging from the exposed brick walls reveal a lengthy menu of coffees and fruit shakes, crepes, wraps, Panini and sandwiches, as well as heartier couscous and pastas. Sandwich-style items are generously packed with vegetables, tofu or dairy-based cheeses, smoked fish, and faux or real meats, often in creative combinations.
The incongruously named Mississippi Chicken Chops Baguette matches bouillon-flavored seitan chicken with a tangy, creamed tofu spread, roasted red peppers and ripe avocado. Kalamata olive-spiked Mediterranean crepes taste strangely but deliciously like the pizza of a vegetable-lover’s dream.
Such well-prepared, healthy and affordable grub draws a constant stream of regulars into the bohemian nook—a motley mix of NYU co-eds, track bike-riding punk rockers, and neighborhood vets. Don’t leave without trying a brownie or a slice of cake from Vegan Treats bakery of Bethlehem, PA. They put the butter-and-eggs class of desserts to shame.