The vegan revolution is well-underway. As more and more restaurants have been pushing the limits of what plant-based cuisine can accomplish, foodies are beginning to see new vegan items that they never could have imagined a decade ago.
Chef Guy Vaknin has been steadily pushing the boundaries of vegan cuisine for years. The founder of Beyond Sushi, Vaknin turned heads with his innovative fish-free sushi restaurant. The seemingly paradoxical restaurant quickly became a hit though, and customers soon lined up around the block to find out just what exactly “vegan sushi” really meant. In operation since 2012, Beyond Sushi has been steadily wowing guests for nearly a decade with its innovative and colorful plant-based dinners, recreating the texture of sushi with roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes and mushrooms.
Now, Vaknin is planning on debuting an entirely new restaurant at 365 Third Avenue called Coletta. Envisioned as an entirely plant-based Italian restaurant, Coletta elevates Vaknin’s cuisine with a new Mediterranean twist. Offering a distinctive menu of (vegan) brick oven pizzas, fresh pastas, entrees, desserts, and espressos, the restaurant is currently in the process of applying for a liquor license from the community board.
Moving into the space at 365 third avenue, Coletta will be replacing Grace 365, which formerly occupied the location. Grace 365 was a popular gastropub that celebrated Gaelic hospitality. A truly authentic Irish pub, Grace opened in 2013 and was lead by Chef Ryan Schmidtberger. After closing down, the space remained vacant for years, and locals are excited to see Guy Vaknin revive the space with his innovative new concept. For more information and tips and tricks on vegan cooking, you can follow chef Vaknin on Instagram.
