Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Report: Ravi DeRossi is turning his empire meat-free, starting with Mother of Pearl on Avenue A

Ravi DeRossi has plans to make as many of his 15 bar-restaurants animal-free as possible, Eater reports.

Per Eater:

DeRossi feels strongly about the environmental impact of meat and restaurants, as well as the impact to animals, he says. Taking animal products out of his businesses is his way of helping. "If we're going to do something to help this planet, it needs to start," DeRossi tells Eater. "It needs to be me not just preaching, but me just doing it. I'm in the position to do it."

He'll start with Mother of Pearl, his tiki-Hawaiian-themed establishment on Avenue A and East Sixth Street. Starting on Sunday, MoP will unveil a new vegan menu featuring "Polynesian-inspired dishes, like coconut rolls with coconut miso butter and black lava salt; and green mango with tomato, jicama, crispy rice, and macadamia." The drink menu will also be revamped, eliminating any spirits that use animal products.

In other related news, DeRossi is expanding his vegan restaurant Avant Garden on East Seventh Street near Avenue A to Williamsburg. In addition, The Bourgeois Pig, which moved from East Seventh Street to the West Village early last year, will be converted into "a vegan wine and tapas bar called LadyBird," according to Eater.

Mother of Pearl image via

11 comments:

NOTORIOUS said...

But will he serve them on the lanai?

Gojira said...

Poi. I want poi.

nygrump said...

I appreciate the owner's intent but I think it is illusory. These tropical products require lots of resources in order to import them. Many of the vegetable products are the result of rainforest devastation and are no better for the environment than meat. As long as these businesses are subsidizing the global death machine through alcohol taxes, it doesn't matter what he does. Hitler was a vegetarian. He loved chocolate cake.

Anonymous said...

Hooray!!!! Avant Garden is incredible - will definitely support the others!

Glenn said...

Greenwashing.

Anonymous said...

nygrump has a lot to learn about vegetables...most have nothing to do with the rainforest even if you use the slightest bit of effort while sourcing...and the Hitler thing is such an old saw..how about Einstein? Gandhi?geez

Anonymous said...

Are animal rights good but failure to acknowledge human rights crimes against humanity taking place in the neighborhood will come back to haunt you. Over priced vegetarian that caters to new developments is like having sympathy for Leni Riefenstahl.

Anonymous said...

It is possible to care about animals AND humans at the same time...Also, this food is the best gift to human health

IzF said...

I think it's great.

Anonymous said...

This is great news!
I will definitely support.

- East Villager

Scuba Diva said...

At 10:03, nygrump said:

Hitler was a vegetarian. He loved chocolate cake.

He also loved liverwurst. He was—repeat after me—not a vegetarian. Click below:

Carni-führer [Slate]

Or below:

Hitler was not a vegetarian

Or below:

Hitler Was NOT Vegetarian. By Gary Yourofsky

Then get back to me.