This New Brunswick restaurant has one of the best vegan pizzas in the country, says PETA
When Veganized owner and New Brunswick resident Ron Biton went vegan 30 years ago, he didn’t mind tossing meat, dairy and seafood to the trash. But he had one condition: He wasn’t giving up pizza.
So he spent countless hours developing a vegan pizza with the cheesy goodness, crispy crust and saucy zest that he was used to — without the animal products.
Both his vegan and non-vegan friends loved the pies. So when he opened his 100% vegan restaurant Veganized in 2015 in New Brunswick, it was obvious that pizza deserved a spot on the menu.
PETA, perhaps the most well-known nonprofit animal rights organization, thinks so, too. They recently named Veganized’s Mackin’ Out Pizza as one of the top 10 vegan pizzas of the year.
The $23 personal pie includes sweet potato truffle cashew cream, garlicky roasted broccoli, smoked shiitake mushrooms and spicy red pepper flakes smothered over a homemade pizza crust served atop cornmeal for added texture.
“No matter how you slice it, the delectable Mackin’ Out Pizza from Veganized delivers flavor that can’t be topped,” said PETA president Ingrid Newkirk in a release.
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Biton came up with the pie, the pizza rendition of his restaurant’s popular macaroni and cheese, a few weeks ago. It didn’t take long for PETA to get wind of it.
In about three months, the Mackin’ Out Pizza, as well as other pies, will be served at Veganica, Biton’s new vegan pizzeria, pastry shop and bar when it opens at 124 Church St., the former home of The Court Tavern. They’ll also continue to be served at Veganized.
Other Veganized and Veganica pies include the Roma pizza with cashew cheese, slow-roasted Roma tomatoes, caper kalamata tapenade, pesto and arugula; the Philly pizza with cashew cheese, slow-cooked peppers and onions, roasted cremini mushrooms and arugula; and the Gravy Baby pizza with cashew cheese, mashed potatoes, herb gravy, roasted carrots, charred onion, cremini mushrooms and baby kale.
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The eclectic, colorful 120-seat restaurant and bar, which will feature Tiffany stained glass fixtures, plush seating and Queen Anne chairs, will be one of the first 100% vegan bars in the state.
The restaurant will eventually offer sandwiches and upscale small plates, as well as live music. Vegan, organic, from-scratch pastry offerings will include cookies, cupcakes, muffins, brownies, pies and cakes.
“There is no pastry concept that’s vegan and organic in this area,” Biton said. “I’ve been working on this concept for two-and-a-half years because I wanted to offer unique, exotic pizza toppings along with pastries.”
Go: Veganized, 1 Elm Row, New Brunswick; 732-342-7412, veganizedfoods.com. Veganica, 124 Church St., New Brunswick, is scheduled to open in May.
Contact: [email protected]
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, after becoming a blogger-turned-reporter following the creation of her award-winning travel blog. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: PETA says Veganized serves one of the best vegan pizzas in the U.S.
