March 26, 2010
(last updated January 27, 2021) 
One of the most delightful parts of being a food blogger is having the chance to sample, and then write about, new restaurants and special dining spots. What’s nicer than sharing a great meal with the world? I’ve blogged about a few of my favorite spots here on Choosing Raw: Pure Food and Wine, of course; Candle 79; Caravan of Dreams; Bonobos; and Sproutcraft. Today, I’m on a mission to entice all NYC foodies into checking out Sun In Bloom — a holistic eco-eatery founded by vegan, high raw foodie, and raw community acquaintance Aimee Follette.
This may not be the first time you guys have heard about Sun In Bloom. It’s gotten some nice presslately, and my buddy and fellow blogger Diana moonlights as a dessert chef and kitchen apprentice at the restaurant. Many of my veg-friendly friends in NYC had made trips to the restaurant before I did, and returned with overwhelmingly positive reviews. Which is why I felt honored and excited to visit as Aimee’s guest last week, and see what all the buzz was about.
The world of vegan dining spots seems to be divided into two categories. There are the super “crunchy” spots–I mean the ones that smell like wheatgrass and green juice, have new age music playing in the background, and are a breeding ground for conversations about the newest work from Eckhardt Tolle or one’s most recent past life regression. As long as good food’s on the menu, I’m a happy lady, but these spots aren’t entirely in keeping with my own personal sensibility. Then there are the swanky spots: restaurants like Pure Food and Wine or Candle 79, which market themselves as gourmet dining experiences that are animated by, but not exclusively defined by, veganism. I love these spots, especially as places to bring newbies to vegan dining, but they sometimes feel a little too swank for my own taste, which is for homey, comfortable restaurants.
On this scale of vegan dining, I’d say that Sun In Bloom weighs evenly. It not in-your-face raw/vegan: no wheatgrass smell, and you wouldn’t guess upon entry that vegan grub was the order of the day until you checked out the menu. On the other hand, it’s simple, homey, and unpretentious, and it features collective tables (much like the long tables at any Pain Quotidien location) to emphasize a community-oriented atmosphere. I had an overwhelmingly positive feeling when I walked in: it felt like a warm, welcoming, and relaxed place to be.
Sun In Bloom’s owner, Aimee Follette, says that she was inspired to open Sun In Bloom because she had “been dreaming about creating a loving and nourishing community space for most of my life.” She defines the restaurant not as a vegan restaurant, a raw restaurant, or a healthy restaurant, but rather as a “holistic eco-eatery.” “An eco-eatery,” she says, “is a restaurant that uses earth-friendly practices to reduce waste consumption and promote sustainable solutions. Holistic means looking at the whole rather than parts. At Sun In Bloom, we focus looking at every person who walks through the door as a unique whole being…[and to] create a ripple effect and nourish the entire community.” The goal at Sun In Bloom, then, isn’t just to prepare tasty food (though there’s plenty of that), but to nourish the local community (Park Slope, BK, and beyond) and to be an ever-evolving part of that community: to respond to patrons’ tastes and requests, to educate those who want education about plant based nutrition, and to be a welcoming spot for community gatherings.
Since I arrived early to SIB, the restaurant was quiet enough for me to sample a meal with Diana and then have a few moments to chat with Aimee. I caught a few shots of the clean decor and communal tables:
Then I crept up to the counter, to ogle the tasty menu:
As I was contemplating what to get, I inhaled sampled a container of SIB’s kale chips, which are made with a sesame dressing (why have I never made kale chips again??):
Open the SIB menu, and it’ll probably be easy for you to guess what I wanted. My dinner of choice was the Bella Divine salad, which is described as “sultry smooth avocado, pea shoots, mesclun & threads of dulse dressed in your
choice of SIB’s famously live sesame ginger dressings.”
Avocado? Check. Dulse? Check. Kale? Check. In other words, a giant salad full of all my favorite things.
One bite, and I felt like I had come home. The best thing about this dish (and I’d extend this to all items on the SIB menu) is that it’s precisely the sort of meal I’d make for myself in my own kitchen. And I love this — I love the idea of a restaurant that serves up home cooking (in a literal sense) for those who enjoy vegan and raw foods. In fact, Aimee mentioned to me that the bella divine salad is a replica of a salad she made at home for herself for years and years: no wonder it’s infused with so much love and great taste!
I was a happy camper:
My hot date, Diana, got the “Western Burrito” wrap, which was made from sunflower seed “meat” with fresh salsa, avocado slices, a mix of cabbage, zucchini & sprouts, also dressed in SIB’s famous live ranch dressing:
It was a tad spicy pour moi (and NB to folks, like me, with hungry and hangry appetites: I’d probably need a wrap and a salad to be totally full) but super tasty, nevertheless.
After the meal, Aimee and I had a chance to chat some more about opening the restaurant, about the challenges and fun of being a small business owner, and about our passion for sharing raw food with other people, one salad at a time. I commended Aimee on constructing a menu around the kinds of simple, easy to prepare raw foods that customers can taste, get inspired by, and easily make for themselves at home. Gourmet raw dining is wonderful, but I believe firmly that, until restaurants show patrons that vegan and raw dishes can be easy as well as delicious, it’ll be hard for diners to take what they see in restaurants and apply it to their own kitchen ventures. The simple, delicious food at SIB is a wonderful step in this direction.
As we chatted: Diana let us taste her latest raw dessert masterpiece: an orange creamsicle:
Made with cashew cream, a nut crust, and fresh OJ, this was pretty divine. I remember orange creamsicles from my cousins’ freezer as a kid, and let me assure you that this is a damn fine recplica. Way to go, D!
It was, all in all, a lovely evening. I can’t tell you how great it is to have more and more dining options that prepare the kinds of foods I love. At Sun In Bloom, I was greeted not only by Gena-style comfort food, but also by a positive and inspiring vision of the kinds of businesses and establishments that will help vegan and raw foods gain more and more traction with mainstream diners. With Aimee Follette and people like her to share their kindness, energy, and passion, it won’t be long before more restaurants like this are blooming–here in NYC, and everywhere.
Thanks, Aimee and Diana, for a great evening!
xo
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Your food sucks
Yay Diana and your newest raw dessert creation!! I”m so excited to see you flexing that creativity in such an awesome environment. With Aimee’s vision and love and your creativity and drive, SIB is sure to be a success 🙂
Cool! I went there last week – such a cute little place! I had a juice and the fruit smoothie with coconut kefir in it which was seriously delish!
The creamsicle dessert looks amazing! Looks like you had a great time Gena 🙂
I’m envisioning a visit to SIB with you in the near future 😀
Wow SIB sounds and looks like a fantastic place to grab a bite. I really love Aimee’s philosophy when it comes to food. I hope I can dine there myself some day 🙂
post more pics of u. your a cutie
i think if simple food is really tasty, then it’s no big deal that it’s simple! however if it’s only so-so, it’s not worth it for me to pay more when i can just slap it together better at home. seattle has 2 so-so raw places so i am jealous of you NYC folks. another one to add to the list when i visit.
Sounds wonderful! I’ve been reading about SIB on Diana’s blog for a while. I definitely need to make an excursion there soon. Not sure how most of my friends would feel about it, but can’t hurt to try! The orange creamsicle looks super fabulous 🙂
I don’t live in or near NYC, so I live vicariously through you. But, rest assured, when I do visit, WE (as in you + me) are going to eat at all six dining establishments you’ve listed here. Yes.
And, hello, but could you possibly be any cuter in your flower frock?
xo!
EM
your dress is SO cute, i had to comment. and that orange creamsicle looks amazing.
AWESOME POST
i recently just became a fan of kale to be used in my salads besides just my juicing after i saw a picture of one of your salads. It is now my salad base before i add any mix greens and other vegetables. So i have juicing kale- check
salad kale- check
kale chips- not yet…
I was wondering since you said you haven’t made kale chips yet can you do a post on how you make them? maybe as a side to another dish? That would be awesome!!
Thanks
looks like fun! way to leave Manhattan girl!
Thanks for the restaurant suggestion Gena! I live in NYC and am newly transitioning to raw. I’m a Candle Cafe takeout regular and I’m just starting to realize all the great food opportunities there out in the city and my fiance has been uber supportive and is taking me to all these awesome places to help me find places that have my kind of food – Gobo is a new fav of mine and closeby my apt. 🙂
I have a question – how long should I expect the “detox symptoms” to last? I’ve started breaking out a bit and have been feeling a bit sluggish and I know it’s forward progress, but 4 days into committing to fully going raw til dinner, it’s a little frustrating. Thanks!
Hey Catherine!
Well, first things first: it’s quite unlikely that you’re actually experiencing real detox after only four days — typically, it takes quite a bit more time than that. Also, the whole “raw till dinner” thing sounds suspiciously “diet plan” or “cleanse” like — try not to think in such black and white terms! If you feel like it’s too intense, scale back and just try adding more raw in bits and pieces. Stop as soon as it doesn’t feel organic to you.
Over time, there’s a good chance you’ll just naturally find yourself craving more raw meals. But never envision it as a multi-step process or plan, if that makes sense. This is about living, not following a program.
If you ARE having detox, expect it to last anywhere from a month to several — there’s no rhyme or reason. But for many people, detox doesn’t even begin till at least four months into the journey.
Gena xoxo
Love your blog!!! I have a question regarding your last post, which spiralizer model do you have? Would love to try zuchini this way but don’t have the spiralizer. Thanks for your time.
Vicky
I have the Paderno spirooli.
Wow it looks great! I’ll have to check it out next time I’m in NYC!
Nice dress Gena!
OMG so you get to eat great food, hang out with Diana, eat her genius recipes, AND Rock a super cute dress, wow some girls have all the luck 🙂
That creamsicle is making me jealous!!!
Wow, I’d really like to try that place, it looks wonderful!
YAY, thank you for this, Gena. Well put indeed. Proud to be a member of the SIB team. 🙂
ok, now im annoyed that i havent been there…note to self, get to brooklyn. now.
next time you go give me a holler…im hoping the weathers on the up and i could use a brooklyn bridge stroll.
Sounds fab!!! Definitely need to try this
xox
S
The Bella Divine salad sounds … divine! And I love Sun in Bloom’s mission. I too favor restaurants that serve up simple wholesome goodness in warm inviting spaces. I’m a horribly picky eater, but it’s never stopped me from socializing as I’ve always been happy to just have a drink (or two) while everyone else eats. Since I’ve stopped drinking, I’ve been avoiding restaurants for the most part so I’m always grateful to discover places where I can actually eat the food!
What an awesome looking place! Looks so inviting. And the food! Thanks for the review, Gena- I will be sure to check it out when I am in NYC again (which is hopefully soon!!)
xo
K
I’ve heard people use the term “crunchy” before but I never understood it lol. Nowwww I get it 😉
I love the idea of a restaurant that serves up stuff you’d make yourself! Sometimes the simplest things are the best 🙂
Oooh, those all look YUMMY.
-sigh- I’m going back to Houston for the summer. No raw restaurants to try…though there’s some raw takeaway place, and a smattering of vegetarian places. Houston is not the best for the vegan crowd.
But that just means I’ll have to be extra creative in my own kitchen!
Oh, yum. Wish I lived in NYC again. 🙂
We’re going to 118 this weekend though. Upscale raw food in Costa Mesa, CA. 🙂
xoxo
What a great restaurant! Love the sound of that burrito…and your dress:)
I can’t wait to get over there! And I am SO proud of Diana 🙂
Wow– it’s all so beautiful! Especially the dessert! I’m going to NYC for a wedding in a few weekends, and I would love to check this place out!
I have no excuse. After Passover I’m going to check out some of our city’s finest raw cuisine.
Great Review! I live in DC now and am jealous we don’t have the abundance of options NYC does. It makes me sad too because my hometown is 45 mins from the city and I’d be there every weekend if I know about this and still lived at home!!
I can’t wait to try all these amazing places when I get back to NYC! The Bella Divine certainly looks worth a trip alone.
That orange creamsicle looks absolutely to-die-for! YUM!
So fun! I have been reading about this on Diana’s blog- her treats look incredible! If I’m ever in NY, I’m totally checking this place out. Have a great weekend 🙂
Sounds like an amazing place! Thanks for sharing. I have a whole list of places to visit when I come to NY> Thanks for all the great tips on places to eat at – love it! That salad looks amazing. Those are some of our favorite things as well!!!!!!! 🙂
This spot sounds amazing! I loved that you used the word “crunchy”. For some reason, I loled. but this place sounds like a healthy balance
sounds wonderful! I’ll add it to my restaurants to try the next time I’m in NYC (hopefully in the next few months!).