"Cadence is a vegan restaurant in the East Village that specializes in Southern soul food. It’s from the team behind a bunch of other upscale vegan spots like Ladybird, Avant Garden, and Proletariat, and it’s the only place in the city where you’ll find dishes like a lobster mushroom boil and Southern fried lasagna with pine nut ricotta. If you’re planning a special occasion date night or a birthday dinner with close friends who don’t eat meat, give this spot a try." - molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, neha talreja, kenny yang