Diners at John’s of 12th Street, which has served vegan versions of Italian-American classics for more than a decade. Photo: Adam Powell Whatever you think an Italian red-sauce joint should be, John’s of 12th Street is that. The lighting is dim. The garlic has been pungent since 1908. The waiters wear pressed white shirts and bowties and seem, regardless of their chronological ages, to have been airlifted in from another time.
The vegan menu at John’s is startling, mostly in quantity. It is not quite as long as the traditional version, but it is impressive, both in heft and in ambition. The eggplant Parmigiana, made with vegan cheese, is surprisingly light and remarkably saucy. There is, as there must be, a portobello-mushroom cap. But there is also the tender seitan scallopini with marsala-mushroom sauce, served with a heap of homemade spaghetti.
One of John’s owners at the time, Judy Anderson, took notice. She wasn’t an Angelica’s fan personally, but she saw the crowds outside. “She said, ‘We can do better,’” recalls Rundbaken, who is part of the group that bought the restaurant from Anderson and her co-owners in 2016. “Judy’s goal was, You’re not eating ‘vegan Italian.’ You’re eating Italian food. That’s it.” He shrugs, affably, to demonstrate this philosophy. “It’s vegan.
rtsugar Good place. Except for when you r expecting white sauce & get red sauce instead.
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