Though I’ll try almost anything, when I find something I like at a restaurant, I tend to order it over and over. Usually, it’s because I genuinely like a particular dish, either because I got lucky the first time I went or after a few tries, I found a favorite thing.

Still, it’s good to branch out from the familiar every now and then. When Caravan of Dreams, one of my favorite vegan restaurants in NYC, changed their menu, a few darlings got killed—namely, my favorite Green Garden Platter, which included lots of veggies, seitan and polenta.

RIP Green Garden Platter

Since then, I’ve tried several things at Caravan but it wasn’t until last night’s venture out with my friend Alex that I found something that filled the void. To start, we both ordered the Caesar Avocado Salad. 

For his entree, Alex had the Wild Rice and Cremini Mushroom Croquettes.

I thought the “Cuban Delight” I ordered was great—lots of steamed veggies, black beans, rice, and tofu. The grilled banana was unexpected but not out of place in the slightest. I’m looking forward to the leftovers.

pardon the blurry cellphone photo

There was also dessert, but I didn’t get around to taking any pictures. If you go, though, make sure you order the Chocolate Acai Berry Pie and/or the Carrot Cake. Both were out of this world. I don’t normally take dessert leftovers home, but I did this time.

It’s always nice to enjoy a satisfying meal out after a long day—even better when trying something new turns out to be a good idea.

Do you like to try new things when you go out or stick with what you know is good?