CLOSED: Food For The Planet

My advice is to bypass Moosewood and come directly here. We arrived a few minutes before the end of the brunch time slot, but no matter, they welcomed us in and served us and the many patrons there as if they didn't have homes to return to. We started off our late breakfast with a fruit/vegetable juice and decaf coffee. Both excellent. I had the all-you-can-eat pancakes with cinnamon and caramel sauce and my husband had the tofu scramble. The pancakes were large and the stack was high. The most fluffy pancakes - the best that I have ever had. The tofu scramble was also the best that we have ever had. The next day we decided to go to Moosewood because you have to when you are in Ithaca... but we were sorry we did. If you are in Ithaca, please try this restaurant. Sure, the decor is modest, but the food is the best and the staff are awesome.

We stopped for the Saturday brunch menu recently.
Listen People, this place is awesome! We had the breakfast burrito with beans, rice, vegan cheez, vegan sourcream and tofu scramble. We also had the vegan crepes with a vanilla yogurt filling and fresh fruit. The black forest brownie is very chocolaty. We also had the raw pecan pie!

In a word: Delicious! We plan to try to the dinner menu next. You might want to call ahead for the hours before visiting. Check it out!

Easily the best restaurant in Ithaca. We love the nachos veganos. The menu has changed from year-to-year, which shows that the chefs are interested in trying new recipes and treating their clientelle to different tastes.

I have visited this restaurant 3 times now and I absolutely love it. Being a vegan it is a relief to have somewhere to go where you do not have to search hard for vegan friendly options because everything is vegan friendly. Not only that but everything I have tried so far is delicious! I have tried the quesadillas, the lasagna (twice), the pizza (it was there first go at it when I tried it) and the breakfast burrito. The only food that I tried that I was iffy about was the pizza and frankly I give them credit because it was there first try at a new recipe; I'm sure it has improved! Portions are fairly good-sized and prices are pretty moderate, around $10-$15 I believe. To me this is a good deal because you are getting good quality vegan foods. So, if you are ever in the area be sure to check this vegan friendly place out, even my non-vegan friends like it! (Be sure to check the hours as they are a bit abnormal)

My partner and I have been to Food for the Planet several times, and we've always enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. My favorite dishes so far are the incredible crepe with soy cream and the frittata with potato-kale hash. Both were absolutely delicious, generously portioned, and really, really worth their prices. I don't usually eat out at places where the food's more than a few dollars (I'm a pizza & burrito kind of girl), but for a date or a family outing, this restaurant really delivers.

The thing I most love about Food for the Planet is that they're the only 100% vegan restaurant in town, with ethics to match. The owners and staff are compassionate animal rights advocates, and they care about humans as much as they care about animals: The menu is full of options that can be enjoyed by raw foodists as well as people with gluten sensitivity and other dietary restrictions.

I did notice that things took a little while to make it to our table, but since I love the concept, the food, the people, and the place, I didn't mind at all! With community support, I hope that FFTP will continue to serve us vegan yumminess for many years to come.

I always passed by this place and always wanted to try it. I finally did for dessert and it was just absolutely horrible. I got a brownie with ice cream it tasted like cardboard. The brownie wasn't even warm! I forced myself to eat at least half of it so I didn't look rude. The brownies I make for $1 out of the box are far superior than this.

I've been a vegan for 4 years and know vegan food can be awesome. This just isn't it.

Maybe their entrees are better, but I'll never be going back. Yuck.

Don't be fooled by the simple storefront and down to earth atmosphere. Food for the Planet rivals New York City quality fine dining. If you are tired of the same old selections, taste "Nachos in the Raw" a delicious combination of a sesame/sunflower seed cracker topped with ultra-fresh greens, red pepper, scallions, guacamole and raw nacho cheese. Exceptional!

The "Neatballs" were another new taste creation - pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts and mushrooms formed into bite-sized balls served with a garden sweet tomato sauce. Awesome!

The Lasagna is a generously-sized portion of seasonal vegetables, tofu, plenty of vegan mozzarella cheese and brown rice noodles all baked together in a hearty marinara sauce. Delicious flavors and more than enough food to satisfy an ardent appetite!

Food for the Planet is not an all you can eat buffet for $9.99. Instead, it is a five star dining experience NOT to be missed! Expect the prices to match just what you would expect to pay for farm fresh, top quality ingredients prepared and presented in an unsurpassed manner. As if that were not enough, everything on the menu is vegan, parve, and most selections can be made to order gluten free and/or soy free. That's quite an accomplishment!

As a preface to my review, I'd like to share that I have just recently shifted from eating the "Standard American Diet" to experimenting with raw food, as well as vegan & vegetarian menus. After one month of searching for new recipes, and alternately succeeding & failing at my own food preparation attempts, I was longing to go to a good restaurant and eat someone else's well-prepared food. This was a problem! None of my old favorite restaurants serve the food choices I am now embracing. A friend recommended Food for the Planet and I decided to take a chance. Lunch on Friday exceeded my expectations! The guacamole was fresh and deliciously flavored and the raw sesame seed chips were one of a kind. Wow! Next I ordered the Quesadilla with a soy-free vegan cheese that is the best alternative cheese I ever tasted with no close second! The Split Pea soup was also noteworthy!

The very next day I returned for dinner, eager to taste some more entrees. Once again I was delighted! The Red Lentil Soup was beyond description ~ an exquisite combination of fresh vegetables, lentils and unique spices. I couldn't resist ordering a bowl to take home with me for a later meal! The Saturday Night Special was "Raw Ravioli": sliced rhutabaga with cashew cheese filling accompanied by a sun-dried tomato marinara sauce. This was an unimaginable fusion of flavors ~ very delicate and special indeed!

My friend ordered the "Burrito Deluxe" a choice mixture of vegan cheese, beans, rice, and nut meats all wrapped in a tortilla with cilantro sauce and pico de gallo. A marvelous meal! In reference to other reviewers' comments on portion size, I believe the size varies according to the specific entree. For instance, the "Raw Ravioli" was a more dainty offering, while I'd guess that the very filling "Burrito Deluxe" would easily satisfy a hungry man. If you are a newcomer to the menu, you might want to consult your server for recommendations ~ both Brooke & Zia fully answered all my questions which helped me to make selections I was very pleased with.

Food for the Planet is a five star restaurant right here in Ithaca, NY. I am extremely thankful to have made the discovery! I intend to forever be counted among their frequent, faithful customers. I will keep coming back not only for my favorites, but also, just to see what Maija has invented this week! Congratulations, Food for the Planet, you are in a 1st Class dimension all your own.

I have been to many Veg restaurants around the country and this is, by far, my favorite. I love the fresh herbs as decor, and the ever changing featured local art. Quaint atmosphere, attentive staff, and damn good food. By far the best Veg food in Upstate New York. I think I've tried everything on the menu twice and have found nothing to complain about.

I went there last night for dinner. The baked lasagna is delicious and is a generous portion. It would be ideal it it included a small salad or bit of french bread, but as is, it is still absolutely worth the price of $11.75. Baked to perfection and generously layered with thinly sliced traditional lasagna veggies as well as a wealth of vegan cheeses made this dish a fresh and creamy dish that thrills the taste buds. I also had a chocolate chip cookie to go. This was a bit small for $2.00 and very crunchy and dry, but the flavor was good. If the cookies were baked larger and to a soft chew, it probably would have been very tasty. It was very cold that night and the place could have been a bit warmer. Overall, this restaurant has a comfortable casual feeling and yummy vegan eats. I was a very happy customer when I left and I plan to return.

I went here a few days ago for brunch with my girlfriend and another friend. I got the tofu scramble with spinach and garlic and both of my friends got the raw banana crepe with cashew cream. The coffee was an excellent fair trade organic coffee from Peru. I ended up drinking at least 3 cups of it because it was so good, which is a rarity for me. The waitress was exceedingly friendly and was very helpful with all of the questions we had. My scramble was delicious and the raw crepe, which I was wary of, was surprisingly delicious as well. My girlfriend got a green smoothie kind of thing that was very good as well. My scramble came with a side of potato kale hash which was pretty much lightly fried kale and fried potatoes... good, but nothing especially exciting.

The most common complaints about this place that I have read have been about the wait times and the pricing. It did take about a half hour for our food to come after we ordered but we weren't in a hurry so we didn't mind. The waitress was attentive and appeared to be waiting on every other table in the place so the wait wasn't uncalled for. I'm not sure how many kitchen staff they had on, but the wait wasn't totally obnoxious or anything. This isn't a fast food place and people shouldn't expect their food to be fired to their table from a rocket in the kitchen. Good food that is cooked to order takes time and love to make.

The food was a bit pricey for the portion sizes but honestly, good, high quality food isn't cheap to make and serve. I applaud their use of largely organic and all vegan ingredients and was happy to pay a little more for high quality food.

I really hope this place sticks around. I will be frequenting it whenever I am in Ithaca and encourage others to do the same.

I have tried three times to like this restaurant.
My first visit was for breakfast, a week after they first had opened. The food was delicious but expensive and the service was impressively slow. Still, it was a nice time. I thought I would go there as a treat once in a while.
The next time was for dinner and I began to have second thoughts. I had to wait outside as the place was that busy. I remember feeling happy that they were doing so well, but after a 30 minute wait the service was also very slow. And this time the food was awful. My smoothie tasted literally like dirt. I think that the vegetables had not been rinsed enough. The desert, vegan cheesecake, was the most edible (and tasty) part of the meal - which was outsourced (made by emmy's organics). When asked how we were enjoying our food, my date exclaimed that it tasted like food given to people in prison.
In hopes to recreate the first experience I went back a third time for breakfast. The kale hash that I had remembered for being delicious tasted like burn, and not in a good way. The french toast was alright, but holy crap - for $10 only two pieces of bread?!
Small portions.High prices. Slow service.
Now, the waitstaff was all very pleasant, as was the decor. If only ...
I really wanted to like this place as it is the only vegan restaurant in Ithaca, but alas cannot.

Eating vegan in Ithaca is not too hard but an exclusively vegan restaurant is a welcome addition for anyone vegan. Before going to Food for the the Planet, I had read the other reviews on happycow and was rather skeptical. I'm a big eater and often have the problem of going home hungry after a restaurant meal. Nonetheless, to show our support and to form our own opinion we decided to check out the place.

It was Saturday night, around 8 PM and the place was neither empty nor crowded. The atmosphere is really nice, table service was quick and friendly, and the offerings on the menu all sounded pretty attractive -- I had a hard time choosing. I finally decided on some baked tofu dish ("fritatas something...") and my accomplice got a burger plus soup (adds three bucks to the price of your entree). Food arrived quickly (around 10 minutes) and we were both very satisfied with the taste of both the soup (Gazpacho) and the main dishes.

Now what about portion sizes? Well, it was definitely not enough food for me. As I've said before, this is often the case for me in restaurants and I usually don't expect portions of an appropriate size for me. Would a "normal person" have found the food to be filling? Maybe. My accomplice indeed was happy with her burger/soup combo, and this might be the secret to eating at FftP as a big eater: get a soup, get a main dish, get a dessert, and then you'll probably be full. The only problem with that, of course, is the price. Given that all their food is local and organic, the prices are perfectly appropriate but unfortunately that means that a three course menu is not really affordable if you're a grad student.

My overall judgment: excellent food, nice place and people, money-to-food ratio a bit low for me, but not necessarily for others. I hope they'll stay in business for a long time.

The black bean mango salad was literally a handful of spinach, with black beans and cut up mango. After that and the smoothie which was just ok, I was still hungry. I love the principle of Food for the Planet, and value the concept, but at $9 for a handful of spinach, it was definately not worth it - I can get over a pound of salad bar fixins from Greenstar for that much! I will be going back to give it another chance though.

The first time I went I was really impressed. Restaurants in Ithaca aren't as great as they could be and this one was really exciting. My family is mostly vegan with several food allergies and we were excited by the options. The first time we ate there, the food was excellent, the service was good, and our only complaint was that we waited 45 minutes for our food even though we were the first ones there.
We went back the next week to find the portions had shrunk about 25%, which made the food very expensive, and it didn't taste as good as it had the week before (we ordered the same thing). I was sad since I had been raving to friends all week about the restaurant.
One thing that stayed excellent was the dessert, and we plan on going back for desserts, but we'll eat our main course elsewhere.

I should first point out that this restaurant just opened a month ago or something, so they are probably still working out the kinks. My husband and I went there for dinner. The place is very difficult to find because you can't really see the sign, but once inside it is cozy and cute. The food we had was pretty good. I had the warm lasagna and thought it was delicious. I also looked at other people's food and thought it all looked pretty tasty. The waitress did not know all the dishes very well but went and found answers from the cooks, which was good I thought. She is still learning it all I'm sure. The menu was a little confusing (organization-wise), and I thought the desert selection should be greater, but they do make up for it with their smoothies! My husband thought it was weird that you could see into the kitchen. I thought that was ok. I would definitely want to go back and try more things from that menu, especially the raw stuff. And I really respect that they are all vegan, mostly gluten free and frequently raw. So I hope they do well.

I'm not going back. I predict they will be closed in a month unless they radically change the portions sizes of their meals. The "simply delicious" dinner was nothing more than a measly portion of brown rice, black beans and kale. We were charged $10 for that. Why skimp on brown rice and beans? The salad ($4) was a mini-plate with a tiny drizzling of dressing. Was that supposed to be sheik? I had the collard wrap entrée: 2 pieces... it qualified as an appetizer. The raw lasagna was definitely the size of an appetizer. I just couldn't believe what they were charging for such a tiny amount of food. After dinner (which did nothing more than wet my appetite) I was sure the dessert portions would be small, so I asked, and the waitress used her fingers to show that a piece of cheesecake was about 2 inches wide at the end. It should have been TWICE that size. I didn't order one. We looked over at the next table and saw the KIDS menu was giving bigger portions than the adult menu! If you are hungry, this place is not for you! When will someone admit that The King Has No Clothes! 4 people, $70 plus $14 tip, and I went out afterwards to get some food... No, I'm not going back.

Lasagne, Black Bean Mango Salad, Raw Nachos, Quesadillas made with the new soy-free Daiya cheese (that you can't get anywhere else in town) that tastes incredible and melts beautifully, Collard Rolls, Brownies, Cheesecake (non-dairy, remember?), Emmy's Ice Cream, Smoothies, it's just all so good... And then there's the brunch. OMG!!! The crepes with cream filling (non-dairy, remember?) served wtih fruit, Earth Balance, and pure maple syrup are to live for!!! The Fritatta is yummy, and the potato kale hash (also available at dinner) is beyond description. All of the food is really great, and Maija is an accomplished chef who really knows how to create delicious fare - something that will be loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. Finally, a restaurant in Ithaca that will satisfy so many, the vegans, the raw foodists (there are many raw choices), the gluten-free (almost everything is gluten-free, the brownies, cookies, muffins, cheesecake, lasagna, with gluten-free choices for the burrito wraps and burger), the soy-free and even the omnivores. Please show your support for the restaurant, and if you go because you saw it here, please tell Maija that you saw her restaurant on Happy Cow!