Avant Garden

Avant Garden’s name isn’t exactly doing it any favors - but this restaurant does make some very good vegan food. They just opened a new location in Williamsburg with a setup that’s very similar to the original in the East Village: fancy (but not pretentious) plates of vegetables that won’t make you miss the presence of meat, in an intimate space that would be good for a low-key date. Skip the cocktails and try something off their interesting wine list instead, and get the eggplant toast - which is excellent, and one of the new menu items that’s only available at this location.