Terms Of Endearment

by Haleyna Kociuk-Garza

Having a father who’s in the restaurant industry, it’s sentimentally fitting that my sister and I share a bond over our love of trying new and exciting foods and restaurants in all different types of new places. It warms my heart at the thought of telling those two little girls, coloring their kid’s menus and playing with their Bratz dolls under the tables at their dad’s restaurant, that when they grow up, they’ll be traveling the world together sampling the vegan fare of such places as San Francisco, London, Edinburgh, and more. Unfortunately, this year Courtney and I had to put a halt on any travel plans, due to this thing called the “coronavirus pandemic” that you might’ve heard about. So, however much I wish that we could be vegan queens traveling the world together, I was thrilled and honored when my sister Courtney asked me to act as a VEGWORLD correspondent here in New York City in her place. There are many perks to having the editor-in-chief of VEGWORLD Magazine as your sister (like, seriously, how freakin’ cool is that??), and having your finger on the pulse of NYC’s best vegan spots is definitely one of them. What better place to try first than Terms of Endearment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn?

Wind in the hair! Lead in the pencil!

My sister is notoriously good at converting non-vegans or at least introducing them to how delicious vegan food can be. Following in her footsteps, I asked non-vegan comedian Alex Payne to accompany me on this Brooklyn adventure one lovely October morning. Well, lovely for some. Alex, a self-proclaimed omnivore, awoke hungry, grumpy, and skeptical as to whether or not he would enjoy a fully vegan lunch all the way in Brooklyn. Men can be such babies sometimes. However, one-stop out of Manhattan on the L-train and a short windy walk later, we had arrived at Terms of Endearment. Although they were closed for indoor dining (as is the case for all NYC restaurants), they had a quaint set up for outdoor dining comprised of a few Tiffany-blue tables and chairs that complimented their lovely tiled exterior well. The staff was casually welcoming, helpful in that hip, and inherently Brooklyn style. The wind was high, and so were my expectations. “Wind in the hair! Lead in the pencil!” to quote the movie Terms of Endearment. I felt like Jack Nicholson to Alex’s reluctant Shirley McClaine, except instead of standing and screaming while erratically driving a convertible down the shore, we were having lunch.

The Caprese Panini was crunchy and flavorful.

The menu was small yet intriguing; with seven items that all sounded really really good.

We settled on the following three dishes:

1.

2.

3. THE CAPRESE PANINI Fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella drizzled with a balsamic reduction on housemade olive oil and salt focaccia.

THE B.E.C. (Their most popular) Crispy bacon, JUST egg scramble, cheddar cheese, mixed greens, and everything s’mear on a plain croissant.

THE LOX Beet lox, red onion, scallion cream cheese, mixed greens, capers, served on a croissant.

While waiting for the sandwiches, we sipped on a Lavender Lemonade, which was as tasty as it was pretty. The soft purple ombre mimicked the lemonade’s soft lavender flavor that I honestly haven’t stopped thinking about since. Before we knew it, our first sandwich was ready to be eaten and we were ready to eat it. The lemonade, however, was long gone.

The Caprese Panini was crunchy and flavorful, on a perfectly seasoned focaccia bread.

The tomatoes tasted fresh and delicious. The pesto was to die for and actually sparked a debate between Alex and me on whether or not all pesto is vegan (it isn’t; traditional pesto calls for parmesan). We both agreed that, vegan or not, this pesto was better than most. The mozzarella was forgettable, as it was hardly noticeable against the strength and tastiness of the other ingredients. As someone who’s ca’razy for caprese, I would highly recommend this caprese panini to all of my friends and even some of my enemies.

I was amazed by the JUST egg scramble!

The Lox was my favorite.

Next up, the B.E.C. — an NYC staple. I personally wasn’t too crazy about this one, perhaps because I was so taken with the first sandwich, or perhaps it was the everything s’mear that reminded me too much of mayonnaise (which I detest). However, Alex absolutely devoured this one and said the everything s’mear was actually his favorite part. “If they make it themselves, I would purchase it,” he said with a goofy smile. I will say that I was amazed by the JUST egg scramble. It was hauntingly similar to real eggs in flavor and texture.

Last, but definitely not lost, was The Lox. This one was my personal favorite. It was fresh and flavorful. The croissant was perfectly flaky, which made eating it messy, but I like it dirty. The beet lox was *so good* and even though I was super full, I ate every last bite. Upon leaving, I remarked to the chef that The Lox was my favorite, and she said she’d tried to take it off the menu, but brought it back due to overwhelming popular demand. “Everyone kept being like ‘What happened to The Lox?!’ So of course I had to bring it back.” I can definitely see why.

After sampling those few menu items, I can’t wait to go back and try the rest of the menu! Alex was very impressed, and in a ridiculously better mood after we ate. “Would I go vegan now?” he mused, taking a moment to consider this, “Probably not. But I’d be interested in eating vegan more often now after trying this.” Small victories, my friends. Thank you, Terms of Endearment, for a lovely experience and a delicious vegan lunch. We can’t wait to come back for more! I know one thing’s for sure, next time Courtney is in town, we’ll be making a special trip to Williamsburg.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Haleyna Kociuk-Garza is a comedian and writer based out of New York City. She can recite the first Harry Potter movie on command, as well as most of the office. She considers herself a one-woman-Truman-Show, and is just trying to have a good time, fam.