It is, truly, the end of an era: Blossom, the vegan restaurant chain that first opened a flagship location in Chelsea back in 2005, is closing on August 25.
The owners made the announcement on Instagram a couple of days ago, to the clear shock of their followers.
“For nearly 20 years, Blossom has been serving delicious, creative, animal-free cuisine to New Yorkers and to people from all over the world – vegan and non-vegan alike,” reads the Instagram post. “From our original location in our historic townhouse in Chelsea, to the West Village, to our final Upper West Side location, we have been honored to share in your memories and celebrations, and to share our ethos of compassionate, animal-first, plant-based living with your communities. Sadly, we will be closing the doors to our final location at the end of this month.”
To the connoisseur, Blossom proved that kosher restaurants can be just as creative, welcoming and atmospheric as those outside the kosher world. The menu here stood out for its innovation, transforming traditional vegan ingredients into a contemporary culinary experience. Throughout its various iterations, Blossom steadfastly remained not merely a good kosher restaurant but a good restaurant in its own right, despite its kosher status.
The closure announcement was met with sadness on social media, where many fans, kosher eaters and not, took the time to mourn the upcoming loss while celebrating the eatery’s near two decades of service.
“I can’t believe this,” one follower wrote. “I’ve been coming to Blossom for almost 15 years.Since I moved to Manhattan, it’s been my go-to spot to celebrate a special occasion or just have a delicious casual meal. Blossom will forever hold a special place in my heart (along with the Caesar salad. And all the seitan. And tiramisu.)”
“Please no. The Southern Seitan was the most delicious vegan sandwich I have ever had,” another user commented. “I wish you all the best and thank you for your service to our community.”
Clearly, the kosher crowd isn’t the only one affected by the closure, with many commenters highlighting the impact of the news on the city’s vegan scene.
In their announcement post, the owners urged dedicated customers to head to the eatery at 507 Columbus Avenue by 84th Street on the Upper West Side to say goodbye to the staff and enjoy one last seitan piccata. See you there.
