3 Brothers Vegan Cafe is Long Island’s first and only 100% vegan restaurant. This restaurant is part of the 3 Brother’s Pizza Cafe chain, (the original location has a menu that is 70% vegan). The new all vegan restaurant is run by the amazing vegan chef Jay Astafa. Jay first added vegan items to his family’s restaurant menu when he was only 16 years old. He has gone on to create successful vegan catering business and this latest culinary destination in Long Island. Ethan and I wanted to visit for lunch on our anniversary last week, but they open at 4PM, so that was out. However, when the opportunity presented itself for us to be on Long Island, we knew where would be having dinner. The wait was well worth it.

When you first enter the restaurant, you see a big display case filled with desserts from Vegan Treats. You can also see the wood fired oven where they make pizzas fresh to order. The large dining room has the feel of a classic Italian restaurant thanks in large part to the beautiful travertine tiles on the walls. The staff at 3 Brother is friendly and the service is wonderful: attentive without being obtrusive. We were very pleased to see that even at 9:00PM the dining room was mostly filled and people were still coming in. The menu features appetizers, pastas, entrees and wood fired pizzas (cooked in the aforementioned oven).  What really makes 3 Brothers Vegan Cafe extraordinary and sets it apart from most other vegan restaurants is that, unlike most restaurants with vegan offerings, it makes its own vegan cheeses including fresh cashew mozzarella, cashew milk cheddar, cashew parmesan, macadamia feta, cashew tofu ricotta, and cashew bleu cheese. These cheeses are outstanding! However, they do have Daiya on the menu as well for anyone who has a nut allergy.

We started our meal with a few appetizers: Mozzarella in Carozza, Buffalo Cauliflower and Arancini. For those who don’t know what Mozzarella in Carozza is, think of it as an Italian style grilled cheese sandwich: two slices of bread with mozzarella in between. However, unlike the American version which is cooked in a pan, this is breaded and then pan fried. The bread is crispy, but a little oily from the frying. The cheese melts wonderfully, so it is almost like a mozzarella stick in sandwich form. It comes with a dish of tomato sauce for dipping. This is a very heavy appetizer, so you will want to share it with at least one other person. If you eat the entire thing by yourself, you won’t have room for the rest of your meal. The Buffalo Cauliflower is a plate with big pieces of fried cauliflower coated in a spicy buffalo sauce and served with a creamy bleu cheese spread. The sauce is really spicy, but the cashew cheese tempers it nicely. I am not a fan a bleu cheese in general, but this cashew version lacks the strong pungent tastes that is typically associated with the cheese. Instead, it has a nice subtle taste that is a great balance to the sauce. Also, rather than a runny bleu cheese dressing, this cashew cheese is thick and can be spread on the cauliflower. The Arancini is a dish of 4 breaded and fried rice balls with a piece of cashew mozzarella in the center . Each ball is served in its own dish, sitting atop a dallop of tomato sauce. The Arancini is perfectly fried so the outside is crisp, the rice is warm and the cheese in the center is melted. The addition of the tomato sauce helps this from feeling too heavy and brightens the dish. This was our favorite of the the appetizers we tried. We do need to go back of course to try some of the others.

We shared the Eggplant Rollatini entree and a pizza for main courses. The rollatini features three large breaded and fried slices of eggplant, filled with cashew-tofu ricotta, that are then rolled, topped with tomato sauce and fresh cashew milk mozzarella. And if that isn’t enough, it is served with served your choice of pasta or salad on the side. The filling is rich, creamy and delicately flavored. The crispy coating gives a great crunch that plays well with the soft filling. The tomato sauce adds a lightness that keeps the dish from feeling too heavy. We opted for a side of pasta which was cooked perfectly al dente and topped with tomato sauce. It is a very generous portion for one or an easy dish to share. For our pizza selection, we chose the Grandma Pizza, a square pizza with tomato sauce, fresh basil and fresh cashew milk mozzarella. All the pizzas here are cooked in a wood fired oven. Pizza cooked in a wood fired oven has a delicious taste that cannot be achieved in a standard oven. The pizza is a perfect size for 2 or 3 people to share. When it comes to pizza, I like a lot of sauce and a little cheese. This pie had a little too much cheese for me, but that did not impact my enjoyment of it at all. It has been a long time since I had vegan pizza without either Daiya or soy cheese, so this was a wonderful treat. To have a vegan pizza with mozzarella that melts, and stretches is fantastic.

Eggplant Rollatini

Grandma Pizza

I have to give special attention to their tomato sauce. It is truly outstanding. The sauce is rich and flavorful with a slight sweetness thanks to the tomatoes. The tomato flavor really shines and is not over powered by seasonings. The sauce is not at all acidy as some sauces can be. I love that the garlic in the sauce can be tasted, but is not overwhelming. Many restaurants use either too little garlic so you don’t taste it at all or too much so it becomes overwhelming. 3 Brothers has found the perfect balance. If they ever decide to jar and sell the sauce, I will be first in line.

Jay Astafa proves that there is no reason Italian restaurants cannot make excellent vegan food. While some Italian restaurants may have vegan options, none hold a candle to 3 Brothers Vegan Cafe. You owe it to your tastebuds and stomach to make a trip to 3 Brothers Vegan Cafe. It is worth the drive.

3 Brothers Vegan Cafe
1038 Montauk Highway
Copiague, NY 11726
631-464-4328
info@3brothersvegancafe.com