The Butcher's Daughter

I'll admit I frequent vegan go-to spot, The Butcher's Daughter more often than I may think. They now have a few locations but I have only been to their NoLita location where the aesthetic makes you feel like you are in a very beautiful greenhouse of healthy things and beautiful people. Next door is a little shop no bigger than your average full-size bathroom where they sell juices, fruits/veggies, soaps and other somewhat random products as well as smoothies coffees. Their can be a wait but more often than not, it is very quick and easy to get a seat if you are a small party or alone!

Menu: Their juices are my absolute weakness. I could quite literally invest in a 365 day plan and drink one every single day. Personal faves, and two I tend to reach for pretty consistently are Water Flower and Honeybee. The mixtures that they have come up with to create these drinks is magical, healthy and so easy to drink (which is the hardest part about drinking juices, in my opinion).
As for their raw smoothies, I have only tried, but strongly recommend the Brass Monkey. A strong taste of peanut butter brings every other smoothie to it's knees and Maca is an interesting addition as well.
Finally comes food. Their casual yet cute menu labels exactly what is vegan and gluten-free but most options can be made gluten free as well. My go-to is generally avo toast on GF bread with adzuki bacon on top. I will be honest with you, any time I look at this menu [as I am doing right now] I find 10 more options I would like to try...and will!!

 Located at 19 Kenmare in NoLita, NYC

The prices are fair for such specialty options that are vegan and GF easily accessible.

The Mercer Kitchen

Located in SoHo, I can comment very minimally on the well-respected The Mercer Kitchen as I did not get a single bite of solid food while I was there. The place itself is beautiful, perhaps slightly pretentious in an expected SoHo-esque way that makes you want to be there regardless of how you feel. It is also quite large which is a bonus anywhere in Manhattan.

Menu: I went near closing and had a very large glass of white wine. A delicious glass, I will say.

Locate at 99 Prince Street, SoHo NYC

Pricing is a bit more expensive than I, an unemployed Brooklyn-er would prefer for a glass of wine.

To come: Food update! Once I eat there...

J.G. Melon

I stumbled into J.G. Melon in Greenwich village, frankly because By Chloe's line was just too long. It is on the opposite corner of the well-known vegan eatery with a slightly different appeal. J.G. Melon is more of a fancy burger joint and, as someone who is gluten intolerant as well as kosher, that appeal is quite low for me. However, they had excellent reviews, so my family and I thought, why not? The ambiance is very low key with adorable red checkered table clothes which balance out some of the more luxurious aesthetics. The staff here was very friendly and accommodating.

Menu: I ended up ordering a Tuna Burger sans bun with a side of cottage fried potatoes. The tuna burger was delicious in my opinion (I prefer meat to be well done which it certainly was) and the potatoes, basically oval-shaped crinkle fries was, as expected, delicious. No complaints here, though the menu was fairly limiting. If you are strictly gluten-free but you eat meat I highly recommend this place!

Located at 89 Macdougal Street, Greenwich NYC

Price is quite good, especially considering the credit they have. My burger was about $13.

Chalk Point Kitchen

I recently went to Chalk Point Kitchen for Saturday brunch. Without knowing what to expect, we entered through a massive wooden door that tried very hard to remain open despite the below freezing temperatures outside and then through a curtain. This quaint spot carries a unique aesthetic in that I can best describe it as vintage barn house meets grandparent's winter cabin. As the location is quite small, the only coffee option was just that...coffee. Nothing fancy, which held true to the vibe they give off. Despite it's size, there was no wait and a fairly quiet atmosphere which made the experience very pleasant. 

Menu: I will say, their menu has quite a few options that seem particularly, well delicious. Thanks to our waitresses recommendation, we both ordered the CPK Avocado Smash. Per their menu, this dish comes with two griddled eggs, yukon gold potatoes, red onions and of course avocado. It is seasoned with lemon and cilantro. Avocado, potatoes and eggs. How can you go wrong? The answer: You can't. It was absolutely delicious and entirely gluten free.

Located at at 527 Broome Street, SoHo NY.

Price is not outrageous. My dish cost $14.