Foodswings   

The online manifesto of this vegan restaurant is stuffed like a punching bag with utopian slogans. It pledges, for example, "to provide free food for workers on strike." It would be funny to see a picket line of hungry Teamsters take these idealists at their word. There's nothing like a mock beef quesadilla or a no-chicken cutlet sandwich to take the edge off a hard day spent fighting the man. But whatever your tastes, there's no denying the good intentions behind the solid vegan cooking at this cheery, brightly painted Williamsburg cafe. The menu warns that the faux bones in their faux chicken are not for eating and "may present a choking hazard to children and the elderly." More importantly, the owners recognize that though meat can be murder, it also has unbeatable texture and mouth-feel. They do their best to replicate the joys of fast food, skimping only on the milking and the slaughtering.