A Brooklyn vegan dream, Screamer’s Pizzeria started with its first location, a teeny-tiny yet uber-popular restaurant in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighbourhood, before opening a second location in 2019 in the borough’s Crown Heights neighbourhood. Both are currently open for pickup and delivery. Screamer’s Pizzeria whips up delicious slices and pies (ahem, jackfruit pizza) delivered in the format one would expect from traditional New York City pizzerias: satisfying, triangular slices of goodness - not too thick, not too thin and with just the right amount of oil. Vegans and non-vegans alike are impressed by cheese that tastes suspiciously authentic. Diners with soy or nut allergies rejoice; Screamer’s Pizzeria’s primary vegan cheese is made from a crowd-pleasing concoction of tapioca, potato and coconut oil (coconut oil and soy-based cheese is available for certain pies). The hip pizza place takes its name from the sound oyster mushrooms make when they’re being cooked- and the restaurant’s namesake Screamer Pizza features vegan white cheese, oyster mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, almond Parmesan, parsley flakes and garlic oil.

Another Greenpoint, Brooklyn sensation, Paulie Gee’s is uniquely a dine-in only establishment. The restaurant attributed the decision to the fact that their pies are best enjoyed directly out of the oven. Paulie Gee’s fires up inventive wood-fired oven pizzas with both vegan options and an extensive list of non-vegan options, perfect for vegan diners visiting with meat-eater or lacto-ovo vegetarian family and friends. Although they are not serving salads or soups while pandemic restrictions remain in place, when they return they will include a few vegan and vegetarian options.

Their well-rounded vegan pizza menu includes such enticing speciality pies as Chop’t ‘Til You Drop (cremini mushrooms, vegan mozzarella and nut-free kale pesto), In Ricotta Da Vegan (vegan sausage, house-made cashew ricotta, baby arugula, tomato sauce and extra virgin olive oil) and the Vegan Greenpointer (baby arugula, post-oven fresh lemon juice, olive oil and nutritional yeast). Although their dessert menu is also currently suspended, when it returns it is likely vegan desserts will again include the likes of cheesecake and brownies from Brooklyn Whispers, Van Leeuwen artisan ice cream and the Vegan Ricotta Be Paulie Gee Dessert Pizza (orange marmalade, house-made cashew ricotta and powdered sugar). The ambience is cosy in an interior marked by wood, bricks and a vintage-inspired Coca-Cola machine.

There’s one more vegan pizza place to visit in Brooklyn, this time in Williamsburg- Vinnie’s Pizzeria established in 1960. As its first year of operation suggests, Vinnie’s serves more than vegan pies… though some would say the vegan pizzas steal the show. Their wonderfully-robust selection of vegan pizza is truly inventive with such offerings as Tiger Style (vegan teriyaki chicken, broccoli, vegan mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and sesame seeds), T.HANKS (vegan BBQ chicken and bacon, vegan mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and BBQ sauce), Veggie Jackson (spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, red onions, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and black olives) and The Farmer’s Sister (spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, Portobello mushrooms and vegan mozzarella and cheddar cheeses). Vinnie’s pizzas pair well with vegan appetizers too- choose from vegan chicken or eggplant parmigiana, vegan chicken drumsticks, garlic knots and more. A popular local pick for the entertainment industry, Vinnie’s Pizzeria uses Teese Vegan Cheese, a gluten, soy and nut-free ingredient. Note: Guests may substitute Teese for Daiya, which is also free of nuts and soy. Available for pickup and delivery.

Over in Manhattan, pizza lovers nosh at the tiny, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Artistic Pizza. The pizza place may be small, but the menu options seem to run on forever, with just the vegan pizzas amounting to 14 different pies, many including Violife vegan cheese- a gluten and soy-free product featuring coconut oil as its main ingredient. A sampling of the vegan pizza offerings range from the classic Vegan Margherita and Vegan Cheese pies to Violife Vegan Cheese & Field Roast Vegan Sausages Pizza and Cauliflower Gluten Free & Vegan Pizza. Artistic Pizza is open until the wee hours of the night; pick up a meal or order delivery until 1 am every night.

Scarr’s Pizza, located at the convergence of the Lower East Side and Chinatown, is the place for retro vibes (barstools, booths and a takeout counter), a cool crowd and incredible pizza - although options have temporarily been scaled down to delivery and pickup until pandemic conditions allow for safe indoor dining. Scarr’s uses all-natural ingredients to serve up both traditional and vegan slices and pizzas- even a vegan caesar salad with a cashew-based dressing. The crust is light, with diners leaving in comfortable satiety thanks to 100% stone-milled flour, flour the restaurant’s owner, Scarr Pimentel, mills daily in the restaurant’s basement. The tightly-edited menu includes a selection of organic wines and nostalgic glass bottles of Mexican Coca-Cola.