Vegan for 21 Days?

That's exactly what the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine would like you to do. This Labor Day marks the start of their 21 day Kickstart Campaign where vegan meal plans and recipe ideas are sent to the subscribers. The Committee estimates ~30,000 people will participate. As most of you know, I'm protein, protein and more protein, but I do recognize the potential health benefits and reduced carbon footprint of a vegan diet provided it is fruit, vegetables and vegan protein not vegan cookies, pasta and pizza.

Could I do 21 days? It would be a challenge, but I could commit to one day per week for 21 weeks (yes, it's cheating but it's a start!). I've listed my top five downtown vegan restaurants for their culinary choices and vibe that's more 'Gwyneth' than San Francisco environmentalists.

Organic Avenue - 116 Suffolk Street and 43 8th Ave (between Jane & Horatio). Known for it's organic juice fasts and raw food this is a 'pick-up' joint versus cafe. Ideal for grabbing freshly pressed green juices, coconut water and almond "mylk" smoothies. Their kale salad and chia tapioca have inspired some of my own recipes. What's Cool: All products are organic. If they can't get organic they don't make it. All juice bottles are recyclable. What's Not: The $350 price tag for a five day juice fast, the $2 deposit for each juice bottle and the $20 delivery charge. But if you have money to burn or live locally, Organic Avenue's juice and food products are a great addition to a healthy eating regime.

Bonobos - 18 East 23rd Street. Organic and raw food salad and 'burger' bar ideal for a quick lunch. Raw salads packed with greens, cabbage, sprouts, carrots and beets and drizzled in a sweet basil dressing and topped with sea vegetables that makes you feel like a nutrition goddess. Their coconut bell pepper soup is exquisitely silky and delicious. What's Cool: House-made coco chai - fresh coconut milk blended with Indian chai spices. Beats a shake shack milkshake any day. What's Not: Scoop too much of their nut meat on your salads and you'll be adding in more calories than a Big Mac (of course, the calories are far better for you).

Pure Food and Wine- 54 Irving Place. The pioneer of the haute cuisine raw vegan food movement in the city. Think heirloom tomato and zucchini lasagna; beet ravioli with pistachio cream and salsify noodles with almond butter sake and oyster mushrooms. There is no gluten, tofu or seiten on the menu (ie no fake meats). What's Cool: Organic sake on tap and drinking a Tamarind infused martini in the garden on a balmy Summer evening. What's Not: The Chelsea Market outpost is always out of wheatgrass Saturday afternoons.

Eataly Vegetarian 'Restaurant' - 23rd and Fifth Avenue. Part of Mario Batali's new gastrodome, Eataly. The vegetable 'restaurant' is designed to showcase seasonal fruit and vegetables, principally sourced from local farms. The menu is small but exquisite. The mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and served on toasted polenta are to die for. The warm vegetable salad will be a staple of the health conscious, yoga matt carrying downtowners (or those aspiring to be). Admittedly this may be vegetarian not vegan but on my two visits there was no dairy in sight. What's Cool: Unpretentious, no reservations required. One can turn up in gym gear and still feel welcome. What's Not: It's a mosh pit. This extremely busy and bustling bazaar usually means a 10 minute or more wait for a table (to be fair, they turn quickly) or gather with the vultures waiting for a stool at the bar.

Angelica Kitchen - 200 E 12th street - it's been around longer than two NYU students but this organic vegan restaurant continues to be one of the most influential restaurants in the city. It is the 'farm to table' restaurant using ingredients harvested less than 48 hours ago. Menus change daily with dishes such as tomato saffron broth with yukon potatoes, fennel and leeks, corn bread with miso tahini and Moroccan spiced dressing over organic vegetables and brown rice. What's Cool: It's BYOB (how rare in the city) with no corkage fee and you can feel extra smug that you are helping local organic farmers. What's Not: Cash only and forgetting to BYOB.

Others of note: Organic Grill; Blossom and Snice.