The Vegan, Gluten-Free, Keto Ghost Kitchens: 60 Morris

Quick Vegan. What with Rice. Kiss My Bacon. Ketosexxx (Keto Desserts). Vegan Plantasia.  Mediterranean Vegan Bowls. F#ck Gluten. Hellaplant Zucchini Pasta.  Zoodle Hot Bar.

These are the names of a bunch of ... "restaurants", operating out of the famed 60 Morris Street Ghost Kitchen that sprung up during the early covid days.  There are, literally, at any given time, 80-100 different listings on Seamless.com (or other pickup/delivery services) for establishments located at 60 Morris Street.

Quick backstory, if you aren't familiar ... the location is a big warehouse, not a restaurant.  Individuals can rent space there, using the certified commercial kitchens, to operate their own virtual kitchens.  In addition to these cloud kitchens, some operators just sell items they source from other actual restaurants and then distribute from there (e.g. pizza they sell from Amicis) or other grocery items (e.g. vegan pints of ice cream produced elsewhere or bars of chocolate).  But mostly, it is a ton, and I mean a ton, of totally random restaurant names and concepts, that change every few weeks, and the delivery companies just list them all, hoping to draw you in to one of them.  Many sell the exact same products.

When the place first sprung up, the press slammed it.  Unsanitary working conditions, food not properly kept at temperature, horror stores of the experiences of the delivery drivers, etc, etc etc.  It didn't make me want to try the offerings.  But eventually, my fascination drew me in.

Which leads me to this review, the offerings that are produced in house by what seems like some central 60 Morris team, distinct from the ones that come from actual restaurants that also distribute from here.   You'll find many restaurants listed that fall into this category, they all have one signature thing that they offer up: vegan, gluten-free, low sugar, keto, yadda yadda.  Something super specific and niche.  They really are trying to reach *everyone*.  

The menu item names are often as ridiculous as the storefront names.  For example, the Kiss My Bacon store has a menu of ... "Kisses".  Yes, everything is called a "Kiss".  You can order a "Omelette Kiss", which is a choice of mushroom or bacon omelette.  A "Pizza Kiss", which, yup, is ust a mushroom or bacon pita pizza.  A "Sandwich Kiss"?  You guessed it, choice of mushroom or bacon, scrambled eggs, on a bun.  "Side Kisses" are bacon, salsa, guac, etc.  And finally, the part of the menu I looked at, "Sweet Kisses", their listings for the communal ghost kitchen's healthy vegan, gluten-free, keto cookies (they offer all 3 kinds here: chocolate chip, sea salt chocolate, and peanut butter), one of the cupcakes (carrot), and one brownie.

What With Rice is a rice bowl concept, your choice of shrimp, meatball, chicken, ground beef, tofu, hummus, etc. They have keto versions as well, with cauliflower rice instead of regular.  Their dessert menu includes one of the communal cookies (chocolate chip), and one pudding.  

Zoodle Hot Bar and Hellaplant Zucchini Pasta serve zucchini noodle bowls.  Etc, etc.  So many concepts, so specific.

Ketosexxx (Keto Desserts) is just the cookies (all 3 kinds, only available as 3-pack), keto "fat bombs" (truffles), and cupcakes.  These are the same items found on many of the other storefronts' dessert menus.

There are a ton more that I won't enumerate.  I've also already reviewed some of the standalone businesses, some of which were pretty great (the awesome dumplings from Korean Burrito Joint, the healthy veggies and pudding from Ben's Fast Food, decent takoyaki from Ramen Kobo Waraku, the best falafel I've ever had from Petit Pita, and a ton of Thai food from Basil Cart).  This review focuses on the items that are shared between a slew of ever changing virtual storefronts.

Pick Up Door.
Not really branded ...

Most customers get their items from these places via delivery, as the 60 Morris location is not really intended for walk ups, but I knew you could go yourself, and I was fascinated, interested to learn if it was as bad as the news reports.  Orders came with *very* clear instructions not to enter until your order was marked ready.  I was slightly apprehensive, but, hey, it was the covid times, and I was due for an adventure.

My first visit was fascinating.  Yes, the location was just a warehouse.  Outside, there is just a non-branded "Pick Up" sign.  No business names, as they change so frequently. There is a parking lot where you are instructed to wait until your order is ready, and an outside portable bathroom.  Once you go in, the regular delivery drivers scan a QR code on a tablet, but I was given a verbal code to tell the person at the window inside.  Orders are placed into a two-sided locker, and you pick it up from an assigned locker, without interacting with the staff directly.  Again I say, fascinating.

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• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Allset ($5 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

My orders were via Seamless, and all worked out in a timely manner ... no real qualms with the service I picked.

Baked Goods

The baked goods lineup contains cookies (3 kinds), cupcakes (2 kinds), and a brownie, all vegan, gluten-free, low sugar, keto, yadda yadda.

Packaging.

Depending which establishment you order from, the packaging sometimes bares a matching logo, but, it was quite clear the products were coming from the same place, just packaged into a bag with the correct logo sticker when you order from a given business.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie. $3.90.
(From Quick Vegan).

"Homemade, Vegan, Low-carb, Almond flour based, Gluten-free cookie. Made with Monk fruit sweetener. Healthy and Yummy!"

Other venues call this the "Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie","Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie", "Gluten free Chocolate Chip Cookie", or "Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie".  It is all the same cookie.

Ok. So this is vegan.  AND low-carb (keto friendly). AND gluten-free.  And low sugar?  And, um, a cookie, which, as you know, I'm not the biggest fan of in terms of desserts.

But I actually liked this.

It was thin and crispy (not the style of cookie I tend to like), and it broke apart easily (as you can see, the edge was already broken off when I got it, but it *was* in the bag).  And the chocolate chips were not well distributed, and there were a paltry amount.

But again, I actually liked it.

The crispy style worked for it, and although it was gluten-free/vegan/low sugar/keto/etc, it tasted buttery and decadent.  And it did *not* have a strange, monkfruit sweetener taste to it.  The chocolate that was there seemed good quality.

I devoured in in a few seconds flat.  I was surprised.  A room temperature, crispy style cookie, and yeah.  Maybe I was in a mood?

I got it from Quick Vegan, where it was $3.90, but some of the others list it for $4.90.  While I liked the cookie, I can't imagine paying nearly $5 for a single cookie.  Also available by the half dozen for $19.90 at one place, 3 pack for $9.90 at another.

I'll have to try another.  ***.

And if it matters to you ... Calories:165 | Fat:16g | Protein:4g | Net Carbs:2g -per cookie-. *Contains nuts!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie. $3.90.
(From Ketosexxx).

I quickly went back a few days later, to get it again, this time from Ketosexxx.  And then again, and again. I liked these cookies so much that I got them regularly.  Weekly.  From any of the vendors.

The style is always the same - thin, crispy, scant chocolate chips, looking slightly burnt at the edges, doesn't look great, sounds like, well, a gluten-free, vegan, keto cookie, but ... I love it!

Good to just devour immediately (so sweet! so buttery!), good to dunk in whipped cream (!), good to stuff with ice cream into an ice cream sandwich.

I'll continue to get these over and over again.  Yay vegan butter?

****.

Update: I've gotten them many more times, and feel *exactly* the same about them every time.  They never look great, they crumble apart instantly, the mouthfeel is odd, and yet ... I really like them.

Healthy Peanut Butter Cookie. $3.90.
(From Kiss My Bacon). 

"Low-carb Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie -No Sugar Added- (Gluten Free)."

Next up, I tried the peanut butter version, dubbed the "Healthy Peanut Butter Cookie" from Kiss My Bacon.  Not offered at most of the other "restaurants".

This is the one I expected to like, as I adore peanut butter.  It was ... less successful.  Same crumbly texture, and it was kinda buttery, but mostly, it was just dry.  Peanut butter is dry I guess?  Meh.  

It did have the signature peanut butter cookie fork marks on top.  Points for that.

Not bad exactly, but not very good.  **+. 

And again, if it matters ... Calories:117 | Fat:10g | Protein:4g | Net Carbs:2.5g -per cookie-  *Contains nuts!

Gluten Free Brownie. $4.90.
(Gluten Free Culture).

The gluten free brownie is ... different. It looks like a cupcake (sans frosting), but the texture is really quite odd.  Not cake-like.  Not crumbly, not dense, just ... odd.  Really hard to describe.  Almost moist in a greasy way?  It tasted kinda like coconut?

I couldn't quite decide how I felt about it, but I wouldn't get another. **+.

Drinks

The communal drinks are mostly just canned or bottled standard beverages, but they do have a couple "homemade" items.

Homemade Kefir. $4.90.
(From 'What's with Rice').

I knew this was under the drink menu, but I still hoped it would be a thick, yogurt style kefir.  I really do love thick, rich, yogurt-kefir, often known as "kefir cheese", and had been craving yogurt, fruit, and granola parfaits ... and had excellent granola and fruit at home.  I just needed some quality yogurt to go with!

But alas, this was a drink style kefir, a thin, well, drink.  Yogurt drink.  It was nicely balanced though, not too sweet, a touch savory, not too tart.  But just a yogurt drink.  Plain.  Not really my thing.  I bet it would be good with some mango blended in.

**+.

Update: Ok, it grew on me.  I found myself excited to take a few swigs of it, very cold direct from fridge, and I really liked the tart nature.  Hmm ...

Sides

Much like the desserts and drinks, there are a few sides that a bunch of businesses all offer, and I tried a bunch, particularly drawn in to housemade pickles.

Pickled Peppers. $2.90.
(From Ottoman Eats).

"Seasonal mixed pickles. (Gluten Free, Vegan)."

Super random, but, I had some mediocre crab salad at home, and wanted to jazz it up.  Pickled peppers sounded like just the thing.

Of course, I had no idea what to expect exactly, the description said they would be "seasonal" and "mixed", which, um, they weren't, just one kind, but they were whole peppers.

I popped one into my mouth without thinking.  WOAH!

These were spicy.  So spicy.  Loaded with seeds, and, well, I had the whole thing.

Amazing kick, juicy, good peppers.  But beware, so very spicy.

***.

Pickled Radish. $1.
(The Chicken Lab).

Next up, pickled radish. I liked this. 

Bite size chunks of crispy pickled diakon, slightly sour and tart.  A good condiment alongside spicy food.

***+, I'd get again.

Extra Pita Bread. $1.90.
(From Ottoman Eats).

"Classic white Greek flat bread. (Vegan)."

I also picked up the pita bread from Ottoman Eats, to go along with my krab salad (plan was to make little pita pockets).

The pita was actually really quite good, fresh, soft.  Cut into triangles, 8 (I think?) total.

It didn't seem to be a generic brand, and was better than I expected.  I think it is likely what is used for all the pita pizzas too?

***+.

Hard Boiled Egg. $1.90.
(Keto Bake & Bowl).

"2 pcs hard boiled large egg."

The description gave no indication that the hardboiled egg would be, uh, garnished, but I wasn't upset by this.  There was a splash of some kind of spicy oil that was quite tasty, and a scattering of herbs.

And otherwise, yup, a hard boiled egg.

And because it is from the keto place, of course they tell you: Calories: 78 Total Fat: 5g Protein: 6g NET CARB: 0.5g I (Gluten Free).

***.

Crispy Bacon. $4.90.
(Gluten Free Culture)

"2 slices applewood smoked bacon."

This was, literally, just two slices of crispy bacon.  I'll admit that I did expect it to even less exciting, as in, clearly cooked long in advance, etc, but it seemed fresh, it was hot and greasy.  And, it was indeed, as advertised, crispy.

Just bacon, not going to change your world, but, not flabby, and made to order, so, yay.

That said, $4.90 for literally 2 slices of bacon is a bit ridiculous.

***.

Fries. $4.95.
(Keto Grill).

Hot, thin, crispy, pretty standard, average, fries.  But ... they had pepper all over them!  I use pepper on plenty of things, but, my fries is not one of them.  I really, truly do NOT like the taste of pepper on fries.

Sadly, these went into the trash.

**.

Sauces

If you read my blog much, you know I'm a sauce girl, so of course I tried several of the common sauces.

Yogurt Sauce (x2) / Hot Sauce / Vegan Chipotle Aioli.
(What with Rice).

To go along with my sides, I ordered a trio of sauces from What with Rice, a random combo, I know.

I picked one of each that they offered besides the regular chipotle aioli (decided the vegan one was more interesting?) and doubled up on the yogurt sauce since I was planning to make Indian food that night, and thought it would go well with it.

Yogurt Sauce. $0.90.
(What with Rice).

"Homemade yogurt dressing with cucumber and mint. "

The yogurt sauce was decent.  A thin style, lightly spiced, bits of cucumber.

It was tangy, salty, and just, well, interesting and tasty.  It made me wish I really liked cucumbers, I think they'd be great to dunk in.

***.

I think, but I'm not positive, that this is the same as the Cucumber-Yogurt Dip (Tzatziki) from Ottoman Eats, from their Meze menu, served with pita bread and drizzled with olive oil, for $7.90 (likely a much larger portion).  They also offer a thicker style "Minty Yogurt Dip" Mezze.

Update: 

This really grew on me.  I liked dunking crudite in it, but I found that I also really liked just, uh, drinking it.  The light, salty, tangy nature of it was quite nice.

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce. Pesto. $0.90 each.
(Gluten-Free Culture)

The cucumber-yogurt sauce I really liked, tart in the right way, thick but not too thick, and loaded up with thinly shredded cucumber. Excellent for dipping carrots or cucumbers into! ***+.

The pesto I think was the same as from Zoodle Hot Noodle Bar, and I liked it on top of roast cauliflower.

Hot Sauce. $0.90.
(What with Rice)

I had no idea what kind of hot sauce the "hot sauce" would be, but it was a thicker style, looked almost like salsa, but was loaded with chiles.

The hot sauce was fine, pretty generic spicy taste, good to mix with soy sauce as a dipping sauce for dumplings.

***.

Vegan Chipotle Aioli. $1.90.
(What with Rice)

I "splurged" for the vegan chipotle aioli (they offer a regular version for $0.90).

It wasn't great, it tasted basically like ... mayo.

I wouldn't get this one again, but I did find it made decent deviled eggs, mixing it with yolk in place of standard mayo.

***.

Sriracha Mayo. Hot Sauce. $0.90 each.
(The Chicken Lab).

The sriracha aioli was ... odd.  At first, it tasted like thousand island.  Except, on the finish, after you'd expect it, you'd get hit by the spice.  Really odd, didn't really seem like aioli.  I didn't hate it, but it was strange to have thousand island that got a kick at the end ... **+.

The hot sauce was different from the other hot sauce I picked up at 60 Morris, this one tasted a lot like classic Frank's hot sauce, which makes sense, since The Chicken Lab is actually a wings place.  Very standard Frank's.  ***.

Salsa. $2.90.
(Keto Bake & Bowl).

"Homemade tomato and chili based spicy sauce. (Guten Free, Vegan)."

The salsa was actually pretty good.  Tasted quite fresh, had some chunks.  Just salsa, but, good salsa.

And for those who care:  Calories: 40 Total Fat: 0.5g Protein: 1.6g NET CARB: 4g

***.

Pesto. $0.90.
(Zoodle Hot Bar).

Zoodle Hot Bar offers up zucchini noodle bowls, with all different sauces normally used on pasta (e.g. alfredo, marinara, etc), and also, pesto.

I decided to try the pesto, an easy $0.90 add on.

They say it is homemade, and I believe it.  Seemed like decent quality, flavorful, well, pesto.  Classic, simple, but nicely done.

***+.

Tahini. $0.50.
(Mediterranean Vegan Bowls).

"Creamy Tahini (Sesame) Sauce."

The tahini was pretty standard tahini.  Too strong for my likes on its own, but nice to mix in with other Mediterranean dips, to dunk pita in, to have with falafel.

**+.