By Elizabeth Ladzinski
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
EAST VILLAGE — It's an unconventional combination: burritos and vegan cupcakes.
But that's exactly what Cowgirl's Baking, a shop that opened Sunday at 259 E. 10th St., specializes in. The shop carries strictly vegan baked goods, and because co-owner and baker Lidia Byhower uses no butter, eggs, or milk (she uses applesauce, vinegar and soy milk instead), the sweet treats are cholesterol-free and contain fewer calories than traditional baked goods.
"I call it down-home cooking without the love handles," said Byhower, 22, of her establishment, which is named after her spunky Yorkshire terrier, "Cowgirl."
Byhower, who now lives in Washington Heights, said she chose to sell burritos because when she was growing up in California, her family started a chain of six Mexican restaurants and her grandmother taught her how to make tortillas. This explains the unusual combination of her food passions.
"I've always wanted to have a bakery and serve food and dessert in the same place," Byhower said.
Byhower's Tex-Mex roots are reflected in the menu. There's a "Patsy Cline" sandwich with toppings including ham, salami and pepperchinis, a chicken-salad sandwich called the "Cowgirl Classic," as well as "Deuces PB & J," a sandwich named after Byhower's other dog, Deuce.
The burritos are served with a choice of beef, chicken, or chorizo, and customers can pick toppings from a choice of pico de gallo, lettuce, vegan cheese, rice and black beans.
Byhower cooks everything fresh, everyday, on premises. Baked goods include cupcakes, with special flavors like Bubblegum and Cotton Candy, and for St. Patrick's Day a "beer" flavored cupcake is in the works. All the usual suspects are also available — chocolate and vanilla, with either flavor of icing, as well as cookies, muffins and tarts.
For now, the shop is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, though Byhower and co-owner Jay Khan, 24, of Williamsburg, said they might start opening earlier. They accept custom cake and dessert orders and also deliver.
Customers are just starting to trickle in to the tiny establishment — there's only enough seating for about 6 people — but the response to the shop seems positive.
"I don't normally like vegan food, but it was actually pretty good," said Shana Kalson, 26, of Midtown, who tried a burrito and a cupcake.
Meaghan Massoth, 29, who lives down the block from the bakery, said she'd been anxious for the place to open.
"Ever since I saw that this was going to be a cupcake place I've been sticking my head in to see what's going on with it," Massoth said. "I'm so glad that it's finally open."
Cowgirl's Baking is located at 259 E. 10th Street. Check out the bakery's website for more information.
