It’s my first post in a while, and it happens to be the day after the election. I’m feeling down, so here I am blogging. Maybe I should feel down more often!!

This past Sunday, I went hiking with some new friends in Beacon, NY. We went hiking at Breakneck Road and had a blast. Afterwards, feeling predictably peckish, we ended up at Nansense.

I took a look at the menu and didn’t have high hopes. Nansense is a basic grab-n-go type establishment, except, I’d never been in one that served Afghan cuisine. I actually have no idea what Afghan cuisine is like. I’d wager that Nansense isn’t really traditional Afghan cuisine, since I don’t think Afghanis typically eat burgers and fries, but hey. It’s not my restaurant.

Nansense actually turned out to be a solid pick, despite my skepticism.

Afghan bean soup (Aush)

This soup was a seasonal item and it sounded like the perfect salve to a long day’s hike. It did not disappoint, either: hearty, tomato-ey and chock full of flavor. I opted for the quart size and was able to enjoy leftovers the next day. It was also the only other solid vegan menu option, so I kinda ordered it by default, but it wasn’t like, an apologetic menu item. Highly recommend it for a healthy and filling accompaniment to a bowl.

Eggplant and bean bowl

Surprisingly, this bowl was really delish. I loved the unexpected addition of raisins. The rice was some extra-long basmati type that I gobbled down happily and the seasoning, like the soup, was perfect. I will say that both items weren’t overly salty like most outside cuisine, which I really appreciated.

Nansense lets you customize the spice level. I opted for hot for myself and mild for Juan’s bowl, but to be totally honest, I tasted both and they tasted the same (maybe I’m just so acclimated to spice that I can no longer taste it?). It also comes with a piece of naan (vegan).

Masala fries

These just tasted like fries tossed with spices, nothing crazy here. I liked having it with my bowl.

Bolani

Kinda like a quesadilla with potatoes instead of cheese — I liked these but wish they had an alternate vegan dipping sauce (like maybe a spicy harissa?). It was a bit plain without anything to dip it in.