Though Mr. Biton lives in Brooklyn, he chose to open his restaurant in central New Jersey after noticing the lack of vegan choices in the area. He decided to fill the void.

Mr. Biton makes everything from scratch, including the cashew and other nut-based cheeses that give many of the dishes on his menu some heft. He also concentrates on creative presentation, giving the dishes a high-end appearance.

Appetizers like the Rawvioli, which consists of herbed nut cheese, pesto and saffron cream sandwiched between two super-thin beet slices, show off both techniques. Although nothing on the plate is cooked, the multiple textures and sweet-tart flavor of the filling make me want more than one.

The flavor of the cashew cheese, found in several dishes, can be quite versatile. On a flatbread with grilled Roma tomatoes and pesto, the cheese was tangy like chevre, while the béchamel sauce in the Mackin Cheeze, made with cashew, sweet potato and a touch of truffle oil, was milder. Although the dish lacked the sharp hit of a good animal-based macaroni and cheese, there was more than enough gooeyness for me to keep sneaking bites , especially when it was combined with a tender broccoli rabe that had no bitterness.