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pure luck, i really miss you!
11January 17th, 2009LA restaurants, pure luck (closed)i love london and would move here in a heartbeat, but los angeles has got one thing that i would always miss…pure luck. it’s without a doubt my favorite restaurant of all time, and when i think about it, i really do wish i was at home.
torta: sauteed jackfruit "carnitas", plus pinto beans, lettuce, tomato, onions, tomatillo salsa, sliced avocado and vegan mayo on a grilled rustic roll. with a side of potato pals. $9
pure luck is a one of a kind vegan eatery, definitely the best in los angeles, serving up quality junk food and tap beer in a laid-back and non-pretentious atmosphere.
i would argue that the crazy-tasty torta is the best thing on pure luck’s menu. it’s got their signature “carnitas” (marinated jackfruit that is so creepily good, even meat-lovers drive across town to eat it), plus ripe avocado, spicy salsa, plump pinto beans and juicy vegetables. stack all that goodness on a roll of world famous la brea bakery bread, and you got the best sandwich ever. i say “world famous la brea bakery” because now that i’m in the UK, it has proven to be true. even all the way over here in london, there is a familiar la brea bakery outlet and i’ve been living off their rolls from tesco. nothing is quite as good as eating it at home, though. and nothing comes remotely close to pure luck.
for all my awesome LA homies…when you order the pure luck torta, the menu gives you the side options of salad, rosemary fries or sweet potato fries. please, bypass that crap and beg your server for some potato pals. you won’t be sorry. the crispy fried and lightly-peppered gnocchi are the perfect compliment to any meal; none of the other sides compare. plus, they bring it out with a magical dipping sauce that tastes like a cross between vegenaise and bbq. totally insane.
if you are lucky enough to be in LA today, get your ass over to pure luck. they aren’t open on sundays, so you better hurry. or hit them up next week at the very least. i would give anything right now for a couple of vegan tap beers, some potato pals and a torta. mmm.
Tags: melrose, mexican food, silverlake, torta
8 responses to “pure luck, i really miss you!” 
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As much as I do LOVE the potato pals, today was the first time I tried the sweet potato fries… and they were the bomb too!
Come home soon so we can go get our Pure Luck on.
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first of all, i can’t get over those potato pals! they are so wee and cute, and i just can’t believe they are gnocchi!
those jackfruit carnitas sound darn good. i didn’t realize pure luck was the be all end all of vegan food in l.a. i will definitely keep that in mind and pray i can find an excuse to come to cali in the next year!
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I have been having similar fantasies about PL…the ole weight loss new years resolution means I have to chain myself down so I can’t run out and pick up some baja tacos with sweet potato fries (which i insist are the best side at the restaurant–they are baked not fried, and also come with the special sauce–whats not to love??). My birthday is in a few weeks however and I already have plans to throw my diet out the window and pig out on a Kristen’s Carnitas wrap and some fried pickles.
Also, i love tesco! Do you ever go to Fresh N Easy here? Its owned by tesco but it doesnt seem to have the same awesomeness.
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God i love this place. and I’ve only been there once and i didn’t even have BEER! :OOOOO
I had i think just the carnitas sandwich and me and my vegan friend split the sweet potato fries.
i ate half of the jackfruit sandwich at like 1 am, cold, as well and it was STILL amazing!I wish i lived nextdoor to pure luck.
but then i’d probably be obese. -
miss anthrope January 18th, 2009 at 15:17
foodeater – dude, let’s get our pure luck on FO SHO! those sweet potato fries are awesome. plus, they are baked…so i can fool myself into thinking they are healthy.
rubyredvegan – you don’t know what you are missing. LA is worth a trip for pure luck alone!
yo soy liz – i love tesco too! NO, i have not been to fresh n easy, but now that you tell me it is owned by tesco, i gotta check it out. thanks for the tip! i always drive by it in eagle rock.
lex – torta is god, order it dude.
emiwnis – i CANNOT BELIVE you have only been to pure luck once. go there for a proper visit, get tons of food and PLENTY OF BEER. you won’t be sorry.
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I only found your blog today and took your advice, after also reading other reviews, and went to A Taste of Life. The food was really good, but the story of the four owners is even more interesting! We had the full entree dinner…TOO. MUCH. FOOD. It was great though, and I agree, the Mac N’ Cheese is delish, so is the cornbread!
OH! I almost forgot, the nice guy with all the silver jewlery knew who you were! I couldn’t remember your blog name but when he was asking me how I found it and I said a blog, they knew you!
Next door is a shady Hookah place, that was dessert for the three of us 🙂 All in all what an odd place.
Now, Pure Luck, we tried that only a couple weeks ago for the first time. We both loved what we got, I got the two tacos and had them give me one of each to try. My husband got some sandwich, but I forget which one. It was great! And SCOOP across the street makes finishing your food worthwhile!
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yo soy liz and miss anthrope, sorry to disappoint you, but the sweet potato fries are fried, not baked. from the menu:
“Sweet Potato Fries-A big heap of hand cut, French fried sweet potatoes.” Fried in peanut oil just like the regular french fries.
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[…] a little on the bland side. overall, this was a pretty decent dish…i just know of much better sandwiches i can get for well under 10 […]
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[…] pure luck is without a doubt one of our favorite restaurants ever. we have written countless great reviews on them, named them one of the best vegan restaurants in LA, and even added their jackfruit […]
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[…] of seasoned and marinated jackfruit topped with onion, cilantro, and green salsa. AMAZING! look out pure luck, because this really gives your jackfruit carnitas a run for their money. i need to learn how to […]
Foodeater January 17th, 2009 at 16:31