• November 8th, 2011farmers market, LA restaurants

    as you probably know, fatty’s in eagle rock (one of our favorite vegetarian spots in LA) recently reopened. we haven’t gotten over there yet, but our field reporter patricia went this weekend and loved it. check out her post:

    hurrah for the return of fatty’s!!! over the weekend my partner and i finally got around to checking out the (somewhat recently) reopened fatty’s and i am happy to report that the food was even tastier than i remembered. we decided to share a bunch of stuff so we could sample as much as possible and ended up with an amazing six course meal with a nice bottle of red wine to go with it.

    when our wine arrived we were also presented with a delicious dish of complimentary kale chips. light and salty these were a great snack to have while we looked over the menu.

    walnut croquette: a pan fried paté of organic walnuts, butternut squash, and cumin, served with fennel slaw and orange vinaigrette! $12

    the first thing i knew i had to have from the menu was the walnut croquette. this little guy was astounding. crunchy and flavorful with a delicious orange vinaigrette. in my experience when restaurants serve any kind of orange sauce it pretty much tastes like orange corn syrup. not at fatty’s, no sir. this was a slightly creamy, tangy, citrus dressing that i could eat on pretty much anything…

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  • December 15th, 2010quarrygirlfarmers market, LA restaurants

    not sure if you’ve been keeping track of the dramz, but the hollywood farmers market (home of the beloved taste of life breakfast sandwich) is being threatened.

    la film school is trying to shut down the market, and we CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN. seriously, this would be a huge blow to the vegan community considering how many vegan-friendly stands and vendors operate there.

    check out the article on LAist.com about how you can help TODAY, before the meeting with city officials tomorrow. PLEASE DO YOUR PART!

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  • March 5th, 2010quarrygirla taste of life, farmers market, LA restaurants

    you gotta love the a taste of life booth at the hollywood farmers market. as if the breakfast sandwich (one of the top ten vegan items to eat in los angeles) wasn’t enough to get you out of bed early on sunday…

    vegan chocolate chip cookie. $1

    now you have their homemade chocolate chip cookies to tempt you as well.

    these things are baked freshly, are super fluffy and moist, and will only set you back $1. this is the kind of cookie that you bite into and it starts immediately melting all over…in a good way! it’s cakey and juicy all at once and just oozes with rich creamy chocolate. mmmmm.

    and while you are at the taste of life stand, you would be a FOOL to leave without buying one of their breakfast sandwiches. i know i go on and on about these, but they are WORTH THE HYPE.

    vegan breakfast sandwich. $5

    moist biscuit, melted cheese, succulent sausage, grilled tofu…all smashed together, ALL VEGAN. like an egg mcmuffin but way better and tastier. oh, and as you know a taste of life also makes the best vegan soul food in town…so stock up on some mac and cheese and bbq tofu while you are there as well.

    see you sunday!

    a taste of life
    hollywood farmers market
    cross street of ivar and selma
    every sunday
    8:00am – 1:30pm

    PS: thanks to @havingmysay for telling me about these awesome cookies!!

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  • December 26th, 2009quarrygirlchili addiction, farmers market, LA restaurants

    vegan bean chili. $6.50

    the hollywood farmers market is a vegan mecca. of course we know about the amazing animal-free vendors like a taste of life (best breakfast sandwich ever) and c’est la v (killer cupcakes), but even the meat-peddling vendors like chili addiction have options to please us!

    i never thought a stand called chili addiction would be so damn vegan-friendly, but when i read a glowing blog review of their meatless options, i was inspired to check them out. sure enough, i hit them up at the farmers market and was blown away by their vegan chili! they are at the hfm every sunday, right next to the c’est la v stand on cosmo street, and offer at least one vegan selection each week.

    when i visited, they had a vegan bean chili on special that consisted of garbanzo, pinto and black beans. plus, they had a self-serve bar (if you can call it that—it was tiny!) of chopped onions and fresh jalapenos. so delish. bonus points to any restaurant or food stand that grants me unlimited access to jalapenos. just sayin. the homemade chili was amazing, oozing with full-bodied flavor and perfect seasoning. my only gripe would be that it was kinda expensive. a tiny bowl for $6.50?! just seems a bit steep.

    in typical farmers market fashion, this chili was enjoyed quickly, while standing. as you can see above, a bollard became a makeshift table for our meal. soon though, i will be able to relax and eat me some chili addiction whilst sitting at a proper table inside a permanent building. they are opening up a restaurant on la cienega within the next coupla weeks, and will be serving at least two vegan chilis at all times! i can’t wait.

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  • November 20th, 2009quarrygirlfarmers market, LA restaurants, vegan bakers

    c'est la v vegan cupcakes at hollywood farmers market

    since you will probably already be up on sunday morning to buy the best breakfast sandwich in the world at the hollywood farmers market, while you are there be sure to head over to cosmo street for some vegan baked goods from the c’est la v booth. created by kim garr, one LA’s most popular vegan bakers, c’est la v specializes in treats that taste just like traditional decadent baked goods…but with no refined sugar or animal products.

    C'est La V Bakeshop Table

    c’est la v has been offering their amazing animal-free desserts at the hollywood farmers market for a while, but now that the weather has cooled down a bit, they have finally started selling the most beloved vegan treat ever—cupcakes! and these aren’t just any old vegan cupcakes, these are seriously some of the best.

    do you guys remember leda’s bakeshop in sherman oaks? they shut down a while ago, but back in the day they used to have the most delicious cupcakes in town—seriously worth a drive to the valley for. well kim garr was the original vegan baker at leda’s, so the fact that her vegan cupcakes are available to the public once again is quite a big deal!

    C'est La V Bakeshop Cupcakes

    last sunday when i dropped by the c’est la v booth, they were selling 2 flavors of cupcakes—chocolate chocolate and velvet with cream cheese. both of them were excellent.

    velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. $3.25

    velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. $3.25

    the velvet one was moist and delicious, topped with a dollop of incredibly rich vegan cream cheese frosting. it was basically like a red velvet cupcake but without the food coloring, so if you are a RV fan, you will LOVE this.

    chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting. $3.25

    chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting. $3.25

    and the chocolate chocolate…wow! this flavor was my personal favorite. i am a huge chocolate fan, and this thing did not disappoint—the cake was packed with amazing sweet flavor, and the frosting was so fluffy. i’m glad i was pretty far away from the c’est la v booth when i started eating it, because i would not have been able to resist going back for more.

    whatever your plans are on sunday, you should figure out a way to work in a trip to the hollywood farmers market and pay c’est la v a visit. sure, you can always order their stuff online…but you usually have to order like 12 cupcakes at a time. here you can go grab as many things as you want, and try a variety of their goods! i know i will be back again on sunday.

    c'est la v's vegan booth at the farmers market

    C’est La V
    Hollywood Farmers’ Market (Sundays)
    Cosmo Street near Selma Avenue
    Hollywood, CA

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  • October 30th, 2009quarrygirla taste of life, farmers market, LA restaurants

    a taste of life vegan breakfast sandwich

    if there’s one reason to drag your ass out of bed before noon on a sunday morning, it’s this breakfast sandwich from a taste of life. that’s right, the makers of the best vegan soul food in los angeles have also created LA’s best vegan mcmuffin—a soft gooey faux sausage and tofu biscuit complete with deliciously creamy cheese. although the restaurant recently closed its storefront, they are still serving food at the hollywood farmers market every sunday from 8:30am to 1:30pm…the only catch is, these hot little muffins tend to sell out. when i arrived last weekend at around 10:30am, there were still several left, but i heard that by 11:30 they were all gone.

    vegan breakfast sandwich: sausage, tofu, and cheese on a fluffy muffin. $5

    vegan breakfast sandwich: sausage, tofu, and cheese on a fluffy muffin. $5

    damn, i can’t even tell you guys how much i loved this thing. i unwrapped my sandwich and ate it right there in the street, and it was honestly one of the best breakfasts i’ve had in my life. the biscuit was incredibly soft and fluffy, the sausage was hearty and meaty, and the tofu was soft in the middle and nicely browned on the outside. oh, and the CHEESE….the cheese was just amazing. it’s the same stuff that a taste of life puts in their vegan macaroni and cheese, which is the best in LA.

    vegan mcmuffin from a taste of life

    there is absolutely nothing lacking or meh about this sandwich. it’s seriously decadent, perfectly greasy, and not “vegan-tasting” in any way. my only advice would be to order a drink as well, because this thing made me seriously thirsty. i know i will be returning to the farmers market and buying these on a regular basis…they are total vegan crack as far as i’m concerned.

    so who is getting up early on sunday morning to eat the best vegan breakfast sandwich in los angeles? trust me, it’s worth it.

    a taste of life
    at the hollywood farmer’s market
    northern side of selma between vine & ivar

    PS: special thanks to brittany from sick of lettuce for telling me about this breakfast sandwich. without her, i wouldn’t know it existed, and my life would suck slightly more.

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  • October 14th, 2008quarrygirla taste of life, farmers market, LA restaurants

    after having a somewhat sketchy experience recently at the taste of life divine vegan foods storefront, i decided to give their farmers market stand in hollywood a try. after all, even though my prior experience was rough around the edges, the food was absolutely incredible. plus, fellow bloggers and local vegans have been known to rave about the soul food served up sunday mornings at selma & vine. boy oh boy, lemme just say what i found was a tray full of delicious.

    soul food dinner combo with kale, black-eyed peas, bbq tofu and lasagna. comes with cornbread. $12

    soul food dinner combo with kale, black-eyed peas, bbq tofu and lasagna. comes with cornbread. $12

    granted, there’s absolutely nowhere to to have a comfortable, seated meal at the hollywood farmers market…so we had to enjoy our vegan soul food atop the nearest electrical transformer. what we herbivores do for a good safe lunch! …am i right?

    sharing with the husband (as usual) we opted on the “dinner combo” which included our choice of 4 dishes and a slice of corn bread for $12. please note that it was only like 10am, so don’t let the name “dinner combo” fool you. it’s basically a taste of life’s way of saying, “instead of 1 awesome dish, get 4 awesome little dishes for the same price.” also, fellow stingy vegans please note that the price charged at the farmers market is less than that which is on the menu of a taste of life’s storefront location. the fountain outlet advertises a dinner combo for $15, not $12.

    all bullshit and price fuckery aside, a taste of life at the hollywood farmers market is beyond wonderful. they’ve got everything ready to go in huge catering-style heated containers and serve that shit up quickly with a smile. the only thing that might hold the line up and keep you from your delicious comfort food is some know-it-all vegan who wants to hob nob with the chef or a tourist who can’t interpret the confusing menu…both violations understandable (i mysef am a smug vegan who is often on vacation).

    let’s get to the food, shall we? starting with a dish i have been looking forward to forever, but was sold out when i visited the taste of life storefront on fountain. THE KALE.
    people have raved about the kale from a taste of life, and every word is true. i can see why late on a sunday night (especially after a day at the grueling farmers market) a taste of life was out of the magic greens a few weeks ago. this shit is definitely something to write home about blog about. i love that the most memorable dish from the ridiculously tasty combo meal was a straight up vegetable. just plain kale rivals all the fake cheese, seitan, tofu and soy dishes in the world. obviously this stuff is in high demand, so be sure to order it. leafy greens have never been so yum.

    next up, the black-eyed peas are a definite must. i feel like the first time i visited a taste of life, i wussed out because i was intimidated by the menu. i got some sandwiches and stuff, not really splurging for the real soul food. hopefully, any one who reads this can have a look at the menu and gather their thoughts before being thrust into a customer service transaction. i will definitely be ordering these again…they were so succulent and juicy. not much oil at all, but a ton of flavor. 

    now, some really huge props go to the lasagna. i ordered it because i wanted to try all new things, and i’d already indulged in the delicious and unmatched mac and cheese prepared by a taste of life. lemme just say, the lasagna was nothing to be scoffed at: sheets of pasta, chopped up vegetables with clumpy and cheesy flavored tomato sauce. my only guff was that in contained bell peppers, WHICH I HATE. to it’s defense, though, this delicious lasagna was edible to me even though i abhor the bell pepper family. somehow i was, miraculously, able to pick around the peppers (which all came in big chunks) and genuinely enjoy my meal. personally, i will always prefer the mac and cheese, but this lasagna was excellent. 

    lastly, even though the kale was awesome, the best thing on my plate ended up being the bbq tofu. this dish was so tasty, i was licking my fork and sopping it up with every last crumb of sinful cornbread. and even as good as it tasted, it probably wasn’t that artery clogging at the end of the day. just perfectly cooked blocks of tofu coated with a tangy and amazing runny sauce. it was all so wonderful…i wish i could tell you more about it, but it was in my stomach before i bothered to create a memory. i just know enough to recommend you don’t pass it up.

    A TASTE OF LIFE DIVINE VEGAN FOODS rocked my world. you gotta check ’em out as soon as you have the opportunity.

    hmmmm….not to sound like the cynical vegan that i am, but let’s weigh the pros and cons in my experience.

    store front: super sketchy at night, out of kale but tons of nice sandwiches and more expensive, possibly some tables to eat at if a someone isn’t passed out and sleeping in the seats.
    farmers market stand: safe and easy, tons of kale but no custom items (like sandwiches), less expensive, and nowhere to eat except on the curb or an electrical transformer.

    either way, the food is awesome. so go get it while you can. i am looking forward to my next visit. 🙂

    you can check out their menu here:

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  • July 21st, 2008quarrygirlfarmers market, LA restaurants

    a couple times a month, i like to hit up the los angeles farmers market, grab a few beers, and eat some fine vegan food. there’s so many little stands to choose from, and almost everything i’ve eaten there has been delicious, albeit rather expensive. unfortunately, for months, i managed to overlook one of the best vegan-friendly eateries that the food court has to offer, until reading about it on yourveganmom. singapore’s banana leaf serves fine malaysian cuisine that can be veganized upon order (woo hoo!)…and what i’ve tried tastes divine.

    vegan mee goreng at singapore\'s banana leaf - los angeles farmers market
    vegetable mee goreng fried noodles (NO EGG, please!) with tofu. $8.50

    banana leaf vegetable curry at los angeles farmers market
    vegetable curry with tofu. $8.50

    yeah, yeah, yeah, this place is pricey. especially considering the fact that you’re forced to eat your meal outdoors on plastic tables, sandwiched between “sticker planet” and a vile meaty deli. but in all fairness and with personal pet peeves set aside, i can’t expect the rest of the world to share my ludicrous “i don’t like to eat dead things that have been tortured & slaughtered” mentality. so, considering the fact that this open-air section of la’s famous farmers market is a mecca for midwest and european tourists alike, i really cannot complain about the $5 premium they add to each meal. and in banana leaf’s case, the food definitely competes with the most authentic of joints. so just close your eyes, plug your ears and ignore those loud-mouthed, overweight tourists. time to enjoy some food.

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  • June 17th, 2008quarrygirlchipotle, farmers market, LA restaurants

    if you find yourself at the farmers market, or anywhere in los angeles for that matter, you can always count on chipotle to offer you a tasty, filling vegan lunch. here at quarrygirl.com we love vegan chain dining options, and chipotle is probably our favorite vegan-friendly “fast food” joint. plus, safe mexican food can be hard to come by.


    burrito: flour tortilla, cilantro-lime rice, black beans, salsa, romaine lettuce and guacamole.

    one thing i love about chipotle is that i trust their vegan options. so many mexican restaurants sneak chicken stock into the rice, or lard into the beans. with chipotle, i know the cilantro-lime rice (yum) and the black beans are totally vegetarian. i don’t have to deal with the hassle of trying to explain to a disgruntled worker what chicken stock is and then wait while they check with everyone in the kitchen before i find out there’s nothing on the menu i can order. (just be sure not to order chipotle’s pinto beans, they are filled with vile bacon!)

    chipotle is especially convenient at the farmers market, because all the other dining options are phenomenally overpriced. in the midst of all the small vendors, you can count on chipotle to give you ridiculously huge, american-sized portions at considerably low, evil corporation prices.

    and if you are counting calories, get your vegetarian burrito in a bowl instead. it tastes just as good!

    my only complaint about chipotle is that they don’t have a salsa bar. 🙁 instead, they offer just 3 different flavors of crummy tabasco sauce. no cholula even! corporate headquarters: if you are listening, you really need to step it up in the salsa department. other than that, great burritos!

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  • June 5th, 2008quarrygirlfarmers market, LA restaurants

    the farmers market is a great place to hang during the weekend, drinking beer and eating vegan food. while there are many great places to eat, one spot that i frequent is a little middle eastern stand called moishe’s. the food is pretty expensive, but it’s really good. especially if you are looking for something light to help soak up several pints of beer.


    small side of taboule $3.25


    large side of hamous $5.25

    as you can see, these are just some of the vegan options that moishe’s has to offer:

    i love seeing so many things i can eat all lined up together on a sign! moishe’s also makes great falafel sandwiches, if you want a meal that’s a little more expensive hearty.

    i’ve definitely got a lot of problems with moishe’s…but it’s just so damn convenient and tasty, i keep on coming back.

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