• March 10th, 2011quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    omg omg omg. i am so excited. sliders are the best thing ever! it’s common knowledge that cute mini food is waaaaaay better than normal food, and sliders are just that: tiny adorable burgers that are far superior to their full grown counterparts. as of friday march 11th, flore vegan (one of the best restaurants in town) won’t just be offering sliders…but they’re adding AN ENTIRE SLIDER MENU. my head is gonna explode. check it out:

    vegan sliders at flore!

    Read the rest of this entry »

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  • After four years of eating out on LA’s vegan restaurant scene, and in recognition of our “LA’s Top 5 Vegan Restaurants” post a year ago, we thought it would be good to update our “top list” of the establishments we, and the commenters on this esteemed blog, thought were really good. Do you agree with our list? Want to bump a mention off the list, or add your own? Please comment. Don’t be shy. We had to start somewhere.

    Cruzer Pizza “from veal to vegan”

    The story behind Cruzer Pizza is as amazing as the pizza itself. The popular Silverlake gourmet pizza delivery outlet one day threw all its mozarella, sausage, veal (yuk!) and pepperoni in the trash and began stocking Field Roast, Match Meats and Daiya cheese, becoming one of only three entirely vegan pizzerias in the United States. This was all thanks to awesome animal rights activist Michelle Sass who lobbied the owners, and personally took charge of the menu and food items creating pizza that vegans and onmivores alike would love.

    The Quarrygirl Pizza at Cruzer

    Cruzer even reached out to bloggers, magazines and the local community to create pizzas that they thought fellow vegans would like. And so, the quarrygirl.com pizza was born, because we love olive oil, shrooms and Field Roast. And so do you, right?

    Flore Vegan

    The fact that Flore was not on last year’s list is nothing short of a crime. Owner and chef Miranda Megill has been cooking up a vegan storm in the LA area for years from her Silverlake location on Sunset Blvd., and lately also through the ill-fated and now closed Vegan Spot, Flore Care and Meet Market (all the same location). The outlandishly creative Miranda is as picky with her ingredients as she is with the food preparation. She selects only the best organic produce, and is usually to be found supervising the kitchen hands-on to ensure that your meal is top-notch.

    Club Sandwich at Flore Vegan

    Also, everything is made from scratch including the succulent seitan and homemade desserts. Seriously, their flaky and “buttery” croissants are the best vegan pastries we’ve ever tried.

    Stuff I Eat

    We can’t keep away from this place, and we can’t keep raving about it. With an eclectic menu of options spanning the gamut from soul food through Mexican-inspired and down to earth, honest to goodness, American-style favorites, Stuff I Eat excels in every category. The staff are all so helpful, polite and caring that one feels grateful to be in their restaurant. The portions are HUGE, and the quality of every food item, from the way it looks to the way it tastes cannot be overstated.

    Kilamanjaro Quesadilla at Stuff I Eat

    Feeling hungry? The $18 “Organic Soul Food Platter” will fill you up, as well as one or two of your guests. The burritos are to die for (how many burritos have fresh, steamed broccoli topping them?), and any place that has a menu item called “Sumthin-Sumthin” as well as the intriguingly named “Kilimanjaro Quesadilla” (so called, because it’s about as big as its namesake mountain) is just great in my book.

    Shojin

    Situated on the top floor of a downtown shopping mall in Little Tokyo is Shojin, a must-visit vegan restaurant. Serving an inventive menu of veganized japanese staples, as well as some inventive signature dishes, Shojin really is at the peak of artful food preparation.

    Spicy Seitan BBQ Roll and Shiitake & Avocado Roll at Shojin

    Whether you go for the sushi (with seitan, tofu and other faux-fish accoutrements), the pan-fried seitan stir-fry or the incredibly tasty hand-made deserts you will know that such care has been put into preparing your food with prime, organic ingredients that you just can’t go wrong. Order as much stuff as you like — the portions are small, but the taste is big.

    Madeleine Bistro

    LA-resident vegans and omnivores are extremely fortunate to share a city with Madeleine Bistro, one of the world’s finest vegan restaurants. Chef Dave Anderson has spared no expense or time in thinking through and preparing the most minute details of every menu item. From a doughnut that is so light and fluffy it practically levitates, to a veganized carbon-copy emulation of a Big Mac (which I’m told by omnivores tastes way, way better than the real thing), through magical soufflés and German Mac ‘n’ Cheese (complete with Bacon bits!) you are certain to delight in the experience of fine vegan dining with a menu as inventive as it is familiar. Every dish at Madeleine’s has that “HOW DO THEY DO THIS?” question mark hanging over it. Dave Anderson is a culinary genius, and we should all be glad he decided to practice his art on us vegans.

    Lemon-rosemary seitan and cauliflower crepe at Madeleine Bistro

    I’d usually not hesitate to recommend a visit to Madeleine Bistro, but recently their opening hours and menu offerings have become erratic, and there have been rumors of both a closure and a second location opening up. My advice is to get yourself there pronto (in case the worst happens) but call ahead first to make sure they’re open when you want to visit.

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  • While we usually cover LA’s extraordinary selection of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants (vegan, vegetarian and vegan-friendly), some individual menu items in our city stand out as exceptional, and we thought they deserved their own post. We also opted to choose entirely new menu items from those of last year’s list as there are so many new things to check out on the LA vegan scene.

    We chose no-compromise vegan foods: menu items that make no apology for being vegan and that, with only a couple of exceptions, you can order pretty much any time.
    Have some things to add to the list, or stuff you don’t like? Let us know in the comments!

    Masa of Echo Park Chicago deep dish pizza with Teese

    Vegan Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

    Undoubtedly my favorite new thing on this year’s list. The combination of Masa’s 100% authentic Chicago crust, super tangy and chunky sauce and cooking method combined with real Chicago SoyDairy Teese (yeah, even the vegan cheese is from Chicago) is a mighty fine dish. The thing tastes almost the same as the real Chicagoland staple (and I should know, I’ve eaten a LOT of them over the years) but can be prepared entirely vegan (sub Teese for cheese, and ask that they use olive oil rather than butter in the pan).

    I advise going for the medium or large even though you’ll not be able to eat it all, but it travels well, re-heats like a champ and will even freeze for weeks. It’s especially nice with a couple of low-key toppings like spinach or mushrooms, but the real star here is the crust and texture.

    Native Foods Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger

    There are a lot of vegan burgers in LA. Most of them are pretty darn good, but one stands head and shoulders above all others: The Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger from Native Foods. It seems as though Chef Tanya has studied those high-end burger joints and gone vegan mediaeval on the recipe. She’s taken the Native Foods Seitan (perhaps the best money can buy), sliced it thinly and soaked it in a special sauce topped with crunchy tempeh bacon, lettuce, two types of onions, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, carrots, tomatoes and even crunchy fried dill pickles.

    Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger: thinly sliced original seitan, melted cheddar, caramelized onions, crispy tempeh bacon on a bun slathered with BBQ sauce and ranch dressing, lettuce, carrots, onions, and tomato and topped with crunchy battered dill pickles chips. $9.95

    Yes, this burger has every ingredient you can think of perfectly proportioned and excellently presented. A meal unto itself, the burger is heartily filling yet not unhealthily so.

    Shojin Dynamite Roll

    The dynamite roll started out as a special item available only on Monday sushi nights, but the dish was so popular that Shojin quickly added it to the normal menu. Having eaten this roll several times, I can say without a doubt that it’s some of the best vegan sushi I’ve ever tasted, and definitely the best in Los Angeles.

    dynamite roll: spicy "tuna" and avocado inside, spicy mayo and green onion on top. with spicy sauce. $10.95

    The rice-based roll is filled up with avocado and Shojin’s genius spicy “tuna” mixture – a creamy, hearty blend of vegetables and soy that’s so good I could eat a bowl of it straight. Each slice is then topped with a dollop of spicy vegan mayo and slivers of green onions. Usually when dining out on sushi, I like to get a several rolls and share them around the table. At Shojin, however, I always make sure to get a dynamite roll just for myself.

    Elf Cornmeal and Herb Dusted Spicy Oyster Mushrooms

    Cornmeal and herb dusted spicy oyster mushrooms (made vegan): Our version of "hot wings" crispy oyster mushrooms served with marinated celery salad. $10

    Every once in a while, you come across a dish that changes the rules of cuisine a little. You get exposed to something new, perhaps a taste, texture or presentation that’s so different and tasty that you remember it forever. The Spicy Oyster Mushrooms at Echo Park’s Elf is just such a dish. It’s described on the menu in a low-key way that almost makes it sound unappetizing: “Our version of ‘hot wings’ – crispy oyster mushrooms served with marinated celery salad and bleu cheese cream reduction”. Clearly, it has to be ordered without the bleu cheese for the vegans, but I can tell you this dish can stand on its own with or without the cheese.

    The texture is crunchy yet soft and the flavors are so complex and delicate that this will be quite a unique experience. Even the celery is amazing – I don’t know what it’s marinated in, but I can tell you that I could eat a plate of just the celery any time! My only beef with the dish is that there’s no vegan substitute offered for the bleu cheese. I mean, some vegenaise and herbs wouldn’t go amiss, would it?

    Pizza Cookery Vegan Bread Rolls (they’re FREE!)

    Yeah, one of our top omnivorous restaurant choices also carries a bucket list item, and it’s actually something served for free when you show up to get a pizza. Just be sure to ask for the vegan bread rolls, as the default ones are filled with dairy cheese. BE WARNED, though, these rolls are so freakin’ amazing that you are in danger of filling up on them (as did I) and not wanting to eat any of your pizza (as did I) and so end up taking it home (as did I). Assuming that you can exercise restraint here, these rolls are an awesome way to start off your meal.

    Perfectly cooked, stuffed with vegan cheese (Follow Your Heart as it happens, but this is one of those occasions where it actually works very well) and dipped in garlic olive oil with real garlic bits these will take you to a different place for sure.

    Flore Biscuits & Gravy

    biscuits and gravy: two biscuits topped with vegan gravy and served with your choice of tempeh bacon, fruit, or potatoes. $9.9

    Take two humongous biscuits, perfectly crunchy on the outside yet smooth and steamy on the inside then cover them with juicy and tasty gravy (with sausage bits!). That’d be a meal on its own, but Flore lets you add a serving of their legendary tempeh bacon, fruit or potatoes, and the dish comes with a delicious bed of steamed kale to boot. All for $9.95. All organic. And all fucking amazing! Unfortunately, this is a weekend brunch only dish, so you only have 2 days per week to get your fill.

    Mandoline Grill Tofu Banh Mi

    Tofu Banh Mi: 12" French baguette topped with lemongrass marinated tofu, cucumber slices, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, jalapenos, vegenaise and scallion oil. $6

    There are a few vegan Banh Mi’s out there, but nobody does it like Mandoline Grill, and I’m really pleased that this vegan-friendly food truck has a menu item that made it into this list. First off, the Banh Mi is absolutely HUGE. It’s a 12″, vegan French-style baguette with all the usual Banh Mi fixin’s including cucumber slices, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, jalapenos, vegenaise and scallion oil. Despite the fact that the bread and ingredients are fresh and tasty beyond belief, the real kicker is the slyly named “lemongrass marinated tofu”, which comes in thick chunks and is unquestionably one of the most tasty things you’ll ever eat. I don’t know how chef/owner Mong Skillman can prepare such a gourmet experience from a tiny food truck, and frankly I don’t care how she does it. I’m usually too busy eating the thing to worry about the details!

    Zpizza The Tuscan (veganized)

    Tuscan Pizza (veganized): homemade roasted garlic sauce, daiya cheese, cremini, shiitake and button mushrooms, caramelized onions, truffle oil and thyme.

    Yes, we’re pizza obsessed. Yes, there are two pizzas on the bucket list and YES, this one is damn good, but couldn’t be further in concept, taste and style than the Masa Chicago Pizza up top. The Tuscan is going for that Italian intersection of thin crust, oils and mushrooms that Zpizza does so well. The regular pizza isn’t vegan, but they will sub Daiya for the mozzarella and leave off the feta if you ask, and you will be home and dry with an absolutely stunning pie.

    This thing has a bunch of ingredients. In addition to Z’s incredible crust, there’s homemade roasted garlic sauce, Daiya cheese, three kinds of mushrooms (cremini, shiitake and button), sweet caramelized onions, drizzles of truffle oil and fresh thyme. If you think this SOUNDS delicious, wait until you taste one – you will be blown away. For extra spice, pile on the dried chilies (they go especially well with the muted tastes of the oils and shrooms).

    Shin BBQ Seitan Bulgogi

    Seitan Bulgogi: vegan seitan served in shin's secret marinade. $18

    I was as shocked as the next guy to discover Shin BBQ’s vegan-friendly options, headlined with the incredible Seitan Bulgogi. Although clearly modeled on meat-based entree, this dish has a character all of its own, and even omnivores are ordering it regularly now. Slices of chewy seitan are marinated in something called “Shin’s secret marinade” – I have no idea what this is, but all I know is it’s 100% vegan and 200% tasty. The dish goes perfectly over some rice and don’t forget to pile on some of the excellent kimchi that will arrive in abundance at your table.

    Tender Greens The Happy Vegan

    happy Vegan: tabbouleh, hummus, pasta pearls, farro wheat, young kale, tender greens. $10.50

    This is another dish that I feel the need to eat on a regular basis, so I’m really happy that the WeHo Tender Greens is on my way home, and I can park for a dollar! Tender Greens is an upmarket, salad-oriented restaurant where you order at the counter, they make your salad and then bring it to your table. The Happy Vegan is so aptly named, as I don’t believe that any vegan would be something other than very happy post-consumption.

    There are a ton of seemingly exotic ingredients in the salad: tabbouleh, hummus, pasta pearls, farro wheat, young kale and the eponymous “tender greens”. There’s also some crispy baguette slices dribbled with extra virgin olive oil to boot. For a salad, the price of $10.50 may seem high at face value, but I’d think nothing of paying $20 or more for this dish in a fancy restaurant.

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  • August 13th, 2010quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    just one more reason to love weekends in los angeles: there’s a new brunch menu at flore, and it is fantastic. seriously, you gotta get over there saturday or sunday and check it out. we are talking new scrambles, waffles, and last but not least…BISCUITS AND GRAVY.

    we went last weekend for the menu’s debut, and while i knew it would be pretty good, the food exceeded all of my expectations. i ordered the biscuits and gravy (natch), and they were nothing short of epic. for under 10 bucks, i got two massive biscuits covered in white creamy gravy and topped with flore’s homemade sausage. plus, a bed of kale with tempeh bacon on top. SO MUCH FOOD.

    the menu description doesn’t even begin to do these guys justice…it doesn’t even list the fact that they come covered in seitan sausage. i was in no way prepared for how delicious they would be. honestly, everything about them was top notch—the biscuits themselves were soft and fluffy, the gravy was rich and flavorful, the sausage bits were plump and hearty, and the kale was fresh. this meal was so good, i had to take its photo from both sides, just so you could get an idea of how glorious it was.

    biscuits and gravy: two biscuits topped with vegan gravy and served with your choice of tempeh bacon, fruit, or potatoes. $9.95

    honestly, i think i am gonna go order this again tomorrow. where else can you get vegan biscuits and gravy in los angeles?! nowhere that i can think of! and the ones at flore will BLOW. YOUR. MIND. i am so grateful they added these things to the menu.

    my husband went with the traditional tofu scramble, which was also flawless. it came with huge chunks of extra firm tofu, all mixed in with extremely fresh vegetables atop a bed of kale, served with sliced bread and potatoes. breakfast perfection.

    tofu scramble: savory tofu, tomato, mushroom, red onion and basil scramble served atop sauteed kale. serverd with sliced batard and your choice of fruit, tempeh bacon, or potatoes. $9.95

    flore’s brunch menu is only served on weekends from 10am – 1pm, so don’t strut in there expecting biscuits and gravy any ole time of day. also just to clarify, these items are only available at flore in sunset junction, not to be confused with its sister restaurant the meet market down the street.

    if you don’t already have plans this weekend, i highly suggest you work brunch at flore into your schedule. the food is second to none, and the biscuits and gravy are my new favorite meal. oh, and while you are there, be sure to pick up a few croissants!

    flore vegan
    3818 W. Sunset Blvd.
    Silverlake, CA 90026
    (323) 953-0611
    brunch: weekends 10am – 1pm

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  • August 10th, 2010quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    you have got to get over to flore ASAP, because yesterday the restaurant started carrying homemade vegan croissants and cinnamon buns! i tried both of them, and they are out of this world. i don’t know how i’ve lived so long with out them!

    vegan chocolate chip croissant. $2.25

    first, the croissant. this thing is really a work of art. the only flavor flore carries at the moment is chocolate chip, and it is incredible. soft, delicate layers of flaky buttery goodness–all encasing a center of creamy chocolate. i was a big croissant fan before going vegan, and i can say these definitely pass the test. they without a doubt taste like the real thing. i don’t know of anywhere else you can get vegan croissants in los angeles, so go buy as many as you can at flore.

    vegan cinnamon bun. $2.25

    the vegan cinnamon bun was also beyond delicious. it was moist, fluffy, and filled with the sweetest, tastiest cinnamon goo. i may have to make another trip to silverlake today for these treats….they are definitely some of the best vegan sweets in town.

    flore vegan
    3818 W. Sunset Blvd.
    Silverlake, CA 90026
    (323) 953-0611
    Mon: 11am – 4pm
    Tues – Fri: 11am – 10pm
    Sat – Sun: 10am – 10pm

    YUM

    flore opens at 11am today. you know what to do.

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  • January 8th, 2010quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    as you may know, we here at quarrygirl are determined to eat all the good vegan club sandwiches in los angeles and compare them for you readers. this week our club comes to us from flore vegan in silverlake, and i must say it is a damn fine contender for the #1 spot.

    club sandwich: battered baked tofu, tempeh bacon, tomato, avocado, lettuce, daikon sprout and eggless mayonaise on sourdough bread. served with choice of potato salad, side salad, or fruit. $9.95

    flore’s club sandwich is pretty hefty and comes stacked with baked tofu, tempeh bacon, tomato, avocado, lettuce, and daikon sprouts. it weighs in at $9.95, which is nearly a buck 50 more than the club at follow your heart, BUT this one comes with avocado (which is an extra charge at FYH) AND a hefty side salad.

    i would definitely say flore makes one of the best vegan clubs i’ve ever tasted. maybe it’s because the succulent tofu is battered and then baked, so it has all kinds of flavor goin on…or maybe it’s because the strips of tempeh bacon are extra thick and smoky. or maaaaybe it’s the way the slightly toasted bread mixes in with the creamy avocado and juicy tomato. i dunno, but everything about it is just so…perfect.

    when ordering any sandwich or burger at flore, i always opt for the potato salad as my side dish. it really can’t be beat, and a side of leaves or fruit just doesn’t come close. trust me, this stuff is awesome.

    so there you have it, flore’s delicious club sandwich may just be the best in all of LA. there are still so many to try though. be sure to comment with your favorite.

    flore vegan
    3818 W Sunset Blvd
    Los Angeles, CA 90026
    (323) 953-0611

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  • January 4th, 2010quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    uneducated people think that vegans only eat salad, but we know better than that. one look around this blog shows that peeps adhering to an animal-free lifestyle can still enjoy ‘meat’, ‘cheese’, sandwiches, burgers, ice cream and cupcakes just like the rest of the world. sometimes, however, a good animal-free salad can be hearty enough to satisfy the omnivores and herbivores alike…and such is true of the avocado seitan salad at flore.

    avocado seitan salad: bed of mixed greens with sliced avocado, grilled seitan, daikon sprouts, tomato and red onion. served with your choice of tahini, 1000 island, vinaigrette or miso dressing. $9.95

    i’m not much of a salad person, but this may very well be one of the best menu items i’ve ever tasted. for under 10 bucks you get a large serving of soft leafy greens (more than i can eat), topped with sexy grilled chunks of homemade seitan and fresh vegetables in a dressing of your choosing, all garnished with generous slices of creamy avocado. i always go with the tahini dressing (it’s thick and rich, yet not over-powering)….but i hear that the 1000 dressing is killer as well.

    if you feel like eating a salad that will actually make you full, head over to flore in silverlake. this dish will satisfy the meatiest of cravings, and it’s still a mere healthy and organic salad! win/win!

    Flore
    3818 W Sunset Blvd
    Los Angeles, CA 90026
    (323) 953-0611

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  • December 13th, 2009quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    on some days it’s so cold and rainy out, all you wanna do is huddle inside and mow down a hefty plate of vegan comfort food. yesterday was indeed one of those days. it was storming hard in los angeles, like it does so rarely, and by chance the daily special at flore vegan was a tummy-warming plate of shepard’s pie. when i saw the announcement on twitter, i knew i had to brave the weather and haul ass across town to try this meal. suffice to say, it was worth the trip.

    vegan root vegetable and beef shepard's pie with a sauteed broccoli and carrot side. $10.95

    vegan root vegetable and beef shepard's pie with a sauteed broccoli and carrot side. $10.95

    served in a casserole dish, the shepard’s pie at flore was a mix of milky sauce, thick chunks of soy beef, and hearty vegetables under a layer of creamy partially-mashed potatoes. each layer of this dish was top notch—the meat was salty and chewy, the vegan sauce had a dairy-like richness, and the unpeeled potatoes were soft with a touch of crispy. i have never tasted such a wonderful shepard’s pie.

    oh, and the sauteed vegetables were ridiculously good as well. they were simple—just carrots and broccoli—but were cooked to the point where they were crunchy and oily yet not overly wilted. i am not a huge carrot fan, but i munched these up immediately and was sad when they were gone.

    sauteed vegetables at flore

    while i love the regular menu at flore, this shepard’s pie is above and beyond anything i’ve eaten there before. moral of the story is, be adventurous and try the daily specials. this one was damn good.

    to find out what special flore is offering each day, follow them on twitter.

    flore vegan
    3818 w sunset blvd.
    silverlake ca 90026 (sunset @ hyperion)
    (323) 953-0611

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  • June 24th, 2009quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    there’s something weird going on with vegans and reuben sandwiches. i have never actually even had a ‘real’ reuben sandwich, but it seems that there’s obsession with them in the vegan community. vegan chefs i know are obsessed with making them, they are huge topics on most vegan blogs, and my vegan friends from other cities have the reuben itch as well. what is all the fuss about some mock meat, soy cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing?! i mean really!? i had to find out. after hearing all this reuben talk everywhere i went, i decided i better get with the program and order one of these suckers for myself from one of los angeles’ favorite vegan-reuben-serving joints, flore on sunset.

    tempeh reuben: grilled reuben sandwich served on organic corn rye with layers of tofu cheese, cashew cheese, tempeh, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. served with your choice of side. $9.95

    tempeh reuben: grilled reuben sandwich served on organic corn rye with layers of tofu cheese, cashew cheese, tempeh, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. served with your choice of side. $9.95

    holy crap. one bite of this thing, and i started to understand why everyone makes a big deal over these sandwiches. flore’s tempeh reuben was served up on flavorful rye bread, grilled on both sides, and stuffed with bits of tempeh & 2 kinds of ‘cheese’. the sauerkraut and thousand island dressing complimented each other perfectly, making for a winning sweet/sour combination. this sandwich was fucking bomb. much better than i expected it to be.

    flore-tempeh-reuben-cu

    while the sandwich was regular-sized, by no means large (especially for $9.95), it was packed with so much rich flavor that i was completely stuffed after eating just half of it. i threw the other half on the panini press for breakfast the next day, and it was even better than the night before. i can’t really speak on vegan reubens in general, but i can tell you flore’s tempeh rueben is an a+. i’m looking forward to ordering this warm, comforting sandwich again in the very near future.

    flore vegan cuisine
    3818 W. Sunset Blvd
    Los Angeles, CA 90026
    (323) 953-0611
    Tue-Fri. 11:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
    Sat-Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

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  • January 23rd, 2009quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    you may have read a recent post of mine in which i criticized flore cafe, a new vegetarian coffee shop under the same ownership as the vegan restaurant flore, for deciding to offer eggs and real cheese in some of their dishes. thankfully, the original flore is still 100% vegan and 100% delicious.

    i have been grabbing a lot of take-out from flore over the past few months, and here are a few of the things i’ve been eating.

    portabella panini: Marinated grilled portabella with soy mozzarella, kale and creamy dill dressing on organic ciabatta bread. Served with choice of potato salad, side salad or fruit. $10.25

    portabella panini: Marinated grilled portabella with soy mozzarella, kale and creamy dill dressing on organic ciabatta bread. Served with choice of potato salad, side salad or fruit. $10.25

    flore’s portabella panini is pretty awesome. the bread is crispy and fresh, the portabella is juicy, and the kale is soft. you can tell flore really strives to use quality ingredients in all their dishes, and this sandwich is no exception. the only thing in this panini that could be improved upon is the melty-ness of the cheese. it tastes just like standard follow your heart vegan cheese, and as you can see in the picture, the shreds are intact. oh well, i guess them using the second-place-winning vegan cheese isn’t that bad. 🙂 the meal as a whole is still very delicious, and i could drink a gallon of the creamy dill dressing it comes with.

    southwestern seitan quesadilla: Whole wheat quesadilla of cashew cheese, seasoned seitan, diced tomato, and shredded lettuce. Served with sides of pico de gallo and cilantro cream. $7.95

    southwestern seitan quesadilla: Whole wheat quesadilla of cashew cheese, seasoned seitan, diced tomato, and shredded lettuce. Served with sides of pico de gallo and cilantro cream. $7.95

    next, the southwestern seitan quesadilla is probably my favorite thing i’ve tried out at flore. huge, meaty seitan chunks all mixed up with a really creamy cheese sauce, plump tomatoes and soft lettuce in a double-grilled tortilla. so good! and for only $7.95, it’s definitely worth a try. i tell ya, after ordering this once, it was hard for me to every taste anything new at flore again. their seitan is some of the best ever.

    flore-seitan-quesadilla-cu

    the salad is also really good, and comes with a whole slew of fancy and yummy ingredients.

    the salad: Bed of mixed baby greens topped with portions of tofu egg salad, shredded carrot, baked tofu, roasted beets, edamame salad, tomato, avocado and daikon sprouts. Served with a side of hummus and choice of thousand island, miso, vinaigrette or tahini dressing. $9.95

    the salad: Bed of mixed baby greens topped with portions of tofu egg salad, shredded carrot, baked tofu, roasted beets, edamame salad, tomato, avocado and daikon sprouts. Served with a side of hummus and choice of thousand island, miso, vinaigrette or tahini dressing. $9.95

    the tofu egg salad bit is insanely awesome, as is baked tofu. everything in this salad tastes light and deceptively healthy, and flore does a great job at pairing flavors. beware fellow bell pepper haters: the edamame portion of the salad came with mixed in peppers, even though i requested none in my salad. i just had to pick around that section. still tasty though, and definitely worth 10 bucks.

    basmati brown rice bowl: Brown basmati rice with crispy kale, shredded carrot, raw sunflower seeds, lime wedges, daikon sprouts and avocado served with your choice of teriyaki seitan or baked tofu and sides of tahini dressing and tamari. $9.95

    basmati brown rice bowl: Brown basmati rice with crispy kale, shredded carrot, raw sunflower seeds, lime wedges, daikon sprouts and avocado served with your choice of teriyaki seitan or baked tofu and sides of tahini dressing and tamari. $9.95

    the basmati brown rice bowl is the latest thing i’ve ordered from flore, and of course i love it. it tastes a lot like the salad, actually, but comes on a fluffy bed of brown rice. i can’t get over all the delicious unusual vegetables flore manages to pack into each dish. it makes every meal exciting, because i am always eating something i’m not used to getting at other restaurants. the only thing is, a lot of their dishes taste similar—maybe because they use the same sauces and ingredients from dish to dish. so the wrap tastes kind of like the salad, as does the rice bowl, etc. still, all are very yummy.

    so there ya have it, just a quick look at some of the several delicious vegan options on flore’s huge menu. the restaurant can get pretty crowded, especially in the evening, so i suggest calling ahead and ordering your food. oh, and add an extra 5-10 minutes to the time they tell you it will be ready—they always seem to be running a bit behind.

  • September 19th, 2008quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    i’ve been to flore vegan in siverlake a few times, and the food has always been super delicious. this last meal was no different, and it proved to me that flore is not just a great place to dine in, it also provides a lovely take-out experience as well. i ordered my grub on a weeknight at around 7pm, and when i went to pick it up, the place was packed. people waiting, every table full on the inside and outside, phone ringing off the hook with orders. my food took about ten minutes longer than promised, but seeing how busy the restaurant was, i really couldn’t blame them. to be honest, i was just thankful that i wasn’t one of the poor shleps standing around waiting to be seated. finally my order showed up, i paid the disgruntled hipster working behind the counter, and 30 minutes later i was home with my beautiful food. ahhhh.

    the appetizer was as tasty as ever…

    fusion rolls: sliced wheat rolls of nori, black bean, jicama, carrot, daikon sprout and cashew cheese served with lime wedges and a tamari citrus dipping sauce. $8.95

    fusion rolls: sliced wheat rolls of nori, black bean, jicama, carrot, daikon sprout and cashew cheese served with lime wedges and a tamari citrus dipping sauce. $8.95

    normally this dish comes with bell peppers as well, but i decided to pass on those. these little rolls withstood the wait, the car ride, the unpacking, and turned out to be quite an amazing appetizer. they were much thicker and heartier than i expected from the description, and actually could have been a meal on their own. all the vegetables blended together with the smooth cashew cheese for a unique taste that was intensely flavorful and very refreshing. the crisp carrots and jicama added the perfect amount of crunch to the creamy cheese and soft black beans. and the tamari dipping sauce had a citrusy bite to it that went so well with all the fresh ingredients. this roll was anything but bland.

    as a main course, i opted for the flore burger, because i believe that any custom-made burger patty needs to be tried. going in a totally different direction from the grainy ricey burgers at places like follow your heart or m café, flore’s vegan burger is made mostly of black beans. in fact, i’ll be damned if it doesn’t taste almost exactly like the veganomicon black bean burger recipe.

    flore burger: black bean burger grilled and served with sliced tomato, sprouts, red onion, green leaf lettuce and thousand island dressing. served with a side salad. $9.95

    flore burger: black bean burger grilled and served with sliced tomato, sprouts, red onion, green leaf lettuce and thousand island dressing. served with a side salad. $9.95

    being such a fan of flore’s cashew cheese, i had to add it to my burger for an extra $1.50. totally worth it, that stuff enhances all it touches. as you can see, the burger came with so many extra leaves and vegetables, it looked like a salad on my plate. if you look at the picture above, that’s ALL the burger and stuff that came with the burger. i didn’t even photograph the actual side salad. since i love black beans, i fell in love with this dish right away. the patty was thin but juicy and boasted several grains and beans that blended together perfectly.

    while this entree didn’t hold up quite as good as the fusion rolls, as far as take-out food, it put on a pretty good show for a burger. it had to be microwaved a little bit as it was getting cold, and the only thing that suffered was the bun. it got a little tough and chewy, but other than that, the burger was as good as new. one thing that really helped was that they packed it up all separately. in the take-out box flore separated the burger, the vegetables, the sauce and cheese, making for an ideal reheating situation. these flore peeps really know what they are doing. when i get a burger from m café to go, it’s already stacked and i have to peel it apart if i want to warm it up.

    so overall, this take-out experience was on point. i think flore vegan is rapidly becoming my favorite restaurant in los angeles. all the food is perfect, they use tons of black beans, and they have a huge menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner that i will never be able to conquer. if only they had a little more seating and served beer…

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  • September 4th, 2008quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    with pure luck under construction lately, i’ve been searching for new ways to get my fancy beer/vegan food fix. over the weekend i discovered a pretty great alternative: flore. but they don’t serve beer, you say? nope…but the good, located right across the street, does. the good offers tons of beer on tap and like a million bottles, so it’s a great place to get a buzz before walking over and soaking up the drunk with pure vegan awesomeness. i just cannot get over flore’s amazing food…and the menu is freakin’ huge!

    the wrap: stuffed with baked tofu, roasted vegetables, shredded kale and brown basmati rice with a drizzling of creamy tofu dressing wrapped together in a wheat tortilla. served with potato salad. $9.95

    the wrap: stuffed with baked tofu, roasted vegetables, shredded kale and brown basmati rice with a drizzling of creamy tofu dressing wrapped together in a wheat tortilla. served with potato salad. $9.95

    the wrap is enormous, delicious and satisfying—filled with delightfully seasoned tofu and very tasty dressing. it comes cut in half, so it’s perfect for sharing. hell, get 2 wraps and switch it up! the potato salad hit the spot as well—light, fresh and not too soggy.

    burrito flore: brown rice, black beans, tempeh bacon, cilantro cream, cashew cheese, lettuce, avocado and tomato wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. served with a side of pico de gallo and a green salad. $10.95

    burrito flore: brown rice, black beans, tempeh bacon, cilantro cream, cashew cheese, lettuce, avocado and tomato wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. served with a side of pico de gallo and a green salad. $10.95

    i really, really, REALLY love burritos. when i was a vegetarian they were my second favorite food, and now that pizza is gone, they are definitely #1. seriously, when i eat at a restaurant that has a burrito on the menu, i find it very difficult to order something else. that being said, flore’s vegan burrito is one of the best i’ve ever had. they cram so much stuff inside, i almost can’t handle it. they’ve got the fake meat, beans, fake cheese, vegetables and even fake creamy stuff as well. with most vegan burritos, you are lucky to get any kind of protein along with the standard rice and beans…not to mention fake cheese! this burrito really takes it to the next level.

    i mean look at that. it just belongs in your face, right? and it’s not just crammed full of cool shit, it also tastes really good. all the ingredients are so fresh and juicy, your mouth will have a party. thanks a lot flore, now i am gonna have a really tough time ordering anything else off your majorly enticing menu.

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  • July 15th, 2008quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    …and wow, i was impressed! the food was just incredible, and i managed to show up at a time when it wasn’t crowded and the atmosphere was pleasant. yay! here’s to one of LA’s tastiest breakfasts! thanks flore!

    flore tofu benediction
    tofu benediction: fluffy sliced tofu, tomato slices, kale and avocado piled atop toasted batard and smothered in our own take on hollandaise sauce. served with tempeh bacon. $9.95

    flore breakfast burrito
    breakfast burrito: tofu scramble, tempeh bacon, potatoes, cashew cheese and avocado wrapped in a tortilla. served with pico de gallo and a side of fruit. $8.95

    now as you know, i love saying what annoys be about any restaurant, or how i think they can improve. the thing about flore is, there’s nothing wrong with it—except maybe that there’s too much delicious food to choose from.

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