• October 11th, 2011quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali, vegan bakers

    we’re so happy to announce that as of today (at around 11am) cupcakes by clara’s cakes will be for sale at locali! the current flavors are chocolate peanut butter and vanilla raspberry, and they’ll probably rotate from week to week. clara’s cakes is one of our favorite local bakeries, it’s all vegan, and it’s run by a ridiculously cool 14 year old girl. we’re so stoked that these treats will be available on a regular basis.

    in other clara’s cakes news, they’re also offering ZOMBIE CUPCAKES as a halloween special…

    these scary little suckers are made of chocolate cake, filled up with raspberry filling (blood!), and decorated with awesome zombie artwork. they’re available for a special price of $40 per dozen. order some for your halloween party, or just because! people won’t be able to tell they’re vegan, i swear. to order, contact info@claracakes.com.

    for more info on all things clara’s cakes, like them on facebook and follow them on twitter.

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  • September 29th, 2011quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali, vegan bakers, vegan events

    i know you’re already crazy busy on sunday, with vegan @ verdugo III and all…but be sure to save room for dessert and help out homeless kitties by picking up some cruelty-free treats. stray cat alliance will be holding a vegan bake sale at locali (home of the best reuben on earth) on 10/2 from 10am – 4pm, so go grab a cookie or 10 for a good cause.

    here are 3 reasons you should hit up the event:

    vegan baked goods

    stray cats (photo via http://dailykev.tumblr.com/)

    locali's badass breakfast sandwich: vegan sausage patty, daiya cheddar, organic maple syrup and special sauce on an english muffin. $4.50

  • February 13th, 2011quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali

    got plans today?! why don’t you head over to locali and support one of our favorite vegans ever, clara polito. the 13 year old baker behind the delicious clara’s cakes is holding a bake sale to raise money for a school trip to new york.

    let's send this girl to nyc!

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  • January 3rd, 2011quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali

    oh gee, i’m just so chuffed about this! the 2010 discount on the best vegan reuben in town was so popular, that locali has decided to offer another deal to quarrygirl readers throughout this week (or until supplies run out)! this time it’s on their brand new mouthwatering vegan sausage special!

    discount vegan sausage special at locali when you mention quarrygirl! (beret-wearing hotdog cartoon taken from the amazing nataliedee.com)

    here’s the info…

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  • December 28th, 2010quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali

    yes, you heard me right! locali is offering the best vegan reuben in LA at 10% off to quarrygirl readers for the rest of 2010!

    vegan reuben: marinated deli slices topped with daiya cheese, sauerkraut & smothered with homemade vegan russian dressing. $9.75

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  • December 10th, 2010quarrygirlfranken's, LA restaurants, locali, vegan bakers, vegan events

    we all know that doomie’s is opening up this weekend, but there are a couple other awesome vegan events that should be on your radar as well.

    remember those insane donuts i raved about last year from the righteous fryers?!…

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  • July 21st, 2010quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali

    YES! THEY ARE HERE! i blogged about these babies last month and told you they would be available at ralphs soon. well we waited and waited through delay after delay, and the vegan frozen pizzas never hit the grocery store shelves. but today we can finally say, “ralphs?! fuck that shit! these pizzas are AVAILABLE AT LOCALI!”

    locali may be a bit overpriced and not entirely vegan, but they always get the cool vegan products before anyone else. they were the first in LA to carry amy’s vegan mac and cheese, and now they have the brand new tofurky pizzas with daiya cheese! GO GET SOME NOW. they are really good. read my old review if you wanna know more of my thoughts on these pizzas.

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  • March 22nd, 2010quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali

    i’m a fan of the hot food at locali, so i was super excited when i heard they were adding two new vegan breakfast sandwiches to their menu.

    after trying them, i can tell you both of the sandwiches have a few things going for them: they taste pretty good, they are under 5 bucks, and they are served all day long.

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  • March 9th, 2010quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali

    it’s no secret that i love sandwiches, so i was super stoked when i heard that locali was adding two new ones to their already impressive menu. of course i had to get over there asap and try these suckers out. have a look.

    first off, i got locali’s take on the vegan club sandwich…

    locali's #1 vegan fan club: tofurky, tempeh bacon, avocado, arugula, vegan aioli, and mustard on sourdough. $10.95

    the #1 fan club as they call it, comes piled high with tofurky (be sure to tell them you don’t want real meat), tempeh bacon, and argula…all finished off with a good smear of vegan aioli and mustard. this is not your standard club, because it isn’t a double-decker…it’s more of a typical sandwich with ingredients between two slices of bread. what makes this sandwich extra special though, is the large helping of leafy arugula. i am usually not a fan of greens on a sandwich (i’m known to take lettuce off and discard it), but soft and fresh arugula is always amazing. plus, whatever they use for tempeh bacon is really top notch. this truly is a high-quality artisan sandwich, and locali does not skimp on the ingredients. my only complaint is, it’s probably a couple dollars too expensive. nearly 11 bucks for a sandwich with no side seems pretty steep to me—other than that though, it’s perfect.

    next up, i tried locali’s vegan take on the traditional ham and cheese…

    vegan happy hammy sammy: vegan ham, cheddar daiya, and dijon mustard on sourdough. $7.45

    this came with delicious melted daiya cheddar and thick strips of soy ham all grilled up in a warm panini. locali definitely did a great job with this, but whenever i buy any kind of grilled cheese type thing, i always feel as though it’s something i could have made with my sandwich press at home. still though, it was super tasty and if you are a ham and cheese type of person, you should definitely give this a try. when ordering, just be sure to specify you want this made vegan because they also make a version with real cheese.

    so there you have it, new vegan sandwiches at locali! check them out—the club especially, i really think was excellent. and while we are on the subject of locali sandwiches, don’t forget to try their incredible reuben or pick up a taste of life breakfast sandwich from the deli case while you are there.

    locali
    5825 Franklin Avenue
    Los Angeles, CA 90028-5609
    (323) 466-1360

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  • February 11th, 2010quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali

    i have never tasted a frozen dinner that brought me back to my pre-vegan days as much as today when i tried amy’s vegan rice macaroni and cheeze. this stuff is brand new, it’s made with daiya cheese, and it tastes so much like the stouffer’s i remember eating as a kid.

    right now, the only place i’ve been able to find amy’s new vegan mac and cheeze is at locali. i’ve checked several different whole foods locations including weho, 3rd/fairfax, and beverly hills…all no dice. so head on over to locali ASAP and buy some of this before it’s all gone. if you miss the taste of quick & easy childhood mac and cheese, this will really hit the spot. just be sure to read the labels on the back and look for the phrase “(VEGAN)” located right next to the printed word “INGREDIENTS.” they also namedrop “DAIYA” in the ingredients section, if that’s helpful. i’m not trying to talk to you like you are a 5 year old, but seriously, amy’s stuff can be confusing. they sneak honey and casein into products like none other.

    oh, and one more little coup to add: this new amy’s mac and cheese is also gluten free and soy free….so pretty much anyone on earth can eat it! go get some and lemme know what you think. ALSO, please lemme know if you see this at any other stores other stores; let’s get the word out!

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  • December 2nd, 2009quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali

    vegan reuben at locali

    you are probably aware that there’s a war going on in los angeles right now; an epic battle of vegan reubens. people go nuts over these sandwiches and there’s a constant search to find out which one is THE BEST. so far on this site, we’ve gone over the offerings from flore, cafe flourish, follow your heart and cafe muse, but now i think i‘ve finally found my favorite of them all…the vegan reuben from locali.

    locali’s vegan reuben is tasty for so many reasons, i don’t even know where to start. two thick slices of soft and delicious swirly rye bread are stuffed with daiya cheese, creamy russian dressing, sauerkraut, and mounds of thinly-sliced faux meat. before serving, locali toasts the sandwich so it’s all warm and melty when you eat it…OMFG so good!

    vegan reuben: marinated deli slices topped with daiya cheese, sauerkraut & smothered with homemade vegan russian dressing. $9.75

    vegan reuben: marinated deli slices topped with daiya cheese, sauerkraut & smothered with homemade vegan russian dressing. $9.75

    i love this reuben because it’s filled with pink deli slices that do a really great job at emulating corned beef. this is the kind of vegan sandwich i would feed to an omnivore to really knock their socks off. locali doesn’t skimp on the ingredients either—they use daiya, which is the best vegan cheese you can get in LA, and also an ample amount of dressing so the sandwich isn’t dry at all. they put so much faux meat and cheese in this thing, i was completely stuffed after eating just half of it. just be sure to specify that you want your reuben made vegan, because i think the default one is vegetarian.

    vegan reuben at locali

    sorry other reubens, as of now this one is my favorite.

    locali
    5825 Franklin Avenue
    Los Angeles, CA 90028-5609
    (323) 466-1360

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  • When you eat food that was prepared by somebody else, you’re entering into an unwritten contract of trust that is centuries old. On a base level, you’re trusting that the food preparer took all the necessary steps to ensure that what you’re about to eat was made with ingredients that are wholesome (not contaminated, past a use-by date etc.) and prepared in an environment that’s clean and sanitary. For us vegans, especially when dining in an omnivorous establishment, we’re also trusting that our food is animal free – something we take very seriously.

    The ultimate slap in the face, though, is to be served food under the guise of it being vegan, only to find out that it not only contains animal products but was prepared on equipment so dirty that it’s a clear health hazard and contravenes a number of health codes. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Dee’s Bakery and Donuts: the non-vegan donuts cooked in a filthy deep-fat fryer.

    Let’s first examine the non-vegan nature of the ingredients. We understand, from two eye-witnesses that the sprinkles for the donuts contain “Confectioner’s Glaze”, or Shellac, which is made from the secretion of the lac insect (the manufacturing process involves keeping thousands of insects under warm lamps so that they secrete like crazy until they die from heat exhaustion after only a few hours). The resulting secretion turns into a hard, shell-like compound when cooled (hence the name Shellac – Shell from the Lac insect) and is the coating on the sprinkles of Dee’s Donuts. Nice, huh?

    Now, there are plenty of non-shellac sprinkles available – however, they are more expensive than the regular kind and more difficult to obtain. Still, not impossible and by no means prohibitively expensive as a simple search on the Web will confirm.

    the donut machine that makes dee's donuts

    the donut machine that makes dee's donuts (also note the layer of dust next to the oil underneath. YUCK)

    Now, what about the dirty preparation conditions? You probably know that donuts have to be deep fried – this is what gives them an utterly decadent flavor, as the combination of sugar and oil wrapped up in a crispy surface tastes just great! You probably don’t want to know, though, the details of how to maintain and care for a professional deep fat frying machine, and apparently neither does the person who makes Dee’s Donuts.

    In a restaurant I frequent regularly, along the main corridor between the dining area and the restroom, is one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen: the deep fat fryer used by Dee’s Donuts. To be honest, I thought that it was a piece of scrap kitchen equipment that was discarded and ready to be taken away as junk and even joked as much with the person who owns the kitchen. Apparently, Dee’s Donuts rent the restaurant kitchen early in the morning to make the donuts, and then leave the fryer for 20 hours, in a main corridor completely uncovered.

    Kitchen health rules (and common sense) state that fryers must be covered when not being used, as cold oil is very sticky and attracts flies, hair, insects, dander and fluff. Every fryer I’ve ever seen has a cover that’s put in place when the kitchen closes, and then removed when the oil is heated up for the next shift. Sadly, Dee’s Bakery and Donuts don’t think us vegans are worth protecting and leave a dirty fryer open for many, many hours so it can absorb god knows what crap before being used again for the next batch of donuts. I took a close look at the surface of the oil with a flashlight, and could see plenty of hair fibers and what appeared to be a small black fly that had obviously flown to the fryer, attracted by the smell only to meet a sticky death before being cooked into a donut that some unsuspecting person would eat the next day.

    donut-maker

    This harks back to a comment one LA vegan made some time ago that there was “a hair” stuck in the coating of his donut. No fucking wonder! And, I’m absolutely serious about all this — the photographic evidence proves it, as well as several eye witness accounts of the fryer’s neglect.

    These days, it’s cool to be a vegan baker — seems like everybody is doing it (Dee’s Donuts were even featured on the Ellen DeGeneres show). An avalanche of decadent vegan products is a welcome addition to our diets (in moderation, of course!) and really helps dispel the myth that we vegans live on cabbage and tofu. However, it’s one thing to be too cool for school and create something vegan, and another to be responsible enough to ensure that you keep your side of the unwritten contract of common decency.

    I’d urge Dee’s Bakery and Donuts customers (Intelligentsia, Locali, Café Muse, Café De Leche and others) to stop carrying the products immediately and pull anything unsold out of the desert case and put it into the trash where it belongs. If you’re in one of those establishments and you see Dee’s Donuts baked goods for sale tell them about the hair and fly-filled fryer and insect secretions.

    I’ve eaten several Dee’s Donuts over the past few months, and even given them to vegan friends. After seeing that fryer and reading about shellac I really feel like I want to puke. Dee’s Bakery and Donuts: you really let us all down. Thanks for sidling up to the vegan community of LA (this blog included) for a bunch of free publicity and a lot of love and hope from us, in return to feed us insect secretions, flies and hairs. Thank you very fucking much.

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  • February 27th, 2009quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali

    UPDATE!!! PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT UPDATE ABOUT DEE’S DONUTS BEFORE EATING THEM.

    locali conscious convenience has been a favorite of ours over here at quarrygirl.com, ever since they opened in january. i’ve been hitting them up weekly for their soy feta, lunch specials, and vegan frozen goods for over a month. it wasn’t until tonight though, that they had their “grand opening” shindig, serving up tons of free vegan-friendly samples and welcoming the community to find out what a kick-ass place locali is.

    locali grand opening!

    locali grand opening!

    tons of our favorite local faces were there, handing out awesome food for the community to sample. the total rundown and more pictures after the jump….

    Read the rest of this entry »

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  • January 25th, 2009quarrygirlLA restaurants, locali

    the newest addition to los angeles’ rapidly growing vegan scene, locali conscious convenience, is a one stop shop on franklin avenue for all your animal-free needs. the small store puts an emphasis on health-conscious and eco-friendly items, and sells loads of vegan ready-to-eat meals, faux meats, and frozen products. locali’s selection is also awesome because it consists of really unique and organic products from several local and sustainable suppliers…stuff you won’t always get at, say, whole foods. seriously, this place is too good to be true, and exactly what this city needed.

    locali-yours

    on thursday, locali opened with a soft-launch and started selling all their vegan goodies along with fresh bakery items and hearty soups. by next week, they will be launching a full deli with sandwiches and salads, some of which will hopefully be vegan.

    here are just a few of the things that caught my eye at locali today, stuff you can’t find anywhere else (that i’m aware of) in los angeles.

    taste of life ready-to-eat meals. that’s right, our favorite vegan soul food restaurant has tons of little items packaged up on the shelf at locali. i’ve seen their stuff before at other health food stores, but locali definitely has the best selection. there was even a taste of life hoagie on sale that looked delicious. vegan hoagies?!?! what will taste of life think of next? i can’t even keep track of their menu…!

    sheese vegan cheese. you may remember sheese from our vegan pizza challenge…it’s a very hard to find vegan cheese that comes all the way from scotland. i’ve never seen it for sale in los angeles, and locali offers it in several different flavors.

    tons of goods from the sensitive baker, la’s only gluten-free bakery. locali carries a large assortment of bagels, breads and muffins at the counter…plus vegan pizzas, bread sticks and cookie dough in the freezer for you to take home and bake yourself.

    vegan condoms. yes, for all you party people, vegan condoms. i didn’t get any, so you will have to try them out and let me know how they hold up. here’s a pic i snapped with my iphone…it may be a little blurry because i was giggling too much to steady it.

    do it for the animals.

    do it for the animals.

    those are just a few of the really special things locali has to offer. they also your typical items like tofurky, soy bleu feta, and  tons of other ready-to-eat meals from local vegan restaurants (including some mouth-watering ethiopian wraps from rahel’s). it’s quite incredible.

    in addition to being all around awesome and having enough vegan products to make me want to eat there all day, locali has some the sweetest, friendliest staff around. the minute we walked in, they greeted us with a complimentary re-usable bag and thanked us for visiting. the dude behind the counter was able to answer all our questions about vegan products, and even offered us samples and a free bagel. and the cool thing is, they had no idea i was going to blog about them or anything, they were just plain nice for no reason. they really care about customer satisfaction and make you feel welcome in their wonderful little store.

    so that’s it, locali conscious convenience is definitely worth a visit if you are a vegan who cares about the environment. it’s a great addition to our little vegan community here in los angeles, and i think they’re doing a super job. i wish them much success—in a world of 711’s and circle k’s, locali is a breath of fresh, clean, unpolluted air.

    locali conscious convenience
    5825 franklin avenue
    los angeles ca 90028
    323-466-1360

    open 7 days a week
    7am – 11pm

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