of all the food trucks roaming the streets of los angeles, mandoline grill is the best one i’ve tried. their menu is extra vegan-friendly, and their crisp french bread and marinated tofu make for the perfect banh mi.

the truck does lunch stints all over LA, and one of their semi-regular stops is right next to the PETA office in silverlake. when they were there yesterday, they had both a new vegan menu item and some exciting news about about an event at the verdugo TODAY.

royale aka @peta

i stopped by to say hello, and although i didn’t eat anything that mandoline grill was serving up…peta’s very own twitterer and veganista extraordinaire, royale, was happy to give me a report on the food.

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when we announced we were going raw for the week, we turned to stephen hauptfuhr and his food business mooi, to help us get by. we were already huge mooi fans—the organic/vegan/raw catering company won us over long ago with their delicious ice cream and homemade cheeses, and we have been anxiously awaiting the opening of their restaurant. however, we’d never tried their entrees until just a few days ago, and only now do i realize how much we were missing out! everything was incredible, and the best news is that it’s all available to buy pre-packaged at naturewell in silverlake!

check out our massive haul…

ginger garlic stir fry with sweet 'n sour pineapple skewers: carrot, cabbage, broccoli, celery, and bok choy.

our first mooi dish was a raw vegan stir fry, which consisted of carrot, cabbage, broccoli, celery and bok choi in an extremely tasty garlic ginger sauce. it came topped with a generous amount of pineapple skewers, which added the perfect sweetness to the vegetables. i don’t know how mooi does it, but this honestly evoked all the flavors and nuances of an actual stir fry…without being cooked.

thai peanut noodles: kelp noodles with peanut sauce, broccoli and snow peas.

the next entree was by far my favorite of the four. a raw take on thai food, it consisted of kelp noodles in a rich peanut-style sauce with loads of fresh vegetables. it was so ridiculously good, i can’t possibly do it justice. the thick, creamy, and nutty beyond belief…and the soft noodles were fantastic. the normal dish comes with bell peppers, which i hate, so stephen was kind enough to leave them off for us. if you are into raw food, or just good food, you should seriously head to naturewell and pick some of these noodles up.

more after the jump…

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In 1796, the 1st Duke of Wellington set off from his native England to the Martha Empire, a Hindu state in what is now known as India. Sadly, his mission was not an honorable one as he was there to overpower the local resistance. Upon hearing, however, that the native Hindus held the cow as a sacred animal and therefore don’t eat beef, he asked for his food supplies to be wrapped carefully in dough such that they “could be easily transported and enjoyed in their entire splendour without offending the local indigenous”.

This ingenious combination of stealth, convenience and taste created the now-centuries-old tradition of his name-sake “Wellington”: A veritable cornucopia of foodstuffs wrapped tightly in crispy pastry giving way to a highly portable, easy to cook and VERY tasty meal.

Fast forward a couple of centuries to Southern California, circa 2010, and one of our favorite vegan restaurants, Native Foods, has a completely unique and interesting take on the Wellington: The Spring Wellington, a dish that I’m sure the 1st Duke would have reveled in while he was busy fighting wars and all.

Spring Wellington (serves 8): puff-pastry filled with fresh asparagus, garlic-roasted mashed potatoes, carrots, Native Seitan, caramelized shallots, green peas, organic kale and portabello mushrooms, served with a lemon tarragon hollandaise sauce. $39.95

Chef Tanya and her team have really excelled themselves this time around, creating an absolutely scrumptious dish that bakes in under an hour, feeds an army of eight people and has a list of ingredients that reads like a massive main course menu:

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bad news for the cows and chickens out there: muma vegetarian (aka the blatant maoz knockoff) has recently changed their name and their menu. now known as simply “muma restaurant,” the small eatery offers more than just innocent falafel balls…they also have a selection of dead animal dishes to choose from.

muma is not vegetarian

….WHAT THE FUCK?!?! i guess we were right when we said we smelled trouble ahead for this shady establishment. it’s one thing for a vegetarian place to scale down hours or raise prices…but to actually start flesh peddling to stay in business?! not cool.

oh, and to add insult to injury, muma seem to be pretty stoked about their choice.

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it’s hard enough to find any vegan-friendly mexican food, not to mention stuff that actually tastes good. so naturally when i heard that the popular cafe, cacao mexicatessen in eagle rock, had an entirely separate vegetarian menu…i was anxious to check it out.

what i found at cacao was some of the most distinctive and delicious cuisine i’ve had in a while.

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since chili addiction opened, they’ve been getting more and more vegan-friendly and have been experimenting with tons of new products. it started with the simple addition of daiya cheese and field roast sausage, then they went and created an entire vegan menu, and now they are testing out what i think is the most realistic fake meat ever, match.

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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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as the seasons change, so do the salads at m cafe.

curried tempeh salad at m cafe

i hit up the melrose location recently and noticed that with the turn of spring, the celery root salad and winter vegetables were gone.

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I HATE HOLIDAYS!!!! but boy do i LOVE holiday food…

peppermint patty and cream-filled cupcakes by vegan bake sale! (sadly the cupcakes got a little roughed up and smooshed in my car! :()

here in america, st. patrick’s day is pretty much a wasted occasion. you don’t get time off work, the bars are too crowded to enjoy, and pervs have the excuse to go around pinching people all day. even thought i enjoy a bit of fun and am quite a heavy drinker, i just can’t get into all the green beer, glittery shamrocks, and fake irish patriotism. what i CAN get into though, is st. patty’s day themed cupcakes by vegan bake sale.

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about a month ago, we wrote a post about the very awesome and vegan-friendly restaurant, chili addiction. well since then, they’ve expanded their animal-free offerings, and now even have a separate vegan menu!

Chili Mac: Choose ANY of our delicious chili varieties as a topping on a bowl of elbow macaroni...a Midwest favorite. $8

last week, i hit up chili addiction with brittany from sick of lettuce to check out the new menu, and the food did not disappoint! since i’d already tried the vegan chili cheese sausage (which is amazing), we went with all new stuff and ordered the chili mac and chili addiction nachos. we got the chili mac (pictured above) with soyrizo hominy chili and daiya cheese, and it was absolutely incredible. i’ve never had chili on top of noodles before, but i can promise you it’s a great combo. the homemade chili was super hearty and flavorful; by far the best vegan chili i’ve had in LA.

Chili Addiction Nachos: Try our fabulous homemade corn tortilla chips (or potato chips) smothered with chili, VEGAN cheese, diced jalapenos, and sauteed onions! $6

we ordered the nachos with the three bean vegan chili, and they were even better than the mac! if you are a fan of vegan nachos, chili addiction is your place, because they make both the chips and chili from scratch. these babies came smothered with tons of chili, daiya vegan cheese, jalapenos and onions. plus, the restaurant has a toppings bar where you can add more onions, jalapenos, and fresh cilantro.

we also ordered a side of the sauerkraut, which was mind-blowingly tasty. like everything at chili addiction, this stuff was completely homemade and perfectly spiced. my only complaint is that i wanted more!

Vegan Sauerkraut from scratch. $1

so head on over to chili addiction as soon as you can and check out their new vegan menu. they’ve got chili dogs, nachos, and a whole slew of side dishes that you are sure to love.

chili addiction
408 N. La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 203-1793
lunch 12pm-3pm
dinner 5:30pm-9pm

today was a historic day here in los angeles, because for the first time ever, the meet market offered an all you can eat vegan benedict brunch buffet for just $10! i have been looking forward to this feast for weeks, and it really did exceed all my expectations.

so what’s in a bottomless benedict brunch?! start with a tray of mini toasts topped with tofu, tomato, and spinach…

…add to that a FUCKING VAT of VEGAN HOLLANDAISE SAUCE….

…plus some tofu bacon and breakfast potatoes…

…and there you have it, the perfect brunch!

as you know, i am usually a huge fan of any brunch at the meet market….but they really hit it out of the park with this one. i really hope they offer the all you can eat benedict buffet again. it was extraordinary. (plus an added bonus for me: today’s brunch was completely BELL PEPPER FREE!)

the meet market
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-667-0116

follow @florevegan on twitter for all your meet market updates!

heads up, vegan community! tomorrow march 14 is not just daylight saving time; but also when the meet market in silverlake will be offering an all you can eat VEGAN BENEDICT BRUNCH. this is huge.

the meet market is already known as the only vegan brunch buffet in town, and for tomorrow only they are adding a bottomless portion of sister restaurant flore’s amazing benedict to the mix.

the outcome will be epic, no doubt.

be there.
10am-3pm.
all you can fucking eat.
$10.

the meet market
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-667-0116

as you probably know, green truck is one of the original LA food trucks. years before all these other mobile vendors arrived on the scene, green truck was tweeting and serving up healthy, organic, and vegan-friendly fare to the los angeles community. the company has a strong focus on the environment, they use produce from local farmers and even power their vehicles with vegetable oil.

although the green truck has been around forever, i never had the chance to try them until yesterday. they are usually based way over on the west side, but on thursday afternoon they decided to do a special stint in silverlake near the peta office on rowena. the green truck typically serves both meat and vegan options—but yesterday, aiming to please, they went all out and created an entirely animal-free menu for the event. of course i had to check it out.

the peta menu was pretty awesome, featuring the truck’s standard vegan mother trucker burger, as well as a variety of wraps, plus soup, salad, and garlic fries. i hit up the truck with two of my friends, who both went for the mother trucker…

the mother trucker: signature vegan burger made in house and topped with heirloom tomato, sprouts or mixed greens, topped with trucker sauce. $7

i had a bite of this burger, and i must say i am a fan. the patty is thick and full of vegetables, and the beet-based sauce they put on it is excellent. next time i am gonna have to get a whole one of these to myself so i can describe it in full detail.

south central farm vegan wrap: sauteed kale, heirloom beets, quinoa, tempeh, heirloom tomato and tahini dressing wrapped in fresh pickled mustard greens. $7

wanting to take advantage of the special vegan menu, i ordered the south central farm wrap, which was made with freshly-picked, local, organic produce from a farm right here in los angeles. it consisted of a colorful variety of beets and tomatoes, fluffy quinoa, soft tempeh, and tahini, all wrapped up in mustard greens. i think it normally includes bell peppers (which i hate), but i made it pretty clear i didn’t want any of those. the wrap was great—light, delicious, and refreshing. my only complaint is it fell apart and got a little messy, but that’s no big deal. i covered this thing in the green truck’s homemade hot sauce, which made it even better!

so don’t be like me and wait years to try the green truck. track it down next time it’s in your area and order the mother trucker. and if you ever hear about them being in silverlake near peta again, BE SURE TO GO! let’s support these guys for going 100% vegan, even if it’s only for one day.

be sure to follow the green truck on twitter and check out their website for more info.

if there’s one good thing about santa clarita, it’s tomato joe’s. even with the billions of restaurants in los angeles and our very own vegan pizzeria, we don’t have anything like the thick-crusted, beer-flavored pies that come out of the scv. yes, yes, i know i have written about this before…but some food is just so damn delicious, i gotta remind you of it over and over.

tomato joe’s is located in valencia and has a surprising amount of vegan offerings. in fact, they are probably the most vegan-friendly, yet traditional pizzeria i’ve ever been to. they’ve got vegan cheese, vegan meats, and several vegan sauces available—plus, the veganocity of all items is clearly indicated on the menu.

tomato joe's pizza with beer crust, vegan pepperoni, mushrooms, roasted garlic, and vegan cheese.

whenever i go to tomato joe’s, i go for one thing, the beer batter crust. the thick fluffy bread is pure magic, and is made with hefeweizen brewed right next door at the wolf creek brewery. this crust is only available in an extra large size, but that’s the only size i’d ever dream of getting at tomato joe’s anyways. the more leftovers, the better!

on our recent pie, we got the beer crust loaded up with mushrooms, vegan pepperoni, roasted garlic, vegan mozzarella, and traditional sauce. as with everything i’ve tried from tomato joe’s, it was delicious. what’s most shocking to me, is that tomato joe’s still uses follow your heart cheese, and i actually like it! they some how defy chemistry and get this stuff not only to melt, but actually taste decent. it is CRAZY. all the other toppings are top notch as well, from the fresh vegetables to the rich sauces and faux meats. we didn’t get them on this pizza, but i also highly recommend you try the vegan olive oil sauce and the field roast sausage.

sally's secret garden (vegan): extra virgin olive oil, vegan mozzarella, fresh basil, white mushrooms, red onion, green pepper, roasted garlic.

my omnivorous parents live near tomato joe’s, so we always pick up a pizza for them when we are there. pictured above is the sally’s secret garden pizza, made vegan (yay!) with follow your heart cheese on a thin crust. of course i wouldn’t go near this thing because it was covered in bell peppers (which i hate), but my family really enjoyed it. they are big fans of the the crispy crust that tomato joe’s offers, and while i agree that it’s good, i don’t think it even comes close to the thick one flavored with beer.

except for a few tables scattered outside, there is nowhere to actually sit and eat at tomato joe’s—it’s much more of a take-out and delivery place. but even if you don’t have family to go visit in the scv, it really is worth the drive just to eat this amazing pizza. so go get some and bring it back to LA, if it can survive the car trip without being devoured. seriously, this stuff is that good. get the beer crust.

tomato joe’s
27732 McBean Pkwy
Valencia, CA 91354
(661) 263-8646

hey everyone, just want to let you know about an exciting offer going on at cowboys and turbans in silverlake and how you can get some FREE VEGAN FOOD. from now until march 15th, if you order a vegan entree between 11am and 5pm and mention quarrygirl, you also get a complimentary vegan taco with your meal! hell yeah, this deal is only available vegan, which is another reason why i love it.

vegan burrito at cowboys and turbans

if you haven’t been to cowboys and turbans, this is a great chance to check them out. we are big fans of their indian and mexican inspired street cuisine, their huge portions, and their low prices. check out our previous reviews of them here and here.

as far as what’s vegan on the menu, you are gonna have a lot to choose from. two types of tofu naanwiches (just be sure to get the whole wheat naan), tofu tikka masalas, tandoori burritos (my personal favorite), samosas, fries, and more.

and i speak from experience when i say that the tandoori tofu taco you’ll receive with your entree is pure delicious. it comes with huge chunks of cubed tofu, two types of chutney, vegetables and crispy pea strips. just be warned, at first glance the crispy pea strips look like cheese. don’t worry though, they are vegan!

so head on over to cowboys and turbans between now and the 15th for some great grub and a free taco! here are the deats all spelled out:

when: march 10th -15th, between 11am and 5pm
where: cowboys and turbans (silverlake location only)
how: order any vegan entree and get a free vegan taco when you mention quarrygirl

see you there!

cowboys and turbans
2815 Sunset Blvd.
213.483.7778
HOURS OF OPERATION
Everyday: 11AM – 10PM