well, well, well. of all the food events i’ve ever posted about on the blog, this one is definitely the most interesting! on thursday august 18th (that’s tomorrow!), chef joshua ploeg is cooking up a black banquet vegan feast for $25 per person.

what exactly is a black banquet? joshua explained it to me via email…

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it looks like i’m a little bit late to the game on this one, but apparently there’s a weekend pop up event going down at the shuttered fatty’s in eagle rock for the rest of the month! “charlie puffer at fatty’s” takes place on friday, saturday, and sunday evenings through august and features fancy cuisine and wine pairings by chef jonathan harootunian.

photo credit: charlie puffer’s posterous

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as any curry-loving vegan will tell you, naan we can eat is very hard to come by. while many indian dishes are animal-free by default, the traditional flatbread is usually off limits due to its egg and butter content. well vegans in LA need look no further for the naan of their dreams—i found it yesterday at mrs. winston’s green grocery on ocean park, of all places!

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hey everyone! i’m very pleased and honored to report that today we have a guest post from one of my favorite bloggers, fat gay vegan. he usually writes about places in london where he lives, but today he has taken time from his relaxing spanish vacation to send us a review of a vegetarian restaurant in barcelona. my mouth is watering…enjoy!

If you are ever fortunate enough to find yourself in the breathtaking city of Barcelona, you certainly will not go hungry. This world-class destination is packed solid with vegan dining and shopping options. There are at least two vegan grocery stores as well as a vegan deli, numerous restaurants, falafel merchants, juice stands, organic grocers and even Indian cuisine suitable for cruelty-free diners. I have taken leave from my own blog to wander across to talk to you about that last category… Indian food.

Veg World India is situated in the historical inner-city neighbourhood of Gràcia that once stood alone from Barcelona as a separate village. This district is cluttered with bars, coffee shops, cinemas and boutiques. It delicately treads that fine line between local tradition and chic progress perfectly. Veg World India slots effortlessly into this bustling bohemia and offers a satisfying food experience.

A sign outside reading “90% Vegan” was a lovely welcome on my visit and the knowledgable servers went out of their way to ensure all my vegan concerns were met. The starter plate for two was modified to remove paneer and we were informed our choices would be cooked in separate oil.

Everything on the plate was fabulous with special mention going to the outstanding onion bhajis.

My main meal was a stunning combination of lemon rice, cauliflower/potato curry as well as a spinach/tofu curry. A basket of naan bread was supplied with the meal and refilled as quickly as I could empty it.

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hungry vegans, your voices have been heard! last week we blogged that larkin’s in eagle rock had recently discontinued their bangin’ vegan menu, and obviously you weren’t too happy about that.

vegan chix pot pie: soy and rice based sauce with peas, onions, garlic, potatoes, and soy chicken with vegan biscuit. $10

we urged you guys to let larkin’s know how you felt, and now just one week later they’re feeling the pressure and re-introducing vegan options. starting with brittany’s favorite, the infamous pot pie…

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you just gotta love native foods! as if that restaurant isn’t already awesome enough, they’re always keeping it interesting with new and appetizing specials. this weekend, to celebrate their newly opened restaurant in the windy city, they’re giving californians a taste of the chicago dip au jus.

thinly sliced native peppered seitan piled high on a freshly baked baguette smothered with homemade "giardinera extrordinaire," au jus, and native fries. $9.95

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since mohawk bend opened up in echo park about a week and a half ago, we’ve spent several evenings there. whether it has been quick drinks and a snack at the bar, or a full on meal in the gorgeous ramona room, each visit to the restaurant has been very enjoyable.

mohawk is still riding high on the hype surrounding its much anticipated opening, so by 7pm there can often be an hour and a half wait for a table! my advice is to arrive early at around 5pm, and they should have no problem seating you. here are some pictures of the food we’ve been digging at mohawk over the past week…

herbed flatbread with spicy white beans. $6

the herbed flatbread is remarkable. i tried this on my first visit to mohawk at their press event, and have ordered it a couple times since. the bread is made in house and served with your choice of spreads—most of which are vegan. you can get bread and 1 spread for 6 bucks, or 3 spreads for $12. my favorite is the spicy white bean spread, it’s chunky and packed with tangy lemon flavor.

vegan fun guy: roast mushrooms, shallots, herbs, vegan cheese, truffle salt. $14

mohawk also has a large selection of vegan-friendly thin crust pizzas made with californian 00 flour and organic tomato sauce…

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well this is definitely good news for vegans in los angeles! according to eater LA, babycakes is expanding to a second local storefront later this year in larchmont village!

the vegan nyc-based bakery opened its first LA outlet in 2010, and we’re stoked to see that they’re growing…

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there’s an old 80’s pop song that says heaven is a place on earth—and if that’s the truth, then it must be referring to portland. the city is a sylvan paradise with more vegan restaurants than i could eat at in a lifetime, and a brewery on almost every corner.

the food options are so plentiful, they can actually be a bit overwhelming…so trust me on this one: all vegans visiting portland must eat at homegrown smoker.

the small vegan soul food cart in the university district keeps limited lunch hours, but it’s worth planning your trip around. the menu is massive (click here to peep it) with all kinds of crazy creations like a mac and cheese burrito, chili cheese fries, and smoked “loafaroni”.

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this is so exciting! one of my favorite products of all time, food for lovers vegan queso, is now available at whole foods.

i am used to driving across town for this stuff or ordering it in bulk online, so imagine how happy i was to see it at my the weho whole foods for just $4.99 per jar.

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as you may already know, doomie’s home cookin’ (one of the greatest vegetarian restaurants in los angeles), suffered a fire a couple months ago and had to temporarily shut down. thankfully the repairs are officially done, and now they just need to tidy the place up a bit so they can open.

doomie’s is holding a cleaning party today at their hollywood restaurant from 1-8pm. please come help out for as long as you like, any time within those hours. they’ll have snacks on hand, as well a visit by the frankenstand at 3 o’clock.

here’s the official info…

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san francisco seems to be the city of awesome sandwiches. they’ve got fried tofu banh mis at dinosaurs, fake meaty masterpieces at ike’s place, and now i’ve fallen in love with the wheat meat cheesesteaks at jay’s.

mushroom style seitan cheesesteak with vegan mayo, mustard, lettuce and tomato. $8.45

although jay’s cheesesteak isn’t a vegetarian restaurant by any means, they do their vegan sandwiches right with over 10 seitan styles to choose from and a vegenaise option so we don’t have to skip the mayo altogether.

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this is such exciting news! los angeles has been in desperate need of a fancy vegan restaurant, and it looks like we’re finally getting one! this month chef eric lechasseur (the same dude who brought us seed kitchen in venice) is set to open seed bistro on wilshire.

from the looks of the press release, this new restaurant is going to be amazing.

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this is definitely cause for celebration! cheezly, our favorite vegan cheese ever, is now available in the states. it comes to us all the way from the UK, and it’s bloody amazing.

in december 2010 cheezly lost its stateside distribution, but somehow vegan essentials has managed to bring it back!

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i have a new favorite meat replacement, and it’s called schmicken! not only is it super fun to say out loud, but schmicken is delicious and healthy as well.

homemade in small batches by vegan mario’s in santa barbara, schmicken is a breaded wheat meat cutlet made from sprouted red lentils, yellow peas, wheat gluten, almonds and spices. you can buy schmicken online in packs of 3 and have it shipped to you anywhere in the united states.

it freezes well and comes with lots of great serving suggestions…

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