i recently spent some time in fort myers, fl, visiting my parents. fort myers has pretty limited vegan options and i’d been to them all over the years. i was checkin’ around on my happycow app i found out about cool hand luc’s, a new ice cream shop/cafe that serves (GASP) vegan ice cream! i HAD to have it!

i strolled on up to the ice cream case and one thing i noticed right off the bat – anything that HAS dairy is marked as having dairy. anything that is vegan is just labeled with the flavor. lovesssitttt. i got peanut butter, naturally. lemme tell you this: it was fucking delicious. super creamy and peanut-buttery. i’m even going to go so far as to say it’s better than local LA heroes, scoops. cool hand luc’s, why are you so far away from me?!

my mom was hungry and decide to get the “burn after eating” – a pita stuffed with buffalo tempeh and vegan ranch.

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hey vegan youngsters, today is hug a vegetarian day! what’s that mean? it means that peta2 is gonna wrangle you guys up in silverlake for some vegan sausages by the frankenstand, cupcakes by clara’s cakes, plus free stickers and hugs to go around.

we love the frankenstand!

the event will take place from 4-6pm. come hungry, because the frankenstand and clara’s cakes are 2 of the best vendors in town. for more info: check out the official facebook invite!

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

great news, folks! our favorite mashed potato peddlers on the planet, bangers and smashed, have come out with a new flavor: lemon artichoke basil!

lemon artichoke and basil smashed

we tried it and absolutely loved it, even more than the previously blogged about moroccan spices squash flavor. the marriage of tangy and creamy is a beautiful one, and bangers and smashed has it nailed. you have a chance to try the new flavor paired with italian pepper field roast this sunday at eagle rock brewery between noon and 6pm. i know you’ll probably already be in the area that day for our vegan @ verdugo III event, so why not make a day of it and hit up both.

this flavor rules, so be sure to check it out. follow bangers and smashed on twitter to keep track of their whereabouts.

sandwiches!! we love them, i mean, who doesn’t?! today we’re bringing you our top ten list of vegan sandwiches from around town, in no particular order. enjoy. oh and just to be clear, these are only sandwiches that are actually available right now or regularly at restaurants or food trucks.

the vegan reuben at locali. our favorite reuben in town, and something you need to try before you die…

the vegan reuben: marinated tofu deli slices topped with melted vegan cheese and sauerkraut & smothered with delicious homemade vegan russian dressing! $10.50 full/$5.50 half

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remember that vegan philly cheesesteak special at m cafe that i blogged about recently? well, the restaurant has decided to make it a “fall special,” which means right now it’s available all the time! i took the sandwich for a spin on friday (minus the bell peppers, because i hate them), and it was all kinds of amazing.

philly cheesesteak: thinly-sliced seitan, peppers, mushrooms, and onions then smothered melted “cheese sauce”. $9.95

good god, this is the best philly cheesesteak i’ve ever eaten…

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vegan taco tuesday is coming to highland park this week! join us for a night of drinking booze and eating jackfruit carnitas from our favorite soon-to-be vegan drive thru restaurant, plant food for people, at johnny’s bar on york blvd.

we absolutely love the plant food for people tacos, and they aren’t available very often, so be sure to check them out on tuesday if you have a chance.

here’s the official flyer:

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next sunday is the first sunday of the month, and you know what that means: time for another vegan at verdugo patio session! october’s event will feature two of our favorite food trucks, fresh fries and mandoline grill, and they’ll be serving a mashup of 100% vegan specialties to be paired with the verdugo bar’s fine tap list. come join us for an afternoon of great grub and craft beer..plus board games, friendly company, and good music.

check out the facebook event here. let’s make sure the monthly vegan at verdugo events are well attended, so they keep happening! see ya there.

vegan @ verdugo iii
sunday october 2nd
3-8pm, 21+
3408 Verdugo Road
Glassell Park, CA, 90065
323.257.3408

COR BLIMEY! it’s about time! vegan drinks are finally coming to london. sure, here in LA it’s a regular occurrence—but this is london’s official “vegan drinks” gathering! epic news, if you ask me. let’s support the UK’s capital in getting pissed whilst celebrating the vegan lifestyle.

the food boat at tibits...it will be even better with vegan humans and vegan booze!

the inaugural london vegan drinks will be held on thursday september 29th from 6:30-9:30pm, at tibits in the west end. more info after the jump…

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a seagull with one leg on alcatraz!

this post is like a joke with a crappy punch line. there’s no food at all (vegan or otherwise) on alcatraz island, and the stuff that’s available on the ferry is nothing to write home about. that being said, i’m sure some that someday a starving tourist who has skipped a meal will wind up in the long ass line to get a boat to the island, and search for vegan alcatraz options on their smart phone. it’s that person who this post is written for…because that’s EXACTLY what i went through a couple of months ago.

i booked my alcatraz tickets way in advance (you have to—tours fill up quickly), i mapped out the appropriate public transport, and i allowed for enough time to eat breakfast at a nearby vegan-friendly restaurant. however, the bus was late and my plans were foiled. i boarded the alcatraz ferry hungry as fuck and was beyond relieved to see an old vegan standby staring me in the face.

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as you probably know, the opening hours of madeleine bistro (what i consider to be the finest vegan restaurant on earth), have been pretty irregular. over the past year, they’ve shut down their weekday operation, gone on hiatus, switched around their weekend schedule, and everything in between. thankfully for us, it now appears as though they’ve settled into a normal routine of being open on saturday and sunday evenings for dinner, as well as brunch time on sunday from 10am – 3pm.

we checked them out for brunch last sunday at around 11am, and had a meal of epic proportions. i am constantly amazed by the insane food this restaurant is able to create—it’s truly next level vegan stuff like i’ve never tasted. the first thing i noticed when i opened the menu was the addition of a tempeh reuben. being obsessed with the sandwich (you may remember the reuben wars of ’09!), of course i had to order it.

tempeh reuben with choice of side. $12

phenomenal. madeleine bistro’s reuben is much more dainty and delicate than the giant reubens full of fake meat that i’m used to, and even more delicious. thin pieces of tempeh topped with homemade cheese, sauerkraut, and thousand island, served between two slices of grilled bread. it came with a choice of side, and i opted for the potato salad…

the best potato salad ever

hands down, best potato salad i’ve ever eaten. it consisted of red potatoes, chives, and celery in a light creamy sauce. my only complaint is that i wanted more.

chocolate covered donut. $2

i finished it all off with some vegan creme brulee (pictured at the top–OMG!) and a chocolate covered donut, another new (to me) addition to the menu. i have been a fan of madeleine bistro’s normal sugar coated donuts for years (they even made our bucket list!), and i think i liked this one even more. the cake was hot, fresh, and surprisingly light…while the chocolate was rich and melty.

we grabbed some photos of other madeleine dishes (all stuff we’ve blogged about before), but check them out anyway…

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this week our favorite sandwich shop in town, mendocino farms, has a vegan club on special and it looks scrumptious!

Traditional Vegan Club: House Marinated Organic Vegan Tempeh Bacon with Smashed Avocado, Vegenaise, Pickled Red Onions, Tomatoes, Mixed Greens on Buckwheat. $9.25

we’re already in love with the soyrizo wrap and vegan shawarma at mendo, so we can’t wait to check the club out. let’s see how it stacks up against the current champion of the club club. go give this sandwich a try at any of the mendocino locations and let us know what you think!

PS: someone left a comment on an earlier post calling into question the veganocity of mendocino farms’ bread. i got the official word from the restaurant, and here’s a list of their vegan and non-vegan breads:

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listen up! tonight you have the chance to eat tasty food and help animals at the same time, as the veggie grill is hosting fundraisers at two separate locations.

mention the ASPCA tonight when you dine at the farmers market veggie grill, and kitt crusaders when you eat at the sunset restaurant. when mentioned, each location will receive 50% of your bill in donations.

more info after the jump…

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hey dudes! time for a field report on vegan chinese food from a somewhat local spot, wok n roll in long beach. what?!?! how have i not eaten here? i go to LBC all the time, and this place wasn’t even on my radar until joel wrote to me about it. anyways, here’s what he said:

Wok n Roll is easily my favorite spot in Long Beach, the city is a little lacking as I know you are aware. This place does something special; it’s a little vegan chinese fast food gem. Granted this place isn’t entirely vegan, they have a whole vegan-friendly vegetarian menu including ‘meat’ fried rice or chow mein, a couple of sandwiches, soups, and seriously THE BEST vegan chicken nuggets i’ve tried thus far.

vegan chicken nuggets $6.69

As for the main options, they pretty much can make you anything off their regular menu but vegan of course…

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hey everyone! time for another northern california post from our field reporter, righteous fist! you may remember his last soul food find in eureka, and today he’s bloggin’ breakfast foods from arcata. enjoy!

On our way out of Eureka we made a stop for breakfast at Wildflower Cafe in Arcata. They serve eggs and dairy there but also have a good number of vegan choices. Since having so many options to choose from was a rare occurrence on this road trip, I opted for both a savory AND sweet dish.

Scrambled Tofu - Locally made tofu, sauteed with ginger, garlic, onions, and a wonderful blend of herbs and spices. Served with homefries. $8

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