hey los angeles vegans, this just in! saturday through monday, flore cafe (3206 w. sunset blvd) will be hosting 3 vegan all-you-can-eat events! they are each $10 per person, what a deal. i highly suggest you get over there and fill up your plate like 80,000 times. here are the menus:

Read the rest of this entry »

walking into the 101 coffee shop in hollywood is like sticking one foot back in time. the throwback diner filled with modern-day hipsters is modeled to look just like the coffee shops of the 1960s—complete with retro booths, a stone wall, and a long counter lined with bar stools that stretches through the restaurant.

as stated on their website, “The menu at 101 Coffee Shop features retro diner fare with a Southern California twist.”…which of course means they have a few vegan options! while there isn’t a huge selection for us vegans, the diner does offer a very popular animal-free breakfast item called “no huevos” rancheros.

"no huevos" rancheros: tofu, black beans, corn, soyrizo, ranchero sauce and guacamole. $7.95

i hit up 101 recently with fellow vegan blogger brittany, from sickoflettuce.com…and although it was well into lunchtime, we both opted for the coffee shop’s signature vegan breakfast dish. as you can probably tell by the name, the “no huevos” rancheros is an eggless take on huevos rancheros…and comes complete with scrambled tofu, vegan sausage, black beans, corn and ortega chilies atop tortillas, all smothered in ranchero sauce and topped with a dollop of guacamole. i think this dish incredible because it’s chunky, sloppy, spicy, and savory—everything i love all at once.

the ranchero sauce is bursting with rich tomato flavor, the tofu is well-seasoned, and the soyrizo is perfectly greasy. mix it all up with the chilies to give it some heat, then cool it down with the guacamole, and you have vegan breakfast bliss at any time of day. brittany and i both loved it, and although 101 has a couple other vegan dishes, i don’t think i could ever see myself straying from the “no huevos” rancheros.

whether you live in los angeles, or are just visiting, i would classify a meal at the 101 coffee shop as a “must”. don’t go just for the food, but for the classic diner vibe and the retro interior. the staff and clientele are all ridiculously cool and beautiful, and the 60’s design is spot on. you’ll feel like you’re eating in a time-warp or a quentin tarantino movie…same thing, i suppose. and how great is it that a place like this ALSO caters to vegans?!

go there, and get the “no huevos” rancheros. eat them for breakfast, lunch, or as a late night post bar snack…whenever you have them, they won’t disappoint.

101 coffee shop
6145 franklin avenue
hollywood, ca 90028
323-467-1175

open daily 7am-3am

what: all you can eat vegan brunch for only $10
when: every sunday from 10am-3pm (starting this sunday!)
where: flore cafe in silverlake!

the sunday vegan brunch is BACK

hey y’all, i got some good news! cancel your plans this sunday and make a date with flore cafe’s all-you-can-eat $10 vegan brunch!

that’s right, our favorite breakfast deal in town is back. ever since it first started, we have been massive fans of flore cafe’s vegan buffet brunch on sundays from 10am-3pm. we were super disappointed when they canned it due to lack of customers, and now we are super excited that they’ve decided to bring it back.

as we mentioned last week, flore cafe has been struggling…and this is yet another reason to go support them. they have decided to start up the all-you-can eat vegan brunch again every sunday for just $10, for as long as they can.

if you haven’t heard…the bottomless tofu scramble, unlimited french toast, endless vegan sausage and refillable coffee at this brunch are all top notch. the best breakfast in town, by far.

SEE YOU SUNDAY. GET THERE, OR SUCK AT LIFE. and don’t wait around, they may run outta food!

flore cafe
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso…not to be confused with Flore at Sunset Junction)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 667-0116
open daily 10am-5pm

Every so often in the LA vegan scene I run into somebody that says “You know, I wish I’d eaten at The Vegan Spot before it closed down”. Well, Los Angeles vegans, its successor restaurant Flore Cafe (sister restaurant to the amazing Flore) is in need of our attention once again.

Most LA vegans would put the esteemed Silverlake restaurant Flore in their top five vegan dining options in the city. An innovative menu, all-organic ingredients and incredible attention to detail in both the preparation and presentation of the food really sets it apart from places like Cafe Flourish (fast dining, limited menu). If only parking was easier in Silverlake, we’d probably visit Flore a whole lot more than we do.

Well, rising from the ashes of The Vegan Spot (my favorite ever LA vegan restaurant) just half a mile or so away from Flore is Flore Cafe. While owned by the same people as Flore, the Cafe is not entirely vegan (having eggs and milk products on the menu), but it serves many similar menu items as its sister restaurant a few blocks south – all organic, all very well thought out and all absolutely wonderfully prepared.

On a recent visit to Flore Cafe, we decided to order the Avocado and Seitan Salad and Tempeh Tu-no Melt – boy, we were not disappointed.

Avocado & Seitan Salad: Bed of mixed greens with sliced avocado, sprouts, grilled seitan, tomato and red onion. Served with choice of vinaigrette or tahini dressing. $9.95

The salad was crispy and fresh, perfectly prepared and the seitan was some of the best I’ve ever had (I don’t know how Flore make their seitan, but I wish I could make it the way they do!). In addition to the amazing seitan, all the ingredients in the salad were top notch. At first, nearly $10 seemed like a lot to pay for a salad…but when this bowl arrived overflowing with wheat meat and fresh produce, $10 seemed like a bargain. The tahini dressing was deliciously creamy as well, I couldn’t fault anything about this dish.

Tempeh Tu-no Melt: Tempeh salad, daikon sprouts and cashew cheese layered on organic seeded six grain bread grilled to warm, soulful perfection. Served with a mixed green salad. $8.95

The Tempeh Tu-no Melt was also truly outstanding – a well filled toasted sandwich with a sizable side of equally crispy salad. The melt was stuffed with a creamy and chunky tempeh salad mixture, with just the right amount of crunch. It tasted amazing all mixed up with Flore’s flavorful cashew cheese and the slightly sour daikon sprouts. Like the seitan salad, this melt was enormous. Each half was packed with a ton of tempeh; we ended up taking half of it home for a later meal.

Flore Cafe has a great menu, with tons of options, considering how small the place is. Whether you are in the mood for a full on breakfast, a hearty burger, a toasted sandwich or a burrito…Flore Cafe is your place. Here are just a few of the other things we’ve eaten there. If you are a reader of this blog, you’ve probably seen these pix before:

Smokey Seitan & Portobello Burger: served with red onion, lettuce, tomato, vegenaise and a side salad. $9.95

Flore Cafe offers 4 types of veggie burgers. I highly recommend the seitan and portobello burger—a large patty made of wheat meat and mushrooms all topped off with loads of vegetables.

Tofu Scramble: Tofu, tomato, basil, mushroom, red onion & spinach. $6.95

The tofu scramble at Flore Cafe is one of the best breakfast dishes in Los Angeles, and just about the only vegan one I can think for under $7. It comes with mounds of chunky tofu mixed with spinach and mushrooms, as well as a generous helping of tomato and avocado. Goes great with hot sauce.

Breakfast Burrito: Tofu scramble, cashew cheese, potatoes, avocado and pico de gallo ina whole wheat tortilla. Served with a side of fruit. $6.95

The breakfast burrito is also a good deal at $6.95—lots of perfectly cooked tofu, potatoes and avocado rolled up tight in an oversized tortilla.

I know we have given them flack before on this blog for serving eggs and dairy, but I’d strongly recommend visiting Flore Cafe both in the near future and on a regular basis. Like so many tiny businesses these days the economy isn’t on its side so all the help we can give Flore Cafe to remain on our list as a superb restaurant with a bunch of vegan options will, I’m sure, be much appreciated.

Let’s not lose the entire menu from Flore Cafe due to closure or reassignment of the lease to an omnivorous establishment. We’ve already seen Vegan Spot go away, as well as Flore Cafe cease offering LA’s best ever vegan breakfast deal: the “all you can eat” sunday breakfast brunch. Go pay Flore Cafe a visit… today!

Flore Cafe
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso…not to be confused with Flore at Sunset Junction)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 667-0116

open daily 10am-5pm

vegan tofu scramble + craftsman 1903 lager

a gastropub in los angeles with 25 impressive beers on tap and a delicious vegan option? yep, it’s true. if you wanna get your drink (craftsman-style in my case) and enjoy a two-course vegan brunch, look no further than boho in hollywood.

boho has been open for less than a year, but their beer selection has already made them one of my favorite bars in town. other than blue palms and the verdugo, i can’t think of anywhere with such a great beer selection. plus unlike the two joints i just mentioned, boho has awesome hours and decent parking (they are in the same complex as the archlight theatre, and they validate!).

the rotating beer list that always boasts several international selections would keep me going back time and time again…but as an added bonus, boho also has a vegan option on their sunday brunch menu. while their one vegan item is merely a tofu scramble, it’s a damn good one…and even better when you consider the fact you can eat it while sipping on imported beer for a reasonable price in the heart of hollywood.

Read the rest of this entry »

a taste of life soul food combo

okay, so there’s three events going on this weekend that you should be aware of. choose wisely.

1.) vegan soul food bbq
get your weekend started right with a back-to-school vegan bbq in inglewood sponsored by a taste of life. food will be served from 10am to 3pm, plus there will be live music, kids’ activities, speakers and more. if you don’t have plans today, this would be a good bet. a taste of life serves up the best soul food i’ve ever had, and some of the best vegan food in all of los angeles. for info on this event, check out their flyer or PETA’s website.

2.) rockin’ vegan breakfast
the first thing up tomorrow is a vegan breakfast concert at downtown venue the smell. the headline act is ted leo and the pharmacists, supported by davila 666 and moses campbell. the menu consists of vegan pancakes, tofu tacos, and coffee. show starts at 11:30am, it’s 8 bucks, and it’s all ages. for more info check out the announcement on losanjealous.com.

3.) vegan vietnamese and beer
if you wake up a bit later on sunday mornings, or if you are still feeling hungry after your large helping of rock and vegan pancakes…head on over to the verdugo bar for board games, beer, and (vegan-friendly) bbq. while it may not prove to be the epic 100% animal-free feast that was the hot knives gnosh pit a few weeks ago, the up and coming soon-to-be vietnamese food truck mandoline grill will be serving vegan friendly offerings including cha gio (spring rolls) and lemongrass tofu banh mi.

although the event isn’t entirely vegan, the verdugo is just about our favorite bar in town, so the fact they are offering a patio session with stuff i can eat is enough to get me down there. plus, i spoke with the person in charge at mandoline grill and they knew their stuff: no bone-char sugar in the ingredients, separate utensils, and fancy egg-replacer to boot. vegans, go check out the scene if you have a chance.

vegan food at verdugo bar this sunday

have a great weekend. let me know if you hear of any more vegan events going down. and if you go to either of the shindigs i blogged about here, let me know if you had fun.

now i can’t really say that i’m an expert on portland cuisine or anything, having spent less than four days of my life in the city, but i can tell you that the vegan breakfast at vita cafe was one of the best breakfasts i’ve ever had, in any city.

sloppy biscuit sandwich: fried tofu, faux turkey, vegan cheese and gravy between a vegan biscuit served with potatoes. $8

before my visit, i read a rave review of vita’s vegan biscuits and gravy on ToLiveAndEatInLA.com, so i went in with pretty high hopes. i decided to go all out fatty-style and get the sloppy biscuit sandwich complete with fried tofu, mock turkey and vegan cheese all smothered in vita’s almond gravy with a side of breakfast potatoes. this meal was so damn delicious, it exceeded my expectations and definitely lived up to the hype.

from the description on the menu, i was expecting the biscuit sandwich to be a like a hearty mcmuffin with some gravy on the side. what i got instead was a huge mound of fluffy open-face biscuits topped with a massive slice of fried tofu, loads of mock meat and melty vegan cheese. all this was drenched in the thickest, richest, most delicious gravy i’ve ever tasted. it was waaaaay too much food for me to eat, but by the end of the meal i was straight up licking the gravy off my plate.

everything about this breakfast was perfect—the biscuits were soft and doughy, the fried tofu was crispy and not too greasy, the mock meat and cheese were salty and delicious, and the almond gravy was out of this world. garnished with chopped green onions and accompanied by a large side of excellent home fried potatoes, this is the best breakfast i’ve ever eaten. ever. EVER. and i have eaten A LOT of breakfasts.

my husband went with the lighter, but equally delicious vita scramble. it came with chunky tofu, stir-fried vegetables and leafy spinach with a side of breakfast potatoes and biscuits. as far as tofu scrambles goes, this is one of the best i’ve ever tried. the vegetables were fresh, the tofu was well-seasoned, and it was packed with tasty garlic flavor. a+!

vita scramble: tofu, veggies, red onion, garlic and spinach. $8

so overall, vita cafe was one of the best meals and definitely the best breakfast we had in portland. the serving sizes are huge, the food is top notch, and the almond gravy is probably the tastiest thing ever to hit my belly. there are millions of appetizing options on the menu, and almost all of them can be made vegan, so i just can’t wait to go back. in fact, when ordering, i asked the waiter if my dish could be made vegan, and he assured me that there was even a “veganize” button on their computer that would tell the kitchen to replace all the non-vegan ingredients. how awesome is that?!

oh and one more bonus, like almost every place in portland, vita cafe has good beer ON TAP. i am definitely hitting them up for dinner and boozin’ next time i’m in town.

when in portland, vita cafe is a MUST VISIT place for vegans. i just wish they’d open up a location in los angeles.

vita cafe
3023 NE Alberta
Portland Oregon
503-335-8233

on my recent trip to PDX, i used food fight grocery’s vegan guide to portland to help find my way around town. on their list of places to hit up was laurelthirst public house. they even went as far as to call it,

“Portland’s best breakfast, or so we think right now… The vegan breakfast burrito with their homemade sausage and salsa, can’t be beat. Not even with the stick that is stuck up your uptight vegan butt.”

naturally i had to check this place out.

vegan breakfast burrito: tofu, veggie beans, veggie sausage, avocado and red or green salsa served with home fries. $7

we hit up laurelthirst on the last day of our trip, and as promised, their breakfast didn’t disappoint. while it wasn’t the best breakfast i had in portland, and laurelthirst only had a few a vegan options, what they did have was pretty damn good. i got the breakfast burrito, pictured above, which came with a large serving of home fried potatoes. inside the burrito was a hearty amount of tofu, whole beans, vegan sausage and super spicy salsa. it was all topped off with several cool slices of avocado, which added a perfect creamy texture. overall the burrito had a pretty smoky taste, and was packed with tons of heat. if you are a fan of breakfast burritos, this is definitely one to try.

veggie hash: home fries topped with grilled vegetables and tofu. $6.50

my husband got the veggie hash with added tofu, which we confirmed was vegan. the overflowing plate came stacked with home fries, grilled vegetables such as broccoli, carrots & cauliflower, as well as thick chunks of scrambled tofu. a very simple breakfast, but super filling and tasty at a reasonable price.

inside, laurelthirst is a comfortable traditional pub with a long bar, several beers on tap, and ample seating. unfortunately, we were there too early to drink. it’s sad because i don’t think i’ve ever been in such a nice pub and not enjoyed a beer or two. oh well, there’s always next time.

laurelthirst is just one more reason i can say portland is the best town i’ve ever visited. here we have a good pub, one that would make most LA bars ashamed of themselves, that just happens to offer up a damn good vegan breakfast with homemade veggie sausage and everything. i’m really looking forward to my next visit to pdx. if any of you guys have ideas about what the best vegan breakfast is up there, let me know.

LaurelThirst
2958 NE Glisan St
Portland, OR 97232-3271
(503) 232-1504

my first introduction to portland was a good one. after waking up at 3 in the morning to catch a 6 o’clock flight from los angeles (i know, crazy right?) we arrived in oregon frazzled well before 9am. but it was nothing a good breakfast and some strong coffee couldn’t cure, so we headed to one of the few places we knew opened early—paradox cafe.

vegan fiesta burrito: a blend of seasoned vegetables, tofu, house chili wrapped in a wheat tortilla topped with salsa and green onions. served with seasoned red potatoes. $8.95

paradox cafe is a cozy little laid back diner with free wi-fi, bottomless cups of coffee, and organic food cooked to order. their breakfast menu was filled with plenty of appetizing vegan options, and after much debate we finally settled on the vegan fiesta burrito and the vegan paradox benedict.

the fiesta burrito was massive for under 9 bucks and came with a boat load of nicely seasoned breakfast potatoes. paradox certainly didn’t skimp on the vegetables either, this thing was filled with broccoli, cabbage, carrots, and others of the like. the tofu chunks were thick and soft, all mixed up with vegan chili and whole beans. the breakfast potatoes were also top notch; big slightly salty chunks that were great slathered in hot sauce and salsa.

now, whenever i go out to breakfast and see a vegan benedict on the menu, i pretty much have to order it. we have some damn good benedicts here in los angeles, so i was anxious to see how paradox’s would hold up.

vegan PaRaDoX benedict: sourdough bread with veggie sausage, tofu topped with fresh tomato and bon bon's tree hugger hollandaise sauce served with seasoned red potatoes. $9.50

the paradox benedict definitely didn’t disappoint. the heaping plate came with a large soft slice of sourdough bread covered in vegan sausage, tofu chunks, vegetables and a creamy hollandaise sauce. i was expecting the sauce to be more yellow, like traditional hollandaise, but this stuff was more like a brownish breakfast gravy. either way, it was phenomenal and i couldn’t get enough of it. the benedict came with the same excellent breakfast potatoes as the fiesta burrito, which were even better mixed up with sauce and bits of green onion.

in addition to amazing vegan breakfast served all day, paradox cafe also has a quite charming atmosphere. the funky old/new decor and breakfast bar with stools remind me slightly of the RR from twin peaks. if i lived in portland, i could see myself camping out at paradox for hours with a laptop, taking advantage of the free wifi and refillable coffee.

so when in portland, hit up paradox for a great breakfast. they also have vegan lunch and dinner offerings if that’s your thing, but i highly recommend the benedict.

paradox cafe
3439 SE Belmont
Portland, OR 97214
503-232-7508 / 503.232.5525
Monday – Saturday 8 am – 9 pm
Sunday 8 am – 3 pm

P.S. this place also has the best fucking hot sauce ever. it’s this stuff called secret aardvark that we saw all over portland. damn, i wish i could get this stuff in LA. i will always remember the fist time i tasted it at paradox. it was magical.

secret aardvark hot sauce

some things in life are just so fucking good, they are worth driving some extra miles for. stuff i eat in inglewood is definitely one of those things. the all vegan restaurant located amongst a tidy row of shops on north market street focuses on fresh, healthy food with an abundance of colors and flavors.

Lava Burrito: Organic Black beans,seasoned tofu, wild rice, savory sauce, fresh salsa, guacamole and mixed greens and smothered with sauteed mushrooms and broccoli. $13.00

stuff i eat is a small dimly lit cafe with plush furniture and loads of ambiance, the downside of which means my photos are a little dark and don’t even come close to portraying how beautiful this food was in person. but like the photos don’t do the food’s appearance justice, my descriptions won’t be able to describe how off the chart good it tasted. this was some of the best food i’ve ever had. and i’m not just saying that.

after an incredible dining experience several months ago, my husband and i returned to stuff i eat for the first time over the weekend. i don’t know why we left it so long to go back, because man, the food was just even better than the first time. we went at around noon and shared both a breakfast and a lunch entree.

for our lunch meal, we split the lava burrito (pictured above), which is a savory mix of tofu, beans, salsa and guacamole all rolled up in a tortilla and completely covered in vegetables. i mean, just look at the photo up there! DO YOU EVEN SEE A BURRITO? nope, it’s buried way too deep beneath fresh salad leaves, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes and corn. not just that, but the whole thing came accompanied with a homemade side of carrot-mango dressing which was absolutely divine. i mean, come on, i live in southern california—i know a good burrito when i taste it. and this was one of the best vegan burritos i’ve ever had. and it wasn’t just about all the fresh vegetables; the highlight of the dish was definitely the orange creamy sauce it was slathered with. super rich, super thick, but at the same time….not gut-bomb inducing. gah, i am getting hungry just thinking about this thing!

Breakfast Plate: Organic yellow polenta, cottage organic fried potatoes, tofu scrambler, tofu sausage, organic mixed salad and toast. $12.00

we also split the breakfast plate—a massive platter of fried potatoes, tofu scramble, tofu sausage, salad, toast and polenta grits. every single bite of this dish was exceptional, bursting with the kind of flavor that requires hours of preparation. from the soft yet crispy toast, to leafy greens, to the two different style of tofu…everything was ace. not to mention the onion-infused breakfast potatoes! just oily enough, but not overly greasy. perfection!

Read the rest of this entry »

i’ve heard people refer to portland, oregon as the “vegan paradise”, “vegan heaven”, or “vegan mecca”. being a los angeles native, i was expecting my first trip to pdx not to live up to all the hype—after all, down here it seems like there’s a new vegan restaurant popping up everyday. boy oh boy was i wrong. at the risk of pissing off some angelenos, i’m gonna say that portland was every bit as vegan-rad as people said it was. there were more vegan restaurants than i could ever eat at, vegan options at all the omnivorous restaurants, and most uniquely, vegan-friendly food carts littered throughout the city. i understand that it’s kind of a “thing” to eat at food carts in portland, they are everywhere and a huge part of the culture. unfortunately, i only had one food cart experience. fortunately, it was at flavour spot.

vegan sausage and maple waffle

flavour spot wasn’t my first choice for dining when i was in portland, as it was quite a trek from my downtown hotel and has been known to have long lines. however when some parking restriction bullshit required that we move our car before 8am on a weekday, flavourspot, which opens bright and early at 6:30, appeared to be the only breakfast option available to us. it also came highly recommended from trusted bloggers foodeater and melisser, so we decided to give it a try.

i ordered what every vegan is supposed to order on their first visit to flavourspot: the vegan maple sausage waffle. let’s just say like my expectations for vegan portland were exceeded, my expectations for this sausage waffle were fucking owned. i loved it. the big, pillow-y, soft waffle was filled up with juicy vegan sausage, all slathered in an insanely sticky and creamy maple sauce. vegan-insanity. oh, and this thing was only like 4 bucks.

the flavor flavour combo on the maple/sausage/waffle was unreal. i have never had such a divine savory-sweet experience. i am so glad that flavourspot broke my portland food cart cherry…and i hope to be back again someday.

all that being said, we showed up when there was no line, and our wait was still kind of long. plus, we had to drive about 15-20 minutes to get there. keep that in mind. as far as i’m concerned though, it was worth it.

you can find the flavourspot i went to on north lombard, in a video rental store parking lot…but there is a second location as well that’s open less hours.

original flavourspot:
2310 N Lombard St
Portland, OR 97217
(503) 289-9866
Mon-Fri. 6:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

2nd flavourspot:
NE Fremont St & N Mississippi Ave
Portland, OR 97255
Mon-Fri. 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

flavourspot in portland, oregon

one more thing: pdx fucking rules.

i wish i lived here

hugo’s restaurant is a great little los angeles eatery that caters to both herbivores and omnivores alike. they have 2 locations, one in studio city and one in west hollywood. their menu is extremely vegan-friendly, with so many options i could never possibly try them all. plus they have a cool little easy-to-read legend on the menu that lets you know which stuff is safe to eat. ▼means the item is vegan, while (▼) means the item can be made vegan. simple. how rad would it be if everywhere gave us this much support?!

vegan breakfast burrito with scrambled tofu, vegan cheese, and breakfast potatoes. $11

my most recent meal at hugo’s was a veganized breakfast burrito stuffed tight with tofu, vegan cheese and tomatoes with a heaping side of breakfast potatoes. i was kinda nervous about the vegan cheese, after finding that so many restaurants may lie and mislabel their cheese. fortunately when the waiter brought out the burrito, i instantly recognized the unmelted mass covering my entree.

that’s right, i confirmed it was follow your heart brand vegan gourmet. even with daiya and teese available, it seems that most restaurants resort to this boring stuff. ok, so it doesn’t melt and it’s not very good….but at least it’s vegan and it’s better than no cheese. i actually quite enjoyed it on the hugo’s breakfast burrito.

inside the burrito, was some extremely tasty tofu with a texture that can’t be beat. thick firm slabs, but still kind of scrambly…if that makes any sense. i loved it. even with the unmelty follow your heart cheese, this breakfast was on point!

my only qualm with this meal is that it was a little pricey. $11 for a breakfast burrito and some potatoes is pretty steep…but what the hell, this is a trendy location in weho and the food was damn delicious.

vegans, go to hugo’s. and if you have to stoop so low as to hang out with omnivores (yugghghghghhghggh!), this would be a great place to take them. just be sure to avoid the french fries. i hear they aren’t vegan. just be sure to grill your waiter about all the extras when you order a vegan-optional dish.

it seems like every time i go to hugo’s, it’s for breakfast. i need to hit them up for lunch or dinner soon because the menus look amazing. to be continued….

hugo’s restaurant
8401 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 654-3993

UPDATE 4/25/2011: DON’T EAT AT SWINGER’S. they put lard in “vegan” items.

i know in los angeles we have loads of vegan-friendly restaurants, but sometimes it can still be really hard to find a vegan meal. for instance, after a late night at 2am or early in the morning at 7am…it’s sad, but none of the favorite spots are gonna be open at those hours. rest assured to know when other restaurants are closed, you can always turn to swingers—the all american diner has plenty of vegan options, is open 21.5 hours daily, and has 2 locations (one in santa monica and one near weho). they also serve booze and offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day long.

recently my husband and i found ourselves stranded and hungry at 6:45am, and luckily swingers on beverly came to the rescue.

vegan soyrizo scramble: organic tofu scrambled with soyrizo, served with black beans, salsa, and your choice of tortilla. $7.95

i’m a big fan of the breakfasts at swingers, and they have loads vegan-friendly choices that are clearly marked on the menu. from tofu rancheros, to vegan nachos, to a vegan breakfast burrito there are more than enough options. on our most recent visit, i went with the veganized soyrizo scramble, with organic tofu rather than eggs.

i must say that this scramble was exceptional. they mixed the fake meat and tofu all together thoroughly and the fried it on the bottom so it had a really “scrambled eggy” texture, but with none of the gross egg taste. the plate came with a mound of black beans, fresh chunky salsa, and a huge fluffy flour tortilla…damn good value for under $8.

despite the fact that it was earlier than 7am, my husband wasn’t in the mood for breakfast, so he went with the swingers salad. on it’s own the salad is pretty simple, but for an extra $2.50, you can add some damn fine sauteed tofu. i wouldn’t call this salad amazing or anything, but it’s good, it’s vegan, and it’s available to eat at 6:30am.

swingers salad with tofu: organic mixed baby greens, tomatoes and carrots with choice of dressing and sauteed tofu. $9

so there you have it. when other places aren’t open and you are craving some vegan grub, swingers will always save the day. sometimes the service can be hit or miss, but i’ve always left with a belly full of decent food.

swingers
8020 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 653-5858
6:30 a.m. – 4:00 a.m.

if you live in los angeles, you probably know that beverly hills is a part of town where it’s hard to find vegan food. however the newsroom cafe on robertson is an extremely vegan-friendly eatery that’s often overlooked. they’ve a huge menu of healthy-style options, a full juice bar, hearty breakfasts, baked goods, desserts….even beer, wine and fresh-fruit-filled cocktails.

i used to frequent the newsroom often a couple years ago, though i always found it a bit trendy and over-crowded with ‘celebrity’ clientele and health-nut yuppie types. fortunately and unfortunately, the place was smacked with a C rating from the health department a year ago, and business has slowed down a bit. while at first i was horrified about the low grade, i later found it was due to meat refrigeration temperatures and i talked myself into thinking, “fuckit, i’ll still eat there. serves those carnivores right! meat’s murder after all.” so now after a long break, i have finally returned to the newsroom, which is much emptier than i remember it, but the food is still bloody spectacular.

Monja's Tofu Scramble (no cheese): tofu scrambled with spinach, bits of broken vegan sausage and caramelized oninos with ciabatta toast. $11.25

today with my husband, i visited the newsroom after a very long break and i went with something i’d never ordered before—monja’s tofu scramble with no cheese. when my food arrived, the huge plate was loaded up with well-seasoned scramble, thick soy sausage bits, sauteed spinach, caramelized onions, and more crispy breakfast potatoes than i could ever eat. albeit a tad expensive, this dish was a serious food score…i highly recommend monja’s. plus, as a side it came with two ginormous slices of ciabatta bread that were so crispy i could barely eat them…in a good way. although it was a seemingly boring tofu scramble, monja’s managed to be a completely unique and refreshing take on vegan breakfast. here here.

my husband stuck with the good ‘ole spicy tofu cancun, which i’ve blogged about before, but was every bit as excellent this time around.

spicy tofu cancun: spicy tofu scrambled with salsa chipotle, baked corn tortilla rajas, tomatillo salsa and salsa quemada w/whole wheat tortilla. $10.50

i used to eat the tofu cancun at the newsroom at least twice a week back in the day, and when i tried it this morning, it tasted better than ever. something about the steaming chunks of seasoned tofu all mixed in with softly cooked tortilla chips, then slathered in hot sauce…where can you go wrong? definitely give this thing a whirl; i’d say it’s up there with the best breakfasts in los angeles.

so at the end of the day: i know i have condemned the newsroom for having a low health score before, but i cannot lie…their food is brilliant. go load up on a huge vegan breakfast with fresh juice and a few animal-free sides next time you get the chance. it will cost you, but it’s definitely worth it. and if you are looking for a cheaper alternative, hit up the sister-location interim cafe in santa monica…the menu is almost the same, except even more vegan friendly and less expensive.

oh also, let’s take a moment to look at the silver lining. the newsroom used to be filled to the brim with total d-bags. now that they have had health department dramz, the place is mellow and much more enjoyable. since the issues were eventually about the meat storing systems, i think i can look at the dramz as their loss and my gain. let’s go enjoy the newsroom before it gets full of yuppie cuntz again.

newsroom cafe
120 N Robertson Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048

up north in san francisco and berkely, there’s an entirely vegan restaurant with three locations called herbivore. one glance at their menu makes herbivore look like heaven—they’ve got tons of brunch selections, a 2 page lunch and dinner menu with several types of cuisine, loads of desserts, and even tap beer. it would seriously take me months of eating there regularly to try everything, and it all sounds delicious.

i have been to herbivore and blogged about it a couple times in the past for both breakfast and lunch, and thoroughly enjoyed both of my meals. however, every single person i know who lives in SF thinks herbivore sucks balls. the word on the street, according to friends of mine who live up there, is that the only decent things at herbivore are the shwarma and the brunch items. the pad thai is supposedly noodles with a load of peanut butter dumped on them, and the fake meats are store-bought packages from white wave. so i took her advice on my recent visit and stuck to the brunch.

sausage biscuit: with house potatoes, mushroom gravy and avocado-tomato salad. $8.25

i ordered the sausage biscuit, which tasted amazingly like the “sausage rolls” from london i fell in love with at beetroot. the flaky pastry was filled with chunky soy meat…i wish i could find more stuff like this at los angeles vegan restaurants. the breakfast potatoes were just superb as well—slightly burnt and a tad oily with tasty seasoning. my only complaint about this dish is that the sausage biscuit was a bit small (especially for 8 bucks), and it came with a salad which is a bit odd at breakfast-time. whateves, i was overall pretty happy with it.

mudslide ice cream from maggie mudd. $4.75

since i didn’t make it to maggie mudd on my trip, i decided to grab a scoop of their ice cream which is sold at herbivore. it was a bit of a ripoff at $4.75 (i come from the land of huge portions of scoops for 2 bucks), but i gotta say it was damn good. the mudslide flavor was super chunky and the ice cream was really thick and dense. i can’t wait until the day i can visit maggie mudd and go wild with a slap up sundae. this ice cream deserves to be done right! still, i’ll take what i can get, and herbivore’s serving hit the spot.

so overall my experiences at herbivore have been pretty good, although i haven’t ordered any of the “sucky” menu items. i will continue to stick to the brunch offerings when i visit there, and of course the amazing shwarma, which rocks my world.