hey readers, this is a very special guest post from none other than vegankitten who spent the last couple days in las vegas! she was kind enough to email me some great blog posts, so here’s the first one! take it away…

If you’re ever stuck at the Mandalay Bay for a convention, I suggest checking out the Burger Bar. The Vegas Vegan Burger came highly recommended, so I didn’t spend much time looking at the other options, although I should have for the sake of this review. There appeared to be another veggie burger on the menu, but I doubt it was vegan. However, there is a “build your own burger” menu that looks pretty do-able. (List of potentially vegan options at the bottom)

When we arrived, there was a 45 minute wait. The good news is Lush was directly across the walkway from Burger Bar and they were having a big sale. I did some shopping while we waited for our pager to buzz.

I went with an omnivore who has eaten her first two faux meat meals in the past two days and claimed to be “craving real meat” on our walk to the Burger Bar. Once were were seated and she browsed the menu, she ordered the Vegas Vegan, too. I would say that speaks volumes! Here’s the description per the menu:

Slow roasted eggplant, marinated and grilled roma tomato, grilled zucchinis, sauteed peppers. All sandwiched between two portobello mushroom caps.

The burger is served with skinny fries, but I requested mine with sweet potato fries. My eating companion kept the skinny fries and added a side salad. The burger arrived sliced in half, each half held together with a toothpick. This was necessity, as the veggies were slippery and smothered in juices. The second you removed the toothpicks, the whole thing fell apart. This was fine, because it was a delicious mess! The portobello mushroom caps were massive, fresh, firm and full of flavor. The veggies inside were cooked to perfection. The side of sweet potato fries was very generous and they were a perfect compliment to the burger. One of the most exciting parts was that I was not charged for substituting the sweet potato fries. It was $12.00 for this delicious lunch and, in Las Vegas, that’s a smokin’ deal!

The only thing which I found kind of odd was the garnish – but I often find garnish strange. Included on the plate was all the “fixin’s” for a burger – onion, lettuce, tomato and pickles. Not exactly appropriate for the type of burger we ordered.

Last but CERTAINLY not least, they have a pretty massive beer selection that takes up two pages of the menu. They have over 100 bottles of beers and about 25 on tap. I had a Pipeline Porter draft from Kona Brewing Company. Thank you Barnivore for letting me know if is vegan, too!

So the bottom line is this: Burger Bar is a fun place with good food and lots of tasty beer. I will definitely go here again!

Burger Bar
Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino
3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89119-1005
(702) 632-9364
Open Mon-Thu 10:30am-11pm; Fri 10:30am-2am; Sat 10am-2am; Sun 10am-11pm

Build your own Burger menu after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

this post was supposed to be a rave review about la victoire suprême du cœur, the oldest of very few vegan restaurants in paris, where i ate lunch recently on my 25th birthday.

La Victoire Suprême du Cœur

unfortunately, i found out that not long after my meal there, la victoire closed down and a new omnivorous restaurant called le pas-sage obligé opened up in its place. the good news is, although the new restaurant serves meat (ugh!), they do still have some of the old vegan options on the menu (woo!), including the veggie burger we ordered.

just for the sake of it, here’s what our meal looked like:

we started with a few baskets of fresh bread and a half carafe of red wine, because you just gotta in paris. all that romantic BS about bread tasting better in france is absolutely true, this was the best bread i’d ever eaten…which was only topped by a baguette i ate later that day.

Degustation platter: Tapenades, mushroom terrine, pakora, seitan, vegetarian chicken, sautéed potatoes, salad. €15,5

as a main course, i ordered the degustation platter, which was way too much food to eat, but i somehow managed. it came with several different tapenades including olive and sundried tomato, as well as crispy fried onion pakora, seitan, cubed vegan chicken, roasted potatoes and green salad. the pakora was some of the best stuff i’ve ever eaten in my life, and the seitan was also exceptional. i mean, just look at that beautiful plate.

Veggiburger of house seitan, sautéed potatoes, salad. €13,5

my husband ordered the house veggiburger, and of course i had to give it a try. the patty was perfect and juicy, and seemed to be made of the same excellent seitan that was on my plate. the potatoes and fresh salad were just great as well, and i am so glad that this dish is still on the menu at the new restaurant. if you ever find yourself in paris, this is a dish i would recommend.

while we were there, la victoire was also having a lunch buffet for €12,8 which looked absolutely amazing. there was a table filled with colorful salads, fresh breads, and various hot dishes. as i was leaving, i made a mental note to definitely try the vegan buffet next time. sadly, it looks like that won’t be happening.

since la victoire suprême du cœur has been around for over 14 years, and has been known as the best vegan restaurant in a city with so few meatless options, this news is extra depressing. i’m just super glad i got to spend my birthday at la victoire suprême du cœu before it closed its doors—it was one of the most lovely and memorable lunches of my life!

new restuarant info:
Le Pas-Sage Obligé
29, rue du Bourg-Tibourg, Paris 4th
Traditional Restaurant
with a large choice of vegetarian and vegan dishes

yep, i shit you not. you gotta get to the samosa house and try this thing.

vegan burger at the samosa house: veggie patty, indian spices, peanuts, tomatoes, onions, coriander. $3.99

i didn’t even know the samosa house had burgers—i’m usually too caught up in the cheap and delicious dinner combos to notice anything else. but last time i was there, i saw a paper sign hanging up at the counter advertising a veggie burger for just $3.99. i asked them if it was vegan, and sure enough it was!

i ordered one to go, and to be honest i didn’t expect it to be very good. i mean, who orders a veggie burger at an indian restaurant?! i am pleased to report though, that this thing was better than good—amazing even! i’ve never had such a tasty and uniquely spiced burger. the patty was thick and meaty, not full of vegetables and grains like some vegan ones are, and it was topped with chopped up roasted peanuts. add that to an indian sauce, some fresh vegetables and coriander leaves and you have pure delicious.

i will definitely, definitely be back to order this again. and i encourage you to try it out as well. if you like burgers and indian food, this is the perfect intersection.

samosa house
11510 W Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 398-6766

oh and BTW, this burger is only available at the old school samosa house (the one with a market attached to it). they don’t have the veggie burger at the new samosa house east.

about two months ago a veggie grill location opened up in west hollywood (dangerously close to my house), and since then i just can’t get enough of it! for those of you who have never been there…it’s kind of like an upscale fast food place with relatively low prices, that serves an all vegan menu of burgers and sandwiches. unlike your typical fast food place though, the portions at veggie grill are massive and appetizing, and the atmosphere is clean and relaxing.

the v-burger: marinated and grilled veggie-steak burger, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, chipotle ranch. comes with a side/ $8.95

veggie grill is the kind of place you’d want to take an omnivore who thinks vegan food is bland and boring. the menu is filled with meat facsimiles ranging from burgers and beef sandwiches to wings and chicken wraps. one of my favorite things to order is the v-burger (pictured above). it comes with a moist and succulent gardein patty (which is probably my favorite product gardein makes, yet it isn’t available in stores!), topped with fresh vegetables and chipotle ranch. it’s hearty and filling, yet not huge and disgusting. i feel satisfied and just right after eating it, not all sick and bloated. if you are a burger kind of person, be sure to try this one because i think it’s one of the best vegan burgers in town.

steamin' kale: tender kale with a ginger-miso dressing and roasted sesame seeds.

the v-burger comes with a side of slaw or chili, but for an extra charge you can upgrade to a side of sweet potato fries or kale (pictured above). while the sweet potato fries are great and come with a really tasty dipping sauce, i can never resist the leafy allure of the kale. veggie grill steams it so that it’s soft and wilty but with a slight crunch. the best thing about it though, is that it’s covered in a tangy miso dressing with sesame seeds that is so delicious i could drink it straight. oh, and over by the soda machine, veggie grill has an unmarked bottle of hot sauce. that also goes well on the kale, and that i could also drink straight.

bean me up chili: red and white beans, touch of soy cream, chopped green and red onion. $2.95

another item i seem to order every time i’m at veggie grill is the bean me up chili. this vegan chili doesn’t have any faux meat in it, it’s just two types of beans in a slightly spicy sauce, topped with vegan sour cream and onion and served with crispy bread. you can get a small serving that’s pretty filling for just under 3 bucks! score!

all-american stack: grilled veggie steak, thousand island dressing, pickles, lettuce, tomato, topped with crispy onion rings. comes with a side. $8.95

the all-american stack is the sandwich i hear people raving about the most from veggie grill, so this may be the one you’d want to recommend to a meat-eater. it comes with grilled strips of steak and fresh vegetables on a bun, all topped off with thick and crispy onion rings. this thing is pretty decadent and very filling, so eat it when you are super hungry.

chipotle bbq: shredded veggie-steak, marinated in tangy bbq sauce, with chopotle ranch, caramelized onion, lettuce tomato. served protein-style on kale. $8.50

for the carb-watchers out there (you crazy freaks), veggie grill will serve your burger or sandwich on kale rather than a bun at no extra charge. i don’t why you would ever want to do this, but my omnivorous co-worker ordered the meal above and absolutely loved it.

so if you haven’t been to veggie grill weho yet, i don’t know what the heck you are waiting for! they are conveniently located at sunset and crescent heights and they even validate parking. i love this restaurant for hearty, simple, vegan comfort food…and it’s a great place to bring people who think eating food w/o animals in it means deprivation.

veggie grill
8000 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 822-7575
7days 11am-11pm

PS: rumor is, veggie grill is gonna start carrying VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE soon too!!!!!!! omg can’t wait.

cafe flourish, an awesome little vegan restaurant in the miracle mile district of los angeles, has recently added some new stuff to their sandwiches menu. now in addition to their reuben (one of LA’s best), BLTA, and soy hot dogs, they also have a vegan burger and grilled cheese!

of course, i had to try both and these things did not disappoint.

flourish burger: our house-made southwest style veggie burger. slightly spicy, completely delicious! lettuce, tomato and a creamy "cheesy" sauce on a multi-grain bun. $9.75

first up, the flourish burger. it’s my belief that any restaurant worth its salt should offer a vegan burger. thankfully, now cafe flourish does… and it’s a damn good one. it’s thick and hearty, with a zesty homemade patty that’s packed with vegetables and covered in rich creamy vegan cheese. it’s pretty spicy and really flavorful, and with a side salad of your choice, it’s a good deal for under ten bucks.

next up is the cheese louise, cafe flourish’s take on a classic grilled cheese sandwich. this has been a special on flourish’s menu for awhile, but now it looks like it has earned a permanent spot.

cheese louise: our stuffed grilled cheese. incredibly melty and delicious daiya cheese, caramelized onions and guacamole on french white bread grilled to perfection. $9

this thing is stuffed with cheddar and italian daiya (the best vegan cheese ever), as well as caramelized onions and guacamole. i’ve never had guacamole in a grilled cheese sandwich, but wow, brilliant! the two flavors of daiya mixed with sweet onions and creamy avocado was definitely a winning combo. it comes with a side salad, and i got the quinoa which is incredible. i really loved this sandwich, but my only complaint is that $9 is a lot to pay for a grilled cheese. oh well.

so head over to cafe flourish and check out their new menu items ASAP. i love this restaurant more and more every time i go. yum time.

cafe flourish
5406 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 939-3932

this bar serves some of the best vegan food i've ever eaten.

Situated on a quiet street next to a coffee shop in Southeast Portland, Hungry Tiger Too looks at first glance like any other neighborhood bar. However, in addition to the usual bar accoutrements of beer, fries and TVs, Hungry Tiger Too has a HUGE vegan menu, serving an array of awesome animal-free bar food morning, noon and night.

On our recent trip to PDX we grabbed a seat at the bar, ordered a beer and started to scan the vegan section of the menu. As usual in Portland, though, we were torn between so many amazing menu items that we over-ordered, somewhat and ended up spending way more time there than we expected to. Anywhere else, this would have been a problem, but Hungry Tiger Too is just so wonderful that we were delighted to eat and drink the afternoon away within its hallowed walls.

vegan quesadilla with vegetables, soy cheese and pico de gallo. $8

First up was the vegan quesadilla appetizer: a super rendition of the popular Mexican-influenced dish. Liberal helpings of tomatoes, onions, spinach, cilantro and vegan cheese filled up our vegan bellies in no time, so we were forced to have another beer while waiting to order our main dish.

Well, one beer became two, then three after we played some pinball and goofed around in the photo booth. Next up were main courses, the Montecore Burger, and Home Made Biscuits and Gravy.

montecore burger: grilled onion & mushroom with jalapeno on a boca patty and garlic aioli. $8.75

Let’s get this out right now: The burgers on the menu are all based on the ubiquitous vegan Boca Burger, which at first had me thinking “WTF? I can make one of these at home!”. Well, I could (and I tried, see later) but it couldn’t be anywhere near this tasty. The Montecore was a fusion of zesty garlic, spicy jalapeno and an smooth sauteed mushroom/onion topping that was to die for.

Add in some fresh trimmings (tomato, lettuce and onions), and this was one hearty vegan burger. Throw in the included side of incredible vegan potato salad, and for only $8.75 you have one of the most delicious and best value meals I’ve ever eaten.

homemade biscuits and gravy: huge serving of home-style biscuits smothered in thick mushroom & veggie sausage gravy. $4.00

As we were already full after the quesadilla we ordered the Biscuits and Gravy as a kinda side for the burger (at only $4, how big could it possibly be?). Very big is the answer. Very tasty too.

Creamy vegan mushroom and sausage sauce, smothering two crispy and moist biscuits was a winning combination.

After another beer, and another, we were finally able to finish all the food, and stagger out of the bar to our hotel.

Later on in the evening, the reality of our experience hit us: We’d just enjoyed a great afternoon in a real bar with awesome beers and completely filling, decadent cruelty-free food.

I can tell you this: After buying and cooking a bunch of Boca Burgers from Coscto, I’ve never come close to approximating the taste of that awesome burger. If I lived in Portland, I’d probably visit Hungry Tiger Too at least once, or twice a day week.

Awesome bar, awesome staff, awesome beers, awesome food. DUUUH?! Vegans: Go there now.

Hungry Tiger Too
207 SE 12th Ave Portland, OR 97214
(503) 238.4321

On face value, The Mash Tun in the Alberta Arts district of Portland, OR, is a fairly typical brewpub. It has a couple of niceties, including a patio to enjoy the few days of summer that the Pacific Northwest has to offer, as well as a roomy atmosphere with comfortable tables, and ample bar seating. Throw in free wi-fi, a dart board, a full-size pool table, multiple TVs for watching sports, some home-brewed beers as well as a few guest taps and I’ll be there. As indeed I was one summer’s day this year.

While I must admit that going to bars with a bunch of friends to watch the game isn’t my thing, I can see how awesome The Mash Tun would be do just that. With an ample selection of beers on tap (many of them vegan), and a menu with its own vegan section things start to get interesting!

On our sunny Sunday afternoon, we settled into bar seats in front of the TV, ordered some great beer and started to eat our way through the vegan section of the menu, starting with the Vegan Tempeh Things — tempeh “wings” in spicy sauce with dip and salad. Perfectly hot, perfectly crunchy and with a cool dip, these were gone in about 20 seconds. And I’m not joking.

tempeh things: ain't no wing, but a tempeh thing! deep-fried tempeh, served buffalo or bbq style with housemade vegenaise. $6.75

Next up, we ordered the Baked Red Lentil Puree, an interesting combination of seasoned lentils with green onions and pita wedges for scooping. In texture this was kinda like eating hummus and pita, but with a much more tangy flavor. This dish is a perfect companion to the “wings”, providing some cool respite from the fiery sauce.

baked red lentil puree: puree of red lentils with grilled green onions, roasted garlic and tomato, served with pita wedges. $6.50

For our main dish we deliberated between the two vegan burgers on offer — both home made and very appetizing in description. In the end we went for the Mash Tun Veggie Burger, a complex set of textures and flavors perfectly seasoned on a tasty bun with very fresh salad.

mash tun veggie burger: a housemade patty of chopped almonds, oats and veggies, served on a kaiser bun with vegenaise. $8.25

By the end of our afternoon, we were full of vegan food, great beer and had watched most of a game on the TV before we had to leave and head back to the airport for our return flight to LA. The Mash Tun is a great place to go with omni friends, as you can enjoy everything a real bar has to offer, while pigging out on some very tasty vegan facsimiles of bar food.

Pop open your laptop to jump on the free wi-fi, shoot some pool, throw some darts and watch the game (not at the same time, of course). The Mash Tun provides just about everything you’d want in a typical PDX low-key environment. It might not be the best vegan food on the planet, and the home-brewed beer probably needs some work on the taste front, but you won’t be disappointed at all.

We’ll definitely be back to The Mash Tun next time we’re fortunate enough to visit the PDX!

The Mash Tun Brewpub
2204 NE Alberta St
Ste 101
Portland, OR 97211
(503) 548-4491

big macro: whole grain brown rice and veggie burger, special sauce, lettuce, tofu cheese, pickles, onion & sprouts on a house-baked whole wheat bun. comes with a deli side salad. $9.95

i think a lot of people would agree with me when i say that m cafe’s big macro is the best vegan burger in los angeles. it’s big, it’s hearty, it has a homemade patty made of rice and vegetables, and it’s covered in melted cheese and creamy sauce. the big macro comes with a side salad of your choice (i suggest the spicy kale) and usually sells for $11.45. well until november 9th, m cafe is offering a special deal on their popular burger, and selling it for just $9.95! the best vegan burger in LA and a hefty side salad for under ten bucks?! yes please!

M Chopped: organic hearts of romaine & mixed greens, avocado, cucumber, chickpeas herb-baked tofu, scallions, ume-pickled radishes, carrots, beets, tamari-roasted almonds, crumbled tempeh “bacon” , tofu-peppercorn ranch

in addition to the discounted burger, m cafe is also offering their most popular salad for $9.95 until november 9th. the m chopped is massive and comes filled with fresh vegetables, tender leaves, tempeh bacon, and herb-baked tofu. damn, it’s so good.

so, that’s all. i suggest you get over to m cafe and take advantage of these discounts. and if you haven’t tried the big macro yet, you know nothing about vegan burgers. nothing!

m cafe de chaya
7119 Melrose Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90046
323.525.0310

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

of all the places i’ve dined in london, pogo cafe is definitely one of my favorites. the small co-operative acts as a hub for activism, a book trader, and one of the city’s few 100% vegan restaurants. there are a couple dining tables in the place as well as comfy couches, computer stations, and coffee tables covered with anti-government literature. all this stuff is really rad, but the best thing about pogo cafe is of course the delicious food. i’m talking really good, cheap vegan fare served in huge portions.

punk burger: served with cheeze, mayo, rasher, tomato and lettuce in a bun. with potato wedges and a salad. £4.95

when fellow vegan blogger melisser of the urban housewife heard i was going to london, she insisted i visit pogo cafe. after finding it on the map, i was put off by how far away it was (i had to take the tube plus a 45 minute bus ride to get there), and showed up with my husband not expecting much. however when the giant portions of appetizing food arrived, we knew pogo cafe was a winner, and our lunch there ended up being one of the best on our entire trip.

my husband ordered a punk burger, which was hearty and tasty beyond belief. the thick vegan patty came topped with cheezly, mayo, vegetables, and a meatless “rasher,” or bacon as they call it here in america. he upgraded his burger to the meal option, which means they served it with a huge pile of spicy potato wedges and side of leafy greens. clocking in at under £6, this thing was a deal and an awful lot of food.

nacho plate: organic corn & sesame tortilla chips, with homemade salsa, guacamole, sour "cream" & melted cheeze. (GF) £3.90

i ordered the nacho plate, which was an impressive mound of chips topped with fresh salsa, guacamole, vegan sour cream and melted cheezly. i was so excited when my plate arrived and it was covered in cheezly, one of my favorite vegan cheeses that is almost impossible to come by in the states. it had an amazing rich cheese flavor, and it actually melted. i seriously think this is the best plate of nachos i’ve ever had in my life, and it was only £3.90! how is it that a couple of DIY kids in a tiny kitchen can make me a lunch this amazing, but fully staffed restaurants in fancy facilities can’t turn out something half this good?

one thing to note about pogo cafe, although it is awesome in almost every way, is that some of the staff can be snobby cunts. you see, my husband is english, and i’m american and we both placed our orders out loud. the minute i placed mine, the dude taking them turned to his fellow co-worker and started bad mouthing americans and barack obama. it’s like he was being intentionally rude and shit talking the (soon to be at that time) president, in hopes to offend me. whatever douche, i don’t care if obama is too conservative for you, i just want some fucking nachos. phew, rant over.

all rude staff aside (and just one dude was rude, mind you, the rest of the staff were lovely), pogo cafe serves such good food you would be a fool not to eat there when in london. i didn’t get a chance to try their desserts, but i hear they are amazing as well. i can’t wait to return to pogo cafe again, i will definitely stop by there on my next trip across the pond.

pogo cafe
76 Clarence Road
London E5 8HB
020 8533 1214
Wed-Sat. 12:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

just a quick post to let los angeles vegans know, you can’t order a vegan burger at follow your heart. i know that seems kind of weird…after all, the entire cafe is vegetarian and there are vegan substitutes for almost everything. the patties are vegan, they come with vegenaise, and there are two vegan cheese options…it’s the buns that hold the burgers back because they contain honey.

follow your heart burger. $8.95 (everything is vegan but the bun)

i’ve ordered the ‘vegan’ burger at follow your heart several times, never thinking to question the bun until i heard from a friend that they weren’t vegan. i called follow your heart’s cafe yesterday and they confirmed: all the buns contain honey, but you can order any of the burgers on vegan bread. apparently the rolls that come with the soup are also not vegan, even though the menu specifies they are “non-dairy.” usually to me, at vegetarian cafe, i would take non-dairy as meaning it’s vegan…i guess you can never be too sure.

i wanna point out this isn’t like a huge deal or anything, they aren’t sneaking casein into the vegan cheese or whey into the mock meat; but still, to most of the vegans i know (myself included) honey isn’t something acceptable to eat, so it’s kinda a bummer we can’t get a vegan burger at follow your heart.

this isn’t gonna stop me though, those burgers are so damn good i will have to try them out on normal bread. here’s to hoping someday follow your heart will carry a bun that is 100% vegan. it never hurts to ask, right?

unfortunately, in the past, i have been guilty of giving the vegan restaurant native foods mixed reviews. the westwood outlet can be hit-or-miss, with it’s long wait times and inconsistent food. although i have had lots of great meals at the west side eatery in the past, after a couple bad experiences i found myself not returning for months. well, lemme say i am ready to give them another chance after some recent lunches that were nothing short of amazing at the palm desert location. over the weekend i ate there twice and had the opportunity to sample 4 different dishes, all of which blew my mind.

as you probably know, from friday to monday i was trapped in palm desert attending coachella. the only eating options were pre-made grocery store meals, over-priced festival fare, and dining at native foods, palm desert’s most popular (and maybe only?) vegan restaurant. we found ourselves eating at native foods 2 of the 3 days it was open during our stay…and we couldn’t believe how refreshingly delicious everything was.

mina's macro: brown rice, quinoa, tempeh, steamed veggies, sea greens, sauerkraut green onions & sesame salt. Served with lemon miso sauce. $13.95

on both visits to native foods, i ordered mina’s macro, a hot bowl filled right up with fresh warm vegetables, tangy sauerkraut, sesame salt and crispy tempeh. it also came with a side of lemony miso sauce that tasted just brilliant drizzled over the crisp broccoli and cauliflower. from the quality produce, to the perfectly-grilled tempeh, to the flavorful creamy sauce, everything about this bowl was perfect. i wanted to order something different on my second visit, but i just couldn’t bring myself to. mina’s macro FTW!

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last week the west side got a little more vegan-friendly when a brand new vegan cafe opened up on wilshire and 11th in santa monica. golden mean is a small restaurant offering a variety of organic teas and coffees, salads, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, pizzas and vegan baked goods. the place has a total hippy vibe that is “sooooo santa monica” in my book, with stuff like bamboo plates and quartz-infused walls. even the name golden mean is either a reference to some philosophy or magical ratio….i dunno….i just want some vegan food.

now, how do i put this nicely? i understand that as vegans, we have the tendency to get pretty excited when we find stuff we can eat. i get that the fact that a new 100% vegan restaurant on the west side is something to get worked up about. but don’t let a whole menu full of vegan options and a case full of vegan desserts distract you from the fact that in the end, the food at golden mean just isn’t that great. sorry, i wanted to like it…it’s just…so….blah.

the works burger: bean and grain veggie patty with lettuce, tomato, pickles and special sauce on burger bun plus avocado, tempeh bacon, and vegan cheese. $12.75

we hit up golden mean over the weekend, and trust me, we were so ready to rave about this place. the menu looked a little pricey, but hey it’s vegan stuff so that’s to be expected. they were still working out the kinks of the computer system when we went in, so it took a while to place our order. we got the works burger which comes with avocado, tempeh bacon and vegan cheese and clocks in at over 13 bucks once you’ve added tax. it comes with either some potato chips or a side salad, so we ordered it with kale.

overall the burger wasn’t disgusting or anything…it was just bland and definitely not worth 13 dollars. i mean, that’s even more expensive than m cafe’s big macro which is huge, also comes with a side, and is probably the best burger in town. the kale side salad was flavored with orange or something and tasted way too sweet, i definitely wasn’t a fan.

we also ordered the portobello mushroom panini which i liked better than the burger, but it still wasn’t worth the price.

portobello panini: roasted portobello, onions, baby arugula and vegan mozzarella on a ciabatta roll. with a mugwort soba side salad. $10.95

i ordered my panini without bell peppers and the chick at the register said they get the paninis pre-made, but she would be able to remove the peppers before heating the sandwich. i was fine with that, but it’s always good to know when you are ordering food that’s been pre-made. the portobellos in the panini tasted great, and the arugula added a fresh and tasty touch. as a side i got the mugwort soba noodles with vegetables which tasted good but were a little on the bland side. overall, this was a pretty decent dish…i just know of much better sandwiches i can get for well under 10 dollars.

while i wasn’t that impressed with our lunch, i can tell you that golden mean definitely blew me away with the dessert. we tried two things, both of which were f-ing incredible.

vegan chocolate cake. $5.50

the vegan chocolate cake was absolutely massive and slathered in the richest and creamiest frosting. it also had little crushed up chunks of cookies and coffee beans all over it. so damn delicious. we also tried the strawberry short cake which was amazing as well. the cake was really spongy and moist, the fruit was fresh and the frosting was decadent. ***** out of 5.

vegan strawberry shortcake. $4.25

so there you have it: hippy vibes, bland expensive food, and really awesome desserts. that’s what i took away from golden mean. definitely check it out though. some vegans have been really positive about the place, while others have been sort of on the fence. i can tell you, with a great restaurant like interim cafe so close by, i don’t know when i will ever find the motivation to try out golden mean again. although i could be tempted by that cake. i guess we’ll see!

here is the menu if you wanna check it out. special thanks to jennshaggy for scanning this and sending it to me.

golden mean menu. click to enlarge.

golden mean vegan cafe
1028 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-6500

for vegans in hollywood who are looking for some quick, cheap and decent fast food…astro burger is your place. located on the corner of melrose and gower, the legendary burger joint has been around since the 70’s and has a really impressive vegetarian menu, with vegan items clearly marked.

i hit up astro burger for the first time with one of my vegan homies, and we both left stuffed and feelin’ happy. most of the vegan items at astroburger are provided by gardenburger; they offer several of their products including the chik’n grill, bbq riblets, flame grilled burger and more. while the food is mass-produced store-bought stuff and isn’t exceptional, it’s really well-prepared at astro burger and pretty inexpensive. (everything costs around 5 bucks)

chik'n grill vegan sandwich with no bbq sauce, + mushrooms, + onions, + avocado

my friend ordered the chik’n grill sandwich and (being the astroburger pro that she is) got it modified with from average to delicious by adding extra toppings. she shared some with me and i was wishing i had ordered this for myself as well. the chik’n grill normally comes with lettuce, tomato and bbq sauce…but she got it without the sauce, plus grilled onions, mushrooms and avocado. absolutely wonderful. the chik’n patty was really thick and juicy, the onions and mushrooms added tons of flavor, and the avocado provided a cool and creamy texture that complimented the cooked vegetables perfectly. it may have been falling apart, but it was one of the better vegan fast food sandwiches in los angeles, for sure. it would have been much more boring with just lettuce and tomatoes on it.

flame grilled vegan gardenburger

i ordered the vegan flame grilled burger which came with lettuce and tomatoes, and tasted like a standard store-bought gardenburger. not much to really describe about this one, it was lightly grilled and didn’t have much flavor…next time i am totally gonna add some onions and mushrooms.

vegan chili fries

we also split an order of vegan chilli fries, which were excellent. i was expecting the chilli to contain fake meat and probably be out of a can, but instead it was just beans with a really thick sauce, sliced round carrots, and huge chunks of chillies. the crispy fries were absolutely covered with it, and it was all topped off with a load of fresh chopped onions. i really, really dug the chilli fries and would definitely order them again. between the two of us, not a single fry or bean was left behind.

so there you have it, astro burger is definitely a place to grab some vegan fast food if you are hungry in the hollywood area. they have a parking lot and a drive thru, which is super convenient but they are cash only, which is not so convenient. they also have an atm inside the restaurant if you don’t mind paying a buck fifty surcharge in order to buy a burger.

oh and don’t get this astro burger on melrose and gower confused with the one in weho on santa monica blvd. i think they are owned by the same people, but the vegan menu at the melrose/gower location is much more extensive. and yes, the vegan items are cooked on a separate grill with separate utensils, it even says so on their website. enjoy!

astro burger
5601 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 469-1924

of all the incredible restaurants we visited on our recent trip to england, the warehouse cafe in birmingham stood out as one of the best. the warehouse cafe is an entirely vegetarian co-op with a bookstore on the bottom floor and a kick-ass veg restaurant upstairs. they have a passion for the environment and serve up meatless meals containing local and sustainable ingredients that taste bloody brilliant—their vegan junk food and pub fare is completely unmatched. we went for the nachos, burgers, chips and pies…no room for salad. the guilty vegan pleasures at warehouse tasted so amazing…melty cheese and buttery crusts like i haven’t experienced since i was a teenager. wowee!

nachos grande (vegan): organic hand fried tortilla chips, jalapeno chillies, melted mature cheddar, and salsa. £3.95

to start, we ordered the vegan nachos, which were nothing short of incredible. the homemade chips were sinfully greasy and thick…not to mention the melty and creepily convincing cheese. total guilty pleasure x 1000.

organic vegan burger special with garlic and mushrooms.

the husband ordered the burger special, which was also above and beyond. a thick vegan patty with soy vegan cheese, sauteed vegetables, and chunky homemade fries made this dish one not to miss. we ordered it off the specials board, but the burger is available on the normal menu, it just normally doesn’t come with the mushrooms.

warehouse cafe special: leek pie served with garden peas and chips.

lastly, i again ordered off the specials menu and went for the leek pie. holy mother, this shit was traditional pub food done just right but veganized…right down to the rich, greasy crust and huge steaming chips.

the insides were prepared absolutely perfectly…i’m talking really succulent mushrooms in a moist but crispy-on-the-edges buttery crust and creamy beer-flavored sauce. everything we tried from warehouse’s menu was waaaaaay beyond delicious.

in addition to serving up excellent, traditional, and entirely vegetarian/vegan-friendly food, warehouse cafe was charming in the fact that it was run by a shared co-op which includes an environmentally-conscious bookstore located below the restaurant, and all the staff rotate and share ownership. literature on making our world a better place is scattered everywhere…in the dining hall, in the bookshop, and even in the bathroom (where there are 3 different ways to dry your hands, and pamphlets on each method explaining its effects on the environment).

the warehouse cafe is a little hole-in-the-wall that caught me off guard with its sweetness, its consciousness, and its ridiculously tasty vegan food. i will return to this place every single chance i have, because it’s so fucking special. if you find yourself in the uk, it’s totally worth taking a trip to birmingham to visit this place.

warehouse cafe birmingham

the warehouse cafe
54-57 Allison Street
Birmingham B5 5TH
0121 633 0261
Monday to Saturday
11 a.m. til 10 p.m. (last food orders at 9 p.m.)
Sunday
11 a.m. til 6 p.m. (last food orders at 5.00 p.m.)