i love finding new entirely vegan restaurants, especially when they offer up original food that’s new and different. so when a commenter named jason mentioned (original comment here) that i should try stuff i eat, a healthy animal-free eatery down in inglewood, i knew i just had to check it out. the result was one of the best lunches and two of the best burritos i’ve ever had.

breakfast burrito: tofu scrambler, cottage fried potatoes, and tofu sausage, salsa, guacamole and savory sauce. served with a side salad. $10

portobello burrito: portobello mushrooms with onions, black Beans, wild rice, savory sauce, fresh salsa, guacamole, mixed greens, rainbow coleslaw and SIE dressing. comes with a side salad. $11

located on cute but abandoned little street in downtown inglewood, stuff i eat doesn’t look like much from the outside. walking in however, customers are greeted with a smile and welcomed into a cozy restaurant with a vibrant but relaxing atmosphere. small polished tables litter the dimly-lit eatery and big comfy chairs line the walls. there’s even a seating area with couches and a coffee table bathed in sunlight near the window, in case you need to wait for a table. food is ordered at the counter and paid for (cash only!) then brought to your table. the kitchen area is open and visible, and everything is clean and inviting. i can’t remember a time that i loved a restaurant so much, before even trying a bite of their food. and at stuff i eat, the food is the best part…

lemme just say, i really love burritos. filled with the right stuff, they can be the most exciting food ever, all in one easy to eat handheld pocket. so naturally, it’s awesome being married to someone who also loves burritos…because we can order two, cut them in half and split them. 2 for 1! this time, it was the breakfast burrito and the portobello burrito that we shared. both were incredible.

the portobello burrito was both unique and delicious. the mushrooms were perfectly seasoned, and the wild rice was soft and coated with light and tasty dressing. although this burrito was pretty massive, it tasted refreshing and healthy. i can tell they use only the toppermost of ingredients at stuff i eat, because i didn’t feel at all full or bloated after eating there.

i’m still trying to figure out what seasonings they use at this place. there was a slight curry taste as well as a bunch of other unknown flavors, and all of it was superb. nothing was bland, and i was introduced to a whole new taste of food that i’ve never experienced before. what a treat.

the breakfast burrito was even better. it was shoved full of scrumptious potatoes, soft guacamole and the best tofu scramble i’ve ever tasted. if only i could make that at home! again, i have no clue what they use to season it, but it was perfect. and the texture was just right as well. the burrito was wrapped tightly and grilled on the outside so it was easy to pick up and eat without spilling the innards everywhere. i am gonna go out on a limb and say this was the best breakfast burrito i’ve ever had. totally not what i was expecting when i rolled in for some casual lunch upon the recommendation from a blog commenter.

the food is so freaking good at this place, i just can’t believe it. what a pleasant surprise! the prices are reasonable, considering you get a huge amount of food, plus the atmosphere is great, the seating is comfortable, and the staff couldn’t be more friendly.

so all this being said, i can’t urge you strongly enough to go check out stuff i eat. you will not be disappointed. it’s a bit of a journey, at least for me anyway, but definitely worth it. plus, it’s pretty easy to access, being located right off the 405.

i will be going back to eat there again as soon as possible.

[googleMap name=”stuff i eat” description=”don’t miss this vegan restaurant” width=”570″ height=”320″ directions_from=”true”]114 N. Market Street Inglewood, CA 90301[/googleMap]

vegan glory is bad ass. yeah, i know if you read my blog you are probably so sick of hearing about these thai vegan restaurants with the word “vegan” in their title by now…and as you know, i’ve got a love/hate relationship with these places. i hate the fact they are so predictable, and that 70% of their menu consists of lunch specials and salty noodle dishes…but i love, love, love the fact that they are everywhere and that sometimes they offer non-thai food that rivals that of the best of the best normal vegan restaurants. case in point, vegan glory. a great little gem located on beverly, this joint has a parking lot, ample seating and some surprisingly good…mexican food? yep. strange, but oh so true.

soy chicken burrito: served with chopped romaine lettuce, beans, rice, salsa, & vegan cheddar cheese in a flour tortilla. $7.95

i was totally reluctant to order this burrito. after hooking up with flore, and then hugo’s tacos, i felt i’d be unimpressed with any mex-food that the thai-inspired vegan glory had to offer. the burrito, however was flawless. it was huge, scrumptious, and full of fake meat along with beans, vegetables and VEGAN CHEESE! ok, so it wasn’t that melty…but it tasted awesome and after 30 seconds in the microwave, it was as ooooey and gooey as ever. wrapped up tightly in a thick, stretchy and thin flour tortilla, this sucker is easy to slice in half cleanly and split between two.

the soy chicken was especially tasty—not too sweet or salty, and it had no asian flavoring what-so-ever, which made it perfect for my burrito. plus, there was a controversy a while back about some of the thai-vegan places using NON-vegan ingredients in their soy chicken. but even amidst all the scandal, vegan glory was known as one of the places to be upfront and legit about the contents of its food. so even now, i just feel a little safer eating it.

adhering to its traditional thai roots, vegan glory still offers a wide array of curries, rice bowls and salty noodle dishes. of these, i recommend the pad thai with seitan.

pad thai with seitan: rice stick noodles stir fried with pad thai sauce, bean sprouts, and green onion, topped with crushed peanuts. $7.95

the pad thai consists of juicy slices of seitan atop thick, succulent noodles with the most delicious peanutty sauce. they even put on cabbage and carrot garnishes to make it look pretty & colorful too. sometimes the seitan at these thai places tastes kind of sugary or syrupy…not this stuff. this luscious wheat meat soaked up all the flavors of the dish: soy sauce, onions, peanuts and garlic. mmm.

and lastly, to start with, i suggest the freshy rolls. other than having a really cool name, they also taste great and are extremely light…so they won’t make you too full to enjoy your entree.

freshy rolls: thai spaghetti, soy chicken, romaine lettuce, bean sprouts, and fresh herbs, wrapped in rice paper and served with hoisin sauce. $7.95

these rolls prove that vegan glory knows how to wrap up more than just an awesome burrito. thin strips of soy chicken packed in over refreshing greens, all rolled up super tight in light rice wraps. the sauce is delicious too, although for me it needs to be spiced up a bit with some chili garlic. i suspect these would also make a pretty good, light meal if you are looking for something on the low-cal side.

yep, vegan glory is pretty awesome. i am still getting over the fact that i thoroughly enjoyed a burrito at a thai restaurant. wonder what else is hiding out in that menu…

with pure luck under construction lately, i’ve been searching for new ways to get my fancy beer/vegan food fix. over the weekend i discovered a pretty great alternative: flore. but they don’t serve beer, you say? nope…but the good, located right across the street, does. the good offers tons of beer on tap and like a million bottles, so it’s a great place to get a buzz before walking over and soaking up the drunk with pure vegan awesomeness. i just cannot get over flore’s amazing food…and the menu is freakin’ huge!

the wrap: stuffed with baked tofu, roasted vegetables, shredded kale and brown basmati rice with a drizzling of creamy tofu dressing wrapped together in a wheat tortilla. served with potato salad. $9.95

the wrap is enormous, delicious and satisfying—filled with delightfully seasoned tofu and very tasty dressing. it comes cut in half, so it’s perfect for sharing. hell, get 2 wraps and switch it up! the potato salad hit the spot as well—light, fresh and not too soggy.

burrito flore: brown rice, black beans, tempeh bacon, cilantro cream, cashew cheese, lettuce, avocado and tomato wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. served with a side of pico de gallo and a green salad. $10.95

i really, really, REALLY love burritos. when i was a vegetarian they were my second favorite food, and now that pizza is gone, they are definitely #1. seriously, when i eat at a restaurant that has a burrito on the menu, i find it very difficult to order something else. that being said, flore’s vegan burrito is one of the best i’ve ever had. they cram so much stuff inside, i almost can’t handle it. they’ve got the fake meat, beans, fake cheese, vegetables and even fake creamy stuff as well. with most vegan burritos, you are lucky to get any kind of protein along with the standard rice and beans…not to mention fake cheese! this burrito really takes it to the next level.

i mean look at that. it just belongs in your face, right? and it’s not just crammed full of cool shit, it also tastes really good. all the ingredients are so fresh and juicy, your mouth will have a party. thanks a lot flore, now i am gonna have a really tough time ordering anything else off your majorly enticing menu.

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last weekend marked my first journey into highland park. while i actually went there (2 days in a row) to check out an amazing bar, i also found myself at a damn good vegetarian restaurant: cinnamon. yeah, it is a bit of a trek. but cinnamon is a great place that deserves a visit if you love authentic mex cuisine, but think chicken stock is no bueno. word of warning: highland park is at the intersection of “cutting-edge hippsterville” and “i don’t feel safe walking around at night”. so come prepared (in the daylight if you happen to be a pussy like me) for good food, good bars and good times in the least expected areas.

we (mr. meaner and i) found ourselves dining at around 11am. it was the real sweet spot of times, during that window where breakfast and lunch are both being served. i opted for breakfast, he chose lunch. both ruled.

tofu scramble with mushroom & spinach. $6.95

tofu burrito. $5.95

the tofu scramble was delicious. next time i want to order something a little more adventures, something really authentic sounding that i can’t pronounce—but this time i was a tad hung-over, a little worse for wear and just wanted a safe, comforting breakfast food with lots of tofu. and that’s just what i got. a mound of tofu, super tasty mushrooms and heaps of spinach all mixed together with a blob of beans and rice on the side. drown it in hot sauce, and i’m happy. nothing wrong with this dish.

the burrito was equally impressive. lettuce, green sauce, some other vegetabley things, tofu, rice and beans all rolled into a massive wheat wrap. oozing with flavor and scrumptiousness. chipotle’s got nothing on this sucker. it tasted like an old school mexican burrito, the dangerous kind with refried beans and god knows what in the rice…yet it managed to be creative at the same time with the wheat tortilla and vegetable variety. perfect.

cinnamon is a pretty sweet place. let’s review: vegetarian, check…huge menu, check…affordable, check. not bad. the service on the other hand, is a little slow and strange. over friendliness was followed by indifference, then again by more friendliness. and the complimentary chips suck, not only are they out of a bag, but they are ROUND. round chips are not cool. but, whatever, the hot sauce rocks and the atmosphere is lovely…with big windows that let the sunshine in to cover the cozy albeit cramped tables.

cinnamon could definitely improve in some areas, but the food rocks. and that’s all that matters, right? the food rocks.

…and wow, i was impressed! the food was just incredible, and i managed to show up at a time when it wasn’t crowded and the atmosphere was pleasant. yay! here’s to one of LA’s tastiest breakfasts! thanks flore!

tofu benediction: fluffy sliced tofu, tomato slices, kale and avocado piled atop toasted batard and smothered in our own take on hollandaise sauce. served with tempeh bacon. $9.95

breakfast burrito: tofu scramble, tempeh bacon, potatoes, cashew cheese and avocado wrapped in a tortilla. served with pico de gallo and a side of fruit. $8.95

now as you know, i love saying what annoys be about any restaurant, or how i think they can improve. the thing about flore is, there’s nothing wrong with it—except maybe that there’s too much delicious food to choose from.

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follow your heart? of course, they are the ones who make the awesome fake mayonnaise and the vegan cheese that doesn’t melt! yeah, and they have that supermarket in the valley with all neat healthy stuff. but did you know they also have a restaurant? i don’t know why it never occurred to me until recently to try their café (maybe eating in the back of a grocery store didn’t sound very appealing), but now i’m sure glad i did. the food was spectacular, and the atmosphere was just fine—i forgot that the bustling health food market on the other side of the wall even existed.

breakfast burrito: scrambled tofu, black beans and vegetarian ‘chorizo’, wrapped in an oversized whole wheat tortilla. served with spanish rice, guacamole and vegan sour cream. $7.95

follow your heart burger: burger pattie with vegan cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, vegenaise and thousand island dressing, on a toasted whole wheat bun. $7.95

before i even say that the food tastes good, check out those huge portions they give you for under $8! with the economy plummeting and food prices soaring, i challenge you to find a healthy vegan meal in a sit-down restaurant at a better value. on top of that, everything tasted incredible. the burrito was stuffed with the finest of fake meat, and the sour cream & guac garnishes were delicious. the burger was also tasty and hearty—the follow your heart cheese was even melted. how on earth did they accomplish that?

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if you find yourself at the farmers market, or anywhere in los angeles for that matter, you can always count on chipotle to offer you a tasty, filling vegan lunch. here at quarrygirl.com we love vegan chain dining options, and chipotle is probably our favorite vegan-friendly “fast food” joint. plus, safe mexican food can be hard to come by.

burrito: flour tortilla, cilantro-lime rice, black beans, salsa, romaine lettuce and guacamole.

one thing i love about chipotle is that i trust their vegan options. so many mexican restaurants sneak chicken stock into the rice, or lard into the beans. with chipotle, i know the cilantro-lime rice (yum) and the black beans are totally vegetarian. i don’t have to deal with the hassle of trying to explain to a disgruntled worker what chicken stock is and then wait while they check with everyone in the kitchen before i find out there’s nothing on the menu i can order. (just be sure not to order chipotle’s pinto beans, they are filled with vile bacon!)

chipotle is especially convenient at the farmers market, because all the other dining options are phenomenally overpriced. in the midst of all the small vendors, you can count on chipotle to give you ridiculously huge, american-sized portions at considerably low, evil corporation prices.

and if you are counting calories, get your vegetarian burrito in a bowl instead. it tastes just as good!

my only complaint about chipotle is that they don’t have a salsa bar. 🙁 instead, they offer just 3 different flavors of crummy tabasco sauce. no cholula even! corporate headquarters: if you are listening, you really need to step it up in the salsa department. other than that, great burritos!

wayward cafe is a modest cash-only co-op—a small house that’s been converted into an entirely vegan restaurant, located in a residential area of seattle’s university district. more importantly, it’s where i had the best breakfast of my entire life.

tempeh scramble: fried tempeh wedges, scrambled spicy seasoned tofu and steamed broccoli on a bed of spinach. served with a side of tahini sauce and toast. $7.50

breakfast burrito: scrambled seasoned tofu, tvp chorizo and spinach wrapped inside a grilled flour tortilla. topped with cilantro sour cream. served with a side of salsa fresca and home fries. $6.75

while there are a few things that kind of irritate me about this restaurant, the food is so wonderful it makes them all irrelevant. if i lived in seattle, i would eat at this place several days per week. i’m talking food so good, it rivals pure luck…if wayward cafe had tap beer, i’d surely move to washington.

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

I have a pet hate about places where the staff prefer to give virtually all their attention to regulars, and rudely ignore casual visitors. Once such establishment is Swingers on Beverly Blvd. Anywhere that has the message: “ass, cash or grass: nobody eats for free” pinned above the door probably has more than its fair share of pretentiousness — and I can confirm beyond doubt that is the case.

After sitting down, I usually have to wait at least five minutes to get attention, and this weekend it took over 20 minutes before our drinks arrived (a diet coke and a David Banner smoothie), all in a restaurant that had only four tables occupied (see this picture for proof, and the back of the place — not shown — was completely empty):

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at quarrygirl.com, we are always looking for new vegetarian restaurants to hit up, and last weekend we got lucky with the spot.

savory garden burrito: with garden veggies, cheese and savory sauce (all non-dairy): $8.95

guacamole burger: a homemade burger patty served on a wheat bun with guacamole and a side of almond rice: $8.95

as many of my fellow imbibers know, the hermosa/redondo/manhattan/whatever beach areas are great places to find breweries and specialty beers. what i DIDN’T know until last weekend, is they are also great places to find uncharted vegan fare.

after planning a day of drinking in hermosa beach, i decided to research some food options on the internet. one spot, a vegetarian restaurant, kept gaining my attention and outshining all the other restaurants with its glowing reviews. so of course, we had to give it a try…
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i can’t get enough pure luck. seriously. it’s by far my favorite restaurant. and so far, in my quest to try everything on the menu, i’ve never once been disappointed.

burrito: a large flour tortilla stuffed with beans, rice, fresh avocado, tomatillo salsa and grilled tofu. comes with a side caesar salad. $9

torta: grilled tofu, plus pinto beans, lettuce, tomato, onions, tomatillo salsa, sliced avocado and vegan mayo on a grilled rustic roll. (also with a side caesar salad.) $9

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