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July 26th, 2010deano's gourmet pizza, LA restaurants
we are ALWAYS on the lookout for vegan pizza in los angeles, so we were super excited when a quarrygirl forums user called “cakebite” posted this entry about deano’s a few months ago. the gourmet pizzeria is located in the old farmers market near the grove on 3rd and fairfax, it carries daiya cheese, and has loads of vegan options. not to mention gluten free menu items, and whole wheat crust as well! of course we had to check it out.
Tags: fairfax, farmer market, pizza -
January 27th, 2010LA restaurants, mani's bakery (closed)
in this week’s edition of the club club, we have a look at the vegan club sandwich from mani’s bakery on fairfax.
mani’s vegan club is pretty impressive: it’s massive with slabs of breaded seitan, tempeh bacon, and even vegan cheddar (even though the cheese they use is follow your heart, which i’m not a big fan of).
at $12, it’s definitely one of the more expensive clubs we’ve reviewed…but it definitely makes up for the hefty price with its hefty size. the thing is huge, basically the size of 2 sandwiches, and even comes with your choice of side. it’s pictured above with a kind of boring salad, but if you wanted to go all out, you could easily order it with steamed kale, french fries, or roasted potatoes.
what really sets mani’s club apart from the others is the crispy on the outside/chewy on the inside breaded seitan. it’s very fried chicken-y and super tasty. the fake meat in this thing may be better than the stuff in any other vegan clubs in los angeles. but for some reason though, i’m still leaning towards flore’s sandwich as the winner. maybe it’s the amazing bacon that flore uses, or the fact that mani’s uses FYH cheese.
either way, mani’s club is delicious, and definitely worth checking out. as usual, leave a comment on this post with your favorite club sandwich in LA…and i will be sure to throw it into the mix.
mani’s bakery
Tags: club club, fairfax, sandwich
519 S. fairfax avenue
los angeles, ca 90036
(323) 938-8800 -
January 21st, 2010LA restaurants, rahel vegan cuisine
since the first time we reviewed the all you can eat brunch at rahel ethiopian vegan cuisine, a lot has changed. the restaurant has had expanded to take over the space next door, making for a much brighter and more comfortable dining experience, and has introduced a buffet table to their lunch special (rather than a server bringing you plates of food as you ask for them). overall, these improvements have transformed lunch at rahel from decent to downright exceptional.
the way the all you can eat lunch works now is, you walk in and tell the server you’d like the buffet special. she then brings you your choice of soup or salad as an appetizer.
both are small, but very tasty.
after your warm up course, it’s time to dive in to the main event: plate after plate of hot ethiopian stew and spongy bread.
grab a plate and get your fill from the seven vegetable and lentil dishes, the two types of rice, and basket full of injera. also, be sure to get a huge helping of the bright green sauce. i dunno what it is exactly, but it’s incredible.
typically, ethiopian cuisine consists of various stews or wots served atop of and with a side of injera, a porous stretchy bread. you are supposed to use your hands to neatly scoop up the stew with the bread and stick the whole thing in your gob. presented with an all you can eat option, though, it’s really easy to go overboard and load your plate up with way too much stew. luckily, rahel’s provides forks for this very reason.
when i visit the buffet table, i like to spread a piece of injera out on my plate and then stack it up with the various vegetable dishes. as you can see in the picture at the top of the post, i get a bit of everything. we’ve got some red lentils, yellow lentils, potato stew, kale, carrots and green beans, cabbage, and more. i have no idea the proper name for all this stuff, but it is all mind-blowingly flavorful.
whatever you do, be sure to go to rahel’s all you can eat lunch with a completely empty stomach…because the food is so good, you can’t leave without at least a couple trips to the buffet table.
seriously, i can’t think of a better way to spend a rainy afternoon than relaxing with plate after plate of warm ethiopian cuisine in such a light and spacious environment. the all you can eat buffet takes place everyday from 11am-3pm, and costs $8.99 per person. while that’s a damn good deal any way you look at it, it has to be noted that nyala directly across the street has an all you can eat vegan buffet for just $6.99 (over 20% cheaper!). however, considering rahel’s new buffet is so plentiful and tasty, and the atmosphere is so pleasant…i’d rather shell out an extra 2 bucks and support the only vegan business on the block.
so be sure to hit up the new rahel vegan ethiopian cuisine as soon as you can. all you can eat vegan food, under $9, 7 days a week. hell yes.
rahel vegan cuisine
Tags: all you can eat, buffet, ethiopian, fairfax
1047 south fairfax avenue
los angeles ca 90019
323-937-8401
open daily
11am to 11pm
all you can eat lunch special
11am – 3pm -
December 14th, 2009LA restaurants, pita bar and grill
looking for a great vegan sandwich to shove in your face? look no farther than pita bar and grill on fairfax. for five bucks you can get a pita stuffed with falafel, hummus, and fresh vegetables drenched in tahini and hot sauce.
the restaurant also has a buffet-style salad bar that’s open to all customers, where you can fill up on as many marinated vegetables as you like.
though the pita bar and grill does serve meat, there is no dairy in the restaurant at all. so if you avoid the flesh and egg-based sauces, it’s pretty easy to eat vegan there. i suggest you go try out the falafel sandwich ASAP, and be sure to get your fill from the salad bar.
pita bar and grill
Tags: fairfax, falafel, sandwich
519 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 653-9024 -
October 29th, 2009LA restaurants, rosalind's
want a massive vegan dinner for 2 priced at under 20 bucks? head over to little ethiopia on fairfax and hit up rosalind’s. i know, i know, i probably shouldn’t be sending any business whatsoever away from the vegan ethiopian restaurant across the street…but i just like the food and atmosphere at rosalind’s sometimes for a change. plus, it’s always good to know this place is here and super vegan-friendly if you are ever need to dine ethiopian-style with some omnivores.
to start at rosalind’s, we always get a couple lentil sambusas. at just $2.50 a pop, these things are pretty big and they come with a fresh and crispy green salad. a sambusa is basically a fried up pastry shell, and in this case it’s filled with a dark lentil stew that’s absolutely delicious. i could eat these things everyday, and no matter how hard i try to resist, i definitely end up eating one every time i’m at rosalind’s.
as a main course, the two of us always without fail order the vegetarian combination to split between us. this comes with several stew-type dishes including collard greens, chick-pea, yellow split-pea, red lentils and cabbage. this stew, also known as wot, is served on a huge piece of injera (aka radical spongy bread) with a plate of injera rolls for scooping. that’s right, you don’t use silverware in little ethiopia, you eat with your hands. keep it clean and tidy by only handling the bread, but don’t ask for a fork or you will give yourself away as a n00b. the combo is huge and with a sambusa each, it’s definitely enough food for two people. that means before tax, tip and booze 2 peeps can eat for just under $19!
my favorite thing about ethiopian cuisine, is all the rich and deep flavors that come packed into every dish. all the tastes are so unique and unlike any other food i’ve had before. rosalind’s especially, makes stew that is so thick and delicious, it tastes like it’s been cooking for days to bring out the right balance of spices and seasonings. if you have never tried this stuff, you are seriously missing out on some of my favorite food in los angeles.
now i know i’ve written about rosalind’s before, but that was well over a year ago and i wanted to remind you that this place existed. the food is what i would consider the best in little ethiopia, the atmosphere is totally classy, and the service is friendly and attentive. next time you feel like some ethiopian food and wanna step your experience up a notch, hop over to rosalind’s. just be sure to tell them you are vegan, and they will take care of you.
oh, and did i mention they have a full bar? yes!
rosalind’s ethiopian restaurant
Tags: ethiopian, fairfax
1044 S Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 936-2486 -
March 24th, 2009LA restaurants, rahel vegan cuisine
For those people in Ethiopia who are fortunate enough to get a square meal on a regular basis, the usual menu consists of a slab of meat with several vegetable side dishes and some flat, unleavened bread to scoop everything up into your face. It’s a coincidence that the vegetable side dishes fit into that unusual intersection of “naturally vegan, yet tasty”. Yeah, naturally tasty vegan food isn’t that common in ethnic mainstream (if you can call Ethiopian “mainstream”!) dining. After all, just about the only thing vegan at a Chinese restaurant is plain, white rice – the antitheses of tasty.
I’m really glad that LA has a thriving Ethiopian community. Even though there are pockets of Ethiopian ex-pats all over the city, the Ethiopian dining center (called, strangely “Little Ethiopia”) is one short block of Fairfax Avenue between Olympic and Pico Blvds., and we vegans can take advantage of the excellent food and warm hospitality at any of over 20 restaurants, pretty much any time we like. One common menu item is the “vegetarian combination” which is, in fact, entirely vegan as it consists of hearty portions of each side dish with some bread on the side.
I’ve eaten at many of the restaurants in Little Ethiopia over the years, and the vegetarian combination tastes exactly the same everywhere. I’m convinced they have one large kitchen in an alleyway somewhere that prepares all the side dishes and runners dash from there to each restaurant every time somebody places an order. OK, probably not, but the consistency is within a very fine tolerance of identical at each establishment.
So, when choosing where to dine, I used to decide between Nyala and Rosalind’s – two of the larger and more established restaurants on the “strip”, largely as a preference over the kind of ambiance and atmosphere I was seeking. However, after discovering Rahel Vegan Cuisine I’m somewhat torn with my loyalties. You see, Rahel’s is entirely VEGAN – the staff are right up my street because they are nice, polite and wear tee-shirts with things like “Vegan POWER!” written on them. It also offers consistently tasty food, and is on the opposite side of the street to the aforementioned establishments – which is a good, because I come from the west and crossing Fairfax here is like being Frogger in the video game.
I was fortunate, recently, to go back to Rahel’s with a friend and colleague who is much more of a regular than I. The lunch special during weekdays is an “all you can eat style” lunch, although a full a la carte menu is (surprisingly) available. I’m used to all-you-can-eat affairs being buffet-style where half the fun is pigging out on the dishes you really like, while ignoring the ones you don’t. Sadly, Rahel’s brings you one plate of food with no choice about what you get – probably due to the fact they don’t have room for a buffet setup as the restaurant is so small inside. This complicates things somewhat, and takes the fun out of scooping the food out of catering trays, as one would normally do at an all-you-can-eat session.
Once you’ve eaten the food, there are two choices: another plate of what you just had, or a delicate negotiation with a server who knows WAY more than you’ll ever know about what you just ate and how to pronounce it, so that you can get more of the dishes you want. Having to ask a server for more free stuff feels sort-of guilty to me, and the gluttonous nature of all-you-can-eat is mitigated to a degree by the proxy of a human whom has to acknowledge and process every order. Compounding this is the fact that, like most ignorant white people, I’ve never managed to memorize the real Ethiopian names of the food I enjoy so much – so I’m reduced to explaining things in terms of color and texture: “the black, creamy lentils, but the ones without potatoes” and “the green salad-type thing with the large tomatoes on it” when I want more of something.
Bottom line, Rahel’s has a lot going for it because it’s entirely vegan, but falls down in other areas. It’s small and cramped inside, with strange décor (upside down umbrellas on the ceiling?!), extra-small, glass-covered two-top tables and a lunchtime vegan buffet that’s a full buck more than Nyala’s vegan buffet across the street. Nyala’s is a much nicer place to be (high ceilings, expansive floor space, booths) and has a self-serve buffet, to guarantee that fatty vegans like me will always be satisfied.
Remembering that Rahel’s is entirely vegan (although related to the anything-but-vegan Messob next door), it certainly warrants a visit – as do the other fine establishments in Little Ethiopia – but it falls short somewhat on atmosphere and convenience. Supporting a vegan business is always my preference, but I’ve added Rahel’s to my rotation of restaurants on this block, rather than going there exclusively.
rahel vegan cuisine
Tags: all you can eat, ethiopian, fairfax
1047 south fairfax avenue
los angeles ca 90019
323-937-8401
open daily
11am to 11pm
all you can eat lunch special
11am – 3pm -
February 18th, 2009LA restaurants, nyala ethiopian
with such a huge selection of local restaurants, being a vegan in los angeles is easy…but it sure isn’t cheap. most meals cost anywhere between 9-14 bucks, and if you are one to grab lunch from a restaurant during the workweek, this can add up really fast. luckily there is at least one place in this town where herbivores can get stuffed at lunch time without too much wallet damage—nyala ethioipian on fairfax has an all-you-can-eat vegan lunch special from 11:30am-3:30pm on weekdays for just $6.95. that’s right, for under 7 bucks you can eat all the ethiopian food you want, and it’s all animal-free. if i worked anywhere near this place, i’d probably be there every day.
you may remember that i’ve written about ethiopian food before on this blog and described how most meals consist of several thick, spicy stews called wots and that are served on top of a large piece spongey sourdough bread called injera, with more rolls served on the side. traditionally you use the bread to scoop of bits of the wot and eat it, without any utensils. for the vegan buffet, nyala’s doesn’t serve the stew on injera (i guess that wouldn’t be practical for getting seconds), but they do offer plenty of bread on the side.
i got my fill of spicy stews consisting of lentils, potatoes, assorted vegetables and greens. it was all absolutely delicious and i took extreme comfort in the fact that every single thing offered at the buffet was vegan. the bread worked well on the side, and was perfect for scooping up the thick wot. with so many different flavors of stew and the option to go back and get as much as you like, i can’t see how they keep this buffet under $7! seriously, it’s the best vegan lunch deal in this town that i’ve ever come across.
the atmosphere is also quite lovely at nyala. the place is large and spacious, and has big windows that the sun shines through during the day. the booths are comfy and there’s a mix of modern and traditional ethiopian decor.
so for a delicious and cheap vegan lunch that will stuff you to the gills, hit up nyala on fairfax for their weekday special. all those who work in the area, consider yourselves very lucky. i am just waiting for the next federal holiday so i can eat nyala’s lunch special again–president’s day this week was my first opportunity!
nyala ethiopian
1076 south fairfax avenue
los angeles ca 90019(323)936-5918
Tags: buffet, ethiopian, fairfax -
February 16th, 2009LA restaurants, mani's bakery (closed)
so the economy sucks and lots of people are out of work. that’s a fact. businesses are closing, personal savings are being depleted, and the unemployment rate is skyrocketing. we all know and love people who have been laid off…maybe we even are those people in some cases. but wtf mate, the tragedy has officially now come home for all los angeles herbivores and started to affect local vegan/vegan-friendly restaurants. within 2 short months we saw the shutting of the vegan spot and of doomie’s home cookin’, arguably the best 2 places to get a meat-free sandwich in la. both closures were untimely and undeserved…so vegans, please, let’s go throw our moneys at some of the local restaurants that need our help, starting with mani’s bakery on fairfax.
the long-standing los angeles institution is nearly as old as i am, and is still being threatened by the crappy economic climate. in a recent plea on their blog (which i saw via eater la), mani’s tells its customers,“Unfortunately, we face the very real possibility of not making it through 2009, unless we can modify our business to function more efficiently in today’s environment.” they go on to add, “December was the weakest sales Mäni’s has ever had. At this level we will not be able to continue.” ummm…i dunno what you make of that, but to me that sounds like some fatal-apocalyptic-scary shit meaning, buy our food if you want us to be here in the morning. well, it worked on me. i hit up mani’s as soon as i read this, and i gotta say, i will feel pretty bad and dead inside if they do go out of business. their vegan food is really, really, really good. i’ve posted before about mani’s ENORMOUS VEGAN SELECTION…and let’s just say on this return visit, i was even more impressed.
i’m gonna work in reverse on this post because the dessert is the best thing that mani’s offers. the menu is absolutely huge, and all the vegan/veganizable items are clearly marked. almost everything can be made animal-free, and this is extremely handy when it comes to the desserts. vegan truffles, breakfast bars, almond rocas, cakes and pies are just some of the decadent treats that mani’s has in store. my husband and i split a chocolate dipped chocolate chip cookie on our last visit, and we could barely finish it. it was so rich and tasty, i think any vegetarian would be fooled by it.
but not just the dessert items at mani’s are awesome…there are also tons of vegan-friendly appetizers and entrees. on our recent visit and attempt to save mani’s from bankruptcy and decline, i ordered the pesto sandwich.
of course i got the vegan version (with tofu instead of meat) and everything was divine. the pesto was thick, oily, and slightly greasy in a really good way. the tofu was grilled but still soft in the middle, and it was all stacked with fresh vegetables on really soft and spongy bread.
my husband got the california club, which was also excellent. the sandwich came in neatly chopped pieces, all stacked high with vegan cheese, vegetables, crispy tempeh bacon and crunchy breaded seitan. there was nothing to complain about. i mean seriously, with the vegan spot and doomie’s both totally gone, i don’t know where else to obtain such a hearty and satisfying vegan sandwich in this town.
yeah, yeah, yeah, mani’s is a bit expensive. but so fucking what?!?! where isn’t at this point? it’s as good a deal as pure luck or m cafe, plus the menu is like 90x bigger. they also have the best vegan bakery and pastry selection in town. if they do shut, i know i will feel the same way as if a beloved relative has died—totally wracked with guilt, torturing myself over every lunchtime or coffee break i could have spent in mani’s company.
in my opinion, the vegan scene will suck a lot more hardcore if mani’s goes away. let’s ensure that doesn’t happen. please go eat there as soon as possible…um, it may be your last chance. 🙁
mani’s bakery
Tags: club, cookie, dessert, fairfax, lunch, pesto, sandwiches, seitan, tofu
519 S. fairfax avenue
los angeles, ca 90036
(323) 938-8800 -
December 29th, 2008LA restaurants, mani's bakery (closed)
mani’s bakery on fairfax is a must-visit for all vegans, as far as i’m concerned. i ran across mani’s awhile back when the bakery made an insane vegan cake for my co-worker’s birthday. i went to mani’s later to check it out and realized that their vegan menu was huge compared to other restaurants in town. i mean, they even have a full-on legend at the top of the menu for vegan and vegan-optional items. on top of that, the food is pretty damn good and they have great hours, plus they serve breakfast all day long. yay mani’s bakery!
my husband and i hit up mani’s recently and were pretty impressed with the food. one of the vegan-optional starters at mani’s is the bread basket. being a self-contained bakery and all, mani’s definitely has the bread thing down. our basket included an impressive selection of piping hot crunchy slices, soft and chewy rolls, and thin and crispy chips. the spreads were black bean, pesto, and hummus; and each one was rich, flavorful and creamy. between me and my husband, the bread basket was way too much food to finish, but that didn’t stop us from trying.
as a main, my husband ordered the vegan-optional arugula artichoke salad. while 14 bucks is definitely a lot to pay for a salad, this thing was pretty huge and they didn’t skimp on the tempeh. the artichoke hearts were shredded into delicate slices and marinated perfectly. the braised tempeh was amazing; why anyone would get this salad with the grilled chicken option is beyond me!
i took advantage of the fact all day breakfast and went for the tofu scramble hash. it was insanely delicious. the tofu was scrambled up in big thick chunks and was all mixed in in with the vegetables. the soft mushrooms, spinach and tofu went perfectly with the crispy, crunchy asparagus. i got the vegan option, which came with sliced tempeh rather than veggie bacon, and it was quite tasty. the breakfast potatoes were top notch as well. good stuff all the way around.
while the food is awesome at mani’s, it’s often crowded and dining in can be unpleasant. you will probably have to wait for a table, the restaurant is loud and cramped, and the chairs aren’t that comfortable. for the high prices, i would expect more of a dining experience rather than the quickie cafe feel that mani’s offers. fortunately for me, the food is just as delicious to go.
on a subsequent visit, my husband and i grabbed take-out from mani’s for dinner, and mine was every bit as tasty. i ordered breakfast again, but this time i got the wrap. the breakfast wrap is super because it’s pretty much the exact same tofu scramble as above, but it’s thrown in a tortilla with beans and guacamole. plus, it’s 3 bucks cheaper. score!
this time my husband ordered the classic sandwich, veganized with kale greens. it was good, but not as good as the salad he’d had in the restaurant.
i took a bite of the sandwich and thought the seitan was delicious, but my husband described it as “too chewy” and “glue-y.” maybe next time i will order it for meself!
so overall, mani’s bakery is definitely worth a visit. whether you dine in or take-out, the food will most likely be delicious. they have a massive menu with loads of vegan options, just remember to specify. plus, they have a whole freakin’ bakery with fresh bread and vegan desserts! cakes, cookies, even almond roca…they’ve got TONS of stuff to choose from. i’ve just always filled up on the tasty food, leaving no room for their tempting sweets. thankfully, there’s always next time!
mani’s bakery
Tags: Add new tag, bakery, bread, breakfast, fairfax, kale, salad, sandwich, seitan, tofu scramble, wrap
519 S. fairfax avenue
los angeles, ca 90036
(323) 938-8800 -
March 28th, 2008damiano mr. pizza, LA restaurants, pizza
being a vegan, it’s pretty hard to find a safe pizza in los angeles….or should i say, it’s easy to find vegan pizza that merely omits the cheese, but rarely do i come across a restaurant that serves a standard pizza with a non-dairy cheese substitute. luckily, damiano mr. pizza pizza on fairfax has survived as the bastion of vegan(pizza)ism in los angeles—it’s pretty easy to grab an enormous, fresh, tasty pizza there…when all else fails.
the downside? well, the pizza pictured above cost $36 before tip. seriously. an extra large w/ vegan cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, and chopped garlic will completely break your bank. but i guess it’s worth it. just try not to think about the fact that a beautiful cheese and mushroom pan pizza from pizza hut would only cost you $14.24.in mr. pizza pizza’s defense, though, the food is damn good.
Tags: damiano, fairfax, pizza, vegan cheese -