heyo! time for another vegan field report from barcelona, spain by dadatamonkey! this one is pretty awesome, if i do say so myself. not only does the food sound amazing, but this post will give you some serious ethiopian food education. read up!

Having spent some time here in BCN (Barcelona) I was getting a tad bored of the usual vegan places here, and decided to try out a few non-vegan places and see how I got on. The power of google led me to Abissínia. Which is cool as I spent time in Ethiopia as a kid! I had not found it reviewed on any of the usual suspects (yes it’s there now!) etc, but know Ethiopian food fairly well so knew I would be able to eat there. A number of traditional review sites seemed to rave about it so I popped along! It’s to be found within a 5min stroll of the metro in the Bohemian area of BCN, Gracia. This area used to be the main place for the large anarchist community here but less so now.

This tiny frontage is like the opening to the Doctors Tardis. With foodie heaven hidden inside!

Abissínia opened in 2006 I think, and is headed up by the brothers Behe. Ethiopian food is often vegan by default, due to the Coptic and Orthodox religions practiced by most people requiring avoidance of animal products at certain times of the year. Be aware though that butter is also widely used in cooking so check first in any other place. Meat is prepared and cooked totally separately so you have no issues with cross contamination in this kitchen!

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hey, friends! time for yet another vegan field report from barcelona, spain (often referred to as BCN in this post). this comes to us from our resident operative in europe, dadatamonkey. so sit back, relax, and enjoy his review of pizza paco…

Out on a little adventure in Barcelona, my esfuerzos took me to a pizza joint. Having asked at numerous pizza joints in BCN for vegan pizza – and found they all add milk powder to the bread base – I’d given up all hope of finding a half decent pizza to eat in BCN. How wrong can this old man be!! You know those nights where you go with the flow, trust the man, and end up doing something you never expected but will always remember? Yup. Pizza Paco was one of those. A massive thanks to Baba for this blessing. Believe me, it is a blessing. REAL pizza that’s vegan by nature and fucking gorgeous too!

Barcelona always has hidden gems on each turn it seems. This ones a tiny place hidden away in a small square in El Born. But as is so often the case, the tiny ones pack the best punch! I cannot speak highly enough about this place. When we got there (my friend Baba knows the owners, which helps!) I was “no worries I’ll have a BEER.” But… Asked the waiter about the various ingredients.. And yes…vegan was an option without cheese!!. They have one pizza on the menu that is vegan by its very nature, and a couple of others that without the cheese are too. I went inside and had a quick look just to make sure. OMFG. 00 flour. Proper stone oven. OK, lets do it. And… Boy did they do it.

La Marinara: Tomato, oregano, olive oil… AND.. Shedloads of fresh GARLIC! Simples. But the best pizza ever! As it should be. 7Euro for 13inches of heaven!

The first thing I noticed was the only instant vegan pizza on the small menu. The Marinara IS the original pizza. No cheese. But fuck me, this went beyond the normal level. Either they read minds or they love garlic. It was loaded. I am in love with this pizza. The base is perfect (a handmade stone oven at circa 500C really helps too), the sauce was made with fresh tomatoes, the oregano fresh and tasty and the garlic. Well. If you don’t like garlic. You are mad, but avoid this. Seriously. This is my new love.

La Vegetariana: Red Pepper (shush now QG), fresh mushrooms, spinach, onions, roasted baby aubergines with the tomato sauce. 9 Euro

So could the Veggie pizza from the menu be that good too you say? Oh yeah. Oh freakin yeah! To be honest I placed it second. But I’m just an old traditionalist at heart. Suffice to say the veg were cooked to pefection. This is the kind of pizza you can lift a whole slice and it stays as it should. That crust is sooo good. 00 flour and the stone oven work their magic. Also massive respect to chef because its how you work the dough that makes a pizza like this possible.

As ever, we come to my conclusion. Lets just say. Pizza Pan. As in I’m like a kid in a toy shop here… I am now PIzza Paco’d up and will be a fan as long as I live, or they are open, which I suspect will both be a very, very long time. Points out of 10? 00. 😉 Simples. Get yer ass there ass sooon ass possible, you don’t need Daiya or whatever with this quality of pizza. Just a mouth with an ever windening smile. But I’d love to try it with cheese… Let it be so.

Ps They also do a takeaway service for those lazy nights on the sofa… Just sayin..

Paco Pizza
Allada Vermell, 11, Barcelona, 08003
Open: 13:00 a 03:00
Metro: L4 Jaume I
Tel@ 93 268 2514

Like most places here, no website!

a couple weeks ago two of my good friends got married (yay!), and to celebrate they planned a beach camping trip out in oxnard. camping for me means i’m stuck eating snacky things like chips and peanut butter pretzels because i’m not going to cook a veggie dog on a grill that’s covered in meat residue and i don’t have the foresight to bring, say, a sandwich. i’m good at being prepared like that.

so after a night of shoving my face full of tortilla chips and salsa, the next morning when one of my friends suggested we go in to ventura to check out the thrift stores i was all for it, hoping to find some real food.

we came across nature’s grill on main street, walked up to the counter and checked out the menu. honestly i saw the word “tempeh tacos” and didn’t really look at anything else.

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hey everyone! time for our latest vegan field report from rachel who has been staying in london. here she reviews the delicious-sounding dessert maker, ms. cupcake! check it out:

I have tried a lot of vegan cupcakes; everything from very dry, funny tasting ones to deliciously moist ones, but none can ever come close to those baked by Ms. Cupcake. Based in London, Ms. Cupcake provides amazingly rich and decadent cupcakes in a huge variety of flavors. As a former primary school teacher, Ms. Cupcake can now officially say, “I bake cupcakes for living” because she is a hit at both the Greenwich and Brick Lane Markets where she sells at.

Decked out in adorable 1950’s attire, who wouldn’t want to buy sweets from her? I’ve tried far too many “you won’t feel guilty about these because they’re healthy” kind of cakes and those all fell under the dry and funny tasting category. But Ms. Cupcake provides vegans with a dessert so decadent that I don’t think I will ever eat another vegan cupcake unless it’s hers (so she better start shipping to the States…).

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well ladies and gentlemen, this is a first! we just received a post in the quarrygirl forums (aka quarrums) that was so awesome, we decided to publish it on the main blog. check out tettes’ in depth review of tonight’s special madeleine bistro tasting menu. the food writing here is exquisite, and you are all in for a real treat. this review makes me so sad that i wasn’t there, and reminds me that i need to eat madeleine bistro tasting menus WHENEVER POSSIBLE. here you go:

I checked out the tasting menu at Madeleine Bistro on Saturday, June 26 and it was so mouth-wateringly amazing I wanted to share my experience with you guys. I wish the photos did the food justice!

First up:

Rainier cherry gazpacho: Cherrywood-smoked corn panzanella, crostini, avocado foam

How it tasted: The gazpacho was more like a thin pudding rather than a soup. Pretty spicy with a tangy finish and just a hint of cherry sweetness. The corn gave it a playful smokey flavor, but it didn’t overwhelm the dish as smokey flavors can often do. The corn and crostino gave the dish a much-needed textural contrast. And I’ve never had avocado foam before. It was light, fluffy and fun to eat! Chef Dave told me this puree-like gazpacho comes from Spain, and he adds toasted bread to the gazpacho and purees until it reaches perfection.

Next up:

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time for yet another vegan field report! this one comes from operative rachel, who is stationed across the pond in london. she covers one of my favorite companies, secret society of vegans (SSOV) in this entry…so READ UP! here goes:

I walked down Euston Road, passed the beautiful St. Pancras Station and then made a left on Caledonian Road. I proceeded along the road and from a distance I saw something beautiful for my vegan eyes….Vx, home of the Secret Society of Vegans. There is nothing quite like Vx, and I’m glad I was able to go here this summer, just a few months after the store opened. Having visited SSOV’s previous Camden Town location, I was thrilled to see a larger space with more room for not only clothing, but also for food.

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westville. again, this was a place on the fly. i was headed to get my hair did at ‘seagull salon’ by the lovely shaun sure thing and this joint happened to be steps from the salon. this isn’t a hair blog so i will talk about the food.

grilled vegan hot dogs: single or 'special' (special = 2 hot dogs w/ fries, salad or 1 side from the market) this is the special with "brussels crowe" spouts, sub the honey dijon for mustard sauce.

grilled vegan hot dogs: single or ‘special’ (special = 2 hot dogs w/ fries, salad or 1 side from the market) this is the special with “brussels crowe” spouts, sub the honey dijon for mustard sauce.

pick 4 for $13 (daily market sides): Lemon Grilled Asparagus(no parm), Sauteed Broccoli with Garlic, Seared Marinated Tofu, Sweet Potato Fries.

*bullet points
-tiny yet homey
-like your own kitchen table
-delicious food, organic produce, friendly staff
-i’d compare it to a place in MOZangeles yet comparing is pretty boring
-so many options and the daily “market” menu is literally a ‘to do’ or ‘laundry list’ of amazing greens/produce
-fresh vegetables were at their best, no need for fancy presentation and plating
-i was having a 7th inning stretch flashback so i went with the 2 hot dog special with a side of ‘brussels crowe’ sprouts.
(who is fucking A-Rod anyway?)
-hot like fire, a vegan food quickie.

westville
210 W 10th Street, New York, NY 10014
Between Bleecker and West 4th Street
Phone: 212-741-7971, 212-741-4780

Lunch Monday-Friday 11:30a-4:30p
Dinner Monday-Sunday 4:30p-11p
Brunch Saturday-Sunday 10a-4p

hi quarrygirl readers, time for yet another international post from field reporter dadatamonkey! up until now his posts have been from london, england…but today’s comes all the way from barcelona, spain! check out this awesome review of maoz vegetarian, our favorite restaurant chain ever.

Hello peeps the Monkey is back! In Barcelona, Spain (BCN) for a couple of weeks and feasting like I never have here. I´ve even found a vegan bar with a classic Brit menu… Oh yeah, Barca is really rockin with vegan food… But for now, let us deal with of one of my all time faves: FALAFEL!!!

What can I say? Maoz Vegetarian BCN… I LOVE YOU! How much? 5 times in 7 days so far, so go figure. 😉 Yup. You guessed it, I´m a Maoz fan of old, and have eaten their superb Falafel in 3 different cities for years. All have been superb! This really is the ULTIMATE in (healthy) vegan fast food! QG has already sung their praises so I´ll just re-iterate how lucky I am that this venue serves the best version I´ve had the pleasure to devour…

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hi everyone, time for another vegan field report from across the pond. this one is written by rachel, who is staying in london for the next few weeks! she has lots of great reports in store, so stay tuned and enjoy this one.

The sign for Tibits you'll see when you turn onto Heddon Street

Located on a side street just off Regent Street, Tibits offers a pay-by-weight vegetarian (but MOSTLY vegan) buffet, which definitely satisfies after a busy day of shopping. When I first came here last summer, an employee happily told me how Tibits works- you simply start piling onto a plate all the items you want, bring it to the cashier counter where you place your plate on a scale. The prices are: for breakfast it is £1.50 per 100g, lunch is £1.90 per 100g, and dinner is £2.10 per 100g.

The food boat

The prepared hot and cold food are centrally located on, what Tibits like to call, a boat. Each selection has a description, and all of the vegan options (which was the majority, except the yogurt and butter I X-ed out) are marked as so. There are complimentary vegan rolls, but unfortunately there was no vegan margarine to accompany. Although I did not get any drinks, Tibits also has a bar offering cocktails, wine and beer.

My plate

Everything I tried was delicious. As shown in the photo, what I had included carrot salad, pasta with tomatoes, aubergines, green beans and quinoa- all of which were prepared and seasoned wonderfully. Inside the bowl is freshly cut fruit (and not just the boring cut melons you see most in fruit salads…it had grapes, kiwi, strawberries, and pineapple.) It was very refreshing since it was my first meal after a 9 1/2 hour flight where I didn’t eat anything because my “vegan” meal had cheese in it.

Tibits interior

The interior of Tibits is really nice, brightly colored furniture and walls give it a bohemian feel, and inside is very spacious. It was never very crowded the times I’ve been there, but I assume that around dinner time, the restaurant is packed.

The next time you are shopping on Regent Street, definitely check out Tibits.

Tibits
12-14 Heddon Street
off Regent Street
London W1B 4DA
Telephone
+44 (0)207 758 4110
Fax
+44 (0)207 734 0428

Mon – Wed
09:00 am – 10:30 pm
Thurs – Sat
09:00 am – midnight
Sun
11:30 am – 09:00 pm

hey guys, qg here. today is an exciting day, because our very first field reporter is now an official quarrygirl writer. i’d like to introduce you to this.charming.man! from now on, i won’t preface his entries. so sit back and enjoy his brief, honest, and often hilarious posts…the first being this one about zen palate in nyc.

this.charming.man

zen palate. nothing cray cray to rave about this place besides how great the food was and how quick it came. convenient and true vegan “fast food.” QG has already posted one of these dishes, the tofu delight, so i chose to try that myself yet opt for the fresh moo-shu rolls instead of fried taro roll which more fits my “palate.” after walking 50 some blocks from the upper west side, exploring where we now will call home, 2 iphones in hand: one with google maps blazin and the second with QG.com screaming, we choose ZP to cure our craving for chinese food….

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breaking news! here’s a very important update from brittany on our favorite food truck in los angeles…

so mandoline grill is already known for their amazing vegan lemongrass tofu banh mi, their awesome noodle bowls and the absolutely delicious spring rolls… BUT DID YOU KNOW THEY HAVE TACOS? probably not, because it is a top-secret menu item. these tacos share a lot of the same fixins as the banh mi – lemongrass tofu, cucumber, carrots, and cilantro – but then they are topped with a sriracha/vegenaise/garlic aioli. UM, DELICIOUS. and at $2/pop you can eat, like, 10 of them and not feel too bad about it.

lemongrass tofu taco with sriracha garlic aioli. $2 each.

brittany reporting for the qgnetwork.

check out mandoline grill’s website and follow them on twitter for info on their schedule.

PS: qg here. i cannot fucking wait to try these!!!!

hey everyone, time for another vegan field report! it comes to us from our very first correspondent ever, who is now stationed in manhattan. in this post, he reviews one of our favorite restaurants in the world, candle 79. here goes!

where to start besides, where have you been all my life candle 79. we had 8:30pm reservations and the place was packed, we waited at the bar an extra 15 minutes but no complaints a beverage was definitely in order.

we were seated, drinks ordered, and then it all started.

the server brought us out some complimentary radish starters and all i can say is they were more then RAD_ish, they were excellent. mango, cucumber, onion murdered in seconds flat.

we chose to order a few things seeing neither one of us could make up our minds.

smoked hummus: grilled paratha bread, olives, roasted garlic bulb, red pepper oil. $13

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happy weekend, folks! it’s time for another vegan field report by brittany from the sick of lettuce blog. this time she takes on our FAVORITE cult ever (read more about them here) with her review of loving hut’s cape coral location. we are huge fans of the food at loving hut here in LA, so let’s see how the florida restaurant stacks up.

as i’ve said before, the city my parents live in is pretty thin on vegan options. so imagine my surprise when i found out there was a 100% vegan restaurant in cape coral, fl! cape coral neighbors fort myers and loving hut is just a hop, skip, and a toll bridge away.

i’ve never been to the loving hut here in LA but i have heard good things. it’s not one of those crappy vegan thai places! so one day my mom and i drove over the bridge to check it out.

fried wonton: shiitake mushroom, cabbage, carrots. $2.75

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hey everyone, time for another vegan field report all the way from fort lauderdale, florida! this one is by brittany (from sick of lettuce), and covers the gourmet vegan restaurant sublime. we ate one of our favorite meals EVER at sublime, so it’s always nice to get a second opinion. here ya go:

i recently took a jaunt down to southwest florida to visit my folks and eat. a lot. unfortunately, the city they live in doesn’t have many restaurants with vegan options (more on those at later dates). FORTUNATELY, my mom is awesome and was willing to drive me 2 hours through the everglades for a day trip to miami, followed up by dinner at SUBLIME in fort lauderdale.

since we had a two hour drive back home, we got there promptly at 5:30 and opened the place up. i wasn’t sure what to expect when i got there. it is a LOT bigger than i thought it’d be – way bigger than any of the vegan restaurants here in LA. very upscale and while the dress code is casual, i felt like kind of a bum in my cutoffs. whoops.

after ordering my mom and i were quickly presented with some pesto polenta.

this was absolutely delicious. super strong basil/pesto flavor and a great polenta texture. these lasted about 15 seconds before they were completely devoured.

maryland style cakes with whole grain mustard sauce $11

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time for another vegan field report all the way from norfolk virginia. we’ll let our resident VA field reporter steve take it away…

I have traveled all over this country as a vegan, and I’ve never found a breakfast place quite as special as Yorgo’s. At first glance, it looks like your typical bagel shop; customers line up at the counter to place their order while cheap plates of hot food are slung out of the busy kitchen. There’s a small seating area, but most of the crowd is office workers grabbing their morning meal to-go. In an eatery like this, I’d honestly be happy just to have a tofu cream cheese option. Of course Yorgo’s has that, as well as a complete vegan menu with specialties ranging from “omelettes” and breakfast sandwiches to “cheeseburgers” and “philly cheesesteaks.”

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