we’ve got some pretty exciting news! whole foods locations in los angeles have decided to participate in meatless mondays!

every monday the stores’ prepared foods sections will feature three vegan items at a discount (usually $2 off per pound), and surround them with appropriate sides that would round off a nice meal set…

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want delicious gourmet vegan food at affordable prices? if so, you are gonna love the new meatless monday specials at tender greens. the restaurant started the initiative this week, and from now on every monday, in addition to their regular menu, they will offer seasonal vegetarian and vegan dishes with an emphasis on whole foods (no processed ingredients or fake meats).

we have been fans of tender greens for quite awhile; their salads are fresh and made with the finest ingredients, and their “happy vegan” plate is one of the best meals in town. so when we heard that they’d be offering new vegan items each week, we were beyond excited. we dined at the west hollywood location on monday, and were absolutely thrilled with our dinner. tender greens really took it to the next level with this one.

homemade vegan pasta with chili roasted heirloom tomatoes, toasted garlic, basil, arugula, and lemon vinaigrette. $10.50

we started with the pasta special, which normally comes topped with parmesan, but was easily veganized. the chef came to our table specifically to describe the dish: homemade noodles made with 00 flour, chili roasted heirloom tomatoes, toasted garlic, basil, arugula and lemon vinaigrette. this meal was amazing…i couldn’t get enough of the little heirloom tomatoes that were so delicate they basically melted in my mouth. pure excellence from the thick noodles, to the light sauce, the flavorful bits of garlic, and the fresh greens.

grilled oyster mushrooms, black barley, baby heirloom squash, rainbow chard. $10.50

next, we tried the special of grilled oyster mushrooms, black barley, baby heirloom squash, and rainbow chard. this is one of the best dishes i’ve had in a while, truly spectacular. the flavor combos going on here were insane, and the chewy meaty mushrooms were mind blowing. all the vegetables were grilled to perfection, and tasted great all mixed up with the barley. i am so used to eating salads at tender greens, i had no idea they were capable of this kind of food! it’s so high quality, like the stuff you’d find at a fancy restaurant, but for just over ten bucks.

another thing tender greens has going for it seven days a week, not just on mondays, is a good selection craft beer. they switch it up regularly, and always have something good on tap whether it’s from the local eagle rock brewery, deschutes in portland, or ballast point in san diego. oh, and they are all available by the pitcher. glug glug!

it’s safe to say i am a huge fan of meatless mondays at tender greens, and i hope they keep it going strong at all their los angeles locations indefinitely. seriously, get over there and check it out as soon as you can. if your food is even half as good as the stuff i ate, you will love it. my tip would be to check out tender greens’ twitter page each monday, and see what they are serving at each of the locations. that way, you can be sure to get a special that’s to your liking. also, always confirm that what you are ordering is vegan, and doesn’t come with any superfluous cheese or anything.

tender greens, nice work. thanks so much for embracing the meatless monday movement. here’s to hoping other LA restaurants follow your lead!

tender greens
8759 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 358-1919
and
6290 West Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 382-0380
and
9523 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 842-8300