UPDATE 1/10/10: i just heard that the culver city m cafe is running this pizza special on wednesday nights after 5pm! yay!

as if there aren’t enough places to get delicious vegan pizza in los angeles, you can now add m cafe de chaya on melrose to the list! on saturdays only, after 5pm (that means right now), the restaurant is offering a pizza night special for just $10.50.

thin crust individually prepared pizza toped with a slow cooked rustic marinara, daiya cheese, and fresh basil. $10.50 (add a baby green salad for $1.50)

i hit up m cafe on melrose this evening to try the special out on its very first night…and wow, i was very impressed. first off, the pizza is huge. m cafe is usually pretty expensive, but at under 11 bucks this pie is more than enough to feed 2 people. secondly, the crust is incredible. it’s ultra thin and crispy, and baked on the premises. it reminds me of gourmet pizza that one would find at a super classy joint. thirdly, all the ingredients are top notch and full of flavor. from the generous sprinklings of fresh basil to the hearty rustic marinara, the pizza is all so divine. oh, and lastly the whole thing is covered in daiya, the best vegan cheese around.

i think it’s safe to say, m cafe really hit a home run with this vegan pizza. while our options are plentiful in LA, i can’t think of another restaurant where you can get such a high-quality artisan pie at such a low price. it truly is amazing.

m cafe is open until 10pm tonight, so i suggest you get over there and eat some pizza like NOW. if you can’t make it this evening, be sure to hit them up next saturday. i really want to make sure this special stays around, because it’s so fucking good.

m cafe melrose
7119 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 525-0588

BTW, as far as i know this pizza is only at the melrose location. only on saturdays. only after 5pm. correct me if you hear differently!

i really can’t possibly give cruzer pizza enough love on this blog, ever. the small los feliz pizzeria went from actually offering the dreaded veal on their menu less than a year ago, to being the first place in the western U.S. to serve daiya, and now just months later to being california’s only 100% vegan pizzeria! can you believe it? as vegan.com put it so well, cruzer went from veal to vegan in no time! it’s like a fairy tale.

while cruzer pizza has already transformed into an entirely animal-free establishment, they are still improving their vegan menu. rumor is that very soon they will start offering various fake meats and cheeses for us to choose from, as well as novelty/gluttony dishes like potato skins, mozzarella sticks and cheesesteak sandwiches. in the meantime though, cruzer has been teasing the vegan community via twitter with specials like calzone samples and free “sassy caesar salads” with a pizza purchase! (if you don’t follow cruzer on twitter, you are crazy and missing out).

vegan calzone with daiya cheese, tomatoes, and basil

already a menu item, the vegan calzones at cruzer are delicious. i’ve tried the margherita flavor as well as gardein bbq chicken, and they are both insane.

cruzer uses daiya cheese and a wonderfully crispy dough, so the whole thing blossoms into this beautiful combo of crunchy and melty.

the sassy caesar salad is not a menu item yet, but i highly suggest that if you see cruzer tweet about it, you go over and get one as soon as you can. created by michelle sass (a vegan of over 20 years and the food consultant responsible for cruzer’s leap to all animal-free, and for hooking them up with daiya in the first place), this salad is covered in rich and creamy homemade dressing and topped with oven baked croutons. seriously, so good. i am hoping cruzer starts selling this dressing by the gallon, because it’s the best vegan caeser i’ve ever had….even ousting my beloved pure luck. i also think the croutons are key in making this salad a win; imagine fluffy cubed bread doused in oil and covered in herbs, then baked to perfection. yeah, cruzer should start selling these in bulk as well. michelle sass makes an ingenious sassy salad indeed.

so the lesson you should have learned from this post is to follow cruzer on twitter, and to get your ass over there as soon as they launch their new menu. i have a feeling it will be epic. and let’s hope michelle sass keeps spreading the vegan word around LA, because she seriously helped turn cruzer into something beyond my wildest dreams.

cruzer pizza los feliz
4449 Prospect Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 666-0600

While we usually cover LA’s extraordinary selection of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants (vegan, vegetarian and vegan-friendly), some individual menu items in our city stand out as exceptional, and we thought they deserved their own post.

We chose no-compromise vegan foods: menu items that make no apology for being vegan and that, with only a couple of exceptions, you can order pretty much any time.

Have some things to add to the list, or stuff you don’t like? Let us know in the comments!

A Taste of Life “Breakfast Sandwich”

UPDATE: just found out that in addition to being available at the Hollywood Farmers Market, this amazing breakfast sandwich can be found at Locali…so you can eat it seven days a week!

Why? Because it’s awesome, and they don’t run out of them now by 10am like they used to! The Hollywood Farmer’s Market is a Mecca for LA vegans, with plenty of superb things to enjoy. However, the staple food item to eat on the spot is from Taste Of Life. Their amazing Breakfast Sandwich is substantial, filling, tasty and completely vegan, costs only $5 and can be unwrapped and eaten on the go while you’re stocking up on stupidly over-priced organic carrots.

vegan breakfast sandwich: sausage, tofu, and cheese on a fluffy muffin. $5

Of course, if Taste Of Life does run out of La’s only vegan “McMuffin” , don’t forget you can get a side of amazing Mac ‘n’ Cheese which you can also wolf down while walking around the market.

Locali “Vegan Reuben”

LA’s eponymous Vegan Reuben Wars are, by now, legend. Despite the fact that Locali has done its best to alienate its twitter following, they do make some pretty amazing prepared vegan food, and the Reuben is no different. Like many dishes on this list, somebody sat down, deconstructed a Reuben, thought about how to veganize it, and experimented to perfect it. The resulting complex array of flavors and textures indicate this was no mean feat. We have had readers who have tried this sandwich write in from various different states, and tell us that this is the best vegan reuben they’ve ever tasted. Seriously!

vegan reuben: marinated deli slices topped with daiya cheese, sauerkraut & smothered with homemade vegan russian dressing. $9.75

Pure Luck Anything with jackfruit in it!

jackfruit torta: sauteed jackfruit “carnitas”, plus pinto beans, lettuce, tomato, onions, tomatillo salsa, sliced avocado and vegan mayo on a grilled rustic roll. $9

Why? Because Jackfruit, done Pure Luck style, is practically in a food group of its own. From the world infamous Todd’s Barbecue Sandwich, to the Jackfruit Torta, Tacos and Burrito, whatever they do to this exotic Bangladeshi delicacy (the Jackfruit is the National Fruit of Bangladesh, in case you didn’t know) takes it to a whole new level. Of course, any of the above ordered with a side of Potato Pals will fill you up on amazing, great value food. Oh, and they have a great selection of microbrews too, served on tap at reasonable prices…

todd's bbq sandwich: BBQ Jackfruit “pulled-pork” with pickles, onions and vegan mayo on a rustic roll. choice of side. $9

Madeleine Bistro “Donut”

fresh organic donut with organic fruit compote. $2

Why? Because like everything Chef Dave prepares, the donut is at the pinnacle of vegan cuisine. Something so simple and yet so tasty is a real treat to enjoy, and it arrives warm and crispy to your table. Of course, if you go to Madeleine’s for a donut, don’t forget the other menu items so that you can order some of the best vegan food on the West Coast (or any coast, actually). Yeah, and it costs only $2… WTF?

M Cafe “Vegan Benedict”

vegan benedict: grilled whole-grain baguette steamed kale, tomato, tempeh bacon with soy hollandaise. $10.25

Why? Because LA is awash with Vegan Benedicts, and most are created pretty equal – usually some form of English Muffin with tofu, spinach and a creamy sauce. M Cafe, however, throws all they have into the pot on this one with their own crusty bread (baked on the premises), an awesome scrambled tofu mix, crunchy tempeh bacon and perfectly steamed kale, all topped with a wonderfully creamy hollandaise-style sauce. It’s a feast for two, easily eatable by one.

Vinh Loi Tofu “VL Sub”

ham sub at vinh loi tofu $5.50

Why? Because getting full in this town on tasty vegan food for only $5.50 is only really possible in one place: Vinh Loi Tofu. Chef Kevin Tran takes a generous size half baguette, and stuffs it full of his legendary seasoned “vegan meats” (from his factory out back), tons of vegetables, fresh jalapenos and sells it at a rock bottom price. Oh, and while you’re there, order some excellent deep fried tofu, Pad Thai or noodle soup to eat in, or to go. This stuff keeps in the fridge for weeks, and heats up really well, so stock up!

Purgatory Pizza Any of their gourmet pizzas

vegan pizza: daiya cheese, kalamata olives, fresh basil and tomatoes.

Why? Back in the day, Purgatory was the only pizza joint in LA that truly innovated the art of gourmet vegan pizza – breaking away from the humdrum Follow Your Heart cheese. Even though the legendary Chef Ricky has moved out of LA, Purgatory continues to create his awesome recipes with Daiya cheese as well as Field Roast and Gardein “meats”, gourmet sauteed vegetables and a pioneering creativity unmatched anywhere else. Also, you can BYOB, and eat in – try it, you won’t be sorry!

Purgatory was, is and (until a challenger unseats it!) the best vegan pizza in LA.

Stuff I Eat “The Soul Food Platter”

organic soul food platter: yams, Vegan mac 'n ' cheese, Organic BBQ Tofu, organic kale greens, organic mini cornbread muffins and your choice of organic potato salad or coleslaw. $18

Why? Because just a few blocks from I405 down in Old Town Inglewood lurks one of the most sumptuous vegan dishes known to man, woman or beast. The “Soul Food Platter” is a bit of an understatement, as this dish arrives on two plates, two bowls and a jug or two of sauces and dressing and spans the gamut of Soul Food from beans to mac n cheese to cornbread and greens. (Not all of it would fit into the picture, there are side dishes missing!) This meal is arguably the best vegan thing to eat in LA, is all fresh, organic and just fucking awesome. Nuff Said. Go try it.

Meet Market “All You Can Eat Brunch”

vegans get their fill of breakfast, orange juice, and coffee on sunday mornings. $10

Why? I’ll tell you why. Tofu scramble. Breakfast potatoes. “Bacon”. Seitan sausage. Waffles. French toast. Fresh fruit. All of it the best in town, and all of it (and as much of it) available to you most Sundays for only $10 a person. Add in unlimited organic coffee and fresh orange juice with everything completely vegan, and this event seems too good to be true. Well, it isn’t. It’s good AND true, proving heaven really is a place on earth – or in Silverlake, at least.

The Frankenstand “The Franken” or “The Witch”

the franken: this classic sausage will make you feel alive! with a monster blend of sun dried tomatoes and basil giving it a slightly sweet taste. $5

Mr. Ray “catch me if you can” Frankenstand invented illusive, desirable mobile food dining long before Kogi was a glimmer in Mike Prasad’s eye (he invented Kogi, right?!). Peering out of the shadows of an obscure MySpace page, Frankenstand now has a twitter presence and is much easier to find these days. Show up as late as you like when Frankens are being cooked, and you’ll enjoy awesome service, creative plant-based dogs and a range of sides and toppings, all completely vegan. I love standing in line at 1am outside an event watching omnivores wolfing down vegan food, and going back for more. You should too.

There are, of course, another 10 awesome meals in LA – Samosa House Jackfruit Curry, Native Foods Cheeseburger, Cafe Muse Buffalo Wrap, Cruzer Pizza (form the all-vegan location in Los Feliz), Flore Seitan Avocado Salad, Frysmith Chili Fries, Veggie Grill V Burger, Mamas Hot Tamales Enchiladas, Shojin Sushi, Yummy Cupcakes in a jar (an amazing invention, if you ask me, and the jars have a second life as wine glasses!).

There are also another 10, and 10 after that too. I love being a vegan in LA with such a huge choice of amazing things to eat every day.

vegan calzone with daiya cheese, tomatoes, and basil

we told you a few days ago that cruzer pizza in los feliz would be making the leap to become a 100% vegan pizzeria, and as of yesterday they have officially stopped selling animal products! i stopped by on cruzer’s first night of being an animal-free establishment and they even let me test some products and start designing my very own “quarrygirl pizza” to appear on their january menu!

although they don’t offer it now, cruzer was experimenting with some italian field roast sausage in the kitchen last night. this is one of my favorite fake meats ever, so i had to use it as a topping on the quarrygirl pizza.

other toppings included two types of marinated mushrooms…

daiya cheese, garlic, and plenty of olive oil…

i even got to put this in the oven myself and see it through the whole process!

the pizza came out absolutely wonderful. it was very rich and greasy, with a heavy mushroom taste and crispy crumbled sausage. there was no tomato sauce on it, but rather an oil base. by the time this actually ends up on cruzer’s menu, the sauce and flavors will be more sophisticated….but hey, it was great for a first try!

quarrygirl pizza (coming soon!) white sauce, mushrooms, field roast sausage, garlic, and daiya cheese.

while i was at cruzer, i also got to make a gluten-free pizza and test that out. i must admit, it was pretty damn good! the g-f pizzas are smaller and the crust is much crispier, but i quite enjoyed it.

it was great hanging out at cruzer on their first night as a vegan pizzeria, and hearing all the orders come in. there were even a few people that called up for meat pizzas, and ended up trying out the vegan ones instead! so awesome. although cruzer is using daiya, gardein, and yves products right now, they are looking to expand and carry a variety of vegan cheeses as well as other mock meats. stay tuned, because i have a feeling that their menu is going to get really fucking interesting. until then, go support cruzer anyway. hooray for LA’s first and only vegan pizza place!

this is where the meat products used to be at cruzer....all gone!

oh and BTW, now you can follow cruzer on twitter!

cruzer pizza
4449 Prospect Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 666-0600
Sun-Thu. 4pm-10pm
Fri-Sat. 4pm-11pm

hey people: i’ve got some breaking los angeles vegan news, so listen up! lucky for us, cruzer pizza and pasta in los feliz (the first place in the western US to start carrying daiya cheese) has made the decision to turn into a 100% vegan establishment. they are using up their remaining meat and cheese supplies, and expect to be completely animal-free by monday. not just that, but over the holidays they are revamping their menu and adding loads of new stuff—all vegan, of course!

do you understand what this means?! this is HUGE. an all vegan pizza place, that delivers, right here in LA!!! there are barely any vegan pizza joints in the country, and to get to the few there are, you would need to take a plane journey. i am soooOOOOOooooOOOOOOOo excited about this. go eat at cruzer now to show your support…they offer huge fluffy and delicious pizzas covered in daiya cheese and mock meats like gardein. and if you see the owner give them a kiss from me, because this is the best news i’ve heard in awhile.

PS: the glendale cruzer location offers vegan stuff as well, but there are no plans for it to go completely animal-free. just fyi, this is only for the los feliz restaurant.
PPS: cruzer is in the process of changing their delivery hours, so call ahead.

if you ever find yourself in thousand oaks, be sure to grab a meal at PizzaSalad. the all organic eatery focuses on “environmentally responsible” pizza and salad, which of course means they have loads of vegan options. we tried them out a few weeks ago, and all our food was not just delicious, but extremely fresh and healthy tasting.

pizza special: soy-free vegan cheese, broccoli, zucchini and tomatoes. $16

the day we were there, PizzaSalad was advertising a specialty pizza packed with vegetables including broccoli, zucchini and tomatoes. we just had to try it. the restaurant had two different kinds of vegan cheese to choose from, one with soy and one that was soy-free. when we asked if either of the cheeses contained casein, the employee behind the counter pulled out an ingredient list for both. they were both 100% vegan, and we went with the soy-free option that was made from cassava root. the pizza was absolutely wonderful. thin chalky crust, perfectly melted cheese, and a generous amount of vegetables. a+!

kosa salad: crisp romaine and iceberg lettuce, portobella mushrooms, natural black olives and artichokes tossed in grava dressing. $6.30

we also ordered a salad to share—the kosa, which comes with romaine, iceberg, portobella mushrooms, black olives and artichokes. it was all tossed in a unique vegan dressing made from a blend of oil, tahini, cider vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, herbs and spices. the salad at first didn’t really sound that interesting to me, but with one bite it blew me away. it was tangy and flavorful and filled with the freshest produce you can imagine. the salad was just as good (if not better) than the pizza!

i really can’t fault any of the food we ate at PizzaSalad, everything was top notch. the atmosphere is really casual, with a counter you order at and a few small tables for dining. my only complaint with this place is that the dude who served us was rude beyond belief. as he showed us the ingredients for the vegan cheeses, he looked totally annoyed that we had asked about casein. then i smiled at him on the way out and he gave me a really nasty look. whatever, i will be back to PizzaSalad because the food was fucking awesome.

PizzaSalad
1655 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd #104
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
805-371-7878

hey los angeles vegans! just a quick post to let you know that whole foods has some special holiday offerings including seasonal products from gardein and field roast.

in the prepared foods section, you can find a whole holiday spread which features stuffed turk’y roasts by gardein and stuffed hazelnut cranberry en croute by field roast. both products look absolutely delicious, although i haven’t had the chance to try them yet.

gardein stuffed turkey at whole foods

they also are offering gardein rosemary grilled breast. seriously, there is no excuse not to have a vegan thanksgiving. everything you need is at whole foods!

also, at whole foods west hollywood (fairfax and sanmo) they will be offering 50% OFF all whole and 12 inch prepack pizzas! This includes the basu’s homestyle pizzas, the black garlic pizzas, or you can create your own! they also have a hummus pizza and a field roast pizza, which i haven’t tried yet. whole foods uses daiya cheese on their vegan pizza and they do a fucking amazing job, so i suggest you take this opportunity to check it out if you haven’t already.

i know i will be hitting up whole foods for some vegan thanksgiving eats, as well as a post-holiday pizza.

…because now you have no excuse! our favorite vegan-friendly pizza joint is open for lunch 7 days a week.

SEE YOU THERE? motherfuckers?

PURGATORY PIZZA. do it.

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ever since zpizza (my favorite pizza chain ever) started carrying daiya cheese, i have been on a mission to try everything they offer that’s veganize-able. from the vegan sausage pizza, to the tuscan, to the provence, i have been working my way through their menu.

vegan california: organic tomato sauce, daiya cheese, fresh rounds of tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos, mushrooms, zucchini, black olives

over the weekend i tried out the california pizza with daiya rather than mozzarella cheese, and jalapenos instead of bell peppers. almost every time i try something new at zpizza, i instantly have a new favorite. the same was true of the california pizza, this thing was fucking awesome!

covered in a generous amount of fresh vegetables and topped with perfectly-melted daiya cheese, i really can’t think of a better pizza.

our trusty quarrygirl operative who us evidence of vegan pizza in las vegas is now stationed in san diego…and guess what? there’s vegan pizza there as well!

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it’s been a bad year for some of our favorite restaurants. a taste of life has closed its storefront, that’s amore is completely gone, and flore cafe is on the brink of shutting down as well. on top of all this, today i found out that the shitty economy is threatening the best place to get vegan pizza in los angeles: purgatory pizza.

vegan pizza: daiya cheese, roasted garlic, fresh basil, tomatoes, red onions.

the owner of purgatory pizza tweeted this morning, “TRYING to stay open…. Damn economy!” i dug a bit deeper, and the restaurant confirmed that if business doesn’t pick up, it’s a very real possibility that they could be forced to close their doors. i can’t even stress to you WHAT AN EPIC TRAGEDY THIS WOULD BE FOR THE LOS ANGELES VEGAN SCENE. after all, purgatory was named one of the top 5 omnivorous restaurants in los angeles. i know that tons of places in LA are offering daiya pizza now, but purgatory is the only place where you can get pizza with daiya cheese, gardein vegan chicken, AND field roast artisan grain meats. it’s also the best place to get nyc style vegan pizza in town, and they even have vegan pesto as well!

Vegan Chicken Pesto Pizza with Gardein and Daiya at Purgatory Pizza.

seriously, purgatory pizza is a one-of-a-kind restaurant and we can’t let it go out of business. they were the first pizza place to bend over backwards for vegans in los angeles, and i think it’s safe to say they have some of the best (if not THE BEST) vegan pizza in LA. they are a little bit out of the way for most folks, but the food is worth it and they have a quiet atmosphere where you can BYOB! so get out and spend some money at purgatory pizza ASAP. i highly recommend you try either the gardein chicken with pesto or the “classic” pizza with added field roast sausage. they know how to melt daiya vegan cheese perfectly, and i’ve never had a pizza there i didn’t absolutely love. if they shut down, i will cry.

purgatory pizza
1326 East 1st Street
Los Angeles CA 90033
(323) 262-5310

the decimation of los angeles (okay, well orange county) vegan dining options continues with this week’s closure of that’s amore in cerritos. that’s right, our favorite vegetarian italian eatery has been hit hard by the recession and is being forced to close its doors on wednesday night. come thursday, one of the pioneering restaurants of vegan pizza in southern california, and the only place i know where you can get a vegan cannoli, will be closed for good. no more that’s amore.

decadent vegan cannoli at that's amore

that’s amore came to us at a time when there was practically NO OTHER vegan pizza option in LA/OC, and it is so sad to see them go out like this…especially since they are a vegetarian business. if you don’t have plans over the next few days (or even if you do, you should break them!), head over to that’s amore and get one last slice of amazing vegan pizza plus some authentic italian vegan dessert.

special thanks to the email tipster who sent me this info (which, sadly was confirmed by that’s amore).

that’s amore
13349 Artesia Blvd. Cerritos CA. 90703
Monday thru Saturday 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
(562) 926-2112

UPDATE 11/12: apparently some zpizza locations are now carrying non-vegan crumbles. so be sure to check ingredients before eating.

UPDATE 11/11: i have been talking to zpizza, and the veggie crumbles are STILL VEGAN, and they are lining up a new supplier!

UPDATE 10/15: zpizza corporate has contacted me, and they still have the OLD (vegan) morningstar crumbles in stock…and that stock should last for about 2 months. zpizza is scrambling right now to find new replacement crumbles that are still vegan. i’m sure with all the great faux meats out there, they will be successful. we will keep you updated! THANKS FOR BEING SO AWESOME, ZPIZZA. you make my vegan heart and tummy happy!

UPDATE 10/10: since the time of this post, i have learned that zpizza’s veggie crumbles are NO LONGER VEGAN. this isn’t zpizza’s fault…unfortunately, they use morningstar farms meal starters which used to be vegan but now CONTAIN MILK AND EGGS! GAH! why did morningstar farms have to go and ruin a good thing. SHAME ON THEM. you should still totally go to zpizza though, just avoid the crumbles.

…and that means vegan zpizza with daiya cheese!

i seriously can’t believe how the vegan pizza scene in los angeles has exploded over the past few months. we went from having almost no pizza options to having several, with tons of pizzerias offering daiya vegan cheese (a product so convincing and amazing, it changed my life). and of all the vegan pizza options in this town, one of the tastiest (and by far the most convenient) is zpizza, a national pizza chain with several LA locations. we have been working our way through the the zpizza menu, veganizing different pizzas to find which one is the best. recently we tried out the tuscan, which was amazing, and since then we have tried two more delicious creations.

vegan sausage and mushroom pizza with soy crumbles and daiya cheese

the first was from the “pizza standards” menu, a veganized version of the sausage and mushroom. we ordered the pizza and substituted daiya for real cheese, and soy crumbles for sausage. we also got it with roasted garlic sauce, because that sauce is the best sauce on the planet. this may sound like a pretty typical combo, but i can tell you this pizza was nothing short of spectacular. it was right up there in with the tuscan in awesomeness…perfectly garlicky and creamy with succulent mushrooms and fennel-seasoned crumbles. i highly recommend you try this one out.

the next pizza we tried was the provence (veganized) from the zpizza creations menu…

vegan provence pizza with daiya cheese. hold the capers, add mushrooms.

this pizza normally comes with capers, which we replaced with mushrooms….so our provence was covered with tomato sauce, roasted garlic sauce, daiya cheese, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, tomatoes and fresh basil. this pizza was also really damn tasty, i loved the two sauce combination! the ingredients were all super fresh, and the thing was packed with flavor from the garlic sauce and basil. while i didn’t like this quite as much as the tuscan or sausage and mushroom, i’d highly suggest you try it if you are in an italian-y pizza kind of mood.

so what are you gonna order on your pizza tonight?! remember, friday night is PIZZA NIGHT!!!! hit up zpizza and go wild. here is a list of their vegan options!

whole foods has done it again. the prepared food section that was one of the first places in los angeles to get daiya covered pizza, hot gardein products, and basu’s homestlye masala is now wowing us again with another revolutionary product, black garlic.

starting out as normal garlic, black garlic undergoes an intense and complicated fermentation process that makes it darker in color, sweeter to the taste, and stickier to the touch. it’s fruity and tangy, yet mild…filled with complex flavors, minus the annoying stuff that usually comes with garlic like pungent odor. that’s right, you can eat a mouth full of this delicious stuff and not walk away with bad breath. do i have your attention now?

being a longtime garlic fan and huge pizza lover, imagine how excited i was when the folks at whole foods and black garlic invited me to the weho store to taste the new product that they are rolling out this week in their prepared food section on some daiya covered vegan pizzas! i went in with pretty high expectations, all of which were exceeded. the black garlic was incredible!

the first type of pizza i sampled was whole foods’ special seasonal creation, the fall harvest or “deconstructed cabbage roll” pizza. this thing came covered in mozzarella and cheddar daiya, tomato sauce, shredded cabbage, green apple, black garlic and agave nectar. i’m usually not a fan of fruit on pizza at all, but this thing really blew me away. the sweetness was perfectly paired with black garlic’s subtle tangy-ness, and the 2 types of daiya added a load of rich flavor. speaking of daiya, whole foods weho really knows how to work with it on pizza…adding just the right amount for optimum melt without annoying clumpage that comes with too much cheese.

the second pizza i tried was italian-inspired and covered in pesto sauce, mozzarella daiya, tomatoes and black garlic. this is typically the kind of pizza i would order with roasted garlic, but the black garlic gave it a much more complex and rich flavor, without overpowering the pesto.

after trying these two pizzas and tasting some of the black garlic on its own, i’m thinking this stuff has endless possibilities. for garlic lovers, it introduces a whole new world of complex flavors….and for people who haven’t discovered the joys of garlic yet, this stuff isn’t all acrid and intimidating. on top of being delicious, black garlic is extremely healthy as well. it’s loaded up with twice as many antioxidants as raw garlic, and contains a cancer-preventing compound called S-Allycysteine!

black garlic is available in the prepared foods section of whole foods west hollywood this week, and should be rolled out at other socal outlets over the next couple weeks. i highly suggest you get over there and try this stuff asap on a vegan pizza. it’s like nothing i’ve ever tasted. plus, whole foods pizzas are cheap as hell. for about 15 bucks, you get enough vegan pizza to feed about 5 people!

for more info on black garlic, check out their website and follow them on twitter.

whole foods weho
7871 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046-5344
(323) 848-4200