• July 25th, 2011quarrygirlLA restaurants, mooi, seabirds

    it’s almost time for another summer vegan patio session at verdugo bar! sunday august 7th, seabirds is trucking it up all the way from orange county with guest chef stephen hauptfuhr to serve up a full menu of cooked and raw goodness, paired with craft beers by the verdugo.

    Beer Battered Avocado Taco - Topped w/shredded cabbage, red onion and creamy tequila-jalapeno sauce. $2

    the menu is gonna be pretty epic. so far it will include jackfruit tacos, beer-battered avocado tacos, mac and “cheese” with roasted figs and mushrooms, alfredo zucchini pasta, greek hummus wrap with sweet potato fries, and a walnut fudge brownie with ice cream. proceeds will benefit benji the dog, so don’t miss it!!

    facebook invite and full info after the jump…

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  • April 3rd, 2011quarrygirlmore restaurants (not LA), vancouver

    time for another vegan field report! this one comes to us from Geanna who recently visited an all raw/vegan/organic take-out restaurant in canada called gorilla food. for you raw peeps out there, this place looks pretty promising. if it’s good enough for joey potter, it’s good enough for me.

    You’ve probably heard of Gorilla Food because they had a recent visit by none other than Mrs. Tom Cruise (that’s Katie Holmes to we mere mortals). She made quite a stir by visiting this raw and vegan cafe located in Gas Town in downtown Vancouver, BC

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  • March 2nd, 2011quarrygirlcafe gratitude, LA restaurants

    los angeles vegans, rejoice! cafe gratitude is opening today in larchmont village!

    vegan cheesy potatoes will be there!

    the vegetarian restaurant chain (almost entirely vegan, but some menu items contain honey), is already a huge hit in the bay area and we are so happy they’ve decided to set up shop in LA. and in even better news, they’ll be serving some of the menu items from their sister restaurant gracias madre (one of our favorite places EVER)!

    lilliam over at mondette stopped by the new cafe gratitude location and swiped a copy of the insane-looking menu. check it out:

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  • February 22nd, 2011quarrygirlcru, LA restaurants, sunpower natural cafe

    raw vegan lasagna at cru is no more!

    hey everyone, just a quick update on the cru silverlake situation…

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  • February 15th, 2011quarrygirlcru, LA restaurants

    WTF?! this can’t be good! cru, one of our favorite vegetarian restaurants, has shut down temporarily and is changing chefs?! the news comes to us via eater.com:

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  • February 13th, 2011quarrygirlproducts

    i looove chocolate, so naturally i jumped at the chance to receive some rawkin raw samples—vegan raw superfoods that (as i found) totally taste like candy.

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  • February 4th, 2011quarrygirlkindkreme, LA restaurants

    we have been waiting for awhile, and the day is finally here! kindkreme, LA’s dairy-free ice cream parlor, is opening a second location in pasadena this weekend!

    i got a chance to scope out the new digs, and this place is even bigger and better than the original. here are some pix and things you can look forward to at the grand opening on february 5th…

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  • January 2nd, 2011quarrygirlother, products

    zenergy powerballs! come on, with a name like that, they’ve gotta be awesome. and they are.

    zenergy powerballs are completely raw, vegan, organic snacks that are packed with superfood for nutrition. when the company that makes them offered me some to sample, of course i said yes.

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  • December 7th, 2010quarrygirlproducts

    curasé is a local company that specializes in “raw chocolate remedies“, organic vegan chocolates prepared by hand, one batch at a time.

    recently jessica erler, the creator and maker of curasé chocolates, sent me a box to sample and they completely blew my mind. this was some of the best chocolate i’ve tried in my entire life (vegan or not)…

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  • This week we brought you a list of the 5 best vegan restaurants in Los Angeles, an update on last year’s list. But if a 100% vegan eatery isn’t on the cards for whatever reason, LA has a superb selection of vegan-friendly vegetarian restaurants, some of which rival or exceed the offerings available at vegan-only establishments. From a 60s-era hippie health-food store to a modern hipster hangout, LA has it all. Check out our top five vegan-friendly vegetarian restaurants and please let us know in the comments if you think any don’t deserve the list, or you have a favorite that should be on it.

    Elf

    This tiny restaurant without any signage on a busy section of Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park is quite the find. With seating for only a handful of people, and usual wait times an hour or more, there has to be something cool about Elf. And, indeed, there is. While vegetarian, many dishes are either vegan or vegan optional with everything prepared from scratch in the open kitchen. Being strictly word of mouth (I mean, a restaurant with no sign outside that doesn’t advertise anywhere has to be, right?) yet so busy shows that there’s something very special inside.

    Roasted Flatbread Shawarma made with Crispy Oyster Mushrooms at Elf

    The menu is relatively diminutive, yet highly inventive. Some of the food items have been there for a while, and others rotate in and out as the chefs see fit. The atmosphere is dark, and romantic until, that is, the place fills up then it gets incredibly loud and busy and the tables are very close together so one can sometimes feel cramped. Also, they have a BYO policy so you can bring your own wine and pay a small ($4) corkage fee, which always works out to be a fraction of the price you’d pay for the normal 100%+ mark-up on restaurant wine.

    Hummus King

    UPDATE: hummus king in thee valley has closed down, but they are offering catering and free delivery until they hopefully re-open in silverlake!

    I don’t know much about Kosher restaurant certification other than it’s difficult and expensive to get and involves visits from Rabbis etc. I’d imagine, though, that the certification is easier if there’s not meat served in an establishment, so I’m really pleased that Hummus King is 100% OU Kosher and 100% vegetarian (which means basically vegan except for some optional toppings).

    Vegan Shwarama Sandwich at Hummus King

    Hummus king has a few things going for it, principally the BEST hummus in the 818, probably the BEST falafel (my personal favorite is the crazily spicy “fire ball” falafel) and the best meaty vegan shawarma available. The generous portion sizes, incredible value and beyond polite service make Hummus King one of my favorite places to visit. Whether you’re up for a full-on dine in meal or you just want to grab a stuffed pita to go, Hummus King has you covered. Don’t let the bright fluorescent lights and plastic seats fool you: what lies beneath the low-rent exterior is some of the best vegan food you’ll ever eat.

    And, if you’re strictly Kosher, why not try Hummus King? Be cruelty free – it won’t hurt (you or the animals).

    Cru

    I’ve been to Cru a bunch of times, always enjoyed the food and atmosphere but for me it really defies classification. It’s a raw restaurant that serves some cooked food. It’s a vegan restaurant that serves honey (therefore proudly titling itself “vegetarian”). It’s also a small space that never really seems crowded, even though it’s frequently full with long hour plus waits on the outside. One good thing is that Cru seems to be dropping honey as an ingredient in many of its dishes, which is a great thing. Of all non-vegan ingredients, honey is perhaps the easiest to substitute and I’m looking forward to being able to eat more and more of the menu as time goes on.

    Raw Lasagna Portobello at Cru

    The menu is pretty diverse, but seems to contain the same narrow list of root ingredients, so if you order a few things you may end up with strikingly similar appearing and tasting dishes. Normally that would be instant disqualification from a “best of” list, but because those base ingredients are so damn good everything works out to be excellent. You can taste the quality of the ingredients and the care that went into preparing them. I typically stick to the raw dishes for a change, but the cooked items are superb. Cru won’t disappoint you, but be careful for hidden honey.

    Samosa House

    We’ve had a hot and cold relationship with Samosa House in the past, but their inclusion on this list is proof positive that our earlier misgivings are all resolved. Located on the Western end of Culver City, Samosa House is an Indian vegetarian paradise. They not only serve the crispiest, tastiest samosas this side of Bangalore, but have a 20-item prepared food section that rotates regularly and is mostly vegan.

    Vegetarian Dinner Combo at Samosa House

    For only $7.99 you can fill up on rice, roti and three selections from the prepared food section, and occasionally there are some special extras like a burger or bhelpuri that’s been specially created by the chef. Although this is prepared food served at the back of a grocery store, don’t let that fool you, as the quality you’ll get meets or exceeds what most Indian restaurants in LA can offer, and for a fraction of the price.

    One word of warning, the lines can get long at the counter, especially after 7pm so go early to avoid the rush. Your food will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, and heats up just fine in the microwave. Great food, great deal and some of the nicest people anywhere wait for you at Samosa House.

    Follow Your Heart

    It’s a pure coincidence that the last two entries on this list are both supermarkets as well as restaurants. You can fill up on groceries as well as yummy food on one visit, which is a good thing in my book, especially at Follow Your Heart, an amazing vegetarian oasis, established in 1970 in Canoga Park, which has LA’s premier (= only) vegetarian grocery store with a TON of vegan products (some of which can’t be purchased anywhere else). Not only that, it has a cosy restaurant and patio where some of LA’s finest vegan food is waiting for you.

    Vegan Reuben with Cottage-Style Tofu at Follow Your Heart

    Don’t miss the Reuben Sandwich (make sure you ask for extra 1,000 island dressing), as a human being has to try this out at least once in their life! There are many, many dishes with home made fake meats, and vegan entrees such as breakfast burritos, benedicts etc. Follow Your Heart does a SUPER job with the restaurant food and you pretty much can’t go wrong. If you’re averse to honey (hopefully you are, bees are cool), the buns have honey in them, so be sure to order your delicious burger on VEGAN bread.

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  • September 12th, 2010quarrygirlmichigan, more restaurants (not LA)

    field report time! this one comes to us all the way from michigan, and is written by VeganHeartDoc. so sit back, relax, and enjoy her review of the tree house!

    Hi there! I’m a huge fan of Quarrygirl and all that she has accomplished for the vegan community. She has graciously allowed me to contribute to her blog! When I’m not eating fabulous vegan food, I’m a cardiologist with my own blog, veganheartdoc.com.

    My first report comes from the field – the Midwest – The Tree House in Farmington, Michigan, a small suburb of Detroit. Now, when you visit the Midwest, a vegetarian establishment is hard to come by, and the definition of a veg-friendly restaurant is “menu has a veggieburger”.

    The Tree House is a health food store most of the time, but on Sundays from 1-6 pm, it becomes a vegetarian, mostly vegan and mostly raw buffet. As I was visiting my folks back home for the weekend, I was eager to check out their fare.

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  • September 11th, 2010quarrygirlLA restaurants, mooi

    this is GREAT NEWS. mooi, one of the best places to get raw food in los angeles, is now offering a full sunday brunch menu with both raw and cooked items! i can’t think of anywhere else to get vegan brunch in echo park…so eastsiders, get on this.

    brunch will be offered every sunday at mooi from 10am to 3pm, and you can check out the menu here. i don’t know about you, but the “lenti, spinach, walnut & seared shiitake mushroom terrine” is calling my name!

    stephen hauptfuhr (the owner and chef at mooi) was kind enough to send me some snap shots of the brunch items for your enjoyment. so get over there and check them out this sunday!

    raw rosemary cashew cheese, anise walnut sausage, peas and greens in a coconut mango crepe.

    MORE PIX after the jump —>

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  • August 16th, 2010quarrygirlLA restaurants, mooi

    we have a winner for the mooi pizza contest! and the prize goes to PETER with:

    a variation of a hearty Meatball Pizza called “Mooiball Pizza”:

    Mooiballs/Meatballs: (walnuts/cremini mushrooms/nama shoyu/cloves/garlic/ thyme/oregano/crushed red pepper/flax seed oil/sea salt/pepper)

    Tomato Sauce: (plum tomatoes/sea salt/pepper/fresh thyme/olive oil marinated sun-dried tomatoes/garlic clove/fresh basil leaves/fresh thyme/dried oregano/ crushed red pepper/sea salt/pepper)

    Cheese: (cashews/sea salt/ garlic clove/black pepper/flax seed oil)

    And add slices of Fennel and Vidalia Onion.

    congratulations, peter! enjoy your complimentary dinner for 2. 🙂

    everyone else, be sure to get to mooi for some tasty raw vegan pizza ASAP.

    mooi
    1700 W Sunset Blvd
    Los Angeles, CA 90026

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  • August 6th, 2010quarrygirlLA restaurants, mooi

    hey everyone, i’ve got some pretty exciting news! starting next week (probably on wednesday), mooi in echo park will be offering 4 flavors of raw vegan pizza. the restaurant has featured pizza as a special before, and it was so popular that they decided to add it to the regular menu.

    the best part about all this though, is that mooi wants YOU to come up with their newest pizza flavor. all you gotta do is leave a comment with the type of raw vegan pizza you’d like to see at the restaurant. the winner will get a complimentary dinner for two at mooi, as well as their pizza choice added to the menu! neato, huh?

    but first, let me tell you about the fantastic pizzas mooi is gonna start carrying next week. i got a sneak peak at these babies and i was completely blown away.

    margherita: sweet chunky marinara, olive oil, macadamia mozzarella, fesh basil leaves & sliced tomato.

    the margherita was my favorite—simple flavors, but perfectly executed. it came with chunky marinara, oilve oil, macadamia mozzarella, fresh basil, and sliced tomato. i gotta admit, i am a huge fan of cooked pizza, and this thing still won me over big time. the “bread” crust was ridiculously convincing, and the macadamia cheese was TO DIE FOR. i am really beginning to think nut-based cheese is the best tasting vegan cheese there is. i was seriously shocked by how good this pizza was, maybe it’s because i didn’t know quite what to expect.

    hawaiian style: BBQ sauce, eggplant bacon, carmelized onions & pineapple.

    next up, i tried the hawaiian style pizza with bbq sauce, eggplant bacon, caramelized onions, and pineapple. i am usually not a fan of this pizza flavor, but i quite enjoyed the raw version. the insanely delicious eggplant bacon and onions are what did it for me. that bacon is just ridiculous. this pizza was pretty crunchy with a great texture, and a wonderful combination of salty and sweet flavors.

    red pepper and sundried tomato: red pepper and sundried tomato sauce, anise & fennel italian walnut sausage, macadamia cheese & kalamata olives.

    there was also a red pepper and sundried tomato pizza, with anise and fennel italian walnut sausage, macadamia cheese, and kalamata olives. honestly, i didn’t even try this one because i hate bell peppers. it sure was pretty though, and i tasted a bit of the walnut sausage, which was excellent.

    lemon basil pesto and garlic aioli: lemon basil pesto sauce, garlic aioli, mixed greens (mustard, kale), fresh basil leaves & marinated shiitake mushrooms.

    lastly, there was the lemon basil pesto and garlic aioli pizza—a basil garlic sauce topped with mixed greens, basil leaves, and marinated shiitake mushrooms. like the others, this pizza was extremely tasty. nice fresh ingredients with a rich pesto sauce…what’s not to like?!

    now that you’ve seen and heard about all these pizzas, you gotta get over to mooi next week and try them. even if raw pizza sounds a bit strange to you, i think these will knock your socks off. i have tried a couple different raw pizzas before, and these are definitely the BEST, and the only ones that come close to resembling “the real thing.” the crust really tastes like crust, the cheese really tastes like cheese, etc. seriously, i fell in love with just one bite.

    oh, now about that contest. you wanna make up your own pizza flavor and win a dinner for two at mooi?!?! details after the jump.

    CONTEST —> —–> —–>

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  • August 2nd, 2010quarrygirlother, products, vegan events

    UPDATE! WE HAVE A WINNER.

    hey everyone, last week we held a contest to come up with a new kale chip flavor for rawk-n-roll cuisine, and we need your help choosing the winner!

    the 3 finalists are:
    “buffalo” by the broke-ass bride
    “chipotle lime” by vegyogini
    “sour cream & onion” by anandajc

    rawk-n-roll is in the test kitchen right now, getting creative and trying to make these flavors work…but they want quarrygirl readers to influence the final decision! which flavor of kale chip do YOU think sounds best?! let us know!

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