From the moment I got a voicemail from Pure Food and Wine calling to confirm my reservation I thought I might be in trouble. The person on the other end of the line said “… as you’re not picking up we’ll have to assume this is the right number…”. The reason I didn’t pick up is that I was on an airplane headed to JFK, so fuck you on the attitude.

We booked an early table as we’d been told that the place can sometimes get rather busy and doesn’t always honor its confirmed reservations with decent punctuality. Upon arriving at the the restaurant after a short walk from our hotel at nearby Union Square in sub-zero temperatures, with empty stomachs and a full wallet (more on that later) we were greeted and asked to wait by the door. And wait we did for about 5 minutes while the greeter walked to the back of the restaurant and appeared to be texting somebody from her ‘phone. Oh dear, I sensed trouble ahead.

I tried to crack a trite and harmless joke with the dead-eyed greeter “can we dine on the patio?” which I thought was rather funny considering the blizzard conditions outside and the fact it was covered in snow. Without any eye contact she said “sorry, that’s closed tonight”. Fuck you number two.

After being seated at a rather small two-top against a wall (remember: the restaurant was EMPTY), the greeter resumed her texting, and we waited another 5 minutes before somebody showed up with the wine and food menus. They also offered some kind of fancy filtered tap water which we gleefully accepted before ordering our food and wine. We also asked the server (whom we never saw again after that interaction) if the menu was entirely vegan, to which he replied “of couuuuuurse it is!” in such a patronizing way that I was stunned. Fuck you number three. I pressed further, seeking clarity on the “honey” that was included on several items to be equally patronized: “Well, most vegans eat honey.” Well I don’t, so fuck you number four.

I ended up ordering a horrendously expensive bottle of wine from the list (as none of them were reasonably priced), and we began to settle in and review the food menu, deciding on a HONEY FREE appetizer of “Sushi Rolls with Dr. Cow’s Cheese”, which we ordered when a rather bubbly lady server finally showed up at our table to give us some attention. We also went for the incredible sounding “Thai Coconut Noodles in Galangal Red Coconut Curry: mung bean shoots, heirloom carrot, saffron oil, thai basil.” and “Port Soaked Portabella Mushroom Layered with Spinach and Fennel Caponata. Lemon garlic kohlrabi with smoked paprika aioli, aged balsamic.” for our two entrees, which we decided to share.

Thai Coconut Noodles in Galangal Red Coconut Curry: mung bean shoots, heirloom carrot, saffron oil, thai basil. $24

Upon arrival (remarkably quickly, indicating that these dishes might have been pre-made), the noodle thing was a smallish pile of bland, cold, slimy noodles topped with bean shoots and grated carrots atop some sticky dressing. Upon looking at the menu description, it was just a fancy way of describing exactly what the meal was. To call it disgusting would be an understatement. It was not only cold (as in refrigerator cold) but composed mostly of air and leaves. Still, at only $24 I suppose it was a deal (joke). Fuck you number five.

Port Soaked Portabella Mushroom Layered with Spinach and Fennel Caponata. Lemon garlic kohlrabi with smoked paprika aioli, aged balsamic. $26

Next up was the mushroom thing. If you think that it looks like a couple of portobello mushrooms with some spinach in between them, you wouldn’t be far wrong. The thing was tiny, freezing cold and tasted like the bile one pukes up the morning after food poisoning. Two cold, limp and wet mushrooms still containing the grit from the ground with bell peppers (missing from the long list of ingredients listed in the menu). I can’t imagine how any sane person would want to eat this. The fancy menu description, again, set a stratospherically high expectation for what was a deeply disappointing dish. Sorry, but that thing for $26 deserves a Fuck you number six.

Sushi rolls with Dr. Cow's cheese. $16

The highlight of the meal was clearly the appetizer. We were served very small sushi rolls (both in circumference and length. ahem.) with basic ingredients (mainly daikon sprouts and cucumber) and an almost undetectable amount of Dr. Cow’s cheese deep inside (not that those small roll slices could go deep at all). At $2 per slice, $16 total this was a complete rip-off and wasn’t even that good. Yeah fuck you number seven, Pure Food And Wine.

Oh, and after we placed the order, the only attention we received until check time was from a very polite person (within limited English language skills) delivering food from the kitchen who topped up our glasses on occasion and was otherwise busy bussing tables and sweeping the floors. The server didn’t show up except to try and sell us dessert after everything had been cleared away. There was no enquiry into the food, no “was everything OK?”, NOTHING. She just thrust the desert menu at us and walked away. Fuck you number eight.

The entire time we were there (40 minutes) only a couple of parties showed up, and the waitstaff spent most of their time at the bar area laughing loudly while discussing how cool it would be to live in LA as weed is “legal out there”. I shit you not. At the same time they were enjoying themselves, the bus boy/server/bathroom cleaner/water filler and probably chef was running his ass all over the restaurant keeping everything together.

We paid, and promptly left, $114 poorer (we just couldn’t bring ourselves to leave a tip) and headed to Maoz for some real food – even though we’d choked down every morsel of our meager portions.

We discussed our experience with some fellow vegans via twitter and email that evening, and here are some select responses that we got:

Yeah, the place can be very “hit or miss”
Why would you go there on a cold day?
You really have to know what to order. Your menu choices really sucked
Yes, I’m completely done with that place. So expensive and some of the menu items are a rip-off
The menu descriptions seem like you’re getting “fine dining” food, but you really don’t.
You guys just don’t get raw food! (ON THE CONTRARY!)

Basically, nobody jumped to defend that awful place unreservedly. Many did say, though, that they had eaten some really good food there, but it was offset with indifferent service and a huge risk of ordering something that wasn’t the best item of the day.

How about this, Pure Food and Wine: Don’t put items on your menu that SUCK. Create a consistent dining experience, call out honey on the menu as not vegan and tell your waitstaff to give a shit about your customers.

Until then: you’re getting one Fuck Off after eight Fuck You’s.

heyo, friends! there is a new almost entirely vegan restaurant that just opened up on sunset in hollywood, and it’s called elderberries!

the brand spankin’ new eatery is run by some women who are friends, and is currently serving up a small menu of sandwiches, salads, soups and smoothies. they are hoping to have an official launch this weekend, when they will expand to a much larger four page menu. i checked elderberries out this week, and while they are still working out a few of the kinks, i think this place has great potential.

Read the rest of this entry »

would you believe that some of the best dessert i’ve ever eaten is available at whole foods? i probably wouldn’t have believed it either, before i tried the amazing pies and cheese cakes made by earth cafe. the entirely vegan company specializes in raw living desserts that are so decadent, you just wouldn’t believe they are animal-free, gluten-free, raw, with no refined sugars or hydrogenated oils…and they are widely available throughout los angeles!

Strawberry Fields Forever Cheesecake by Earth Cafe

when earth cafe first offered to send me some samples of their pies and desserts, i was a tad bit skeptical because i usually associate the word “raw” with “healthy/boring tasting.” wow, i couldn’t have been more wrong. each different flavor was incredibly luscious and rich, the kind of thing i would share with my non-vegan friends in order to “convert” them.

the first flavor i tried was the “strawberry fields forever” cheesecake (pictured above). any product named after a beatles song is gonna get extra credit in my book—just check out my site banner—but this cheesecake was AMAZING. extra thick with a moist center and the most delectable nutty topping.

Who's Your Daddy Pie by Earth Cafe

next up was the “who’s your daddy” pie, a raw vegan carob mousse. this was hands down the best dessert i’ve had in a long time. it was fluffy, rich, and packed with amazing chocolate-y flavor. i could have eaten like ten pieces of this daddy.

i also tried the “rockin raspberry”…

Rockin' Raspberry Cheesecake by Earth Cafe

and the “cherry dream” cheesecake…

Cherry Dream Cheesecake by Earth Cafe

both of these were incredible, with juicy bits of fruit throughout the center and thick nutty crusts.

Peach Passion Peace Pie by Earth Cafe

earth cafe also makes a peach flavored cheeesecake, called “peach passion peace pie”, which is super sweet, smooth, and silky.

Pumpkin Spice Life Pie by Earth Cafe

and lastly i tried the “pumpkin spice life pie”, which completely blew me away. this is some of the best pumpkin pie i’ve ever eaten, and i would definitely recommend it for a vegan thanksgiving gathering.

i have no idea how earth cafe can make something so delicious that’s completely raw, vegan, and not full of crap. and i can’t believe this incredible food has been right under my nose for so long and i never even tried it. have you guys had this stuff? i mean, it’s pretty amazing right?

you can find earth cafe products at places all around los angeles including whole foods, erewhon, locali, and even some restaurants and ralphs locations. also, WHOLE CHEESECAKES AND PIES ARE AVAILABLE through earth cafe’s website! did you hear that?! whole vegan cheesecakes! and i don’t know who in their right mind could pass up getting one of these pumpkin pies for thanksgiving. i know that’s what i’ll be doing. oh, and they freeze well for months, so it’s time to stockpile.

try this stuff from earth cafe and let me know what you think. i’m predicting you will be just as impressed as i was.

who said ice cream couldn’t be raw, vegan, and delicious? the folks over at mooifood have created tons of amazing flavors using ingredients such as coconut meat, agave, and soaked cashews—who would have though such tasty ice cream could come from such simple foods? mooifood’s ice cream is all raw, vegan, organic, soy-free & gluten-free, and is available at naturewell in silverlake by the scoop or half pint.

blueberry cheesecake

i was lucky enough to receive a sample of 6 of the 9 flavors, and each one was refreshingly tasty. this ice cream strikes the perfect balance between being decadent and healthy…tasting good and not making you feel like crap after eating it. the first flavor i tried was the blueberry cheesecake (pictured above). it was cool, creamy, and filled with tiny chunks of fresh blueberries. i ate it in one of mooifood’s homemade raw vegan cones, which was phenomenal—like a big, thick bendable cookie. i never realized raw food could be such a treat!

pumpkin (seasonal)

the next type of ice cream i tried was the seasonal pumpkin, which was by far my favorite. this was the richest flavor of them all, and tasted like a frozen version of pumpkin pie. it even had a crunchy swirl in the middle, YUM. i don’t know how long the pumpkin ice cream will be around, so you must rush over and try it ASAP! it will totally get you in the mood for the holidays.

chocolate peanut butter

the chocolate peanut butter swirl variety is pretty decadent as well, made with cacao and sunflower seeds. the creamy chocolate ice cream is filled with big chunks of salty, nutty patches. if you are a peanut butter fan, this really won’t disappoint. and i am definitely a peanut butter fan.

gingersnap cinnamon cookie dough

again in a raw cone, i tried gingersnap cinnamon flavor, which was packed with big chunks of delicious cookie dough. epically scrumptious!

maple cornbread

the maple cornbread ice cream was a blend of unique tastes that worked really well together. the real maple syrup flavor was strong throughout and added a perfect sweetness to the cornbread.

peppermint chocolate chip

lastly, the peppermint chocolate chip was delicious—ice cream flavored with peppermint oil and littered with cacao nibs. extra minty with just enough chocolate flavor.

you can find all these mooifood ice creams as well as strawberry banana, vanilla and chocolate at naturewell in silverake. right now they are priced out at $2.25 for one scoop, $3.75 for two scoops, or $4.99 for a half pint. i don’t know if you are used to raw ice cream prices or not, but that is CHEAP compared to other places. if you want even more, you can contact mooifood and get 16oz for $8.99 or 32oz for $14.99!

if raw food is your thing, you will absolutely love this ice cream. and even if you aren’t much of a raw foodie, this stuff is really impressive…and fairly good for you. it sure won me over. definitely get to naturewell and try some—i suggest pumpkin flavor! 🙂

naturewell
3824 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 664-5894

for more info on mooifood, check out thier website or follow them on twitter!

if you live in los angeles and want to have a completely unique vegan food experience, lemme tell you, it is definitely worth making the hour-plus drive to orange county to visit au lac. located in fountain valley, the humanese restaurant offers an entirely vegan menu, with several raw and cooked selections. all the raw foodies i know have nothing but wonderful things to say about this place, so my husband and i stopped in to check it out a few weeks ago when we were in the area.

we decided to go all out, ordering appetizers off both the raw and cooked menus, plus dessert (which is only available in raw). thankfully, although we ordered several dishes, the some of them were quite small, so we left feeling satisfied but not overly stuffed.

dau hu rang muoi: battered soft tofu seasoned in salt, black pepper, cilantro and jalapeno. $8

for our cooked appetizer, we started with a flash-fried tofu dish called ‘da hu rang muoi,’ which consisted of ultra-soft tofu in a light batter and cooked with salt, pepper, cilantro and jalapeno. this may sound like a typical asian tofu appetizer, but oh my word, it wasn’t! probably the best tofu dish i’ve ever tasted, it was barely coated with batter, completely covered in seasoning, and perfectly soft and moist in the middle.

for our raw appetizer, we went with the chimichurri, which turned out to be two slices of doughy bread with an oil and herb sauce for dipping. i seriously have no clue how they got ‘raw’ bread to taste so fucking good, but this dish was spongy, soft and porous beyond belief. even if you aren’t in to raw food, i’d recommend the chimichurri. not to mention the perfect infusion of fresh herbs and oil…excellent dipping sauce any way you look at it. at $5, it was pretty pricey for two pieces of bread, but i definitely think it was worth it.

chimichurri: dip with garlic bread. $5

for his main course, my husband ordered the ‘bo luc lac’, which was a massive plate of watercress and vegetables tossed in a light vinegar dressing, all topped with several slabs of faux beef. for just ten bucks this thing was absolutely huge, and everything tasted amazing. the soy meat was tender and well seasoned, and all the vegetables tasted extra fresh. i stole several bites of this throughout the meal.

bo luc lac: watercress, soy beef, garic, vinegar dressing, tomato, onion. $10

i went raw on my main dish and ordered jino’s pizza, a small round of raw bread covered in vegetables and a ‘cheese’ sauce. while i ended up liking my pizza in the long run, my enjoyment was overshadowed by the fact it arrived about 20 minutes later than my husband’s main course. in fact, he finished his food before i even started mine! when the pizza finally did arrive, it was delicious, albeit rather small for $12. i guess raw food is just phenomenally expensive any way you look at it, so at least this tasted really good. the crust was soft and squishy, kinda like the chimichurri appetizer, and was covered in just the right amount of herbs and vegetables. the cheese sauce was exceptionally creamy and tangy, and i couldn’t help but wonder what it would taste like on a plate of raw nachos. don’t let the picture fool you, the pizza was very small, maybe 3 or 4 inches across, i’d say the size of a medium pancake.

jinos pizza: roma, sundried tomato, marinara, basil, melted mozzarella. $12

au lac offers a raw dessert menu, and i was told by several people not to leave without trying the donut holes. while i was a bit skeptical of raw donut holes, these suckers definitely converted me. covered in a sugary powder, the round little treats had a distinctively nutty flavor and were filled with a thick rich syrup.

raw donut holes. $7

i actually almost spilled the syrup all over me when biting into the first one, because i didn’t know what to expect! while my husband wasn’t a fan of the donut holes at all, i thought they were wonderful. definitely like nothing i’ve ever eaten before, i highly recommend them.

so overall, our visit to au lac was a great success, leaving us filled to the brim with healthy vegan raw and cooked food. the cuisine there is definitely unusual, as is the decor (think asian-inspired 1980s), so this place may not be for everyone. although if you have an appreciation for raw food or humanese cuisine, or if you are just in for a tasty adventure, au lac will not disappoint.

plus, did i mention they have the coolest parking spots ever? check out the one above…reserved just for me. 🙂

au lac
16563 Brookhurst St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(714) 418-0658
Tue-Sun. 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Tue-Sun. 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

hey kids, i’ve got some good news for ya. today marked the opening of los angeles’ newest vegan restaurant…and it wasn’t vegan thai. that’s right, sunpower natural cafe in studio city opened its doors to the public with organic raw and cooked offerings for the health-conscious, ranging from burgers and salads to quiches and cakes. i know what you are thinking: a 100% vegan restaurant in studio city that doesn’t serve thai food? it sounds too good to be true! fortunately though, sunpower is a reality. you gotta get over there and check them out asap.

i hit up sunpower with my friend and fellow vegan blogger, brittany from sickoflettuce.com, and both of us are dying to go back. for a newly opened establishment, sunpower is already making some bangin good food, and i’m pretty excited to see what the future holds.

chopped seitan salad sandwich: seitan, celery, onions, vegenaise, dill and parsley on a whole grain bun. with a side of hummus and pita. $8

tons of stuff on the menu looked delicious, but i decided to go with the less adventurous seitan salad sandwich. this was basically like an old-fashioned tuna sandwich made with seitan instead of fish, and sunpower really nailed it. the seitan was top notch, the vegenaise was creamy, and the chopped vegetables were fresh and flavorful but not overwhelming. the seitan salad itself was really exceptional. although it sounds a bit boring, it was just so perfectly mixed and the seitan was so succulent, i doubt i could replicate this at home. i’d definitely order it again.

the sandwich came with “choice of side dish” and i went with the pita and hummus, which i loved. other options included coleslaw, cookies, vegetables with dipping sauce, and kale. the hummus turned out to be an excellent choice, because they gave me like a vat of it. 8 bucks for a load of hummus and hearty seitan sandwich? can’t beat that.

for dessert, brittany and i split a slice of the special of the day “cacao cheesecake”. the thing was so rich and dense, it was fucking ridiculous. i loved every bite, but it was so thick that it was hard to eat with a plastic fork! this cheesecake probably could be a meal on its own, it was so decadent. however, it didn’t sit like a brick in my stomach as do many desserts. sunpower really has conquered the intersection of delicious and healthy(er).

vegan cacao cheesecake. $6

a few things to note about sunpower: they are a ‘take out’ restaurant officially…kinda like seed in venice. so while they have tables, your food is served in to-go containers and you pay at the counter. the service is great and the meals come out super fast. this is an excellent choice if you are in a hurry. also, the staff and ownership are pretty passionate about veganism. we really felt at home there and the people serving us showed genuine concern that our food was good. hell, they even invited us to an animal rights conference happening soon in LA! total vegan homies. oh, and they were also open to criticism…so if you eat here and don’t 100% love everything, they seem like the kinda people who would appreciate your feedback.

so vegans, let’s welcome this new animal-free restaurant to los angeles. get your asses out to studio city and eat at sunpower natural cafe!

sunpower natural cafe
3711 Cahuenga Blvd
Studio City, CA
(818) 308-7420
11am to 8:30pm, 7 days a week

i am jealous of people who live in orange county. not just because they are all rich and shit, but because they have some great vegan dining options that i covet. in addition to that’s amore (awesome vegan pizza/italian food), they also have a swanky all-raw/vegan bar and lounge called 118 degrees.

i have never been to the actual restaurant, but i am dying to hit it up after trying their food at coachella. they were at the festival selling their packaged foods under the name jenny’s raw and organic. we ordered the raw taco and pizza with a pasta side salad, both of which were refreshingly delicious.

raw taco from jenny's raw and organic

while the taco was tasty, it was more like a salad than a taco…you know, the kind where they use lettuce instead of a tortilla. i preferred the pizza and pasta, which tasted extremely light and were covered in fresh vegetables.

raw pizza and pasta salad from jenny's raw and organic

after checking out 118’s menu online, i am anxious to get over there asap. they have stuff like raw tamales, enchiladas and nachos, not to mention an array of high quality beers and mixed drinks. maybe they could open up a los angeles location soon…that would be rad.

118 degrees
2981 Bristol
Suite B5
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-754-0718
Monday through Saturday
9am to 10pm (last seating at 9pm)
Sundays
10am to 9pm (last seating at 8pm)
Sunday Brunch 10am to 3pm

hey vegans, quarrygirl here reporting from coachella. yesterday in between drinking $7 beers, watching morrissey, and waiting in line for the bathroom, i was running around snapping vegan options all over the festival with my iphone. i wrote a quick post from my phone but had to delete it upon finding out that some of the stuff i suggested contained honey. so here is the updated info on vegan coachella 2009:

the best spot for vegan food is definitely inside the vip area. there you have luscious organic desserts selling a kick-ass selection of vegan cupcakes, plus a raw vegan stand called jenny’s. i had a cupcake from luscious and it totally blew my mind. more to come on that later.

luscious organic desserts

jenny's raw organic

if you don’t have vip access, never fear…you can get food in the dining area across from the dance tents. over there they have sweet leaf, an almost all vegan organic stand…except there is honey in all their dressings. so grab a wrap or salad at sweet leaf…just get it with no sauce or dressing. there is also a mexican stand called leno’s that uses no lard and a curry/mex stand called cowboys and turbans that sells vegan tofu masala. there’s also a middle eastern stand where you can get a falafel sandwich and some garlic fries.

sweet leaf

leno's lard free mexican

cowboys and turbans

so that’s it for now. if you are at coachella this weekend, i hope you enjoy the festival and that this helps you find somewhere to eat!

UPDATE 6/15/10: since reading this post, i have found that many of cru’s menu items are not vegan because they contain honey (including the deep green salad). please check out cru’s menu online to see which items are safe to eat.

cru is a vegan, mostly raw restaurant that i’ve been wanting to check out for quite some time. my little hipster omnivore friends go on and on about it at the office, and recently it got quite a glowing review on to live and eat in la. so last weekend, i finally decided to go check out cru for myself and see what everyone was raving about. oh, and i found out: simple, fresh, organic fare that’s bursting with tons of flavor.

deep green salad: marinated kale with avocado, tomatoes, sprouts and sunflower seeds in a chili lime dressing. $10

i went to cru, like everywhere else, with my husband…and he opted for the deep green salad. it was a mix of delicious kale, vegetables and seeds all tossed in a light and refreshing dressing. i would say this salad was pretty much perfect. not sure how they do it at cru, but they really concentrate on packing tons of flavor into each dish. most salads, even the tasty ones, are pretty boring and nondescript…the deep green salad at cru though, had a life of its own. when i tried it, i was tasting flavors i never knew existed.

i decided to get something off the cooked menu. i know, i know…lame of me, but i wasn’t in the mood for raw! i can’t find exactly what i ordered on the online menu, but it was an amazing mix of sauteed spinach, onion, squash, sauerkraut and mixed greens atop a bed of steaming quinoa. it was INSANE.

awesome cooked entree.

like the salad, the cooked bowl was just going crazy with deliciousness. i was bombarded with so many new and exciting tastes, i seriously can’t wait to go back to cru and see what else they have to offer. the quinoa wasn’t the least bit boring either, they cooked it with something that gave it an incredible silky texture that soaked up all the vegetables’ flavors.

we also split a glass of freshly made juice that was pretty invigorating.

spinach cucumber apple ginger juice. $6

it was a rather strange flavor combo, but it ended up being divine. light and made with fresh ingredients, the juice had a distinct ginger flavor that was tasty, but didn’t overpower the fruits and vegetables.

after two scrumptious and ostensibly healthy meals, we decided to splurge and split a piece of cru’s famous raw chocolate truffle cake.

chocolate truffle cake. $8

dude, this truffle cake was crazy. it didn’t taste or feel like you’d expect from looking at it. when it arrived at our table, i shoved my fork in it to grab a bite, and the fork just got stuck. breaking off each piece was kind of a chore. this isn’t your normal cake, think of it like a huge, thick, firm piece of pure chocolate. that being said, it soooo good. even my husband held his own and ate up half of the cake, and he usually can’t compete with my sweet tooth.

man, oh man, that cake was so rich! i loved it, but i highly doubt i will be able to justify ordering it again any time soon. i can only take that decadence once every so often.

on top of having insanely yummy food, cru was also quite pleasant and comfortable. i’d read on yelp that the place was absolutely tiny, so we decided to go for lunch (which they only offer on friday and saturday), in order to miss the dinner crowd. when we were there, the place was nearly empty. i would definitely recommend hitting them up during their lunch hours if you wanna bypass the craziness. plus, i’m pretty sure they give you a discount at lunch time. our meal seemed really cheap compared to the prices on the menu. maybe they just thought we were awesome, though…that wouldn’t surprise me.

so go get some cru. raw, cooked, drinks, desserts, it’s all off the chain.

i’m usually not a huge fan of raw food. i mean, i’d like to be—i understand how healthy, sustainable and wonderful it is…but it’s usually so expensive and something about it doesn’t taste quite right. juliano’s and leaf are great every once in awhile, but in my book they are just no substitute for “normal” food. that being said, i was a little skeptical before trying lifefood gourmet in miami, an all raw restaurant that on their website describes their meals as “culinary masterpieces.” but after eating there, i can tell you their description is an understatement. this was without a doubt some of the best food i’ve ever had, raw or otherwise, and i would eat it every day if i had the chance.

lifefood sampler: an assembly of crazy nachos with garlic bread and nori sheets topped with various pates. $12

we started our meal off with the lifefood sampler and it was freakin’ incredible! i don’t even know which bit of it was my favorite because it was all sooooo good. the crazy nachos were insane, so much better than the attempt at “chips,” usually made of flaxseed, that i’ve had at other raw restaurants. these tasted just like really tasty nachos. they were topped with salsa, guacamole and fake meat, pine nut cheese and brazil sour cream. perfection.

the nori were great as well, topped with a delicious cheese-flavored pate. they were crispy, light and devoured in about 2 seconds.

the sampler platter also came with 3 scrumptious little cucumber rolls that were filled with a creamy substance that reminded me of pesto. topped with fresh vegetables and a tasty sauce, these bite-sized rolls were both pretty to look at and delish.

as entrees, we decided to go with the life gourmet burger and the lifefood burrito. lemme tell ya, these raw dishes give their cooked counterparts a run for their money…and they are phenomenally healthy!

lifefood burrito: superfood life tortilla, mild spiced brazil nutmeat, pinenut "cheddar," guacamole, marinated portobello, lettuce and tomato. $10

i was hesitant to order this burrito at first, because almost always raw “tortillas” are pretty pitiful. i was scared this may show up wrapped in lettuce or something. instead, it came in a delicious wrap with a slight sundried tomato flavor and a chewy texture. i was very pleased. the burrito’s innards were equally impressive—the “nutmeat” (haha) tasted like soyrizo, perfectly spiced with a juicy and substantial texture. the pinenut cheddar and guacamole were packed with flavor as well and added a rich taste to the light vegetables and spicy meat. the succulent mushroom was well-marinated—i love that this burrito came with a portobello AND fake meat. i felt totally spoiled.

not to be outdone by the fab burrito, the life gourmet burger was even better.

life gourmet burger: sprouted quinoa and flax dehydrated buns, walnut pumpkin seed, brazil nut, onion, celery, flax oil patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup and mustard. $12

i can’t believe this thing was raw! how the hell do they make a bun that tastes so good without cooking it? magical! the bun was thick and spongey, soft and not dry. serious yum. the patty was even better and can only be described as luscious. one of the best vegan burgers out there happens to be raw. who’d have thought?

both dishes showed up with a top-notch salad as well—fresh leafy greens slathered in a creamy pesto-flavored dressing. i absolutely loved it.

overall, i really can’t speak highly enough of lifefood gourmet. it’s vegan, it’s raw, it’s amazingly healthy, and everything tastes delicious. plus, did you see those pictures? everything shows up at the table so beautifully presented. it’s all almost too pretty to eat. A+ all the way around. the menu is huge as well, i’m pretty disappointed my trip to miami wasn’t long enough to eat at lifefood gourmet several more times! fortunately, they have a recipe ebook online, so i am definitely gonna download it and try to learn some of their secrets.

watch out though, the restaurant is a little hard to find because it’s located on top of another great vegan restaurant.

there’s no sign or anything, so just make sure to go in this door and climb the stairs to find your raw vegany heaven.

so i don’t know what you are waiting for. if you are in miami, go eat at lifefood gourmet asap…and if you are anywhere else, check out their recipes online. best raw food ever. 

stay tuned…one more miami restaurant, then we are back to los angeles!

in the midst of a los angeles heat wave, and a very inconvenient power outage on my block, i found myself in santa monica trying to pass the time and keep cool. i had dinner plans in the area at 8:30, but had to head out much earlier, because sitting around in a sweltering house just wasn’t cutting it for me. i started drinking at around noon, and at around 3pm, the alcohol and heat started to get the best of me. i knew i needed a light snack to hold me over until dinner, so i grabbed my trusty blackberry and searched for the nearest vegan spot. it lead me to the doorstep of juliano’s raw.

spring rolls: pasta, shredded veggies & thai herbs wrapped in a scrumptious coconut curry wrapper served with a no-peanut thai sauce $8.31

greenomole & chips: best guac ever, groovin’ salsa & flax cracks $6.47

now, i’d read good things about juliano’s raw before…and i gotta say, it really hit the spot. don’t get me wrong, the portions were tiny, the service was slow, and it was overpriced—but on a scorching hot day, it was exactly the light, fresh, tasty food i needed.

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