• October 10th, 2011quarrygirlEVO kitchen, LA restaurants

    so exciting! los angeles has a new super vegan-friendly restaurant with a huge menu full of specialty pizzas, salads, wraps, inventive appetizers, wine and craft beer. EVO kitchen opened up its doors last week in the old hollywood/weho pizza fusion location, and we’re already huge fans. it focuses on organic, locally sourced ingredients, and is family owned by the same folks who ran the previous restaurant. with the re-branding, the menu still includes our favorite items (what up, beer floats and wraps!) plus it has grown to include even more vegan (and gluten-free if you care about that) options, and the food is even better than before.

    we hit up EVO for a slap up feast this weekend, and sampled as many vegan dishes as we could. we still didn’t get through half of them though—i guess that means another visit is in order! check out what we ate:

    vegan garlic cheese bread with marinara dip. $4.99

    we started off with a slew of appetizers, the first of which was the vegan garlic cheese bread. as with all vegan cheesy items at EVO kitchen, this came with a choice of soy cheese (follow your heart) or daiya. we opted for the soy cheese in this case, and the daiya cheese for other dishes (more on those later!). the cheese bread was phenomenal—crispy and pipin’ hot, dusted with herbs, and served with a pot of tangy marinara.

    mini vegan bbq burgers: portobello mushroom with vegan soy or daiya cheese, roasted red onion and bbq sauce. $6.99

    next up, one of my favorite dishes of the evening: the vegan mini bbq burgers. SLIDERS…

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  • August 15th, 2011quarrygirlLA restaurants, mrs. winston's

    as any curry-loving vegan will tell you, naan we can eat is very hard to come by. while many indian dishes are animal-free by default, the traditional flatbread is usually off limits due to its egg and butter content. well vegans in LA need look no further for the naan of their dreams—i found it yesterday at mrs. winston’s green grocery on ocean park, of all places!

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  • August 11th, 2011quarrygirlLA restaurants, mohawk bend

    since mohawk bend opened up in echo park about a week and a half ago, we’ve spent several evenings there. whether it has been quick drinks and a snack at the bar, or a full on meal in the gorgeous ramona room, each visit to the restaurant has been very enjoyable.

    mohawk is still riding high on the hype surrounding its much anticipated opening, so by 7pm there can often be an hour and a half wait for a table! my advice is to arrive early at around 5pm, and they should have no problem seating you. here are some pictures of the food we’ve been digging at mohawk over the past week…

    herbed flatbread with spicy white beans. $6

    the herbed flatbread is remarkable. i tried this on my first visit to mohawk at their press event, and have ordered it a couple times since. the bread is made in house and served with your choice of spreads—most of which are vegan. you can get bread and 1 spread for 6 bucks, or 3 spreads for $12. my favorite is the spicy white bean spread, it’s chunky and packed with tangy lemon flavor.

    vegan fun guy: roast mushrooms, shallots, herbs, vegan cheese, truffle salt. $14

    mohawk also has a large selection of vegan-friendly thin crust pizzas made with californian 00 flour and organic tomato sauce…

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  • May 5th, 2011quarrygirllondon, more restaurants (not LA)

    when in london, one place i always make sure to visit is the massive whole foods on kensington high street. the store really is something to behold—it’s 3 stories high with a bakery, a prepared foods room, and a vegan section the size of my house. as if that wasn’t enough, they’ve opened a branch of saf (an amazing and entirely vegan restaurant) in the food court upstairs. london, i am in love.

    vietnamese pho: mange tout, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, baby sweetcorn and rice noodles served with fresh mint. ₤8.50

    we hit up saf in whole foods on our most recent uk trip for a light lunch and were quite impressed. we’d already been fans of the shoreditch location, and the new outlet was just as good. in fact, i totally forgot i was eating in a glorified grocery store.

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  • March 4th, 2011quarrygirlLA restaurants, mrs. winston's

    mrs. winston’s green grocery is a herbivore’s paradise. the small market has a few locations on LA’s west side, and each one comes equipped with a vegan-friendly salad bar that puts all other los angeles pay-by-weight buffet options to shame. at $7.95 per pound, you have your pick of constantly rotating salads, pastas, vegetable, fake meats, soups, breads, desserts, and more.

    all vegan!

    we recently checked out the ocean park storefront, and were blown away (AGAIN!) by the vegan selections of the day. as you can see above, EVERYTHING pictured was vegan, and labeled as such. and there was even more…

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  • February 26th, 2011quarrygirlLA restaurants, pitfire pizza

    since pitfire pizza started carrying daiya cheese about a month ago, it has become one of our favorite places to dine. with their amazingly crispy brick oven baked pies, nice selection of craft beer on tap, fresh healthy salads, and four locations in los angeles, there’s certainly a lot to love about pitfire.

    be an artist pizza with daiya cheese, mushrooms, onion. $11.95

    recently, i’ve been hitting up the north hollywood restaurant pretty regularly with my omnivore parents and they both agree that this is the best vegan pizza they’ve ever eaten…

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  • January 25th, 2011quarrygirlmore restaurants (not LA), NYC

    hey everyone, time for another field report from veganscraps! today she reviews a great little hidden place in lower east side manhattan called earthmatters. check it out!

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  • January 21st, 2011quarrygirlLA restaurants, mixt greens

    i’m typically not a salad person, but lately i can’t get enough of mixt greens on wilshire.

    the fast-casual eatery is kind of like the chipotle of salad bars—you order at the counter and choose your ingredients one by one, then watch them get all mixed up in a bowl before your eyes. everything at mixt greens is super high quality. we are talking fresh, organic, locally sourced, and seasonal. the best of the best, and you can taste the difference.

    lots of nice things to choose from!

    the vegan options at mixt greens are plentiful…naturally they have tons of vegetables to choose from, as well as nuts, beans, quinoa, tofu and soba noodles…

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  • August 16th, 2010quarrygirlthe stand

    the stand in orange county is a southern california institution. people have been telling me about this restaurant for years, and according to reports on happycow, it’s been around since the ’60s. the tiny vegan eatery is located right by the ocean in laguna beach, and serves up a large yet simple menu consisting of things like salads, sandwiches, burritos, and smoothies.

    the focus is on plant-based natural foods, so that means no animal products, but also no processed fake meats or cheeses…even tofu and seitan are absent from the menu. the stand pulls it off though, with delicious meals based around fresh vegetables, legumes, brown rice, and incredible sauces. we went there for the first time last week and loved it.

    special bowl: our tasty beans and brown rice, topped with guacamole and seasoned with mild salsa. $5.95

    i have been kind of obsessed with bowls lately, and if i see one on a menu, i have to order it. luckily for me, the stand has tons of appetizing bowls to choose from, so i went with the special bowl. for just under 6 bucks, it came with filled up brown rice, pinto beans, mild salsa, and a garnish of shredded vegetables. it’s normally served with guacamole as well, but i opted for some extra hot salsa instead—so good. the sauce at the stand is so flavorful and fresh, it really took the entire bowl to the next level. for an extremely basic dish, i really loved this thing. all the ingredients were high quality, it was well cooked, and perfectly seasoned. positively scrumptious.

    vegetable salad: a combination of crisp red and green cabbage, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, green peppers, celery, zucchini, alfalfa sprouts, carrots, jicama, parsley, and sunflower seeds with lemon herb dressing. $6.95

    my husband went with the vegetable salad, a plate piled high with cabbage, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, celery, zucchini, sprouts, carrots, jimaca, parsley, and sunflower seeds…served with lemon herb dressing. he asked for it with no bell peppers, and the stand was happy to oblige. although the plate this thing was served on was a bit too small (i mean, just look at that pic!), everything was fresh and tasty.

    the atmosphere at the stand is kind of what you’d expect from a little beach joint. the place is really, actually A STAND, with a tiny counter to order at and a handful of outdoor tables to sit at. even at around 2:30pm on a weekday, this place was crowded—so i imagine summer weekends could get pretty crazy. although it was packed, our food was ready almost immediately, so whatever they are doing back there in that little kitchen is obviously working.

    i can’t wait to return to the stand, and i know this place will be a destination every time i’m in laguna beach. the food is simple yet tasty and fulfilling, and the atmosphere is modest yet charming. plus, it feels good to support an all vegan establishment that has been around for so long.

    the stand
    238 Thalia Street
    Laguna Beach, CA 92651-2712
    (949) 494-8101
    open daily 7am – 7pm
    check out the menu

    PS: when you are done eating at the stand, head directly across the street for beach access and a nice little public deck overlooking the ocean. lovely!

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  • August 3rd, 2010quarrygirlLA restaurants, pizza cookery

    pizza cookery in woodland hills has been on our radar since way back in november when we learned that they had a separate vegan menu. however, we resisted making the trek out to the valley just to eat there for quite some time, because the restaurant was using follow your heart vegan cheese. i’m not a huge fan of that product, and with all the vegan pizza available much closer to my house, i just couldn’t justify the trip. anyways, those days are over now because pizza cookery now offers both follow your heart AND daiya…so everyone can enjoy some vegan pizza! we finally hit up pizza cookery recently, and found their vegan food to be absolutely fantastic—this place is definitely one of my new favorite spots.

    an amazing vegan pizza

    pizza cookery is your normal old school pizza joint in almost every way. they’ve been around since the 70s, with their sawdust-covered floors, pitchers of tap beer, huge private booths, and delicious food at a good value. the fact that a place like this is catering to vegans (and also gluten-free diners), is almost unbelievable.

    the moment we were seated, we were presented with both “normal” and vegan menus, and a plate of complimentary rolls were placed on our table. we asked if they were vegan, and our waitress apologized that they weren’t…and offered to make us a dairy-free batch. we took her up on it, and i’m so glad we did. wowza.

    the piping hot rolls arrived in one huge clump at our table about ten minutes later, and they were visually stunning. gooey vegan cheese was bubbling out of them and glistening in the light, i don’t think i’ve ever seen such beauty. shockingly, they tasted even better than they looked. they were filled up with melty follow your heart cheese, which actually worked well, and brushed with a thin coat of oil. if you go to pizza cookery, you GOTTA REQUEST the free vegan rolls! they will blow your mind to bits.

    we also ordered a small salad as an appetizer–the caesar with vegan dressing and daiya cheese. we loved it!

    vegan caesar salad. $8.35

    i’m glad we ended up going with the small, because the salad was huge! the large would probably be enough for several people. plus with all those rich rolls, we barely had any room for pizza. we ordered a small 11″ pie to share with daiya cheese, tomatoes and mushrooms, and it was more than enough. in addition to loads of vegetable toppings, pizza cookery offers vegan pepperoni and chicken as well–both of which i’m looking forward to trying. please note, if you order vegan pizza at this place it comes with follow your heart by default. daiya lovers (like myself) need to specify.

    the pizza itself was exceptional—by far some of the best vegan pizza in LA. super top notch crust, flavorful sauce, nicely melted cheese, and fresh vegetables. basically, it was everything a pizza should be and more. it would have been PERFECT, but they slice it up strangely at pizza cookery, so it was a little difficult to eat. (i like my pizza slices shaped like triangles, thank you!) but anyways, that’s a small complaint considering how incredible the pizza was.

    pizza cookery also serves wine, and has beer on tap…which is very important. the selection isn’t great, but it sure hits the spot. everything is pretty cheap too—we had 2 drinks, salad, and pizza for around 25 bucks!

    when you visit pizza cookery, and i really hope you do, be sure to wander around and check out all the relics scattered around the restaurant. they’ve got some really neat stuff in there like vintage soda machines…

    gumball dispensers (remember those?)…

    and even a cigarette machine advertising the vegan menu. lol!

    i seriously love pizza cookery so much. the atmosphere, the food, the prices…everything there is wonderful. and i will be dreaming about those damn vegan bread rolls for months!

    pizza cookery
    6209 topanga canyon blvd.
    woodland hills CA 91367
    (818) 887-4770

    PS: there are a couple other pizza cookery locations in the valley, but they are not affiliated with this one, and don’t have vegan options. so beware.

    PPS: has anyone ever been to earth, wind, and flour in santa monica?!?! it is SO MUCH like pizza cookery on the inside (right down to the playing cards glued to the ceiling), and the pizza tastes very similar. i can’t find any tie between the 2 pizzerias online, but i’m just throwin’ that out there.

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  • July 24th, 2010brittanyflorida, more restaurants (not LA)

    so during my recent trip to visit my parents, my mom, being this awesome mom she is, drove me 2 hours through the glades to have dinner at sublime. i’ve told you about it. BUT i didn’t tell you about how we spent some time earlier that day in miami. i’d never been and i wanted to experience south beach, so our dinner trip turned in to a day trip.

    by the time we got to south beach we were both ready do jump out the window, having chugged water the entire drive over, & south beach is CROWDED and full of confusing one-way streets. my mom wanted to see where they shot the movie “birdcage” (don’t ask) so we navigated to the art deco district and found the first available parking spot. i then used my handy-dandy VegOut app on my iphone to find the nearest vegan-friendly food joint. we’d lucked out and parked about two blocks away from juice & java, so we quickly headed over.

    ok, before i talk about the food, i must say the bathrooms were absolutely gross. GROSS. the womens’ room was backed up with paper towels and there was piss all over the seat, so i went in to the mens’ room which was surprisingly cleaner. although not much.

    i was a bit skeptical at this point but the food areas seemed to be more clean and i was hungry. my mom and i skimmed the menu, which was huge. my mom squealed with delight when she saw they had seaweed salad. it went like this: “OOH! OOH! BRITTANY! THEY HAVE SEEEAWEEEEED SALAD!!!!!” so we had to get that.

    seaweed salad: a rich source of calcium, zinc andiron. $4.95

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  • February 16th, 2010quarrygirlhealthyca, LA restaurants

    it isn’t very often you hear me get excited about a salad, but the chilled orient from healthyca is something to write home about.

    chilled orient: buckwheat noodles, tofu, carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, rice sticks, black sesame seeds, seaweed, baby greens. $9.24

    it’s less like a salad, and more like a huge bed of noodles piled high with vegetables, two kinds of tofu, rice sticks, seeds, and baby greens. there is so much going on in this thing, and i can safely say it’s the best noodle salad i’ve ever eaten. the buckwheat soba noodles are substantial and filling, and all the leaves are insanely fresh. the best part about this salad though, is the generous portion of grilled marinated tofu. it’s crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle, and very deliciously flavored. healthyca also throws in a hearty amount of soft tofu for good measure, and the combo produces some very tasty results.

    the meal clocks in at under 10 bucks, and also comes with a side and dressing of your choice. i got mine with quinoa, and a cup of non-fat basil. seriously sooooo good.

    the pictures don’t do this thing justice, and i can’t talk it up enough….so you are gonna have to go experience this salad for yourself. i don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

    healthyca
    monday-friday
    11am-6pm
    4724 lankershim blvd
    noho, ca 91602
    818-505-1035

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  • February 9th, 2010quarrygirlLA restaurants, veggie grill

    soup and salad combo: large soup or chili with a side serving of an entree salad. $8.50

    lately, i just can’t get enough of the soup and salad combo at veggie grill. for only $8.50, it comes with a huge bowl of chili or soup of the day, along with a healthy portion of the salad of your choice. i order this all the time, and i rarely finish it—it’s so much food!

    chop-chop chef: chopped romain, tempeh, veggie steak, chillin' chickin, green onion, roasted corn salsa with a chipotle ranch dressing.

    i have tried a bunch of the salads at veggie grill, and my favorite one by far is the chop-chop chef. it comes fully loaded with two kinds of gardein meat, fluffy quinoa, tempeh and vegetables all in a creamy ranch dressing. seriously, it’s soooooo good. even just the side salad that is served with the combo is pretty big and filling on its own…and i haven’t even gotten to the chili yet!

    bean me up chili: red and white beans, touch of soy cream, chopped green and red onion.

    i am a huge fan of the chili at veggie grill, so that’s almost always what i get with my combo. it doesn’t have any fake meat in it; instead it’s just a rich flavorful mixture of red and white beans garnished with soy sour cream. the serving with the combo is generous, and it even comes with a side of delicious herb toasted crisps (not pictured).

    i could seriously eat this soup/salad combination every single day. it’s so tasty and so filling, and it’s under 10 dollars. what more do i require?!

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  • January 25th, 2010quarrygirlLA restaurants, meet market (closed)

    starting today, the meet market in silverlake is offering loads of new menu items and extending their business hours; this is seriously something you won’t want to miss. already known for its inexpensive yet hearty vegan sandwiches, meet market is adding FOUR new incredible and praise-worthy dishes to their menu, none of which will break the bank. these items are better than the ones you’ll find at other popular vegan eateries, but average 4-5 dollars cheaper. just have a look:

    vegan reuben: rye bread, 1000 island, sauerkraut, marinated wheat meat, balsamic beats & daiya mozzarella. $4.95

    first off we have the vegan reuben at a mere $4.95. did you hear that…a vegan reuben for under $5!? in los angeles!! maybe i am just used to getting overcharged, but this is a full $6 less than some other reubens in town, and WAY BETTER. in fact i would say this could be the best vegan reuben in LA, and the fact that it costs so little when every competitor is nearing (if not over) $10, is totally mind blowing. the marinated fake meat and the dripping balsamic are totally juicy and incredible. there are flavor combos going on in this thing that you won’t find in any other los angeles reuben…it probably deserves its own blog post. seriously, try it.

    grilled cheese and tempeh: focaccia, daiya mozzarella, grilled onions, tempeh bacon, basil. $4.95

    the next dish i tried was the grilled cheese and tempeh. to call this thing a vegan “grilled cheese sandwich” is really doing it a disservice, because every time i hear those three words, i immediately assume it’s something i could make at home. this grilled cheese sandwich, however, was fully loaded and packed with fine ingredients that i couldn’t easily re-create in my kitchen. it was served on warm and fluffy focaccia bread and filled with melty daiya cheese, sweet sticky onions, smoky meaty tempeh, and soft leafy basil. again, at $4.95…this is just stunning. some restaurants throw daiya between white bread and charge upwards of $9 for it. the meet market really gives you your money’s worth. best vegan grilled cheese ever.

    vegan chicken club: sandwich roll, breaded "chicken", tempeh bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, sprouts. $5.95

    similarly, the chicken club does not disappoint—a soft baguette stacked with fresh avocado, sprouts, crispy breaded faux chicken, and tempeh bacon. it’s unlike any other vegan club i’vee had in that it’s basically a fried chicken and bacon hoagie rather than a traditional double decker sandwich. it’s fat, hearty, salty and flavorful with a lot of bread and tons of creamy vegan mayo. it’s quite large, under $6, and comes with a generous serving of avocado.

    chef salad: chopped romaine, "beef", "chicken", "bacon", daiya cheddar and mozz, creutons, tomato, avocado, sprouts, house dressing. $6.95

    last but not least, today the meet market is also introducing an incredible chef salad. a huge and hearty meal, this comes loaded with 3 varieties of faux meats, 2 types of daiya, various vegetables, avocado, and rich house dressing. this salad is so delicious and such a good value, it honestly defies description. you really must go eat it for yourself.

    in addition to adding this new stuff, the meet market is revising its hours to 12pm-7pm monday through friday and 10am – 6pm saturday and sunday. that means if you work during the week, you could possibly now have time to hit up the meet market for dinner. i know i will be there at least a few times this week to get completely full for under 5 bucks.

    the meet market
    the meet market
    3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso)
    Los Angeles, CA 90026
    12pm-7pm monday through friday
    10am – 6pm saturday and sunday

    PS: while you are there, be sure to grab a vegan bake sale cupcake. they’re downright delicious.

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  • January 4th, 2010quarrygirlflore, LA restaurants

    uneducated people think that vegans only eat salad, but we know better than that. one look around this blog shows that peeps adhering to an animal-free lifestyle can still enjoy ‘meat’, ‘cheese’, sandwiches, burgers, ice cream and cupcakes just like the rest of the world. sometimes, however, a good animal-free salad can be hearty enough to satisfy the omnivores and herbivores alike…and such is true of the avocado seitan salad at flore.

    avocado seitan salad: bed of mixed greens with sliced avocado, grilled seitan, daikon sprouts, tomato and red onion. served with your choice of tahini, 1000 island, vinaigrette or miso dressing. $9.95

    i’m not much of a salad person, but this may very well be one of the best menu items i’ve ever tasted. for under 10 bucks you get a large serving of soft leafy greens (more than i can eat), topped with sexy grilled chunks of homemade seitan and fresh vegetables in a dressing of your choosing, all garnished with generous slices of creamy avocado. i always go with the tahini dressing (it’s thick and rich, yet not over-powering)….but i hear that the 1000 dressing is killer as well.

    if you feel like eating a salad that will actually make you full, head over to flore in silverlake. this dish will satisfy the meatiest of cravings, and it’s still a mere healthy and organic salad! win/win!

    Flore
    3818 W Sunset Blvd
    Los Angeles, CA 90026
    (323) 953-0611

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