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

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.

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UPDATE 12/18: sorry it took so long, but we finally have some winners for the caption contest!!!!
the winners are alex with “(looks down at weight watchers info sheet ) ‘phew it’s only 2 pts'”
and lisa with “Think twice before you make fun of men who eat salad.”
that’s all. and i’d like to extend a huge congrats to alex because he also won our first captions contest…which now means he is undefeated.<end of update!>

man, i really love tender greens in los angeles. the casual eatery specializes in big hearty salads, and has a pretty good selection of beer on tap. they use seasonal, locally grown vegetables and mostly organic ingredients…and just about everything i’ve eaten there has been delicious.

grilled veggies, crunchy lettuces, roasted tomato vinaigrette (no cheese). $10.50

i think just two of the salads are vegan by default (the happy vegan and the salad in the raw), but several of them can be made vegan by substituting vegetables for meat or omitting ingredients. above we have the grilled veggies salad, which can be veganized by leaving off the cheese. this thing comes loaded up with perfectly cooked vegetables and crunchy greens in a tomato vinaigrette. my salad came packed with halved brussels sprouts, delicate broccolini, squash, cauliflower, and zucchini. the vegetables at tender greens are always changing, so be sure to let them know if you have any aversions.

happy vegan: tabbouleh, hummus, pasta pearls, farro wheat, young kale, tender greens. $10.5

i know i’ve blogged about this next dish before, but you really can’t visit tender greens and not try the happy vegan. this little plate is full of pure vegan goodness including tabbouleh, green hummus, pasta, farro wheat and succulent greens. this thing is worth ordering for the green hummus alone….i don’t know what goes into it but the yum factor is uncharted. to be honest, this dish isn’t really a salad at all—it’s more like a feast of delicious vegan tapas.

on top of the great food, there is much more to love about tender greens. first off, you order at the counter. the food comes out super fast and there’s no fuckery with waiting for the check, etc. second, the atmosphere is way relaxing. they’ve got comfy booths, tables by the window, outdoor seating, you name it. thirdly, BEER ON TAP. if you are reading this post from a city like san francisco or portland, that may not seem like a big deal….but in LA it is so bleeding hard to find a place where you can drink beer and eat vegan food. and tender greens has a damn good selection, too. our meals above were enjoyed with two frosty pints of lagunitas pilsner. i really can’t ask for much more than that in a restaurant.

tender greens
8759 santa monica blvd.
west hollywood, ca 90069
(they also have locations in culver city and san diego)

oh, and before i forget, it’s time for the second quarrygirl caption contest! the first one was a lot of fun, and the winning captions were awesome. so come up with a caption for the picture below (we spotted this dude wolfing down a salad and some bread at tender greens), and we will post the best ones on the site!

as you may know, on this blog we’ve been compiling a list of restaurants that can accommodate vegans during dineLA restaurant week. recently, i decided to put this info to use and hit up susan feniger’s street with my former dineLA partner in crime, jennshaggy.

when we arrived, the restaurant wasn’t very crowded and we leisurely sunk a few cocktails before placing our order. the pink drink above was mine…and it was so damn good, i can’t even remember its name. if you like fancy drinks though, street is your place. their cocktails and sangria are absolutely amazing, and they even have a drink made with absinthe on the menu!

our waitress presented us with the special dineLA menus, and when we told her we were vegans, she rushed to the kitchen to speak with the chef. she returned quickly with a list of modifications we could make to each item in order to veganize it, and our restaurant week experience was underway!

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beer beer beer. on tap.

it’s no secret that pure luck is one of the best vegan restaurants in los angeles. the small eatery has an inventive menu with lots of mexican-style cuisine and sandwiches and also boasts a great selection of micro brews at a reasonable price. i’m talking 16 ounces of stone ipa and pliny the elder for $5! best deal in town!

i wanna just take a minute to show you some of my favorite things i’ve ever eaten at pure luck. i hope this gets you drooling.

you are not allowed to eat at pure luck without trying the jackfruit. they make the most insane “carnitas” tacos out of marinated jackfruit that impresses every omnivore i know.

taco combo plate: 2 tacos with rice and pinto beans, or side cesar salad. $8

they can also throw those carnitas in a mexican sandwich called a torta with tomato, onion, avocado and vegenaise. made on soft, fluffy la brea bakery bread, this is one of my favorite items on the menu.

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

other amazing sandwiches include the tofu pesto…

tofu pesto sandwich: grilled tofu and fresh basil-spinach pesto on a rustic roll, with romaine and onions and vegan mayo. $8

and angelica’s garmabanzo salad sandwich (think tuna sandwich, but way better)!

angélica’s garbanzo salad sandwich: Need a comfort food fix? You won’t be disappointed by our Garbanzo salad. Served on a grilled rustic roll with tomatoes, onions, lettuce and pickles. $7

as a side dish, i highly recommend the vegan soup of the day.

vegan soup? yeah!

or some potato pals! just ask your waiter or waitress for these and they will hook you up…even though the pals aren’t listed as a side on the menu.

POTATO PALS

the salads at pure luck are pretty damn good too. they make the best vegan ceasar that i’ve ever tasted.

cesar salad with tofu: romaine lettuce topped with grilled tofu, sliced avocado, onions, croutons and our lemon-garlic César dressing. $8

just look at that juicy little bite of marinated tofu. i wanna kill it!

doesn’t that all look delicious?! don’t get me wrong…pure luck has some annoying flaws that have to be mentioned. let’s go through this very quickly:
1.) the food is inconsistent. somedays it’s better than others.
2.) the soy fish at pure luck may contain casein. (i avoid it just in case)
3.) pure luck used to have really comfortable seating and then they replaced most of it with high tables and bar stools that nobody wants to sit at. there are still a few decent seats though.

even after those gripes, pure luck is one of the best restaurants in los angeles. so there you have it: i am totally butt-crazy in love with pure luck. if you like vegan food, beer, or awesomeness, you should eat there as soon as possible.

pure luck
707 N Heliotrope Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 660-5993

open 11am to Midnight, Mon – Sat
closed Sundays

big macro: whole grain brown rice and veggie burger, special sauce, lettuce, tofu cheese, pickles, onion & sprouts on a house-baked whole wheat bun. comes with a deli side salad. $9.95

i think a lot of people would agree with me when i say that m cafe’s big macro is the best vegan burger in los angeles. it’s big, it’s hearty, it has a homemade patty made of rice and vegetables, and it’s covered in melted cheese and creamy sauce. the big macro comes with a side salad of your choice (i suggest the spicy kale) and usually sells for $11.45. well until november 9th, m cafe is offering a special deal on their popular burger, and selling it for just $9.95! the best vegan burger in LA and a hefty side salad for under ten bucks?! yes please!

M Chopped: organic hearts of romaine & mixed greens, avocado, cucumber, chickpeas herb-baked tofu, scallions, ume-pickled radishes, carrots, beets, tamari-roasted almonds, crumbled tempeh “bacon” , tofu-peppercorn ranch

in addition to the discounted burger, m cafe is also offering their most popular salad for $9.95 until november 9th. the m chopped is massive and comes filled with fresh vegetables, tender leaves, tempeh bacon, and herb-baked tofu. damn, it’s so good.

so, that’s all. i suggest you get over to m cafe and take advantage of these discounts. and if you haven’t tried the big macro yet, you know nothing about vegan burgers. nothing!

m cafe de chaya
7119 Melrose Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90046
323.525.0310

dude, i wasn’t lying when i said portland has everything for vegans. on top of the vegan grocery store, the tattoo parlor, the bakery, the pub, the donut shops, and the billions of other neat places…they also have an all vegetarian and vegan-friendly arcade. backspace cafe calls itself “portland’s entertainment mecca”—its 4,000 square foot space houses video games, pool tables, computers for web surfing, an art gallery, and a meat-free restaurant complete with draught beer & stumptown coffee. plus, the place doubles as a live music venue and hosts awesome events such as “rockband night”. hell yeah!

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Every so often in the LA vegan scene I run into somebody that says “You know, I wish I’d eaten at The Vegan Spot before it closed down”. Well, Los Angeles vegans, its successor restaurant Flore Cafe (sister restaurant to the amazing Flore) is in need of our attention once again.

Most LA vegans would put the esteemed Silverlake restaurant Flore in their top five vegan dining options in the city. An innovative menu, all-organic ingredients and incredible attention to detail in both the preparation and presentation of the food really sets it apart from places like Cafe Flourish (fast dining, limited menu). If only parking was easier in Silverlake, we’d probably visit Flore a whole lot more than we do.

Well, rising from the ashes of The Vegan Spot (my favorite ever LA vegan restaurant) just half a mile or so away from Flore is Flore Cafe. While owned by the same people as Flore, the Cafe is not entirely vegan (having eggs and milk products on the menu), but it serves many similar menu items as its sister restaurant a few blocks south – all organic, all very well thought out and all absolutely wonderfully prepared.

On a recent visit to Flore Cafe, we decided to order the Avocado and Seitan Salad and Tempeh Tu-no Melt – boy, we were not disappointed.

Avocado & Seitan Salad: Bed of mixed greens with sliced avocado, sprouts, grilled seitan, tomato and red onion. Served with choice of vinaigrette or tahini dressing. $9.95

The salad was crispy and fresh, perfectly prepared and the seitan was some of the best I’ve ever had (I don’t know how Flore make their seitan, but I wish I could make it the way they do!). In addition to the amazing seitan, all the ingredients in the salad were top notch. At first, nearly $10 seemed like a lot to pay for a salad…but when this bowl arrived overflowing with wheat meat and fresh produce, $10 seemed like a bargain. The tahini dressing was deliciously creamy as well, I couldn’t fault anything about this dish.

Tempeh Tu-no Melt: Tempeh salad, daikon sprouts and cashew cheese layered on organic seeded six grain bread grilled to warm, soulful perfection. Served with a mixed green salad. $8.95

The Tempeh Tu-no Melt was also truly outstanding – a well filled toasted sandwich with a sizable side of equally crispy salad. The melt was stuffed with a creamy and chunky tempeh salad mixture, with just the right amount of crunch. It tasted amazing all mixed up with Flore’s flavorful cashew cheese and the slightly sour daikon sprouts. Like the seitan salad, this melt was enormous. Each half was packed with a ton of tempeh; we ended up taking half of it home for a later meal.

Flore Cafe has a great menu, with tons of options, considering how small the place is. Whether you are in the mood for a full on breakfast, a hearty burger, a toasted sandwich or a burrito…Flore Cafe is your place. Here are just a few of the other things we’ve eaten there. If you are a reader of this blog, you’ve probably seen these pix before:

Smokey Seitan & Portobello Burger: served with red onion, lettuce, tomato, vegenaise and a side salad. $9.95

Flore Cafe offers 4 types of veggie burgers. I highly recommend the seitan and portobello burger—a large patty made of wheat meat and mushrooms all topped off with loads of vegetables.

Tofu Scramble: Tofu, tomato, basil, mushroom, red onion & spinach. $6.95

The tofu scramble at Flore Cafe is one of the best breakfast dishes in Los Angeles, and just about the only vegan one I can think for under $7. It comes with mounds of chunky tofu mixed with spinach and mushrooms, as well as a generous helping of tomato and avocado. Goes great with hot sauce.

Breakfast Burrito: Tofu scramble, cashew cheese, potatoes, avocado and pico de gallo ina whole wheat tortilla. Served with a side of fruit. $6.95

The breakfast burrito is also a good deal at $6.95—lots of perfectly cooked tofu, potatoes and avocado rolled up tight in an oversized tortilla.

I know we have given them flack before on this blog for serving eggs and dairy, but I’d strongly recommend visiting Flore Cafe both in the near future and on a regular basis. Like so many tiny businesses these days the economy isn’t on its side so all the help we can give Flore Cafe to remain on our list as a superb restaurant with a bunch of vegan options will, I’m sure, be much appreciated.

Let’s not lose the entire menu from Flore Cafe due to closure or reassignment of the lease to an omnivorous establishment. We’ve already seen Vegan Spot go away, as well as Flore Cafe cease offering LA’s best ever vegan breakfast deal: the “all you can eat” sunday breakfast brunch. Go pay Flore Cafe a visit… today!

Flore Cafe
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso…not to be confused with Flore at Sunset Junction)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 667-0116

open daily 10am-5pm

mrs. winston's salad bar. $7.95 per pound.

vegans, forget everything you know. you have not been to a salad bar until you’ve been to mrs. winston’s green grocery. the small deli has a build-your-own salad and sandwich section that puts even the venice whole foods to shame. we hit up mrs. winston’s in santa monica over the weekend and enjoyed some overflowing boxes of salad on their pleasant outdoor patio. i can’t believe have a been a vegan in los angeles for so many years and this was only my first time eating here. the food completely blew my mind.

the long tables where you fill up your take-out container are just overflowing with fresh organic produce, vegan pastas, loads of specialty vegan items like “egg”, “turkey”, and “chicken” salad, plus about 20 different kinds of marinated tofu—all at just $7.95 per pound. vegan salad heaven, i am telling you!

everything that’s vegan is clearly labeled as such, so there’s no guesswork involved in filling up your box with meatless goodness.

there are about two walls full of just vegan offerings, and i think it would take several trips of gorging myself at mrs. winston’s before i could possibly try everything.

we shoved as much delicious food as we could into our take-out boxes, and completely stuffed ourselves for just $17. i definitely will be back to mrs. winston’s, and i can’t wait.

mrs. winstons actually has 3 locations on the westside—one on ocean park, one on colorado, and one on avenue of the stars. i went to the ocean park location, as i’m pretty sure it’s the only one open on weekends.

so head over to mrs. winston’s green grocery as soon as you have a chance. and show up HUNGRY, because it’s the best vegan salad bar in town!

mrs. winston’s green grocery
3150 Ocean Park Blvd
Ste A
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 452-7770

if you read the LA vegan sites, you’ve probably heard of jennshaggy’s recipe blog. well recently, jenn has been doing more than blogging; she’s lent a hand to fratelli cafe on melrose and has helped them design an extensive vegan menu. now the small eatery has a variety of vegan sandwiches, wraps, and salads stuffed with high-quality meat substitutes, fresh vegetables and marinated tofu. i have dined at fratelli cafe twice, and both times the food was delicious.

chinese tofu salad: marinated tofu, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, red onions, crushed peanuts and organic sesame soy dressing. $10.95

on my first visit to fratelli, they had just run out of their meat substitutes, so the only protein option they had was marinated tofu. my friend and i decided to get two entrees and split them: the chinese chicken salad (with tofu instead of chicken), and the mexican cilantro wrap. while i was a little skeptical of having tofu rather than chicken in the salad, it turned out to be wonderful. this was indeed some of the best marinated tofu i’ve ever had. it was slightly crisp and oily on the outside, then soft and juicy in the center. seriously tasty stuff. the rest of the salad was on point as well, all extremely fresh with an excellent vegan dressing.

the mexican cilantro wrap did not disappoint, either. it was filled with the same amazing tofu plus vegetables, salsa and vegan cheese. since a jennshaggy designed the menu and told fratelli which brands to buy, you can trust that things like the fake cheese and meat are truly vegan. for a cheese substitute they use follow your heart, which isn’t my favorite, but it tasted pretty good in this wrap.

mexican cilantro wrap: chicken or tofu, lettuce, tomato, salsa, red onions, avocado, cilantro dressing, vegenaise, and shredded mozzarella. $10.95

i hit up fratelli cafe again a few days later, and luckily the fake meat products were back in stock…

mediterranean salad: chicken or tofu, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, white balsamic vinaigrette, shredded mozzarella. $10.95

my friend ordered the mediterranean salad with chicken, and we were pleased to find it topped with huge thick slices of well-seasoned gardein. the only complaint i’d have about this salad, is it seemed to come with normal lettuce, not spinach like the menu indicated…and the follow your heart cheese was cut in cubes, not shredded. it impressed my omnivorous friend though, and she happily ate all of it.

pesto chicken sandwich: chicken, lettuce, tomato, red onion, non dairy pesto, mozzarella and mayo. $10.95

i ordered the pesto chicken sandwich was also stacked with gardein chicken and a garlicky vegan pesto sauce. this is my favorite thing so far i’ve ordered from fratelli. gardein is just so moist and flavorful, with stuff like this out there, i don’t understand why anyone eats meat. the pesto was also incredible, creamy and so full of flavor, the dairy was not missed one bit.

so next time you find yourself on melrose, head over to fratelli cafe and check out their new vegan menu that our local jennshaggy designed. just grab the laminated menu and flip all the way to the back for the vegan selections. yum.

fratelli cafe
7200 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 938-2233
7 days 6:30am – 11pm

next time you are looking for a big hearty mexican meal that’s not laced with lard and filled with chicken stock, look no further than highland park. head over to cinnamon vegetarian, a completely meat-free mexican restaurant where nearly everything on the menu can be made vegan.

mushroom cocktail: mushrooms, tomato, cilantro and cucumber. $6.25

we hadn’t been to cinnamon in nearly a year, but when we hit up the modest eatery over the weekend, we were blown away by how good everything was—i don’t know why it took me so long to go back! we started with the mushroom cocktail (pictured above), which was a glass filled with a thick tomato-y liquid, spices and chopped vegetables. everything was fresh, chunky, and all around delicious. i would recommend this as an appetizer if you are looking for something light. alternatively, if you wanna go all out, they also have a selection of vegan empanadas and flautas.

2 tacos: 1 chorizo, 1 tofu. $4.75

for my entree, even though it’s on the appetizer menu, i ordered tacos…one vegan chorizo, and one tofu. these tacos were absolutely enormous and incredible. stuffed with soy meat and tofu, and completely overflowing with greens, cabbage, and creamy guacamole. the tofu taco was my favorite, because the tofu was lightly covered in a delicious pesto-y flavor sauce. it was green, spicy, and insanely delicious. don’t be fooled by the small price tag, these tacos were massive and definitely enough to make a meal for one.

my husband ordered the garden salad with tofu, which was a huge plate of dark mixed greens, fresh vegetables, and the same wonderfully marinated tofu that was in my taco. i was a little skeptical when he ordered a “garden” salad at a mexican restaurant…i was expecting it to be low-grade ice berg lettuce with a couple tomato chunks. instead he got a huge appetizing dish with fresh ingredients and mounds of protein. it actually made me kinda jealous.

garden salad with tofu: lettuce, cucumber, carrot, red onions, beet and alfalfa. with tahini dressing. $8.20

overall, everything we ordered at cinnamon was top notch and very tasty. i give this place an a+ and suggest you check it out asap. supposedly almost anything can be made vegan, but you may wanna ask to see ingredient labels for the vegan cheese and soy chicken. just sayin…i haven’t tried it.

cinnamon
5511 North Figueroa St.
Highland Park, CA 90042
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday | 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM
Tuesday | Closed
Friday & Saturday | 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday | 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM

UPDATE 4/25/2011: DON’T EAT AT SWINGER’S. they put lard in “vegan” items.

i know in los angeles we have loads of vegan-friendly restaurants, but sometimes it can still be really hard to find a vegan meal. for instance, after a late night at 2am or early in the morning at 7am…it’s sad, but none of the favorite spots are gonna be open at those hours. rest assured to know when other restaurants are closed, you can always turn to swingers—the all american diner has plenty of vegan options, is open 21.5 hours daily, and has 2 locations (one in santa monica and one near weho). they also serve booze and offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day long.

recently my husband and i found ourselves stranded and hungry at 6:45am, and luckily swingers on beverly came to the rescue.

vegan soyrizo scramble: organic tofu scrambled with soyrizo, served with black beans, salsa, and your choice of tortilla. $7.95

i’m a big fan of the breakfasts at swingers, and they have loads vegan-friendly choices that are clearly marked on the menu. from tofu rancheros, to vegan nachos, to a vegan breakfast burrito there are more than enough options. on our most recent visit, i went with the veganized soyrizo scramble, with organic tofu rather than eggs.

i must say that this scramble was exceptional. they mixed the fake meat and tofu all together thoroughly and the fried it on the bottom so it had a really “scrambled eggy” texture, but with none of the gross egg taste. the plate came with a mound of black beans, fresh chunky salsa, and a huge fluffy flour tortilla…damn good value for under $8.

despite the fact that it was earlier than 7am, my husband wasn’t in the mood for breakfast, so he went with the swingers salad. on it’s own the salad is pretty simple, but for an extra $2.50, you can add some damn fine sauteed tofu. i wouldn’t call this salad amazing or anything, but it’s good, it’s vegan, and it’s available to eat at 6:30am.

swingers salad with tofu: organic mixed baby greens, tomatoes and carrots with choice of dressing and sauteed tofu. $9

so there you have it. when other places aren’t open and you are craving some vegan grub, swingers will always save the day. sometimes the service can be hit or miss, but i’ve always left with a belly full of decent food.

swingers
8020 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 653-5858
6:30 a.m. – 4:00 a.m.

if you like healthy food, relaxing lunches, and damn good tap beer, you need to hit up tender greens. the casual eatery has two locations, one in culver city and a brand new one in west hollywood. i checked out the weho outlet with friend and fellow blogger jennshaggy, and was blown away by the taste and quality of the food, the friendliness of the service, and the overall atmosphere of the place.

happy vegan: tabbouleh, hummus, pasta pearls, farro wheat, young kale, tender greens. $10.5

after browsing the menu online, i wasn’t expecting much from tender greens. they seemed to have mostly salads and nothing really jumped out at me. however, the minute i walked into the restaurant and was greeted by the smell of freshly baked bread and could see all the fresh vegetables being chopped and prepared behind the counter, i knew i was in for a treat. i could tell this was no ordinary salad place, and that our food was likely to be exceptional.

i ordered the happy vegan pictured above, which was a mix of several small dishes accompanied by soft leafy greens and crunchy bread. of the several mounds of delicious food on my plate, my favorite was the green hummus (pictured below), which tasted like a mix of hummus and edamame…absolutely amazing. of course i washed everything down with a pint of delicious draught beer. i don’t even remember what kind of beer i ordered, but it was something fancy. you don’t see crap like bud light and mgd on tap at tender greens, but rather selections like chimay and fine ciders.

while tender greens only has two salads that come vegan by default, most of their other creations can be veganized as well. jennshaggy ordered the chinese chicken salad, but with vegetables instead of chicken and tomato rather than sesame dressing. the roasted vegetables included squash, baby carrots, cauliflower, and asparagus….all of which were cooked to perfection. i tried a bite and jenn’s salad was even better than my happy vegan plate! i am definitely gonna take a risk and order off the menu next time like she did.

chinese chicken salad with no chicken, add roasted vegetables. spicy greens, golden pea sprouts, carrot, crispy wonton, cilantro, green onions, roasted peanuts, tomato dressing. $10.5

in addition to great food and fancy tap beer, tender greens has a super comfy and laid back atmosphere. you order at the counter and pay for your food then take your tray to one of the many sun-soaked booths or tables underneath the large windows. on a weekend i could spend hours at this place, sinking beers and eating hummus.

so overall, tender greens gets an a+. the food is fresh and tastes good, and everything is unbelievably light and healthy. i think i would do myself a favor by eating here more often.

tender greens
8759 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 358-1919

one of los angeles’ newest vegan restaurants, cafe flourish, is quickly becoming one of my favorites. i have had the chance to try numerous different dishes at the small mid-wilshire eatery, and never once have i been disappointed. since my first review, i have been back to cafe flourish and i think it’s safe to say the food keeps getting better and better.

french dip, merci: porcini & shitake mushrooms with caramelized onions on french bread with a rich mushroom au jus. $10.25

on a recent visit to cafe flourish, i tried out their french dip which comes with caramelized onions and two types of mushrooms on a thick roll. at first i thought it was bit expensive at $10.25, considering their was no meat substitute in the sandwich, but the price tag was quickly justified when i tasted the delicate and exquisite mushrooms. the caramelized onions were tender and slightly sweet, cooked up just perfectly, and much better than i could make at home. with all the awesome flavors that were goin’ on in this sandwich, it didn’t even need to substitute the beef that you would normally find in a ‘real’ french dip. the hearty sandwich also came with a side salad (not pictured). i went with the quinoa; it’s the only side i’ve ever ordered at cafe flourish, and it’s so damn good i can’t bring myself to try anything else.

smac-n-cheese: gluten-free rice elbow pasta with a creamy cheesy sauce. served with a house salad. $9.95

in addition to all the normal menu items, cafe flourish also has a white board full of specials you can order. so far my favorite dish ever at flourish has been the smac ‘n cheese special, gluten free pasta in a really rich, creamy and spicy melted cheese sauce. this vegan version of macaroni and cheese is so incredible, it gives all the other mac in this town a run for its money. maybe it’s the zesty hot cheese they mix it with, or the fact it gets so perfectly melty with chewy edges. rumor is, cafe flourish will be adding it to the regular menu soon. i’m so relieved, because i never wanna see this special go away.

another special worth trying, and one that would be especially good for the kids, is ‘sausage fest’, flourish’s take on the classic pigs in a blanket. the dish comes with 2 standard yves or smart dog type links wrapped in a thick doughy bread with sauces and condiments. while the hot dogs themselves aren’t anything amazing, the puffy soft blanket is really damn tasty. the soy meat gains a whole new life when slathered in vegan mayo and mustard, all enveloped in the fluffy roll. i loved it. if i had a child, i would order them this. it totally reminded me of being 10 years old.

sausage fest: 2 soy hotdogs wrapped in a blanket with dijon, ketchup, mayo and relish. served with a caesar salad. $6.50

so if you haven’t been to cafe flourish yet, what are you waitin’ for? they haven’t let me down once. i am so glad we have yet another vegan restaurant right in the middle of town. los angeles is gettin’ better all the time.

cafe flourish
5406 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 939-3932
Mon-Sat. 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

i have been a fan of paru’s indian vegetarian restaurant for quite some time. the entirely meat-free establishment, located on sunset in hollywood, specializes in south indian cuisine and cooks up some of the best curries i’ve had on this side of the pond.

i have raved about them before, and as i said in my earlier post, don’t be alarmed by how sketchy this place looks on the outside; once you get buzzed in through the metal gate, the restaurant is absolutely lovely. although i have had many pleasant and delicious visits to paru’s, my meal there last week left a lot to be desired. if you haven’t been to paru’s, i still suggest you check it out, but maybe i can help you with what not to order.

bonda: 2 spicy potato balls. $4.50

for our recent dinner, my husband and i started with the spicy potato balls known as bonda. although only one is pictured above, the order came with two and the balls were pretty sizable. the appetizer was absolutely delicious, i have nothing to complain about here, as it ended up being the high point of our meal. super crispy and fried on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and littered with little chunks of spicy jalapeno. plus, the dipping sauce the ballz came with was insane. paru’s is very knowledgeable about veganism, and when we told them we were vegan they said they would take care of us. however the green sauce the potato balls came with was so delicious and creamy, i was convinced it was dairy-based. our friendly waiter laughed when i questioned him, assuring us it was coconut milk, and that that almost all of paru’s dishes were dairy-free. phew.

punjab glory: poori, vegetable curry, peas & rice, papad, (no raitha). $12.95

as a main dish, my husband got the punjab glory, which was basically 3 little pots of curry with a tray of breads and a huge mound of rice. knowing we were vegans, they kindly left off the side of raitha. you see, this dish was pretty good, but for $13 it just seemed like an awful lot of carbs. we are used to getting a few side orders which are 8 bucks each, and then splitting a side order of rice. while that can turn out to be a little more expensive, at least you get a lot of curry. i mean, look at the picture, do you see how much rice, bread and sauce that is? the actual curry only took up about 25% of the plate. at the end of the meal, all the curry was gone (there being about 5 or 6 bites of each of the 3 types), and almost all the rice and bread were left over. i think we will definitely stick to ordering side dishes in the future, like we did in my more complimentary post about paru’s.

yogi's delight: indo-American combination bringing you chickpeas curry on a bed of beans and sprouts, topped with onions, tomatoes, cucumber, and other vegetables, plus paratha. $12.95

my main dish is where it all kind of fell apart. i ordered yogi’s delight, which appeared from the menu description to be a light chickpea curry with vegetables and bread. imagine my shock when it arrived and was just a huge ice berg lettuce salad. ummm…the menu description didn’t even mention lettuce!! i thought i was getting a chickpea curry on a bed of beans, topped with onions. instead i got a bed of lettuce with cold chickpeas on top. there was nothing ‘curry’ like about this thing. even for a salad, it wasn’t good. oh and here’s the real kicker: it was also filled with unadvertised bell peppers, which i absolutely hate. gah! and for $13?!? talk about adding insult to injury. i managed to pick around and eat some of the chickpeas off, plus i helped myself to my husband’s never ending supply of rice and bread.

so there you have it, go eat at paru’s because some of their stuff is absolutely amazing. just avoid yogi’s delight like it’s the plague, and be sure to order side dishes if you want a decent amount of curry. i hear the dosas are great too, but i have yet to try them. when i do, you’ll be sure to hear about it.

paru’s indian vegetarian restaurant
5140 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 661-7600