as far as i’m concerned, cru vegetarian restaurant serves up some of the best food in los angeles.

the small, comfy silverlake eatery focuses mainly on raw cuisine, but also has a delicious selection of cooked entrees as well. their creative, healthy dishes aim to please…and i’ve never been disappointed with a meal from cru yet. cru doesn’t use any meat, dairy, or eggs….in fact, the only animal product at the restaurant is honey. my only complaint is, i wish they’d quit using SO much honey.

this is actually a pretty well-timed post, because when i ate a lot of the food i’m blogging about today, the menu items containing honey weren’t even clearly marked. then they started specifying the items with honey on the restaurant menu but not the online menu, and now, FINALLY the online menu is up to date with honey labels as well. so vegans: be careful, and just read everything twice before ordering.

now, onto the FOOD!…

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it’s gonna be a great weekend for vegans in los angeles and here is the stuff you shouldn’t be missing:

franken's on saturday!

first up on saturday, the frankenstand is taking over hollywood and western with its delicious plant-based sausages. if you haven’t tried this place yet, you GOTTA go. they are our #1 favorite food cart and their gourmet franks are beyond delicious. it’s also a special occasion because franken’s very rarely comes out in the daylight. seriously, GO. take my advice, and order the witch or the franken….you will not be sorry. follow @thefrankenstand on twitter for more info.

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

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hey LA, we have some great news! our favorite indian/mexican-inspired food joint has added a slew of new animal-free dishes to its menu!

that’s right, cowboys and turbans has had a total face-lift, and their new menu includes even more delicious vegan items than before. not just that, but they now DELIVER (literally, not just on taste) to the silverlake area.

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LA vegans, drop what you are doing. as of right now, there are some AMAZING NEW PRODUCTS a the meet market.

miranda, the mastermind behind flore and the meet market has started packaging and selling her very own brand of cashew cheese and vegan nutella-style spread…

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of all the food trucks roaming the streets of los angeles, mandoline grill is the best one i’ve tried. their menu is extra vegan-friendly, and their crisp french bread and marinated tofu make for the perfect banh mi.

the truck does lunch stints all over LA, and one of their semi-regular stops is right next to the PETA office in silverlake. when they were there yesterday, they had both a new vegan menu item and some exciting news about about an event at the verdugo TODAY.

royale aka @peta

i stopped by to say hello, and although i didn’t eat anything that mandoline grill was serving up…peta’s very own twitterer and veganista extraordinaire, royale, was happy to give me a report on the food.

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when we announced we were going raw for the week, we turned to stephen hauptfuhr and his food business mooi, to help us get by. we were already huge mooi fans—the organic/vegan/raw catering company won us over long ago with their delicious ice cream and homemade cheeses, and we have been anxiously awaiting the opening of their restaurant. however, we’d never tried their entrees until just a few days ago, and only now do i realize how much we were missing out! everything was incredible, and the best news is that it’s all available to buy pre-packaged at naturewell in silverlake!

check out our massive haul…

ginger garlic stir fry with sweet 'n sour pineapple skewers: carrot, cabbage, broccoli, celery, and bok choy.

our first mooi dish was a raw vegan stir fry, which consisted of carrot, cabbage, broccoli, celery and bok choi in an extremely tasty garlic ginger sauce. it came topped with a generous amount of pineapple skewers, which added the perfect sweetness to the vegetables. i don’t know how mooi does it, but this honestly evoked all the flavors and nuances of an actual stir fry…without being cooked.

thai peanut noodles: kelp noodles with peanut sauce, broccoli and snow peas.

the next entree was by far my favorite of the four. a raw take on thai food, it consisted of kelp noodles in a rich peanut-style sauce with loads of fresh vegetables. it was so ridiculously good, i can’t possibly do it justice. the thick, creamy, and nutty beyond belief…and the soft noodles were fantastic. the normal dish comes with bell peppers, which i hate, so stephen was kind enough to leave them off for us. if you are into raw food, or just good food, you should seriously head to naturewell and pick some of these noodles up.

more after the jump…

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today was a historic day here in los angeles, because for the first time ever, the meet market offered an all you can eat vegan benedict brunch buffet for just $10! i have been looking forward to this feast for weeks, and it really did exceed all my expectations.

so what’s in a bottomless benedict brunch?! start with a tray of mini toasts topped with tofu, tomato, and spinach…

…add to that a FUCKING VAT of VEGAN HOLLANDAISE SAUCE….

…plus some tofu bacon and breakfast potatoes…

…and there you have it, the perfect brunch!

as you know, i am usually a huge fan of any brunch at the meet market….but they really hit it out of the park with this one. i really hope they offer the all you can eat benedict buffet again. it was extraordinary. (plus an added bonus for me: today’s brunch was completely BELL PEPPER FREE!)

the meet market
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-667-0116

follow @florevegan on twitter for all your meet market updates!

heads up, vegan community! tomorrow march 14 is not just daylight saving time; but also when the meet market in silverlake will be offering an all you can eat VEGAN BENEDICT BRUNCH. this is huge.

the meet market is already known as the only vegan brunch buffet in town, and for tomorrow only they are adding a bottomless portion of sister restaurant flore’s amazing benedict to the mix.

the outcome will be epic, no doubt.

be there.
10am-3pm.
all you can fucking eat.
$10.

the meet market
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-667-0116

as you probably know, green truck is one of the original LA food trucks. years before all these other mobile vendors arrived on the scene, green truck was tweeting and serving up healthy, organic, and vegan-friendly fare to the los angeles community. the company has a strong focus on the environment, they use produce from local farmers and even power their vehicles with vegetable oil.

although the green truck has been around forever, i never had the chance to try them until yesterday. they are usually based way over on the west side, but on thursday afternoon they decided to do a special stint in silverlake near the peta office on rowena. the green truck typically serves both meat and vegan options—but yesterday, aiming to please, they went all out and created an entirely animal-free menu for the event. of course i had to check it out.

the peta menu was pretty awesome, featuring the truck’s standard vegan mother trucker burger, as well as a variety of wraps, plus soup, salad, and garlic fries. i hit up the truck with two of my friends, who both went for the mother trucker…

the mother trucker: signature vegan burger made in house and topped with heirloom tomato, sprouts or mixed greens, topped with trucker sauce. $7

i had a bite of this burger, and i must say i am a fan. the patty is thick and full of vegetables, and the beet-based sauce they put on it is excellent. next time i am gonna have to get a whole one of these to myself so i can describe it in full detail.

south central farm vegan wrap: sauteed kale, heirloom beets, quinoa, tempeh, heirloom tomato and tahini dressing wrapped in fresh pickled mustard greens. $7

wanting to take advantage of the special vegan menu, i ordered the south central farm wrap, which was made with freshly-picked, local, organic produce from a farm right here in los angeles. it consisted of a colorful variety of beets and tomatoes, fluffy quinoa, soft tempeh, and tahini, all wrapped up in mustard greens. i think it normally includes bell peppers (which i hate), but i made it pretty clear i didn’t want any of those. the wrap was great—light, delicious, and refreshing. my only complaint is it fell apart and got a little messy, but that’s no big deal. i covered this thing in the green truck’s homemade hot sauce, which made it even better!

so don’t be like me and wait years to try the green truck. track it down next time it’s in your area and order the mother trucker. and if you ever hear about them being in silverlake near peta again, BE SURE TO GO! let’s support these guys for going 100% vegan, even if it’s only for one day.

be sure to follow the green truck on twitter and check out their website for more info.

hey everyone, just want to let you know about an exciting offer going on at cowboys and turbans in silverlake and how you can get some FREE VEGAN FOOD. from now until march 15th, if you order a vegan entree between 11am and 5pm and mention quarrygirl, you also get a complimentary vegan taco with your meal! hell yeah, this deal is only available vegan, which is another reason why i love it.

vegan burrito at cowboys and turbans

if you haven’t been to cowboys and turbans, this is a great chance to check them out. we are big fans of their indian and mexican inspired street cuisine, their huge portions, and their low prices. check out our previous reviews of them here and here.

as far as what’s vegan on the menu, you are gonna have a lot to choose from. two types of tofu naanwiches (just be sure to get the whole wheat naan), tofu tikka masalas, tandoori burritos (my personal favorite), samosas, fries, and more.

and i speak from experience when i say that the tandoori tofu taco you’ll receive with your entree is pure delicious. it comes with huge chunks of cubed tofu, two types of chutney, vegetables and crispy pea strips. just be warned, at first glance the crispy pea strips look like cheese. don’t worry though, they are vegan!

so head on over to cowboys and turbans between now and the 15th for some great grub and a free taco! here are the deats all spelled out:

when: march 10th -15th, between 11am and 5pm
where: cowboys and turbans (silverlake location only)
how: order any vegan entree and get a free vegan taco when you mention quarrygirl

see you there!

cowboys and turbans
2815 Sunset Blvd.
213.483.7778
HOURS OF OPERATION
Everyday: 11AM – 10PM

One of the defining moments of any English person’s day is the breakfast ritual. Nowadays, rather than beans on toast, most of us Brits are partial to microwaving last night’s Indian takeaway leftovers. I can tell you, there’s nothing quite like a spicy vindaloo and a cup of strong black coffee to knock out the cobwebs and get one ready for a long tube ride on a cold and rainy morning.

tofu bhujiya. $7

Imagine, then, this English boy’s delight when I saw that Cowboys and Turbans, LA’s newest Indian-style restaurant has a special vegan breakfast item. I’d very much enjoyed the Tandoori Burrito and Tika Masala from our previous visit, so couldn’t wait to go back for the breakfast. Accordingly, wasting no time, we hit them up this morning for a breakfast to go, and I can tell you this is one of the best vegan breakfasts anywhere in LA, and is a steal at only $7.

The vegan breakfast, Tofu Bhujiya, consists of thinly diced tofu chunks which are lightly fried in Indian spices and vegetables including tomatoes, cilantro, onion and chilies. As if that’s not enough, the Bhujiya also comes with a succulent Aaloo Tikki, a thick, “meaty” Indian-style hash brown that’s spiced like crazy, and based upon a recipe from Chef Baba Ji’s mother. The smooth potato patty is punctuated by fresh peas cooked into it, like periods at the end of sentences in a paragraph of delight.

Breakfast is available on Saturdays and Sundays only (exclusively at the Silverlake location), from 8am-3pm. So next time you’re doing your best to wake up on a weekend, pop down to Cowboys and Turbans, order the vegan breakfast with a cup of strong coffee and wake up in style. You won’t be sorry!

Cowboys and Turbans
2815 Sunset Blvd.
213.483.7778
HOURS OF OPERATION
Sat and Sun: 8AM – 10PM
Mon-Fri: 11AM – 10PM

living in a household that is 1/2 english and 1/2 southern californian, it is a common debate which is better: curry or mexican? they are the two great take-out foods of our respective nations, and we can never settle on just one….and now with cowboys and turbans, we don’t have to.

cowboys and turbans has two locations in LA (one in silverlake and one on wilshire), and they specialize in “indian mexican street food,” meaning they shove curry into awesome vessels such as burritos and tacos, and offer tikka masala without a south of the border flare. yep, this is pretty much my favorite combo ever. i went all out on my recent order from the silverlake location with burritos, tacos, and tikka galore!

spinach tofu burrito with spanish rice, lettuce, tomato, cilantro, tamarind chutney, mint chutney and crispy chick pea strips wrapped in a soft grilled flour tortilla. $8

the tofu burrito was MASSIVE and came wrapped in thin white paper (as any self-respecting street burrito does). it also was accompanied by a huge portion of mexic-indian chips that were somewhere between flavorful flat bread and tortilla crisps. they were so fucking good; i ate them before i could photograph them. oops.

inside the burrito, was a mixture of rice, indian spices, tofu and spinach, and crispy chick pea strips. i am a traditional burrito lover, but this was a very welcome change. if you are a fan of both indian and mexican food, you are gonna go nuts for this thing. and just to put your little vegan minds to rest, i did double check that the tortilla was vegan as well.

spinach tikka masala: spinach and tofu in a red non-dairy curry sauce with a side of basmati rice. $8

another good option at cowboys and turbans is the tikka masala. both the spinach and spinach tofu varieties are vegan, and they are delicious. huge chunks of cubed tofu mixed up with a vegan red sauce and served with the perfect portion of basmati rice.

now let me tell you about a little mistake i made with cowboys and turbans, which is actually quite embarrassing…

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There are few things more satisfying on a warn day than naturally brewed German beer. Don’t get me wrong, I love all kinds of beers, but there’s something about a Pilsener, Bock or Maarzen that quenches one’s thirst quite on a hot day like none other. German beer also has a huge advantage in that it’s almost always vegan, due to the strict brewing purity laws Reinheitsgebot, established in the 16th century, which mandate only water, barley, and hops should be used to make beer. Nowadays, and thanks to the treacherous European Community, that law is effectively repealed, but many breweries brew the traditional way which uses no animal products anywhere in the process.

One the best places in LA to get German beer served in a (relatively) authentic atmosphere is The Red Lion Tavern, in Silverlake. Located on Glendale Blvd. this awesome mock-German bar is a fun place to visit. You have a choice of two places to drink – the lower bar is dark and cold – almost like a Bavarian beer cellar, with comfortable booths, stained glass windows and a friendly bar area with nine or ten German beers on tap at any time.

If you’re feeling more al fresco, there’s a HUGE (and I mean HUGE) patio upstairs adjacent to the parking lot complete with its own bar. Decorated like a Rhone Valley beer garden, the patio, as with the lower bar, provides such an immersive drinking experience that I completely forget I’m in LA every time I visit. The Glendale Freeway, moments away, will change to an Autobahn right before my very eyes as I stagger out of the Red Lion.

The staff at Red Lion are very friendly, and if you’re lucky you’ll get a REAL GERMAN person serving you while donned up in traditional national dress, complete with sashes and frilly collars. The fact that they can keep such a straight face when working there is awesome – to me, the entire Red Lion concept is so lovably, comically camp that I just can’t take it seriously, which is probably why I can’t keep away.

A note of caution for vegans, though, is that the food menu is also traditionally German, consisting of boiled meat, fried meat, sausage-shaped meat, meat pies, meat patties and meat on a stick. The only non-meat thing on the menu is a potato cake, but even that is cooked in the meat juices for “authentic flavors”. Sometimes, as friends have pointed out, the place can bee a little too meaty smelling – especially the inside bar, so I tend to go earlier in the day before the lunch rush then fill up on drink before heading a few steps down the road to fill up on grub.

A half-block away from the Red Lion, still on Glendale Blvd. is Gingergrass, an equally authentic establishment – but this time we’re not talking about Fraus in dresses, but a busy, non-nonsense Vietnamese cafe with a menu right out of a Hanoi street bazaar. I’ll start off by saying that Gingergrass is an omnivorous establishment, but is highly vegan friendly. The menu clearly states what can be made vegan (nearly everything), and our server was most helpful answering our picky, vegan questions.

organic tofu noodle bowl served over rice stick noodles with shredded lettuce, pickled vegetables, herbs, and your choice of regular or vegan nuoc cham. $8.75

On our visit we opted for the Organic tofu noodle bowl which was a hearty combination of noodles and vegetables in a tasty vegan sauce, topped off with lightly fried tofu chunks. The entire thing was absolutely wonderful, and everything was cooked just right. This dish alone would be more than enough to full up one, or perhaps two people, but we over ordered another two things, regardless.

vegetarian pho: mushrooms, carrots, bok choy, ginger and baked tofu in a vegan broth infused with traditional pho spices over rice noodles.

Next up was the Vegetarian PHÓ, a traditional deep bowl of soup crammed full of bok choy, carrots, ginger and baked tofu along with crunchy shredded lettuce and a generous side of bean sprouts, chilies and mint leaves. Again, everything was filling, healthy tasting, fresh and light.

gingergrass tofu lunch plate: crispy organic tofu with shiitake mushrooms and baby bok choy served with our vegan nuoc cham sauce. $8.95

Finally, we ordered the Gingergrass Tofu Lunch Plate which was a healthy serving of chunky fried tofu, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, noodles and rice along with dipping sauce and a diced vegetable slaw that was to die for. This is just the kind of dish you want to scrape up with your chopsticks and eat quickly. Again, I can’t fault anything in this dish – it was incessantly fresh, perfectly cooked and wonderfully tasty.

So, what’s not to like about Gingergrass? Frankly, the only criticism I have is that the prices are deceptively low – only $9 for a HUGE bowl of noodles with sides and salad whereas on the westside a meal like this would be in the $11-$13 price range. You have been warned: the portions are huge.

So, a nice outing on a sunny day would start off relaxing on the patio or in the cellar bar at Red Lion while drinking ice cold beer from Germany, followed by a 2 minute walk to Gingergrass where helpful people will busily take your order and bring you plate after plate of fresh, healthy food. I love omni restaurants that specifically state which items on the menu are, or can be, made vegan and a bar with a safe-haven of vegan beer is a godsend.

Finally, as always, if you’re unsure that your favorite tipple is vegan, check out Barnivore.com where you can quickly look up most alcoholic drinks. Also, a few weeks ago I discovered the awesome veganbrew.com, a blog run by a couple of vegan beer and food lovers that show not only how beer is brewed (cuz they actually brew it step by step on the blog) but have some tasty recipes (beer battered seitan, anybody?!) as well as crucial advice such as the timeless: “DO NOT SQUEEZE YOUR SACK”. Check it out.

red lion tavern
2366 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90039
(323) 662-5337

gingergrass
2396 Glendale Blvd
Silver Lake, CA 90039
(323) 644-1600

all you can eat. vegan brunch. $10. yeah i know it’s kind of old news at this point, but this is just a reminder that the meet market is there for you when you want good food…cheap and fast.

the self-serve buffet used take place only on sunday, but now it happens on both saturday and sunday from 10am-2pm. when you aren’t feeling like a fancy pantsy decadent brunch, the meet market is the perfect cure for those long non-weeknight drinking sessions, and seriously the most stress-free way ever to start a relaxing day. the menu varies but never disappoints—check out my haul from last week:

plate #1: tofu scramble, tofu bacon and breakfast potatoes with orange juice and coffee.

on plate number 1 (because you cannot go to meet market without several trips back to the buffet table), i had a hearty portion of tofu scramble, sauteed breakfast potatoes and smoky tofu bacon with a side of coffee and orange juice.

one item you are always sure to find at the meet market’s weekend buffet is the tofu scramble…yet the scramble itself is never the same. sometimes it’s chunky, other times it’s fluffy…sometimes it has spinach in it…you get the point. this time it was super scramble-y with lots of vegetables and the perfect amount of nutritional yeast. it was a great one for sure, and my only complaint is that lately the scramble has regularly contained bell peppers (which i HATE). 🙁 oh well, they were easily picked around. similarly, the breakfast potatoes had peppers as well, but were cooked just right and still delicious. the tofu bacon is no doubt my favorite thing pictured above, because it is seriously the best faux bacon ever. marinated tofu thinly sliced and grilled to dark brown perfection….yum!

seitan sausage at meet market

plate number 2 yielded more awesomeness, this time in the form of seitan sausage. what you see pictured above is probably the juiciest animal-free breakfast sausage ever. i have been known to pay admission to the all you can eat buffet and get nothing but plate after plate of this stuff. it’s thick, tender, and deliciously spiced…and it is available in unlimited quantities. lookout!

vegan french toast

also on plate 2, some pancakes and vegan french toast are represented. meet market makes good vegan pancakes…but so do lots of other restaurants, so i won’t go on and on about it. what i will freak out about though, is the french toast! in order to make traditional french toast, i think you break up some eggs, milk, butter and/or other monstrosities and coat your bread with it before cooking? i know, that sounds gross, but meet market’s take on it is INCREDIBLE. i am more of a savory breakfast person, but this thick slice of sweet battered bread really hit the spot.

i dunno what your plans are tomorrow, but i think you should definitely consider meet market for brunch. they open at 10am….and aren’t uncomfortably crowded. i know there was some kind of snafu on new years day because they ran out of food or something…but i can tell you that is not typical and has never happened to me.

meet market
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

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.