hey peeps! time for yet another field report! this one comes to us from our dear friend patricia (an awesome certified massage therapist and yoga instructor!), who recently went on a trip to the east coast. here is one tasty installment from her journey, that’s making me think i need to book at trip to washington dc just to eat and drink. a foodie field trip, or eat-cation, if you will! enjoy:

i recently took a trip to the east coast and was so happy to have some awesome guidance from @kmudrick on where to eat and drink. one of the places he suggested when visiting dc was Busboys and Poets. this place blew my mind. i mean, just look at the sign “food, books, film, coffee, stage, internet, bar”. woah.

la desperately needs a place like this. a place where you can sit and work, read a book, enjoy a show, have some grub, or relax with a coffee or beer. it’s so cozy with a great feeling of community and super cool art.

we loved this place so much we went to the 14th street location (there are three) two days in a row.

enough chatter, let’s get to the grub!

Tempeh with vegan mayonnaise, arugula, roasted red peppers, saute'ed onions on rosemary sun-dried tomato loaf

the restaurant is not entirely vegan but the menu is about half vegan. they clearly mark gluten free, veg, and vegan to make ordering less complicated. on the first visit i had the tempeh panini ($8.95). this was literally THE BEST SANDWICH I HAVE EVER EATEN. hands down.

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as the seasons change, so do the salads at m cafe.

curried tempeh salad at m cafe

i hit up the melrose location recently and noticed that with the turn of spring, the celery root salad and winter vegetables were gone.

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hey readers! today we have yet another vegan field report, and this time it’s from shine cafe in morrow bay. this one is written by brittany, who runs sick of lettuce. if you haven’t checked out her blog, you should! i will let her take it away:

shine cafe is located in morro bay, about 3 1/2 hours north up the coast. it is located in the back of sunshine grocery, which is probably the only health/natural foods store in the area (cause there ain’t much else!). the cafe is in the back of the store, i tried to get a picture of the kitchen area but the two guys working in the kitchen (who i think, judging by some family photos on the wall, were sons of the owner?) were on alert and i felt weird. anyway, the cafe area is super tiny with 3 tables, a huge chalk board menu on the wall, and an open kitchen which seemed to only consist of a hot plate, a sink, a few counters, and a few bakers’ racks full of small appliances and kitchen tools.

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there’s an adage that says: “those who can, do. those who can’t, teach.”. clearly, that’s not remotely accurate as many wonderfully productive people can also teach up a storm, particularly the talented dave anderson, executive chef at madeleine bistro.

ever had one of his ice creams that are so light and flavorful that you want third helpings?
ever eaten chunks of his pan-roasted vegetables by the dozen?
ever wondered what goes into making such sublime sauces?

well, if you have (and if you’ve ever eaten at madeleine’s you’ll be on the same page here) are you not just a little intrigued as to how dave and the team invent, prepare and cook such amazing food?

thankfully for curious minds, madeleine bistro offers cooking classes/demonstrations on the weekends (the next one being this saturday!) where average folks like you and me can not only learn some of chef dave’s secrets, but enjoy an artfully-prepared three course meal as well. we sat in on the most recent class and gained some culinary wisdom that will last a lifetime.

pan-roasted califlower in filo with roasted butternut squash and cauliflower puree.

the class we attended included recipes and instruction on three separate courses, with the focus being on roasting and braising. the first course, pictured above, was pan-roasted cauliflower in filo with roasted butternut squash and cauliflower puree.

we got to watch and absorb the whole cooking process, from the pan-roasting of the cauliflower, to the oven-roasting of the butternut squash, to the forming and shaping of the beggar’s purses…

for the main course, chef dave schooled us in the art of braising with braised tempeh, braised root vegetables, and cabernet-roasted mushroom sauce.

braised tempeh with braised root vegetables and cabernet-roasted mushroom sauce.

everything in this course was wonderful, from the finely cubed vegetables to the browned tempeh slices and flavorful sauce. again, we saw the process from start to finish. i have never learned so much in two hours!

from the chopping of brunoise root vegetables…

to roasting vegetables for the cabernet-roasted mushroom sauce…

to making the roux for the sauce (woo a roux!)…

to preparing the tempeh…

and the finished product was just exquisite, vegans and non-vegans alike were singing its praises.

lastly, even our dessert course implemented braising and roasting techniques.

the last course consisted of pears braised in riesling, agave and vanilla bean, along with homemade ice creme made from baked sweet potatoes.

the dessert turned out perfectly, and i loved every last bite even though i’m not a big sweet potato or pear fan. seriously, i was licking the plate. when it was served, it even came with a dollop of dave’s special coconut whip cream (which he would not give away the secret to).

overall, the madeleine bistro cooking class was a huge success. the students gathered around in the dining area and watched intently as chef dave prepared each course and explained his methods. the students didn’t do any actual cooking themselves, but were free to take notes and ask unlimited questions. i really enjoyed the way chef dave ran the class, and i left with a stack of invaluable recipes and a wealth of knowledge. plus, dave was ridiculously funny and laid back throughout the lesson, making for a really fun environment.

madeleine bistro usually hosts cooking classes every other week, the next one being this saturday march 6th. each class is $75 per person, which includes a 3-course meal! money well spent, if you ask me.

so be sure to contact madeleine bistro and sign up for the next cooking class that you can. hope you love it as much as i did!

madeleine bistro
(818) 758-6971
18621 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, CA

after my recent sandwich obsession post about the tempeh reuben at flore in silverlake, a bunch of vegans started chiming in with suggestions of other restaurants where i could find awesome reubens. one name that kept coming up was cafe flourish, and commenter AWk even went as far as to call it “the best vegan reuben in los angeles.” oh REALLY? naturally i had to head to flourish right away and check out this sandwich.

Love Reuben: Savory marinated tempeh with house-made Swiss, sauerkraut & avocado with Russian dressing on rye. $11.95

while i can’t confirm this is the best vegan reuben in town, because i haven’t tasted all of the contenders, i can tell you that it’s the best sandwich i’ve eaten in a long, long time. at first i thought it was pretty pricey at nearly 12 bucks for just a sandwich, but when i saw how massive and stuffed this thing was, i knew it was a good value. seriously, there must have been an entire package-worth of tempeh in there, and about half a cup of creamy thousand island dressing.

everything in this sandwich was delicious, i can definitely see why y’all were raving about it in the comments section. the tempeh was flavorful and the block of house-made swiss was absolutely fantastic…i would love to know how they do it. i love the fact that there was a huge slice of avocado in it as well, you don’t see that very often in reubens and it’s a damn shame. the only downside of this beautiful sandwich was that it was so packed with tempeh, sauerkraut and dressing that it was difficult to eat with out spilling it. i couldn’t even finish the thing, so i wrapped up half of it and the leftovers were enough for another entire meal. booya.

so whether or not this is the best vegan reuben in LA, i dunno. but i know it’s a fucking awesome reuben and i will be ordering it again. one of these days i will have to drag myself to the valley and hit up follow your heart for what To Live and Eat in LA calls “the world’s best vegan reuben sandwich”. the follow your heart reuben has also gotten a strong endorsement from Sick of Lettuce, so i am pretty interested to see how it holds up against flourish’s masterful sandwich.

i’m starting to see why vegans have this crazy obsession with reuben sandwiches. i’m hooked, and i am gonna try as many as i can. stay tuned.

i know that only yesterday we broke the news of a brand new vegan restaurant in los angeles. well, today we have one more recently-opened, cruelty-free eatery to report: cafe flourish located on wilshire at cloverdale. hell yeah, miracle mile finally has it’s own 100% vegan establishment, and it has officially come out of the gates swingin. i got a tip about cafe flourish from a reader called “mc”, and naturally i dragged one of my co-workers there to check it out immediately. although the cafe has just been in business a couple of weeks old and only offers a ‘limited opening menu,’ there was a buzzing lunch crowd when we visited, and the food was pretty impressive.

flourish plate: southern macro plate. pinto beans, long-grain brown rice & sauteed kale with a delicious creamy sauce & a gluten-free corn muffin. $9.95

for just a soft opening menu, cafe flourish sure offers a ton of mouth-watering selections, and i had a tough time deciding what to order. from a rueben, to a quesadilla, to a french dip, to a burrito, to jackfruit tacos, and assorted pizzas, there was more than enough food to choose from. i settled on the “flourish plate” because it sound soul foodish, yet light at the same time. boy, was i spot on!—i’m very happy with my decision, because the flourish plate had that traditional home-cookin’ feel, yet without all the oil or heaviness. the only thing decadent about it was the creamy-cheese-style-sauce. the plate consisted of a huge guilt-free portion of greens, some light but well-seasoned rice, and whole beans covered in the most amazing white sauce mixture. the gluten-free cornbread was also quite tasty: light, moist, and squishy…and not nearly as greasy as the cornbread i am used to eating. this is definitely a way to get a southern fix without feeling like you are about to give birth to a food baby.

my omnivorous friend ordered the BLT&A (which i took a large portion of), and both of us were quite pleased with it.

although it may look a bit simple, the sandwich was quite exceptional with delicately toasted bread, creamy vegenaise, fresh vegetables, soft avocado, and moist flavorful tempeh. the fact that both a meat eater and herbivore were in love with this sandwich speaks volumes. oh, and it came with a choice of side salad. she got the quinoa, which turned out to be the best thing at the table! she even went back in and got her own side order to take home. m cafe and its deli case have got nothin on this, baby.

BLT&A: smoky tempeh bacon, red-leaf lettuce, ripe roma tomatoes, avocado & spicy mayo on half-toasted white bread. with a side of quinoa. $8.50

of course, we couldn’t leave this new found vegan paradise without ordering dessert. although the glass case of cakes was pretty appetizing, we decided to splurge in a small way and split a minty-chocolate-chip cookie. damn, fucking incredible! fluffy and soft with huge, melty chunks of minty chocolate…i defy you to find me a vegetarian cookie as good (and healthy) as this.

vegan chocolate chip mint cookie. $2.25

even though the place has been around just a couple weeks, cafe flourish truly has its shit together. the tiny take-out stlye eatery was crowded when we were there, the service was friendly, the wait was minimal, and the food was excellent. what more do i require? plus, mid-wilshire has been begging for a vegan restaurant for quite a while. this would be the perfect place to grab dinner before a show at the el rey, or to pick up take-out to eat at the little bar.

from cafe flourish’s menu: “we are committed to sustainable food practices; we use organic whenever possible, we don’t use animal products, we compost for low waste, and our food is lovingly prepared, embedded with positive intentions. your choice to eat here today is a contribution toward the planet, your community and your health. we thank you, and may your flourish!” …..in other words…..“nom!!!!!”

hope you all enjoy this place as much as i did. thanks again to my reader mc for sending this in.

cafe flourish
5406 wilshire blvd.
los angeles ca 90036
323-939-3932
monday-saturday 11am-10pm

unfortunately, in the past, i have been guilty of giving the vegan restaurant native foods mixed reviews. the westwood outlet can be hit-or-miss, with it’s long wait times and inconsistent food. although i have had lots of great meals at the west side eatery in the past, after a couple bad experiences i found myself not returning for months. well, lemme say i am ready to give them another chance after some recent lunches that were nothing short of amazing at the palm desert location. over the weekend i ate there twice and had the opportunity to sample 4 different dishes, all of which blew my mind.

as you probably know, from friday to monday i was trapped in palm desert attending coachella. the only eating options were pre-made grocery store meals, over-priced festival fare, and dining at native foods, palm desert’s most popular (and maybe only?) vegan restaurant. we found ourselves eating at native foods 2 of the 3 days it was open during our stay…and we couldn’t believe how refreshingly delicious everything was.

mina's macro: brown rice, quinoa, tempeh, steamed veggies, sea greens, sauerkraut green onions & sesame salt. Served with lemon miso sauce. $13.95

on both visits to native foods, i ordered mina’s macro, a hot bowl filled right up with fresh warm vegetables, tangy sauerkraut, sesame salt and crispy tempeh. it also came with a side of lemony miso sauce that tasted just brilliant drizzled over the crisp broccoli and cauliflower. from the quality produce, to the perfectly-grilled tempeh, to the flavorful creamy sauce, everything about this bowl was perfect. i wanted to order something different on my second visit, but i just couldn’t bring myself to. mina’s macro FTW!

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nite moon cafe is a 100% vegetarian, organic and vegan-friendly cafe located in the golden bridge yoga center in the heart of hollywood. the menu is light and nutritious, a health-conscious vegan’s dream, consisting of sandwiches, wraps, tempeh burgers, soups and a large build-you-own salad bar. oh oh oh, and plenty of vegan desserts and smoothies!

i checked out nite moon the other day with a friend, and we were both blown away by the quality of the food and the pleasant and relaxing dining atmosphere.

i ordered the bridge burger, which i assumed would be pretty basic, and was extremely impressed with its originality and tasty-ness.

the bridge burger: tempeh patty with lettuce, tomato, avocado with thousand island dressing on organic whole wheat bun. served with an organic house salad. $10.75

the tempeh patty was out of this world—chewy, tasty and firm all at once. the vegetables were fresh and organic, and the vegan thousand island was way better than the real thing. plus, nite moon really took it up a notch with the side salad…it was piled high with vegetables and seeds, covered in a delicious vegan dressing. everything tasted really superb. 

my friend went with the club sandwich, which i tried, and it was excellent as well. three thick slices of chewy rye bread stacked with first-rate vegetables and luscious tempeh bacon. mmm.

club sandwich: lettuce, tomato, avocado, cucumber, carrot, veganaise and tempeh bacon on 3 slices of organic rye bread. $10.75

needless to say, we both ate EVERYTHING on our plates…the food was so freaking good. what’s awesome though, is that we didn’t feel full or bloated. even after a large meal, we practically floated out of the place. i seriously can’t wait to go back—there are so many things on the menu i want to try, especially the vegan desserts and the huge, appetizing salad bar. have a look at the menu…doesn’t it all look incredible?

i must admit, even though i work in hollywood about 5 minutes from nite moon, i was hesitant to try it out. being located inside a yoga center, it seemed kinda intimidating. i imagined it would be like eating in a gym cafe, with lots of athletic types milling about in between yoga classes—i couldn’t have been more wrong! nite moon is located in what golden bridge yoga dubs a “spiritual village,” a tranquil and colorful area decorated with tibetan prayer flags. you order your food at the counter and find a seat at the long, wooden communal table while you wait for the friendly staff to serve you your meal. to the right of the cafe, there’s a huge commerce area with books, magazines, yoga supplies and clothing. the clientele is mixed, new age types, pregnant ladies, kids, young and old adults. it really is a beautiful, peaceful and welcoming place to enjoy a fabulous lunch.

nite moon is located right behind the arclight cinemas at vine and de longpre, and they validate parking for the structure ($2/2 hours). head over and check it out as soon as you have a chance; i know i shall be lunching there very often.

nite moon cafe at golden bridge
6322 de longpre ave
hollywood, ca 90028
323-988-4052

open monday – thursday 10 am – 9 pm
friday & saturday 10 am – 4 pm
closed on sundays

if you go to san francisco, i highly recommend you eat at herbivore as many times as you can, ’cause that’s what i did. the menu is massive, the food is all vegan and everything tastes amazing. we made two stops at herbivore on the quarrygirl road trip, once for breakfast and once for the most delicious lunch. we dropped in to the valencia location on a sunday at 11am and the place was already in full swing. the service was a bit slow, but the meal more than made up for it.

grilled tempeh sandwich: lettuce, tomatoes, onions & pickles on french bread w/ garlic-lemon sauce. $9.50

a tempeh sandwich has the potential to be pretty boring, but in this case it definitely wasn’t. first off, the tempeh was juicy and perfectly flavored, and there was slice after thick, luscious slice of it piled high atop the bread. the french bread itself was fresh and baked just right: fluffy and pillowy on the inside, crisp and chalky on the outside. not to mention the crisp vegetables and the runny garlicky sauce. dude! it was great.

did i mention it came with a light and tasty side salad, as well as some ridiculously good potatoes? they served ours with breakfast potatoes that were so much better than the ones we had previously at the other herbivore location. they didn’t even need hot sauce to make them flavorful…which means a lot coming from me!

next up, and definitely the eating highlight of the entire road trip, we ordered the grilled seitan shawarma. now, i’d read about this before and knew i’d love it, but nothing could prepare me for the delicious repletion it provided.

grilled seitan shawarma: with seasoned onions, tomatoes, hummus, hot sauce, pickles & tahini in a wrap, with a green salad. $7.75

i got my wrap without pickles of course, and i gotta say it’s the best meal i’ve had in a long time. each bite was a flavor explosion, oozing creamy hummus and oily hot sauce. it was so freakin’ scrumptious. the seitan was also top notch—peppery, thick and juicy.

in this case, the picture really doesn’t do the food justice. but i guess a photograph can never really capture the most savory wrap i’ve ever eaten. you will just have to take my word for it!

i’m hoping herbivore opens a location someday in los angeles. did i mention they also have a dessert menu, a full bar and tap beer? it’s about time someone gave pure luck a run for their money.

…and wow, i was impressed! the food was just incredible, and i managed to show up at a time when it wasn’t crowded and the atmosphere was pleasant. yay! here’s to one of LA’s tastiest breakfasts! thanks flore!

tofu benediction: fluffy sliced tofu, tomato slices, kale and avocado piled atop toasted batard and smothered in our own take on hollandaise sauce. served with tempeh bacon. $9.95

breakfast burrito: tofu scramble, tempeh bacon, potatoes, cashew cheese and avocado wrapped in a tortilla. served with pico de gallo and a side of fruit. $8.95

now as you know, i love saying what annoys be about any restaurant, or how i think they can improve. the thing about flore is, there’s nothing wrong with it—except maybe that there’s too much delicious food to choose from.

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wayward cafe is a modest cash-only co-op—a small house that’s been converted into an entirely vegan restaurant, located in a residential area of seattle’s university district. more importantly, it’s where i had the best breakfast of my entire life.

tempeh scramble: fried tempeh wedges, scrambled spicy seasoned tofu and steamed broccoli on a bed of spinach. served with a side of tahini sauce and toast. $7.50

breakfast burrito: scrambled seasoned tofu, tvp chorizo and spinach wrapped inside a grilled flour tortilla. topped with cilantro sour cream. served with a side of salsa fresca and home fries. $6.75

while there are a few things that kind of irritate me about this restaurant, the food is so wonderful it makes them all irrelevant. if i lived in seattle, i would eat at this place several days per week. i’m talking food so good, it rivals pure luck…if wayward cafe had tap beer, i’d surely move to washington.

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at my job, i am that “weird vegan”. you know the one i mean. i don’t eat anything at company meetings because i’m skeptical that any of the catered food is vegetarian, let alone vegan (vegetables have been known to take baths in butter or chicken stock before making their way to your plate)! i don’t eat birthday cake on co-workers’ birthdays. when benevolent people leave a tray of homemade goodies in the conference room, i don’t indulge. i err on the side of eating nothing that’s given to me, trusting nobody, and finding solace in my grocery store noodle bowls when everyone else is chowing down on company paid for meals. since you have reached the bottom of a paragraph on this vegan blog, maybe you are that “weird vegan” as well, and you can identify.

well, imagine my shock when my meat-eating co-workers insisted that i join them for lunch at a restaurant that was “right up my alley”. a restaurant i’d never tried. a restaurant that was almost entirely vegan. a restaurant that ended up being so good, i’m pretty damn pissed at hadn’t already discovered it myself. a restaurant called m café de chaya.

m café is a macrobiotic restaurant, which means almost all its food is vegan. the only animal product they use is fish, which is marked clearly on the menu in some dishes—everything else is completely meat, egg, and dairy free….even the pastries!

gado gado: organic mixed greens, napa cabbage, crisp vegetables, golden tempeh triangles marinated with ginger, lemongrass & lime, frizzled onions & spicy peanut dressing $11.45

the food was so good in fact, that i emailed my husband from the restaurant and insisted that i bring home m café carry-out that very night. please note, i specified carry-out. the atmosphere in the restaurant left much to be desired (tons of pushy customers, tiny tables, long wait times). so i thought i’d see how the food held up on its own.

and that all begs the question…m café: to go, or not to go?

the 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. $11.45

the big macro: whole grain brown rice and veggie burger, special sauce, lettuce, tofu cheese, pickles, onion & sprouts on a house-baked whole wheat bun. $11.45

so what was the result? should you order food at mcafé to go and have to warm it up yourself and do your own dishes? or should you suffer the fools and claustrophobia, and eat your food at the restaurant?

keep reading…

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congrats veggie grill, you have yourself another return customer! i went once before, i was kinda impressed, and now i’m back! despite the rampant blog controversy, i trust you veggie grill, plus i don’t give a crap about the egg content of your wine, because i don’t drink it.

bali bliss: indonesian styled tempeh, sauteed and grilled, lettuce, tomato, red onion, chipotle ranch…with a side of kale (an additional $1.95) $8.45 total

the v-burger: marinated and grilled veggie-steak burger, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, chipotle ranch…plus a portobello mushroom (an additional $1.50) $9.75 total

now before you start to think this is merely a fluff piece praising the VG, i want to make it very clear that i definitely have some complaints about the restaurant:

1. it’s expen$ive!
and mostly because of add-on costs, which i completely hate. most restaurants give you a sandwich and a reasonable side for no extra charge. well, not the veggie grill. they give you a sandwich and thimble of coleslaw. if you want fries, salad, or kale you are gonna pay an extra $1.95. that’s like an additional 1/3 of the price! ugh. similarly, if you wanna add some avocado or mushrooms to your stack, it’ll cost ya $1.50. i myself prefer the pure luck model: they give you avocado on almost everything, and then charge you a buck if you want more of it.

2. bell peppers are inevitable.
yep, on every dish they sprinkle an un-announced bell pepper/parsley combo, not to mention the unexpected vomitous “relish” that sporadically appears on a number of dishes—this pukey mixture contains not just bell peppers, but other unmentionables that taste like fruit? pickles? onions? snot? i dunno. it’s the hotdog of condiments, you aren’t quite sure what you are eating. suffice to say, i always specify that i want my meal without any bell peppers or relish, and since these items aren’t even mentioned on the menu, you are on your own to remember!

3. i hate the word veggie.
i always have. it’s way too cute, and i feel embarrassed even saying it. i think “veggie grill” is a stupid name…not just because of that word, but also because it’s too damn literal.

phew. now that i can put all that petty animus behind me, i fully endorse the veggie grill. at the end of the day, the food is pretty damn good.

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the final day of coachella 2008, sunday april 27, featured the best vegan festival food to date. yet it was a bitter-sweet victory over the past couple days, because the selection of food (and alcohol) was just TOO GOOD.

so good, in fact, that your humble narrator spent most of the day relaxing in the shade, munching on snacks, smoking cigarettes and sipping cocktails…rather standing in the heat, fighting off hipsters, coughing up secondhand weed and waiting for the “next big thing(s)” to take the stage.

vegetarian sushi with a side of inari: $12.

marinated tofu wrap with vegetables and peanut sauce: $9.

marinated tempeh burger with vegetable and tahini: $9.

that’s right, my friends…i was so seduced by the fresh sushi, crisp wrap, and savory burger, that i barely had time to enjoy any music at all. oh…and did i mention the alcohol?
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