have you been following our massive list of vegan thanksgiving options in los angeles? if not, you should check it out because we’ve posted several updates and the holiday is fast approaching. for instance, today is the last day to place your orders for an m cafe take out thanksgiving meal. and speaking of m cafe, they’ll be offering an in store thanksgiving roast meal for dinner at both locations now through wednesday. they invited me to try it over the weekend, check it out:

thanksgiving dinner roast: savory sliced seitan, homemade pan gravy, signature stuffing, brocollini, mashed kabocha squash with cous cous, cranberry relish. $17.50

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latest updates: m cafe updated!

the luckiest turkey on earth

it’s that time of year! thanksgiving is fast approaching, and while most of the country is planning epic meals of death, it’s time to start thinking about our cruelty-free celebrations. consider this a running list of vegan thanksgiving options in LA for 2011. as more restaurants release details, i’ll update the post. so keep checking this link. and if i’m missing anything, leave it in the comments!

list after the jump –>

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hey everyone! just a quick and straightforward holiday reader review from D, who got his thanksgiving meal at real food daily this year. he breaks it down for us in a simple and entertaining manner. listen up!

Below are my pics and thoughts on this years RFD thanksgiving to go… for your amusement of course.

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this is just crazy. earlier today i tweeted and urged readers to send me their vegan thanksgiving pictures to post on the blog, and the results were staggering. i mean, just look at the epic dishes vegans were eating today! we have pictures from all around the country, home-cooked meals, store-bought meals, and meals in restaurants. if i am missing your pix, email them to me and i will add them to the post. let’s make this the BIGGEST vegan thanksgiving post EVER. check it…

vegan thanksgiving by jody: Hazelnut Cranberry Field Roast with cranberry-raspberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, yams, and roasted root vegetables.

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please don’t eat any turkey today.

the luckiest turkey on earth

so what are you guys doing for thanksgiving? lemme know!

everyone knows that the tofurky feast is a vegan thanksgiving staple (we usually eat at least 2 of ’em over the holiday season). the delicious vegetarian turkey alternative has been around for 15 years, but this year there is even more to love about it because it comes with the decadent addition of amy’s vegan chocolate cake!

the folks at turtle island contacted me and asked if i wanted a coupon to try out this new tofurky/amy’s package, and of course i said HELL YES!

i’m happy to report that the tofurky roast was bigger and tastier than ever (they’ve upped the serving size this year!), and the amy’s cake was moist and delicious beyond belief. let’s start with the tofurky roast…

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cancel your plans today and head over to highland park! starting at 10:30am, cinnamon vegetarian will be serving up an entirely vegan pre-thanksgiving feast!

it will include faux turkey roast, savory gravy, cinnamon raisin stuffing, cranberry sauce, sesame green beans and mashed potatoes along with a cup of pumpkin soup and a piece of pumpkin pie for $20.

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yes, yes, YES! a VEGAN THANKSGIVING PIZZA! sounds too good to be true right?! but it’s not! as of yesterday, it’s available at whole foods west hollywood and on sundays they charge just $10 for an epic surf-board-sized pizza. i know what i’m doing this weekend!

vegan pizza w/ majestic garlic, roasted veg w/herbs vegan stuffing and daiya cheese

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with thanksgiving less than 2 weeks away, it’s time to start planning your cruelty-free celebration. i know this time of year can be pretty depressing for vegans, but it doesn’t have to be! here in los angeles there are several restaurants offering meat-free holiday feasts, and i encourage you to try as many as you possibly can! i’ve put together this quick list for your reference, but if i am missing anything, please let me know! i will keep updating this post as we get closer to tofurky day, so check back often!

LIST AFTER THE JUMP —->
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man, i really love the prepared foods section at whole foods. they are always coming up with new delicious restaurant-quality items that are inexpensive and easy to grab on the go. for somebody like me who doesn’t love to cook, the prepared food section is a godsend. last year they provided our thanksgiving dinner, and over the summer they supplied everything needed for a vegan bbq.

i’m happy to announce that as of today, whole foods locations around los angeles are unveiling their holiday display case, and it’s absolutely packed with all kinds of tasty seasonal foods.

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are you gonna be in england over thanksgiving? if you are, i highly suggest you get over to manna for their holiday meal. not only is manna the oldest vegetarian restaurant in london, but it’s the probably the best. as you already know, we are huge fans of the place and i’m considering booking a trip to the uk in november just to eat this.

more details on manna’s thanksgiving after the jump.

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actually, make that: i am thankful for whole foods, gardein and field roast. although i’ve got holiday/family celebrations going on throughout the weekend, my meal on the actual evening of thanksgiving came from the prepared foods section of whole foods west hollywood. and boy, what a feast.

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update november 2010: madeleine bistro is doing thanksgiving with the turkeys AGAIN this year!! thanksgiving day from 10am – 3pm. this was honestly the most special thanksgiving meal of my life…so i highly suggest you book a table asap. if you aren’t free on thanksgiving day, madeleine bistro is also doing take-out holiday meals. give ’em a call!

hey my fellow herbivores, i hope you all had a lovely holiday and managed to avoid the stench of dead flesh…we sure did! we had a magnificent brunch at one of LA’s top vegan restaurants, madeleine bistro. the los angeles vegan thanksgiving offerings this year were plentiful, so we had quite a hard time deciding where to eat. the deal was pretty much sealed though, when we saw that madeleine bistro would be bringing in healthy, happy turkey friends from animal acres to join in the celebration!

we booked a table for mid-morning and were happy to see that madeleine bistro would be offering not only a thanksgiving five-course fix prixe meal, but also some holiday specials a la carte as well as their regular brunch menu. we were shocked at how crowded the restaurant was with vegan a-listers when we arrived, from famous actors and authors to bloggers like moi. rad, right?! we settled in and ordered some entrees and sides, all of which were excellent and exceeded our expectations.

fresh organic donut with organic fruit compote. $2

we started off with some fresh organic donuts, which we’ve had before, and they were phenomenal. so crispy and sweet on the outside, yet unbelievably light and fluffy within—these set a new standard for animal-free sweets. i can honestly say that the donuts at madeleine bistro are the best i’ve ever had, even trumping the (in)famous ronald’s.

vegan biscuits and gravy. $7

next up, we had an some biscuits and gravy from the holiday specials menu.

i fucking adore biscuits and gravy, and i seriously have to get them whenever they’re available. the portion from madeleine bistro was absolutely amazing. the gravy was thick and meaty-tasting (but not in a gross way)…and while the biscuits were small, they were moist and packed with flavor.

thanksgiving sandwich: herbed seitan, cranberry mayo, caramelized onions, gravy. $15

for our first main course, we ordered the thanksgiving sandwich from the holiday menu. this sandwich is one of the best things i have ever had the pleasure of eating…and i have eaten a lot of stuff! the turkey-style seitan was crispy and pleasantly oily, a perfect compliment to the fluffy vegan mayo and soft warm bread. and the cranberries added the perfect amount of sweetness without being overwhelming.

i know, i know….15 bucks seems like a lot to pay for a sandwich, and i am the first person to bitch when something is overpriced. but this thing was seriously worth it. not only was it massive (the pix don’t do it justice), but the flavor combos were just plain brilliant. my only complaint is that madeleine bistro doesn’t offer this sandwich all year!

the Skillet, tofu scramble, seasonal vegetables, tempeh bacon, home fries. $15

for our second entree we ordered the skillet, which is available year round on the madeleine brunch menu. omg this shit was INSANE. soft, fluffy, and slightly wet tofu all mixed up with fresh vegetables and salty tempeh. it was beautiful. take that, and add in the best home fry potatoes ever (i’m not lying!)…and you have a virtually perfect breakfast. the portion was hearty as well—we ended up with more food than we could eat!

while the food at madeleine bistro was exquisite and we had no complaints, the most special part of our thanksgiving celebration was spending time with the wonderful turkeys from animal acres. on a day when so many animals are slaughtered with perverted notions of joy and thankfulness, it was great to hang out with these beautiful creatures after a completely satisfying vegan meal.

i’m thankful for an awesome and cruelty-free holiday, complete with beautiful birds and amazing food from madeleine bistro.

madeleine bistro
18621 ventura blvd
tarzana, ca 91356
818-758-6971
(check the website for hours, it’s complicated)

warning! the following content is NSFV!

please send this video around to your omnivorous friends and family members. they probably need a reminder of what they are really eating today for thanksgiving dinner.

video via the extreme vegan. follow @extremevegan on twitter.

there is nothing happy or kind about this holiday.

POST UPDATED 11/25 at 12pm

i can’t believe it’s that time of year already…thanksgiving is right around the corner! i know this is a big holiday for all the omnivores, but there’s no reason vegans can’t join in the feasting fun as well. there are several ways to have a meat-free celebration here in los angeles, so here is a list of your options. i will keep updating this post with more information as it becomes available, so be sure to check back as we get closer to tofurky day.

thanksgiving celebrations:

flore vegan in silverlake is having a thanksgiving dinner the day BEFORE the holiday (11/25) for just $10.95 per person. their special meal includes vegan turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce and a dinner roll.

akasha restaurant in culver city is having a vegan-friendly thanksgiving dinner fro $55 per person, and is a great place to go if you are dining with omnivores who insist on having turkey. the vegan options include wild peppercorn and sage roasted tofu, green bean casserole, sweet potato pie and apple tart.

shojin japanese restaurant is offering a thanksgiving feast from 11/25-11/28. it will include homemade vegan turkey with all the fixins and dessert for $34.95 per person. shojin was rated one of the top 5 vegan restaurants in LA, so i have no doubt this will be a great feast. for more info, check out their blog.

zephyr cafe in long beach won’t actually be open on november 26th, but they are having their third annual potluck on the day before thanksgiving. It’s on november 25th at 6pm. 340 East 4th Street, Long Beach 562.435.7113

vegi wokery in cerritos is having a special thanksgiving dinner on november 26th from 11am to 7pm. it’s only $15.95 per person and includes meatless turkey, stuffing, soup, vegetables and more. advance reservations are required.

madeleine bistro (one of LA’s top 5 vegan restaurants) in tarzana will be serving a brunch on thanksgiving day, and some birds from animal acres will be there as guests! the restaurant will offer its regular brunch menu, as well as a special thanksgiving sandwich…plus a full on traditional prix-fixe for $55 per person. here is what will be on the menu.

potluck time! the free vegan thanksgiving rancho park potluck picnic has been going since 1941! it’s LA’s longest running single day vegan tradition. read more about it here.

stuff i eat in inglewood (one of LA’s top 5 vegan restaurants) is holding and all you can eat buffet on thanksgiving day. i called them and they said it would be around $40 per person, and that they would be serving a variety of creative dishes. this is an amazing offer, because stuff i eat is seriously some of the best food i’ve ever had. (sorry, this blows real food daily out of the water and is the same price)

mary’s secret garden in ventura is offering a 3 course meal for $40 per person, with 3 menus to choose from…including a raw menu! a reservation is a must, and they also offer pre-reserved carry-out.

native foods in costa mesa is open for thanksgiving dinner from 2-8pm and are offering a holiday menu that includes their famous wellington (pictured above) with all the fixins. be sure to make a reservation asap.

one world vegetarian in west covina is also open on thanksgiving day and are offering a veggie turkey!

follow your heart in canoga park is closed on thanksgiving day, but has a famous feast for the two days before that, which you can get to go.

thanksgiving take-out:

for those of you who don’t feel like dining at madeleine bistro on thanksgiving day, they also have a holiday to-go menu which includes a 4 course meal for $50 per person. just be sure to order it by 5pm on november 22nd. it can then be picked up by appointment on the 25th or 26th. here is what’s on the menu:

vinh loi tofu (also one of LA’s top 5 vegan restuarants) is offering a whopping 4 pound vegan thanksgiving turkey starting sometime next week for $45! they will also have smaller “turkeys” available as well. i am definitely gonna get one of these, the offer of a 4 lb vegan creation by kevin tran is just too good for me to pass up.

m cafe de chaya has a holiday feast available that includes soup, salad, and a seitan roast dinner. just be sure to place your orders before noon on november 24th.

click to enlarge

real food daily has a full thanksgiving menu available for 40 bucks per person, as well as whole pies for individual purchase.

cinnamon vegetarian in highland park has a traditional thanksgiving menu, as well as a latin one including tamales and pozole.

cinnamon thanksgiving feast from cinnamonvegetarian.com

native foods (all locations) is offering their famous wellington, which feeds 6 people, for only $40 this year! this is what i am getting for thanksgiving. be sure to order yours asap.

the native wellington: puff pastry filled with savory seitan, organic kale, portobello mushrooms, orange-glazed yams, stuffings and caramelized onions. served with shallot-mushroom gravy.

cook it yourself:

gardein has a whole thanksgiving menu planned out, complete with step by step recipes on their website so you can make it at home. on their menu are things like sage and pumpkin encrusted seed gardein, wild mushroom stuffed cakes, sweet potato biscuits and much more. check out their thanksgiving dinner menu here.

check out the invaluable article vegan thanksgiving 101 from lunchboxbunch.com. it’s basically a crash course about cooking your own meal, throwing a party, and having a blast on the holiday.

viva la greens is holding a special thanksgiving cooking class along with a guided meditation session on sunday, november 15th. check out the website for details.

if you feel like cooking at home this thanksgiving, check out this meal by robin robertson, one of america’s best selling vegetarian cookbook authors. robin has recipes for every part of your holiday meal, from seitan en croute to garlic smashers and ginger-dusted pumpkin cheezecake. all the recipes are available for free, online at vegan.com.

also, spork foods is offering a thanksgiving feast cooking class on november 21st and 22nd, where they will teach you everything you need to know in order to cook a turkey-free meal on the big day. on their menu is rosemary & lemon roasted seitan, sauteed broccolini, tempeh bacon stuffing, and pumpking cheesecake.

that’s all i have for now. if you know of any more los angeles vegan thanksgiving stuff going on, leave it in the comments and i will update the post. keep checking in!

HAPPY THANKSLIVING, EVERYONE!