it was a super eco-friendly day in los angeles as hippies, vegans and all around earth lovers gathered to partake in worldfest, “a solar-powered celebration of music, the environment, animals and humanity.” basically a big grassy field in the valley was fenced off and people were charged 7 bucks (+ $5 for parking) to hear to jam bands, listen to animal activist speakers, and have the opportunity to purchase a wide variety of all vegan food and alcohol. i went for a couple hours today and didn’t spend much time with the speakers or the music…i did get my fill of food though, and that’s what i’m here to tell ya about.

wordfest vegan corn dog. $3.50

between the two of us, my husband and i murdered a lot of vegan goodies. one of my favorites was a corn dog offered up by a stand selling field roast sausages, tofurky links, curly fries and vegan burgers. the corn dog was a standard veggie dog turned spectacular with corn batter and a deep fryer. this was nothing like your out-of-the-freezer family meal corn dogs…this thing was just like the old school hot dog on a stick meals i used to get at my local mall. the batter formed a crispy and almost burnt layer on the outside which surrounded fluffy moist corn bread and finally a plump and juicy soy dog. this totally brought back childhood memories.

we also tried the vegan chicken curry from the bodhi tree stand, which was excellent. the bodhi tree is a vegetarian restaurant located in huntington beach, and after eating their curry, i know i will be making a trip there very soon. the sauce was sweet with a perfectly subtle spiciness, and the soy meat was thick and juicy. all the vegetables were fresh and well-prepared as well, and they had so many other appetizing dishes i didn’t even get to try.

bodhi tree vegan curry chicken. $7

the chicken sandwich from follow your heart was another high point of the festival—at only 5 bucks it was a total steal, considering it was huge and came with a side of greens and potato salad. we interrogated the booth about the ingredients in the bun (normal follow your heart buns contain honey), and they ensured us that not only were these special vegan buns ordered just for worldfest, but that their restaurant buns may soon no longer contain honey either! (we will try to keep you posted on that.) aside from the bun, the sandwich was awesome and extremely well priced. the bbq sauce was mild and tangy, not overwhelmingly sweet, and the slices of soy meat were thick and hearty. the potato salad was on point as well: soft and creamy yet not too full of vegenaise. total perfection.

follow your heart vegan chicken bbq sandwich with potato salad. $5

for dessert, we rounded off the feasting with some maggie mudd ice cream all the way from san francisco. they offered a whopping bowl filled up with ice cream, chocolate sauce, nuts, sprinkles and whipped cream (ALL VEGAN) for just $7. it came with the choice of three flavors, but i stuck to two: memphis mudd pie (coffee flavor with chocolate cookies, fudge swirl and whiskey) and tarmack (chocolate peanut butter flavor with chocolate cookies and peanut butter swirl). the ice cream itself was extremely decadent, and it came with the most amazing toppings….this has to be the best old-fashioned dessert i’ve had since i was a child. no vegan ice cream has anything on maggie mudd; this stuff was so good, i’m considering a move to SF.

big bowl: tarmack and memphis mudd ice cream topped with whipped cream, nuts, chocolate sauce and sprinkles

to top it all off, worldfest had a bad ass beer garden serving up $5 pints of lagunitas ipa and $10 bottles of double ipa. that made coachella’s beer garden look like a total shithole. i’m telling you, this beer was off the chain. not only was it well priced, this stuff was hoppy and flavorful as hell…i’d be stoked to get brew this good in a bar, so imagine how thrilled i was to drink it at a sweaty festival in the valley.

lagunitas double ipa

although i did try a lot of great stuff at worldfest this year, i can only eat so much…so naturally i missed out on tons of vendors. i wanna give some shout outs to places that looked delicious, yet i was way too stuffed to try. to name a few: luscious organic desserts, c’est la v bakeshop, friedel caribbean cuisine and sunpower cafe. the frankenstand was also supposed to make an appearance, but to everyone’s dismay, ended up cancelling. basically what i am trying to say is, even with all the ridiculously tasty vegan food i got to eat today, it was still just the tip of the iceberg. worldfest is apparently THE PLACE to get your vegan eats on—i’m talking several entirely animal-free stands with stuff ranging from salads, to burgers, to fried foods, to desserts including ice cream, cookies, funnel cakes, and cobbler.

word to the wise: save up for worldfest 2010. the amazing food will make all the bitchy fees and unhealthy calories worth it. i’ve never seen so much food i can eat in one place, it made me feel like an omnivore…in a good way!

Everybody in America knows Buca Di Beppo… The down-market chain of pseudo Italian-American diners with ebullient servers and over-the-top Italianate décor has won its place in the hearts and minds of many cities – 90 locations, to be exact.

The very first Buca di Beppo I visited was in Seattle. My mother (a fluent Italian speaker who lived in Italy for many years) was quite enchanted by the place. She pointed out pictures of Frank Sinatra, The Pope, Sophia Loren (who bears an uncanny likeness to my mother in the 60s…. Not now, though, for sure) and was overjoyed to be greeted by an Italian-speaker who led us to our table via the kitchen, then handed us our menus. My mother, who LOVES to speak Italian (given the most minute opportunity) immediately engaged with our server in his supposed native tongue. He became a little flustered right away, and I realized after a few back-and-forths that they had began to speak in SPANISH (yeah, my mother is also fluent in that). It turned out that Giuseppe from Napoli was actually Marco, from El Salvador. A very pleasant medical undergrad from UW who had grown his moustache out to look “more Italian”.

Yes, like Marco, every single thing about Buca di Beppo is completely, 100% and absolutely not what it appears to be. From plastic statues to Plexiglas windows to bulk wine served in a fancy bottle – the farcical nature of the place cannot be under (or over) estimated. The menu is rather diverse – everything from “garlic olive oil bread” to “seafood pasta”, so a splendid time should be guaranteed for all.

I ended up at the Universal City Walk outlet a couple of weeks ago with some rather drunk omni friends. I’d researched all the restaurants in advance, and Buca di Beppo was the only one to have several websites glorifying their vegan options, with pasted emails from the management as proof (not to mention the blessing of a trusted iPhone application). So, it was with grand aplomb that we showed up there, rather inebriated, around 10pm on a Sunday night.

I had my entire meal planned out – I was going to get a couple of orders of “Garlic Bread” (without cheese), which is allegedly entirely vegan – bread with no milk or egg additives, olive oil and fresh garlic. The dudes I was with got various horrific and non-vegan dishes, but I must admit the garlic bread was pretty good. Not as good as the old-style bread they used to do (which came in a round cake pan) but still very tasty.

Continuing the olive oil theme, I was craving for green vegetables, so “Green Beans” sounded amazing. And, indeed they were. Crunchy on the outside, smooth as silk on the inside they alone would have been a very nice entrée. BUT, neither of those offerings are particularly “Italian”, so I also ordered the “Spaghetti Marinara” which was completely, 100% predictably boring but nevertheless filled a gap.

spaghetti with marinara $9.99, green beans $5.99, garlic bread with no cheese $7.99

Read the rest of this entry »

hey kids, i’ve got some good news for ya. today marked the opening of los angeles’ newest vegan restaurant…and it wasn’t vegan thai. that’s right, sunpower natural cafe in studio city opened its doors to the public with organic raw and cooked offerings for the health-conscious, ranging from burgers and salads to quiches and cakes. i know what you are thinking: a 100% vegan restaurant in studio city that doesn’t serve thai food? it sounds too good to be true! fortunately though, sunpower is a reality. you gotta get over there and check them out asap.

i hit up sunpower with my friend and fellow vegan blogger, brittany from sickoflettuce.com, and both of us are dying to go back. for a newly opened establishment, sunpower is already making some bangin good food, and i’m pretty excited to see what the future holds.

chopped seitan salad sandwich: seitan, celery, onions, vegenaise, dill and parsley on a whole grain bun. with a side of hummus and pita. $8

tons of stuff on the menu looked delicious, but i decided to go with the less adventurous seitan salad sandwich. this was basically like an old-fashioned tuna sandwich made with seitan instead of fish, and sunpower really nailed it. the seitan was top notch, the vegenaise was creamy, and the chopped vegetables were fresh and flavorful but not overwhelming. the seitan salad itself was really exceptional. although it sounds a bit boring, it was just so perfectly mixed and the seitan was so succulent, i doubt i could replicate this at home. i’d definitely order it again.

the sandwich came with “choice of side dish” and i went with the pita and hummus, which i loved. other options included coleslaw, cookies, vegetables with dipping sauce, and kale. the hummus turned out to be an excellent choice, because they gave me like a vat of it. 8 bucks for a load of hummus and hearty seitan sandwich? can’t beat that.

for dessert, brittany and i split a slice of the special of the day “cacao cheesecake”. the thing was so rich and dense, it was fucking ridiculous. i loved every bite, but it was so thick that it was hard to eat with a plastic fork! this cheesecake probably could be a meal on its own, it was so decadent. however, it didn’t sit like a brick in my stomach as do many desserts. sunpower really has conquered the intersection of delicious and healthy(er).

vegan cacao cheesecake. $6

a few things to note about sunpower: they are a ‘take out’ restaurant officially…kinda like seed in venice. so while they have tables, your food is served in to-go containers and you pay at the counter. the service is great and the meals come out super fast. this is an excellent choice if you are in a hurry. also, the staff and ownership are pretty passionate about veganism. we really felt at home there and the people serving us showed genuine concern that our food was good. hell, they even invited us to an animal rights conference happening soon in LA! total vegan homies. oh, and they were also open to criticism…so if you eat here and don’t 100% love everything, they seem like the kinda people who would appreciate your feedback.

so vegans, let’s welcome this new animal-free restaurant to los angeles. get your asses out to studio city and eat at sunpower natural cafe!

sunpower natural cafe
3711 Cahuenga Blvd
Studio City, CA
(818) 308-7420
11am to 8:30pm, 7 days a week

it is with great excitement that i inform you…los angeles has a brand new vegan restaurant called vegan world, located at ventura and vineland in studio city. this weekend marked their grand opening, and naturally we were there to suss it out. in true unmatched valley class, the restaurant was sandwiched between a beauty shop and a fast food place, all within a very respectable strip mall.

naturally, we arrived at the restaurant starving…and craving a unique meal that would send us into blogger-eater-paradise. however, one look at vegan world’s menu and it’s limited options of tahini wraps, salty noodles and cowboy burgers told us that this restaurant just wasn’t our style….vegan world turned out to be just another vegan thai place. zzz.

i’m kinda tired of vegan thai at the moment, so we ended up going elsewhere for lunch. in its defense, vegan world is brand new…plus, it’s the ONLY VEGAN THAI PLACE between tujunga and vineland in studio city (the other vegan thai joints are at least 2 blocks east). plus, it advertises “casein-free” cheese, and it’s fairly priced. i wouldn’t rush to eat here, but it would definitely do in a bind. Read the rest of this entry »

just a quick post to let los angeles vegans know, you can’t order a vegan burger at follow your heart. i know that seems kind of weird…after all, the entire cafe is vegetarian and there are vegan substitutes for almost everything. the patties are vegan, they come with vegenaise, and there are two vegan cheese options…it’s the buns that hold the burgers back because they contain honey.

follow your heart burger. $8.95 (everything is vegan but the bun)

i’ve ordered the ‘vegan’ burger at follow your heart several times, never thinking to question the bun until i heard from a friend that they weren’t vegan. i called follow your heart’s cafe yesterday and they confirmed: all the buns contain honey, but you can order any of the burgers on vegan bread. apparently the rolls that come with the soup are also not vegan, even though the menu specifies they are “non-dairy.” usually to me, at vegetarian cafe, i would take non-dairy as meaning it’s vegan…i guess you can never be too sure.

i wanna point out this isn’t like a huge deal or anything, they aren’t sneaking casein into the vegan cheese or whey into the mock meat; but still, to most of the vegans i know (myself included) honey isn’t something acceptable to eat, so it’s kinda a bummer we can’t get a vegan burger at follow your heart.

this isn’t gonna stop me though, those burgers are so damn good i will have to try them out on normal bread. here’s to hoping someday follow your heart will carry a bun that is 100% vegan. it never hurts to ask, right?

when i first posted on franken’s, the one and only all-vegan hot dog stand in los angeles, i vowed that i would follow them around, show up at their gigs, and get food from them every time they set up shop. since then, the frankenstand has made two appearances in la, and we were there for both of them.

the food was delicious on both occasions…but before i get into all that, i wanna remind you that the frankenstand will be serving it up in echo park this friday, march 13th at pehrspace. don’t miss it!

for more updates on franken’s, definitely stalk them on myspace and twitter.

the frankenstand

their latest appearance was a smashing success, and we were there at the front lines as they sold like a million hot dogs to hungry hipsters at the east hollywood art cycle event on february 28th. they set up shop outside la city college at heliotrope and melrose, right across from pure luck…it was a vegan’s dream come true!

the wolf and the franken

we ordered the wolf and the franken, both 100% vegan tofurky sausages steamed to perfection. i don’t know how the frankenstand makes tofurky taste so good, but it’s seriously something i can’t replicate at home. of course we took advantage of the eat-all-you-want condiment tray and sauce selection.

the wolf: this is a zesty frank you'll love to wolf down. packed with a fangtastic, chipotle pepper flavor! $3

this was my first time trying the wolf, the cheapest and definitely the spiciest of the sausages available at franken’s. for only 3 bucks it’s a really good deal, but it is considerably smaller than the other franks…so keep that in mind if you are very hungry. the chipotle pepper flavor was delicious, but i made it even tastier with tons of onions and even spicier with loads of hot sauce. i can’t tell you enough how much i love all the condiments and vegetables at the frankenstand.

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

my husband got the same thing he always orders, the franken. the hearty italian-style frank is absolutely mouth-watering, with little bits of sun dried tomato chopped up inside. this sausage seems to be most people’s favorite, although mine is the witch…a tofu beer-flavored frank that costs 4 bucks.

the artists and bikers seemed to love the frankenstand—there was a pretty healthy line when we got our franks, and we were there relatively early. for more coverage on franken’s at the east hollywood art cycle, check out sick of lettuce.

we also caught up with the frankenstand at the threat fest in canoga park on february 21st. the valley crust punk crowd couldn’t have been more different from the heliotrope hipsters…but they sure loved the hot dogs just as much. i saw people going back for second, and even third servings of franken’s! you can see some pix from that event in the franken’s photo gallery and on vegan-la.com.

so those are all the franken’s adventures i have for now. stay tuned, and be sure to check out the frankenstand this friday!

the frankenstand
friday march 13th at 9pm
at pehrspace
325 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90026

recently, i found myself in the valley and decided to check out sherman oaks’ all-salad restaurant, the dressing room. unfortunately, i was rather unimpressed.

the dressing room offers tons of special salads, but the real draw for me was the create-your-own option. you get to choose the toppings for your salad and watch it made fresh, right before your eyes. i was so eager to check this place out—their website boasts that they offer 64 toppings and 16 styles of protein. oh boy! i was imagining all kinds of deliciousness. when i got there though, i realized the toppings were pretty basic and nothing to get excited about. carrots, onions, olives, blah blah blah. no hummus or tabouli or anything to get me worked up. the protein choices for us vegans consisted of tofu, and tofu only….cold, grilled or blackened. i opted for grilled, which i was told is cooked on a separate part of the grill. yay.

create your own salad with arugula, spinach, chick peas, mushrooms, red onion, snap peas, tomatoes and grilled tofu. $9.20

while my salad wasn’t bad, it was definitely uninspired. as i said, the toppings were kind of meh, and $9.20 was way too much to pay for this thing. the salad was huge, but it was mostly leaves—i think i got maybe 3 mushrooms total in the whole thing. i even overheard other customers complaining about their lack of toppings and one even went up to the counter to request some more. considering greens are the cheapest thing for the restaurant to provide, it’s lame that they give you so many in such and expensive salad. the tofu was also pretty bland; i poured half a bottle of hot sauce on my plate before it had any kind of flavor.

while my salad was pretty blah, at least the dressing room provided a nice place in which to eat it. the restaurant has a pleasant interior with brightly colored walls and big lamps that look almost pinkberry-esque. i think they should work on their interior design a little less, and focus more on their salads.

to be fair, my experience at the dressing room may not be the norm. i’ve read great things about it on very reputable sources like to live and eat in la and on yelp. so maybe i got them on a bad day or something. i just know i won’t be back. the place is way too expensive and the toppings don’t do it for me. for that much money i could get a huge salad at whole foods filled with all kinds of exciting stuff from the build- your-own salad bar. ah well, it was worth a shot! 

studio city is just a short drive from my house, and usually right off the freeway on my way home from most places in los angeles. so naturally, i am always on the prowl for nearby vegan eats in the valley. recently i was reading up on vegetarians in paradise and noticed a vegan-friendly restaurant very close to my stomping ground. friedel caribbean cuisine is a cute little diner on ventura blvd, offering up tastes from the tropics with an entire section of the menu dedicated to vegan food. yelp reviews of friedel are positively glowing, so i think my so-so experience there suggests i probably picked up dinner when they were having an off night.

vegan curry chicken: Soy chicken cooked in spicy Jamaican curry sauce w/ butter soft gold potatoes. served w/ rice & peas, cherry tomatoes, and plantains. $9.75

when we arrived at friedel there was just one dude working there. he was the host, the waiter, the cook and the cashier…holding the tiny little restaurant together all on his own. he seemed pretty stressed when we walked in the door, but was friendly and helpful when we told him we were vegans and hoping to order an appetizer. it turns out, friedel normally offers vegan rasta rolls, but on this night they were out of the eggless wraps. i felt pretty relieved, because the guy seemed to know his shit—it made me more comfortable ordering from the vegan menu.

my husband and i split two entrees to-go, the first being the vegan curry chicken. while it ended up being delicious, i have to say i was disappointed when i first opened up the take-out container. the menu advertised gold potatoes, peas and cherry tomatoes…none of which came with my meal. the side of plantains was also pretty pitiful. there were literally THREE PLANTAINS! three little ones. dude, that is NOT a side. that is a TASTE. total jip.

other than that, the curry chicken was spectacular. the runny sauce was so flavorful and a tad spicy, and the thick strips of soy chicken had the perfect texture. the rice was delightful as well, chunky, well-seasoned, and mixed up with big red beans.

vegan kung pao beef: spiced soy beef wok fired with peanuts, chili peppers and scallions. served on a bed of white rice with plantains. $9.75

we also ordered the vegan kung pao beef, which was not nearly as tasty as the curry chicken. the soy meat itself was pretty good, but there was no sauce to mop up…so the whole dish was a bit dry. the peanuts and vegetables were lovely, but again the side of plantains was a joke. i don’t think i’d order this again, although i didn’t HATE it. it’s just that the awesome curry chicken put the kung pao beef to shame.

my last grouse about this place is that the wait time for our food was absolutely unreal. i mean, i know there was just one dude there working on his own, and i felt pretty sorry for him—but we waited for our dinner for FIFTY MINUTES. and it’s not like it was a large order or anything. 2 dishes, come on! he should have at least warned us that the window seat in this little caribbean restaurant would be our new home for a large part of our evening.

when you add everything up, this would seem like a pretty unpleasant experience. there was a long wait for the food, there were no vegan appetizers, our dishes were missing items that were advertised on the menu and the serving of plantains (which i was so looking forward to) was disappointingly small. however, i gotta say i REALLY FUCKING LOVED that curry chicken. even with the crappy plantains and lack vegetables, that dish was damn near perfect. when i look back on my dinner, that awesome taste overshadows all the hassle.

so i probably will be back to friedel caribbean cuisine at some point, although i’m in no rush. if you are ever in studio city, i suggest you hit them up. i am hoping i got them on a bad night when they were short-staffed. let me know if your experience is any different.

like every other vegan-friendly restaurant i’ve been to in studio city, friedel is located in a strip mall…so don’t accidentally drive by it. oh man, you just gotta love the valley. 😀