A {Vegan} Love Letter to LA in Two Parts (Continued)

This is a continuation from a previous post, wherein I heralded LA's amazing weather and several of the fantastic restaurants that we visited while traveling there. Here, I'll discuss a few more vegan restaurants, and another one of my favorite things about California: The desert...

| The Food |

\\ SunCafe //

Before going on any kind of trip, I always feel compelled to compile a list of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars to use as a reference during our frolic. In California, SunCafe's Studio City location made it onto said list. That's because it’s an entirely organic, vegan restaurant that offers fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, and several raw, and/or gluten-free options (if you’re so inclined).    

On our visit we began with the raw Lettuce Leaf Tacos, which consisted of romaine lettuce leaves filled with “sun chorizo,” cashew cheese, and pico de gallo, plus a drizzle of avocado and basil ranch dressing.

A {Vegan} Love Letter to LA in Two Parts

As a New Yorker it’s become apparent that I’m not supposed to fall in love with, or even really like, Los Angeles. Bestowing any type of warmth on LA beyond a stoic eye-roll is tantamount to declaring a fatwa on the crowded, filthy, noisy city that I call home. I mean, there’s a reason why the East Coast/West Coast Biggie/2Pac feud raged so hard during my youth, right? Even Chloe Sevigny agrees.

Nonetheless, at the risk of sounding like I’m betraying The City of Dreams, I’m gonna go out on a limb here and declare that I love Los Angeles. Like, seriously, LOVE it. Not enough to consider leaving NYC, mind you (even after being hit by a car!), but enough to wax poetic about it for at least two very long blog posts…

Buckle up.

Secretly Vegan: Waffle & Wolf {Brooklyn}

buckwheat waffle with arugula, avocado, tomatoes, & basil oil

You know what makes me really happy?  (Besides my Vitamix, I mean.)

RESTAURANTS THAT ARE SECRETLY VEGAN (friendly)!  Did I just shout that?  Oops.

Thing is, living in NYC, I'm often asked for vegan restaurant recommendations, which I'm more than happy to share.  (And by "more than happy," I mean "elated.")  Sometimes, however, I'm even more excited to suggest places that are secretly vegan.

While I wholeheartedly support entirely veg restaurants (I'm looking at you, Sun in Bloom!), I also think it's important to frequent restaurants that are vegan-friendly.  Not only does doing so raise awareness about veganism, but it also encourages restaurant owners to offer their customers even more veg items (we can vote with our dollars, as they say).  Another upside is that non-vegans/vegetarians will be exposed to (and possibly consider) meat-free options, simply because their "regular" places offer them.

On that note, I'd like to share one of my favorite secretly vegan places with you: Waffle & Wolf.  This little gem is located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (AKA the place people visit in order to become hipsters).  And it specializes in - you guessed it - waffles!

But probably not the kind you're thinking of...

{VeganMoFo} A Trip to Farm Sanctuary

I've longed to visit Farm Sanctuary since I first read about it six or seven years ago.  The amazing part was discovering that a place like Farm Sanctuary - where rescued farm animals would be treated with the kindness and compassion they were completely denied their entire lives - even existed.  The not-so-amazing part was that the nearest Farm Sanctuary was 700 miles away from where I lived at the time.

So, when we made the move to NYC a little over a year ago, visiting Farm Sanctuary quickly shot to the top of my priorities list.  And, I'm happy to say, CH and I took a road trip to the inspiring Watkins Glen, NY farm just a week ago.    

{VeganMoFo} Restaurant Reviews: Dos Toros Taqueria

It's no secret that New York City isn't exactly a Mexican food haven, which is a bit tough, since I love Mexican food. That's why I was completely ecstatic to discover Dos Toros Taqueria, a fast-casual, Mission-style burrito place with three locations in NYC.

Now, before I go any further with this review, let me be clear:  Dos Toros doesn't exactly have a veg-friendly reputation.  Not only did they get into a bit of hot water back in 2010 (before I'd heard of them) for neglecting to note that their "Basic (No Meat)" burrito contained rice made with animal-based stock, but most people don't even realize that one of their locations has vegan options.

I'm hoping that this post will help change all of that.

So, wanna know which Dos Toros location is vegan friendly, and what I like to order there?  I bet you do.

{VeganMoFo} Restaurant Review: Sun in Bloom

chocolate chip cookie sandwich (gluten-free)

Sun in Bloom is an adorable little vegan restaurant, nestled in the heart of Park Slope, Brooklyn.  CH and I first dined there when we were scouting out Brooklyn neighborhoods to relocate to from the Chicago suburbs.

While waiting for our check, I remember fantasizing about living nearby - imagining that I'd visit at least once a week, laptop or Kindle in tow, seeking refuge from my busy New York life at a place that makes food so delicious I could weep.

{VeganMoFo} Restaurant Review: Peacefood Cafe

fluffy quinoa salad w/ baby greens, sprouts, avocado, sweet peppers, onions, corn, & creamy lime mustard vinaigrette 

Peacefood Cafe is not only one of the first vegan restaurants I visited when I moved to NYC, but it's also one of my favorite restaurants in all of NYC, period.

Why?

Not because it's 100% vegan, so you don't have to ask questions about a single, solitary, ingredient.  Not because of the atmosphere, which is the perfect combination of sexy and cute.  Not because of the bakery case, which beckons you like a siren song with its decadent desserts.  And, certainly not because I once saw Sam Waterston (of "Law and Order" fame) dining there.

{VeganMoFo} Restaurant Review: 'Snice

I have a bit of a confession to make: I'm kind of addicted to 'Snice.  And.  I.  Don't.  Care.

Even though NYC is full of great vegan options, I generally fall back on the same few places, mostly due to proximity (in this case) or to sheer picky-ness (my trademark).

Now, I'm not gonna sit here and claim that 'Snice is the be-all-end-all of vegan cuisine.  It's not.  But it is reliably good, and it's one of those places that you can take just about anyone - even non-vegans (le sigh!) - for a satisfying, relaxing meal.

Bonus: they even have vegan desserts.

The Best in NYC: Dun-Well Doughnuts

coconut + vanilla w/ sprinkles

You know what I kinda hate? When I haven't posted in eons, and I (like so many other bloggers) feel compelled to apologize profusely before even attempting to get back into the game. 

Yea, it kinda sucks...

So, let's just skip over that whole thing, shall we?

On to the sweet stuff: Dessert at the famed Dun-Well Doughnuts. (Well, technically it's breakfast, but we all know that isn't quite true...)

VeganMoFo: Veggie Burger SmackDown (Good v. Better)

GoodBurger (L) v. Better Burger (R)

Start your salivary glands, because it's time for Thursday's edition of Veggie Burger SmackDown! 

This week's match-up is between two seemingly fitting foes: "GoodBurger" and "Better Burger," and it's up to this non-boxing fan to determine which one of these restaurants cooks up the superior veggie burger.  Now, before we really get rolling, let's get a few rules out of the way: 

1. Each burger must be completely vegan (obviously);
2. Condiments may be used to influence the overall outcome (after all, who eats just a plain burger?);
3. Side dishes (ex: french fries) may be analyzed and discussed, but may not be considered in the final tally;
4. The three main categories of veggie burger review are: (a) Appearance; (b) Texture; and (c) Taste; 
5. Burger participants may earn up to 5 points per category, with a total of 15 points possible.

VeganMoFo: Sweet, Sweet Sunday - PopBar

Psst...  

Hey you! 

Yes, you! 

The one sitting there smugly, rolling your eyes, acting like you've already heard about every, single, damn, delicious, vegan treat out there. 

You know - the gluten-free cupcakes, coconut ice creams, raw oatmeal cookie sandwiches, vegan pies, strawberry soy milkshakes, blah, blah, blah...  

Yea, yea, you've heard it all before.  

Vegan Pizza Obsession: Classic Slice Pizza, Milwaukee

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  Cheese-less pizza is SO MUCH better than pizza with cheese!  No really, I'm being serious...

Don't roll your eyes - it is so true, but with one little caveat: the ingredients must be top-notch.  This means no wilted spinach, old sprouty onions, tasteless tomatoes, or scraps from the bottom of your fridge.  It also means that your sauce must be flavorful and - preferably - home-made.

VeganMoFo: This is What Love Looks Like

You might not know it, but this is what love looks like: churros from Rick Bayless' restaurant, XOCO.

Please, allow me to explain.

Yesterday afternoon I got a call from CH. We discussed how both of our days were going, and of course, what each of us had eaten for lunch.

It went a little something like this:

Colorado: We Drove, We Hiked, We Ate!

I have to admit, it's pretty intimidating to try and come up with the perfect thing to post after an - ahem! - almost 6 month blogging hiatus.

There's all of this pressure to come back with something utterly amazing. Something worthy of such a long absence. Something so great that my readers (are you still out there?) will nod knowingly when they see my post, immediately understanding that my MIA status was the result of months of hard work and preparation in completion of the very post they are reading right now.

Vegan Eats in Texas, Toronto, & Chicago

Despite all appearances to the contrary, I'm not attempting to capture the title of "most idle vegan food blog known to man." It just seems as though life occasionally (frequently) gets in the way of blogging - I know, I know, shocking stuff...

As a result of my long absence, I've decided to post a ton of food-porn pics from places that I've visited, like San Antonio, Texas (where I just returned from my younger brother's Air Force Basic Training graduation); Toronto (where CH and I spent a lovely vaca last summer); and Chicago (the place I nearly call home).

Hopefully all of these pics will make up for my lack of posting during the past few months. I mean, they do say a picture's worth 1,000 words right? So, this should pretty much cover it...

Portland: Part Deux

CH and I recently got back from Portland, OR (it was our second trip there in less than a year!), and I'm pretty sure that Portlanders are doing just about everything right. They have good food, delicious coffee, nice weather, beautiful scenery, laid-back attitudes...

I could go on and on.

However, since my love affair with Portland isn't likely to end anytime soon, I suppose the least I can do is try to share it with all of you!

Portland: Food & Sights + The Inside Scoop

Hello everyone! As you can tell, CH and I have finally returned from our AMAZING Portland trip (boo hoo!), and I can't wait to share all of the details with you...

First of all, let me just say that Portland was so laid-back and vegan-friendly that I felt like I was on another planet. Almost every restaurant and pub had at least one vegetarian option on its menu, and there were tons of places that were exclusively veg!

The coolest thing was that it actually seemed as though veganism/vegetarianism were completely accepted there (unlike in the Midwest), which made me feel right at home. I highly suggest visiting Portland if you haven't already - even if you're not vegan or vegetarian - it's worth it for the food alone!

Anyway, I have tons of pictures (of course), so I'll try to keep this post about food as much as possible, but please don't hate me too much if I stray from it a bit...