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.

{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} Raw Taco Salad

This raw taco salad is something of a revelation.

In it, crisp lettuce marries with seasoned taco meat and tangy cashew cheese to form the main components of the most coveted raw recipe in my arsenal.  The trick is to throw in just a few of the usual taco suspects:  tomatoes, scallions, olives, and cilantro, and to top the whole thing off with nothing more than a bit of freshly squeezed lime juice, which allows every flavor to shine through brilliantly.

Yes, there's a little advanced prep work here.  Yes, it's totally worth it.

This is pretty much heaven in a bowl.

VeganMoFo: Vegan Black Bean Tostadas with Corn Relish

It's safe to say that I'm more than a little irked about last night's election results. And while I really don't wanna turn into a self-loathing Democrat, it's pretty tough when my beloved blue state has turned red on most electoral maps.

However, I refuse to wallow in negativity - I did that all night.

Spicy Potato Tacos

If these delectable tacos look vaguely familiar, they should. They're modeled after the famously fantastic Crunchy Blue Corn Chickpea Tacos (aside from a few obvious changes).

Since I'm in love with everything potato-related, I figured there was no harm in marrying a few red spuds with some taco seasoning and a shell or two. Turns out, I was right - these tacos are simple, satisfying, and oh-so-scrumptious.

Crunchy Blue Corn Chickpea Tacos + Homemade Taco Seasoning

Feel like having something healthy?
Flavorful?
Simple?
Spicy?
Just plain pretty?

Well, get ready to say "Hello, Delicious!" because these Chickpea Tacos are INSANELY fantastic! They're one of the few meals that I could probably eat every single day and never get sick of (see also: Spicoli Burgers and Black Beans + Rice w/ Sweet Potato Cubes)!

¡Tacos Muy Guapos!

Tacos are, without question, one of my absolute most favorite foods. I especially love how versatile (even if "inauthentic") they can be. And obviously, as a result of their flexibility, almost everyone has his/her own spin on tacos. There's the rice v. no rice rule; the refried beans v. whole beans policy; and even the taco "meat" v. just veggies maxim.

Vegan Tostada Pizza

Ahhh...the Vegan Tostada Pizza. It's fresh, colorful, and delicious - not to mention the fact that it's another exceptional platform for a bit of Vegan Ranch Dressing - yay!

This pizza was born out of my adoration for black beans, specifically, and for pizza, generally. And the coolest thing is that it's completely versatile: Don't like black beans? Have pinto beans instead. No time for home-made salsa? Try the pre-made stuff. Not feelin' avocado today? Go ahead - skip it entirely.