Veggie Grill, Hollywood, CA

I've said it once, I'll say it again- I expect to be disappointed when a restaurant caters to an exclusively vegan or vegetarian clientele. Moderation, in my opinion, is held in higher esteem than exclusion. That being said, when my fears prove to be unfounded, it's an extra thrill to experience some great eats sans meat. Veggie Grill in L.A. and Orange Counties is one of many of my friends' favorite haunts, and there's not a month that goes by where at least a carload of people pile into a car and head to the nearest location in Irvine for vegan goodies. I'm told everything on the menu is animal product free, and they assured me that I should have higher than usual expectations for the (strike one) CHAIN, and (strike two) VEGETARIAN ONLY restaurant.

Our latest trip to Hollywood brought us to one of their locations, and the menu surprised me at first glance. Nachos? Thai chicken? Not just the usual veggie burger and salad options, I see... a positive start. As I had ruined my major appetite with a sandwich earlier, I couldn't indulge in an entire meal, but went with an orange theme and got their all-natural carrot cake and side of mac n' cheese.



I have absolutely no idea how they did it, but this carrot cake was one of the best slices of dessert I have ever had. Completely moist and light without being gritty or having that strange off-texture that non-cow milk will sometimes incur, it was fresh and wonderful. A complete surprise.



I was told that if I tried only one thing it would have to be the mac n' cheese. Made with Daiya cheese, it was a first for me, and I found it to be one of the best alternative cheese options I've had to date. Not overly sticky or melty like a plastic crayon, it was the closest thing to actual cheese that I've tried thus far. Not by any means do I consider myself a faux cheese expert, but I've had my fair share and this was definitely in the top tier. The whole wheat noodles were topped with a toasted bread crumble, and the textures paired beautifully.

All in all, I was floored by the quality and variety of offerings and while I may not yet be a total believer in the all-vegan meal's ability to top its animal equivalent, Veggie Grill has taken me one large leap in that direction.

West Hollywood
8000 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Phone 323.822.7575

Plaza El Segundo
720 Allied Way
El Segundo, CA 90245
Phone 310.535.0025

Irvine – University Center
4213 Campus Drive
Irvine, CA 92612
Phone 949.509.0003

Irvine Spectrum Center
81 Fortune Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
Phone 949.727.9900

Madeleine Bistro

Even at the crippling old age of 25 I like to think I'm still young at heart! I hit the big quarter century in fine style surrounded by friends, beer, and music in the City of Angels having the time of my life. The weekend consisted of midnight stumbles around Hollywood, sidewalk hot dog vendors, the obligatory Kidrobot excursion, and of course good eats. I'm not terribly familiar with the L.A. food scene, and I can't imagine even scratching the surface over a weekend. With vegans in tow, we were steered by our Studio City resident friend to Madeleine Bistro north of Hollywood in Tarzana which offers only animal-friendly fare with nary a furry friend served!



To be honest, when we walked into a completely empty restaurant on a Sunday morning, I wasn't expecting much. The brunch menu isn't the most striking, and the atmosphere of French bistro meets California streets isn't exactly the most unbelievable or unique concept around. I suppose the whole vegan spin is a draw for animal lovers who also enjoy a bite out, but the faux-McDonald's breakfast meatless menu for three times the price and nary a bacon strip to be found didn't tantalize my tastebuds as much as I had hoped for L.A. However, due to the fact that I was VASTLY outnumbered, I sat down and plotted my upturned nose decline of food.

Well, maybe ONE beignet. I'm hungry now, and that won't be too much to fill me up until we can find a BLT, right? I'll take a half order.



Adorable! I'm sure they'll be tasty. At least enough to tide me over until REAL food, right?



Shit, these are amazing. Have I been fooled by the carnivorous propaganda?! Is it possible that this hippie crap can be... delicious?!?



Delightfully so! Sugar in the morning isn't my regular route, but after tasting these piping hot, sugary sweet morsels of absolute pleasure, I would be willing to forgo the dry toast and coffee for the rest of my life! Homemade strawberry compote sidled along lovingly to the large, hot, sweet balls of goodness which happily made their way into my mouth. After trying a bite, several others at the table promptly ordered their own and all were gone within moments. Even a half order was enough to satisfy not only my sweet tooth, but my desire for additional brunching! Everyone was kind enough to allow me to steal bites from their plates as well, and I was astonished to find flavor explosions on every plate. Don't misunderstand, I've had plenty of experience with vegetarian and vegan fare, but to go in with low expectations and to come out singing praises isn't exactly the norm. I know what I'm in for and generally have a realistic idea of what's going to be sliding down my gullet. However, Madeleine Bistro is absolutely a place for those skeptical carnivores and already committed vegans alike. An added bonus is the fact that it's away from the hustle and bustle and hours-long waits in Hollyweird! Skip the line and head for Madeleine.

18621 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, CA 91356
818-758-6971

Jyoti-Bihanga

FINALLY! We have been hearing NOTHING but good things about Jyoti-Bihanga, a vegetarian venture in Normal Heights run by the followers of Sri Chinmoy's teachings. It's described as a "divine enterprise" and is closed for a few weeks and weekends out of the year specifically for congregating with their (now deceased) spiritual leader and sporting events such as the World Harmony Run. Hey, as long as the food is good, they could be worshipping Nico for all I care! Still, our several attempts for brunch were thwarted with their odd weekend closing schedules, so naturally we were thrilled to finally make it to dinner.

Luckily, our dining partners were regulars of the establishment, and offered helpful tips on what to order. The mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy were particularly highly recommended, and how convenient that they were the included side for most dishes! Their meatless "Neatloaf" was available vegan and vegetarian, and their special curry of the night was Lentil and Spinach. Their menu is very impressive for a vegetarian/vegan specialty place, and not with the normal boring fare.

The whole place was extremely serene; its high vaulted ceilings and white walls were decorated sparsely with minimalist and spiritual art, with books and pamphlets available to read while you wait. The staff moved slowly, deftly, quietly, and while the voices remained hush, it still maintained a very casual feeling, not at all like being uncomfortably stifled in a place of worship. The food arrived quickly, and it did not disappoint. I'm not a huge tea drinker, but pairing my famous Neatloaf sandwich (pictured below) with a cup of hot Bengal Spice tea was absolutely divine. My friends are now very used to me reaching over to try a particularly tasty looking morsel on their plates (all for the good of the readers of course!) and I managed to sneak a slurp of the broccoli soup (WONDERFUL), the BBQ duck sandwich (a third of our group ordered it- it was as excellent as I had hoped) and the lentil/spinach curry (fantastic). Everything we had was perfectly made, the sauces were delicious, and the service was polite, prompt, and understated. I'd give this place an enthusiastic recommendation with every intention of returning!


All this neatloaf just for me?!?!?!


Their "tziaziki" was just as good as the Greeks!

3351 Adams Avenue
San Diego, CA 92116
(619) 282-4116

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Saturday 12:00 noon to 9:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Two to three Sundays a month we do an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet from 9:00 am to
1:00 pm. Please make sure to call for the monthly schedule.

Vegan Zone, Pacific Beach

It still shocks me that for such a gastronomical explorer such as myself the majority of my friends in San Diego have aligned themselves with the vegan movement! Focusing on the glass-half-full mentality, this does offer me the opportunity to dine at establishments that I might tend to overlook, or at least not actively seek out. One of these is Vegan Zone, an all-vegan restaurant in Pacific Beach, somewhat off the beaten track on Hornblend Street just a few blocks from the beach. Our Bostonian friend assured us that though small, the selections were good and prices reasonable for the animal-friendly Asian bistro. We stopped by for snacks and light fare, and with seating for only about 25, at 3 o'clock the place was deserted.

The menu was standard Asian fare sans any animal product, but looked tasty and the prices decent. We shared an order of the Golden Nuggets (fried soy chicken nuggets) with their "barbeque sauce", which tasted like cocktail sauce mixed with BBQ sauce with a dash of black pepper. Not the greatest, or even exciting, but not bad by any means. A clean presentation added some bonus points.


Ashton got the Tom Yum soup (traditional Thai soup flavored with khaffir limes leaves, chili and lemon grass served with soy shrimp, straw mushrooms and tomotoes), which was great! Served hot in a crisp white bowl, it was chock full of fresh ingredients and the perfect amount of lemongrass. The faux shrimp was wonderful and made me believe it was swimming in the sea only a few short hours ago. For $5, it was a lip-smacking delight.


For vegans, definitely a place worth trying. I can't vouch for the quality of the entrees, but based on the solid ingredients and elegant presentation, I'd guess that it would be a nice experience!

Vegan Zone
859 Hornblend St
San Diego Ca 92109
858-272-1913
Delivery/Take Out

Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday
11:30am - 9:30pm
Closed on Mondays

Nature's Express

"Meat is murder!" Even as a proud carnivore, the vegan movement is consistently on the rise and awareness of animal cruelty for food purposes is increasing with every day. More and more alternative options are being made available for those who still enjoy eating out and wish to maintain an animal-free lifestyle. Nature's Express is an all vegan and organic DRIVE THRU for vegans on the go! With 2 locations, on in Yuma, AZ and San Diego, CA, this is the first vegan drive thru that I have personally seen/heard of. Formerly Kung Food, the San Diego location boasts an in-house buffet option where you pay by the ounce, and also a drive thru with an indoor and outdoor seating area. The menu is extensive and completely animal free, with catering also available.

On the recommendation of several vegan and non-vegan friends alike, we made the short trek just next to Balboa Park, and I was surprised at the variety of options. I settled on the "Chick'n" Chipotle Sandwich and sweet potato fries, while Ashton opted for the Pesto Burger and our vegetarian friend Joe got the pre-made Tofu Pesto wrap. Unfortunately for Joe, the wrap was a little bit TOO fresh, and some tufts of mold were apparent inside the wrap. He replaced it with his own Pesto Burger, and was extremely satisfied with the switch. I thought the Chipotle chicken sandwich was just great. The chipotle sauce that they used tasted fantastic, a far cry from many of the vegan sauces I've tried, and the fake chicken was cooked firmly and was as close to real chicken as fake chicken can get! I was expecting to get some soggy patty quickly thrown together like "fast" food, but with a 10-15 minute wait it appeared as though they were cooked to order, and cooked RIGHT!

The sweet potato fries were equally delicious. Not greasy at all, cooked crisply but not burned, and an ample amount to share. Even their water was tasty- inside the tank floated fresh cucumber slices to add just a hint of flavor and hydrate to the maximum! All in all, it's definitely worth the try and repeat visits, especially from hungry vegans craving deliciousness!




Nature's Express
2949 5th Avenue (at Quince)
San Diego, CA 92103
619.550.1818
F: 928.317.8304
Dining room open: 11am—8pm Daily
Drive-thru open: 11am—10pm Daily

Vegan Cobbler

Ok, I have a confession to make. I promised several vegan friends that not only would I try my hand at baking, I would take it a step further and have my first sweet attempt be a vegan one.

It didn't end up that way.

I caught the baking bug today, and untimingly found myself a lone carnivore! All of my friends are in Boston for our wonderful friends wedding, taking their animal rights and appetites with them. With no reason to spend extra money on non-dairy goods like butter and milk (really the only two things) I totally cheated and used my cruel ingredients. However, I did take the recipe from the following cookbook:

This book is chock-full of great, all natural goodies, many of which I plan on actually trying my hand at when I once again find myself surrounded by animal loving hungry friends. I used the "Blueberry Cobbler" recipe and altered it into a "Peach/Blueberry Cobbler"- inspired by Brittany and in honor of my mom, whose peach cobbler is f*!@ing out of this world. Ashton lent me a hand in the kitchen as I rolled up my sleeves and banged out what proved to be a damn good dish.

Ingredients- Cobbler Biscuit Dough (all of this is unbleached, natural, dairy-free in the book- I used what I had on hand plus some fresh peaches and blueberries, so I'll skip the description. Get what you want. I'm sure Splenda would work just fine in lieu of sugar, etc.)
1 1/3 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar (divided)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup milk
1 to 2 tbsp milk OR 1 to 2 tbsp butter to brush on top of dough

Ingredients- Filling
4 to 5 cups blueberries (or whatever fruit you wish- I used 2 pints blueberries and 4 medium to large fresh peaches sliced)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp grated lemon or lime zest- optional (I squirted some lemon juice in there, but I'm sure lemon zest would have been better. C'est la vie)

Preheat the oven to 375. I used a 2" deep baking pan around 9" square and sprayed with nonstick spray. For the dough, mix the flour 2 tbsp of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a deep bowl. When mixed thoroughly, add the butter and milk and stir until it forms a sticky dough. Put it aside and get to the filling!

Wash and dry the fruit, slice it if necessary, and in another large bowl combine them with the sugar, flour, and lemon zest (if using). Spread evenly in the baking dish and cover with the dough. The recipe says to use the tablespoon to spread it, but it is extraordinarily sticky and I ended up just reaching in and stretching small amounts across with my fingers. It worked well, IMHO. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining 1 or 2 tbsp of milk or butter (I opted for butter, duh) and sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp sugar. Here's what it looked like before baking:



Bake until top is golden brown and juices are slightly thickened, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving- with ice cream! I couldn't help but take an action shot because it smelled SO GOOD:



And the final dish!



The blueberry dripping sides were so hot and gooey that it looked like giant soda bubbles blasting to the top. It was awesome!

Wish you were here?

Vegan trEATS

My dad's favorite bumper sticker is "Eat a Vegetarian". We're no down-home Texan cattle ranchin' carnivores, but as close to it as you can be coming from a suburb of Washington, D.C. Not only is my dad a total grill master with all things meat, he has christened his cherished barbeque as MOAB (Mother Of All Barbeques). I'm considered the black sheep of the family, with my wacky hair styles and art school degree, and horror of all horrors- vegetarian and vegan friends! At one point I had two roommates, one of each gastronomical persuasion. Throughout the years, I have learned, enjoyed and branched out to all sorts of culinary substitutions for animal product, and I like to think in my case it is simply an even further extension of my diet. I don't care to restrict myself in any way other than obvious healthiness, but I completely understand the vegan/vegetarian decision for purposes of animal cruelty. I could go into the reasons why being a vegan isn't necessarily "healthier" in my opinion, but that's a completely different argument.

Surprisingly, it was my sister who brought Eric McKenna to my attention with this article. A noted vegan baker in New York, her BabyCakes bakery explores the oft-snuffed world of vegan baking, which is a difficult art to flourish. in. Baking is incredibly dependent upon animal products, and while tofu and soy are often acceptable substitutes in the savory world, they just can't cut in in a cookie recipe. Her new BabyCakes cookbook is out now for every vegan with a sweet tooth to snap up in stores everywhere.

Even if you aren't a vegan or vegetarian, take a peek at some of the tasty treats she's made as simple as 1-2-3 for home baking. They're also perfect for those with sensitive food allergies, like the unfortunate gluten allergy. I have only one friend stricken with this debilitating allergy, and believe me I feel for her. Gluten-free options are becoming more common these days, but it's not a guarantee to find them at any given time. BabyCakes offers all kosher, sugar-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, soy-free, casein-free, and egg-free options, leaving only delicious flavor for us to enjoy.

Until you get your hands on her cookbook, get your tastebuds motivated with this recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies:

Ingredients:
»1 cup coconut oil
» 6 tbsp homemade applesauce or store-bought unsweetened applesauce
» 1 tsp salt
» 2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
» 1 1/4 cups evaporated cane juice
» 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
» 1/4 cup flax meal
» 1 tsp baking soda
» 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
» 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix oil, salt, applesauce, vanilla and cane juice. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, flax meal, baking soda and xanthan gum.

Using a spatula, carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir until a grainy dough forms. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

With a melon baller, scoop dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing portions 1 inch apart. Press each with the heel of your palm to help them spread.

Bake cookies on center rack for 15 minutes, rotating the sheets 180 degrees after nine minutes.

Let cookies stand on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before covering. Makes 36.
(picture taken from expressnightout.com)