To Live and Eat in L.A. – A Vegan Food Photo Blog

Why a sad vegan you ask?

• The big news being passed around in hushed, somber voices amongst L.A.’s veg*n foodies is the premature closing of most everyone’s favorite restaurant, Doomie’s. It was with heavy hearts that we read Doomie’s bulletin on Myspace which broke our comfort-food loving spirits:
  

  We are closed!

  Doomie’s is now CLOSED for business. We would like to think of it more as a hiatus as we are looking for a new place to relocate and planning on reopening, hopefully sometime by the end of the year. Until then, however, keep posted as we will give out details and any updates we may have.We’re working on having a whole lot more goodies and surprises on our reopening!

  If you want to be put on our mailing list for any updates, send an email over to Doomieveg@gmail.com. Also, if you have any parties or events that you would like catered, we’re still available for catering! Thank you all for your support and your patronage during our first three months; we like to think of this as an appetizer to your vegan/vegetarian appetites. We’ll see you all soon!
  -Doomie’s Home Cookin.

  If you never got a chance to try Doomie’s, for now my friends… you are shit out of luck and worse for the wear. See my original review of Doomie’s for a taste of what you missed out on. We’re holding out hope that Doomie’s really will resurface, and in the meantime there’s talk of planning an event for the sole purpose of having Doomie cater the hell out of it. More news will be posted here should this actually manifest.
  

• After that, I need some good news, how about you? Ok, here’s some: Quarrygirl has found the “Best Vegan Pizza Yet!”, and it’s located right here in downtown Los Angeles! Imagine that, one door closes, another opens. Read all about QG’s adventures at Purgatory Pizza, then drive on over and bring me a slice, would ya?

  While you’re at it, you should also check out Quarrygirl’s epic Best Vegan Cheese: Pizza Challenge. These people are serious about their pizza folks, so if you want to know what’s what on the tasty melty vegan cheese front, you’ll enjoying reading about the lengths this couple have gone to in order to determine which faux-cheese is best.
  

• On an even grander scale of dedication, have a gander at Ethical Pizza. This guy has an entire website devoted to vegan pizzas, breads and baking, with a heavy emphasis on testing out various vegan cheeses. Talk about finding your niche!
  
  
• More news on the sweets front, listed below are some interesting upcoming new book releases which are now available to pre-order from Amazon.com. I get a teeny, tiny referral fee for anything you buy at Amazon if you use my links, so I sure do appreciate you doing so… every little bit helps to support my eating habit this website!

  BabyCakes: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free Recipes from New York’s Most Talked-About Bakery
  by Erin McKenna

  Babycakes is a world famous vegan bakery in NYC and now they’re putting out their first cookbook full of some of their most coveted culinary secrets. Praise for the book includes:

  “In this book, Erin has finally shared her trade secrets – the ingredients and techniques that lend BabyCakes’ desserts the flavors, textures, and happiness-factor you’d find in the best patisserie. The highest praise I can offer is this: follow her recipes to the letter and you’ll fool them every time.”
  -Tom Colicchio (from the Foreword)

  “At BabyCakes NYC I can eat what I crave without harming my lovely animal friends–or myself. Every since that first fateful day, I’ve been waiting for this cookbook.”
  -Natalie Portman

  “I have multiple food sensitivities…and I’d pretty much given up on the idea that I might be able to have a worthy treat every again. I was so excited to discover BabyCakes NYC, because not only can I eat everything they bake, it’s all delicious!”
  -Zooey Deschanel

  “The BabyCakes NYC banana bread is the best I’ve ever had and something I simply can’t live without.”
  -Mary Louise Parker

  “Thank all that is holy for BabyCakes NYC…”
  -Pamela Anderson

  For vegans (or anyone) who like to bake and make desserts, the Babycakes book is going to be a must-have. To get it delivered to your mailbox as soon as it’s released, click here to pre-order.

  (Speaking of Pamela Anderson, how awesome is she for convincing the high court of Mumbai, India to sterilize stray dogs instead of killing them? Pretty darn awesome.)
  

• Is ice cream more your thing?

  The Vegan Scoop: 150 Recipes for Dairy-Free Ice Cream that Tastes Better Than the “Real” Thing
  by Wheeler del Torro

  “Ice Cream – Vegan Style brings the pleasures of the ice cream parlor into the home with 150 recipes for delicious frozen treats that are so rich and creamy, they’re better than the “real” thing. Developed by vegan Wheeler del Torro of Wheeler’s Frozen Desserts, these “faux” creams feature soy and nut milk blends and all vegan-certified ingredients, making them suitable for both vegans and those with lactose intolerance and other dairy aversions. With a few simple churns of the ice cream maker, you can bring Wheeler’s delicious and innovative desserts into your own home. The recipes are divided into sections based on their main ingredient or inspiration, such Fruit Flavors, Japanese-Inspired Flavors, Nighttime (Alcohol-Inspired) Flavors, and Sorbets. There’s also a chapter on Toppings, including sauces, brownies, and cupcakes.”

  You know you’ll want The Vegan Scoop as soon as it’s out, so click here to pre-order.
  

• Won’t someone think of the children?

  Well someone did think of the children, a vegan in fact who put together a charmingly illustrated book for kids all about why we don’t eat animals.

  That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things
  by Ruby Roth

  From the description:
  “That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals uses colorful artwork and lively text to introduce vegetarianism and veganism to early readers (ages six to ten). The book features an endearing animal cast of pigs, turkeys, cows, quail, turtles, and dolphins. These creatures are shown in both their natural state- rooting around, bonding, nuzzling, cuddling, grooming one another, and charming each other with their family instincts and rituals- and in the terrible conditions of the factory farm. The book also describes the negative effects eating meat has on the environment. A separate section entitled “What Else Can We Do?” suggests ways children can learn more about the vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, such as:“Celebrate Thanksgiving with a vegan feast” or “Buy clothes, shoes, belts, and bags that are not made from leather or other animal skins or fur.” This compassionate, informative book offers both an entertaining read and a resource to inspire parents and children to talk about a timely, increasingly important subject.”

  If you have kids or perhaps a vegetarian friend with some of their own little varmits, this would make a great gift or teaching device to empower vegetarian kids with what they need to know about why their parents don’t feed them the same crap all their other friends get to eat. If I’d have learned about factory farms at an earlier age, I would have stopped eating animals that much sooner. Click here to pre-order.
  

Those are all the tidbits I have for you today… a bit of bad news, a bit of good news, and a bunch of tasty stuff in between.

[UPDATE: Feb. 1, 2008] Doomie’s has closed :(

Here’s the original post:
At this point it’s no exaggeration to say that there’s a new vegan or vegetarian restaurant opening in Los Angeles every five minutes. The vegan Thai places seem to multiply like bunnies almost overnight, while the more specialized and unique vegetarian focused restaurants are in no sort supply either. It really is a good time to be a vegetarian in L.A. and everyone who lives here should count themselves lucky in regard to the sheer number of awesome food choices that abound. And now I’m happy to report there’s yet another new restaurant to add to the list… and guess what? It’s not Thai food!

Doomie’s Home Cookin’ just opened up this last weekend in the heart of Chinatown. That in and of itself is super awesome because there’s very little that’s edible for a vegetarian in Chinatown. The area is brimming with all manner of animal horrors everywhere you look, from chickens, ducks and whole baby pigs roasting on skewers in restaurant windows, to the shops along Spring St. that will sell you live sea creatures or poultry… you know, for those who prefer to slaughter their own (how quaint). Doomie’s is like a breath of fresh air in a sea of stench, and I mean that literally. Have you walked past any of those deathpits lately? The foul odors are unbearable. To counter this, Doomie’s shines like a 2nd story beacon, a helping hand from the upper balcony, happy to help you rise above the dubious carcass parties swirling on the streets down below.

Described as offering “meat free versions of classic American diner fare”, that’s exactly what you’ll find at Doomie’s… comfort food for your vegan soul. We’re talking appetizers like: Chili Cheese Fries, Fried Calamari, Buffalo Legs, Chicken Fingers & Shrimp Cocktail. Soups like: French Onion & Clam Chowder. And then there’s the main courses: a Classic Burger, a Chili Cheeseburger, Sloppy Joes, Philly Cheesesteak, Chicken Salad, Meatball sandwich, BLT, BBQ Pulled Pork, Chili Cheese Dog, Southern Fried Chicken, Pot Roast, Meatloaf, Chicken Parmesan, Country Fried Steak, Shrimp Scampi, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Lemon Chicken Picatta, Seafood Combo… and that’s not even all of it.

Don’t let the names scare you off, everything here is vegan! They do also offer real cheese for the non-vegans, so be sure to specify (but all the meaty bits are vegan, that is not a leg from a real buffalo!). Seeing as how I adore the jackfruit “pulled pork” sandwich at Pure Luck, I figured I needed to try the version at Doomie’s to see how it stands up.

First things first, the sandwich comes served with Doomie’s vegan macaroni & cheese. You know what? This was the best veganized mac & cheese I’ve had anywhere. The previous holder of that title was Taste of Life’s mac & cheese which is just divine. Well, if theirs is divine, than Doomie’s is for sure heaven sent… this stuff is the bomb! The best way I can describe it to you is to say that it tastes exactly as if it had come right out of a blue Kraft mac & cheese box. If you gave this to your average normal macaroni and cheese eater, they would seriously have no clue that you’d pulled a vegan switcharoo on them (no, I don’t advocate tricking people, but this would surely do the trick). This is seriously as authentic as it gets. I’ve had a number of different encounters with various vegan mac & cheese offerings in my day, and while even the best have been incredible good, Doomie’s wins by a landslide.

Now let’s get back to the sandwich… BBQ Pulled Pork, southern style. I’m no Southern gal so I can’t tell you if that claim holds water, but what I can tell you is that this sucker was finger lickin’ good… for reals, it was all over my fingers. I believe the faux-pork is seitan based and it’s all slathered up in a most delicious, sweet & smoky BBQ sauce. It was absolutely delicious, with the filling having an incredibly realistic meaty taste and texture… I kept thinking how I could feed this to any meat lover and unless told, they wouldn’t even guess it wasn’t real flesh they were eating. For those how can’t deal with fake stuff that tastes too much like the real thing, stay away from this beast because it will probably make you cry. On the other hand, those like myself who relish the taste and skills involved with recreating veganized versions of their meaty counterparts… you have met your new favorite sandwich. The entrees come with cole slaw and a side of fries, onion rings or fruit. Don’t you like how I pretended to go the more healthy and less fattening route by choosing fruit? Who do I think I’m kidding?

You know you wanna get all up in it.

I had the opportunity to chat with the man himself, Mr. Doomie, who is an extremely cool guy (only extremely cool guys are allowed to wear Cocteau Twins t-shirts). His passion for good food is obvious and he’s wants to provide the vegan community with delicious food that does not compromise. He’s really intent on creating food that tastes as close as possible to the real comfort foods we all know and loved. His goal is to have it look and taste as real as possible and not like a wimpy, nutty granola vegan knockoff. He’s even devised a way to get fatty “skin” on his fried chicken, something I can’t freakin’ wait to try on my next visit. Hello? Did you hear that… vegan fried chicken… with skin, yo! Sure it sounds gross when you think about real chickens, but for me knowing it’s not a real animal does away with the gross factor completely and all I can think about is sinking my teeth in, and again, lickin’ some greasy fingers.

They’ll be adding more desserts in the future but for now another treat offered at Doomie’s is vegan J-ello, ehm, gell-o. Yup, now you can relive your childhood with blue and red j-ello, without having to ingest horse and cow bones in the process. How delightful! If only all childhoods could be bone marrow & cartilage-food free.

The g-ello was tasty with a tartly sweet punch of flavor. The texture is slightly thicker than real j-ello, a giveaway that it’s made with agar-agar. They did a good job though, it’s pretty easy to mess up with agar-agar and turn the whole thing into chewy rubber, but that was not the case here, the j-ello was quite a treat. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what other dessert offerings are yet to come.

Location wise, Doomie’s couldn’t be better situated. It’s on the second floor at 686 N. Spring St, inside of Roberto’s nightclub (that’s just down Ord St., the same little side street that Phillipe’s French Dip is on). They’ve got a giant space with an even bigger outdoor patio which provides stunning views of of Chinatown, downtown and beyond. What I love about this location is that it’s within a very short walking distance from not one, but two Metro stops. You can either get off at the Union Station Red Line stop or the Chinatown Gold Line stop, it’s pretty much the same distance from both (less than a ten minute walk). The one downside for them is that unless you know it’s up there, you really wouldn’t know it’s up there. That said, hopefully the word will spread quickly to help get and keep this place busy all the time… hey, I’m doing my part! Even though they just opened and are working out some of the kinks, I feel the potential here will be unlimited if they play it right.

To that end, I’ll admit I was a little bit confused when I first got there. I went on Sunday afternoon which is apparently the one day a week that the East Los Angeles Bikers Club (ELA) use the patio for a meeting. I didn’t know if I’d entered a restaurant or a sports bar. They were kinda loud and verging on rowdy… but unless you’re one of those people who’s afraid of everything and everyone, they weren’t intimidating… just boisterously friendly. At one point they all shuffled into a nearby room and disappeared for a while, apparently for their official meeting and then they all filtered out. They only gather out there on Sundays I was told, so if you just can’t hang with dark & handsome tattooed Latino biker boys surrounding you while you eat (hey, I ain’t complaining!), go on any other day (closed Mondays), otherwise just know that Sundays there will be a bit of an adventure.

In case you haven’t figured it out by now I’m super excited about this place and I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops. If everything else on the menu is as good as what I had on my first visit, my diet is in for a world of hurt.
www.myspace.com/doomieshomecookin

p.s.- they also have free WiFi.