Cowboys & Indians brings an interesting fusion to the table, combining Indian food with Mexican food. Sounds kinda weird and like it might not work, but it most certainly does. This place has been around for a while with their flagship location conveniently connected to The El Rey theater on Wilshire Blvd., and the owner is the same guy who started Electric Lotus (another tasty Indian restaurant). The spot on Wilshire is tiny and almost more like a snack bar connected to the theater, a great place to get a quick bite before seeing a show, while the new place on Sunset smack dab in the middle of Silver Lake’s hipster district is more of a sit-down restaurant where you can chill out and enjoy a full meal.

I got to check out the new Cowboys & Indians last week with my homegirls-who-lunch crew, the lovely Miss Sara T. and the equally luscious Miss DoubleD. and we all really enjoyed the experience. One of the first things that caught my attention before even entering the restaurant was their sidewalk sign:

As I mentioned on my Twitter at the time, I love it when places that aren’t vegan tell you right on the menu what is (note the Tofu Bhujiya). It’s the little things that count. This is apparently quite a popular sentiment considering how often it’s now been retweeted, and repeated. While I didn’t get to try their tasty sounding vegan breakfast options as shown on the sign (we’d already missed the 3pm cut-off time), most all of the options at Cowboys & Indians also have a vegan version, and the staff seemed to be very vegan friendly, offering up information on ingredients when they knew the answer, and going back into the kitchen to ask questions about stuff they weren’t sure about. Here’s the basic stuff vegans will want to know: all the curries are vegan, made with coconut milk. The tortillas are vegan. The regular naan breads are not vegan but the whole wheat naan is.

We started our meal with a few shared appetizers.

First we tried the Vegan Samosas. These were MASSIVE! Due to the angle of the picture, the true size of this monster is not being done justice, it’s about the size of both my fists held together… huge! One would definitely be enough for two people, it’s the largest samosa I’ve ever seen before.

It’s not just big, it’s also delicious. Stuffed with peas, potatoes, Indian spices and I don’t know what else, it’s a darn good samosa and practically a meal unto itself. Going with the whole Indian/Mexican theme of things, we were also given a selection of not only the expected Indian chutneys (tamarind and mint), but also Mexican salsas (tomatillo and traditional red sauce) to go with our samosas. It’s definitely a unique twist but the disparate flavors all really do go well together.

We also did a three-way on an order of Masala Fries. These are basically regular french fries that have been spiced up with some curry powder and salt, and served with a side of masala sauce for dipping. Again, I’d have to say this was another perfect combo. Curry really does make most things better and french fries are no exception. The masala sauce is excellent and would probably make even the most mediocre foods taste extraordinary.

I had a hard time deciding what to get as everything there sounds awesome, but I finally settled on the Tofu Spinach Naanwich for my main entree. It’s basically an Indian version of a tostada but with naan bread instead of a tortilla, topped with basmati instead of spanish rice, tofu curry instead of beans & meat, along with all the fixin’s, such as more of their yummy chutney, fresh cilantro, and what looks a heck of a lot like shredded cheese. Turns out the cheesy looking stuff ain’t cheesy at all, it’s actually what Cowboys & Indians refers to as “pea strips”, aka crispy chickpea noodles, aka “sev”. They don’t have a very strong flavor but do add a nice little crunch to each bite, and the visual illusion of it being real cheese is pretty strong.

Miss DoubleD. like many of us is sensitive to soy, so instead of the tofu naanwich she got the spinach version, which is similar though served with a saag (spinach) curry instead of tofu. I like that even though this place doesn’t have a huge menu, there are options for just about every type of eater to mix and match from.

I also got to try the Tandoori Taco: “soft shell corn tortillas topped with lettuce, tomato, cilantro, grilled onion chutney, tamarind chutney, mint chutney and garnished with pea strips”. This taco was also very tasty, though quite similar to the naanwich. I liked the flavors on both though I think when I go back I’ll stick with the larger and heartier naanwich, mostly because I’m not a huge fan of corn tortillas. That’s just a personal preference though and there was nothing wrong with the taco… it was quite good and for $2.50 a pop, you really can’t go wrong. You can also get any of these delights wrapped up like a burrito for the full Indo-Mex effect.

Here’s a look at the Tofu Tikka Masala. This one came from the original Cowboys & Indians on Wilshire, hence the paper plate. When you order this at the new restaurant on Sunset I’m pretty sure it won’t come on disposable tableware. The masala sauce was rich and thick with the comforting flavors of tomato, silky coconut and subtle but hot spices. I was at the El Rey to see a concert which was about to start (you can actually hear the bands from inside the food stand) but I couldn’t stop eating until I ate up every last drop of this curry… it was so good that missing a song or two wasn’t as important as getting in my remaining bites of tofu. Yeah, I’ve got my priorities.

There are some pretty mixed reviews about Cowboys & Indians on Yelp, ranging from people talking like it’s the best place on earth to people who gave it one star reviews and dissed everything from the food to the staff to the incense. I can only speak for myself and perhaps for my dining companions in letting you know that we enjoyed everything we ate and that the staff was friendly and attentive (both locations). I’m not going to blow this place out of proportion and tell you it’s the best Indian or Mexican food you’ll ever eat, because it’s not. But for what it is… a somewhat genius take on ethnic street food fusion, I’d say they’re doing a swell job of tantalizing taste buds and taking care of their customers. They’ve gone out of their way to make their offerings vegan friendly which is a huge plus in my book. The even bigger plus is that it’s all delicious. Now I just need to work on waking up early enough next time so that I don’t miss out on their tempting breakfast. Stay tuned…

Cowboys & Indians
2815 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(213) 483-7778
www.cowboysandturbans.com

also at:

5515 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 936-7070

What’s in a name? When I first heard about Sky’s Gourmet Tacos I thought to myself, “just how gourmet can a taco possibly be”?, and then, “Do I even want a gourmet taco?”. Well, after eating a bunch of their food, Sky’s has turned me from a Doubting Thomas into a true believer with their unique and generous specialties.

Gourmet food is not something I’m terribly interested in. I’m much more of a farmers market stall & food truck kinda gal than I am the “spend $80 to eat small portions with three different forks” type. Don’t let the word “gourmet” in Sky’s name put you off though, this place is neither hoity toity nor overly expensive, they certainly don’t skimp on portion sizes and they don’t give a crap if you make a mess and eat with your hands.

Located on Pico between Fairfax & LaBrea, Sky’s Tacos is tiny little restaurant that you may have even driven past without knowing about the delicious vegan bounty awaiting you on the inside. While Sky’s does serve a full menu of meat & cheese items, they’ve got an equally substantial vegetarian menu just begging for you to have veganized.

This gorgeous hunk of food is the Veggie Quesadilla ordered all vegan. It comes with their own vegan meat, beans and a giant heap of vegan cheese (Follow Your Heart) inside and out. Basically what you’re looking at are two tortillas that have been stuff to overflow with grilled vegetables and cheese, then layered on top with a massive amount of beans and their amazing fake meat, then piled high with even more cheese.

This thing is outstanding. Their vegan meat is unbelievably good… so unbelievable and good in fact that I had to go back up to the counter to ask and make doubly sure that they didn’t give me real meat. They had not, and the staff at Sky’s seems to be pretty up on their game about understanding picky vegans, right down to their separate grill. No, this deliciously seasoned meat was 100% vegan and 100% delicious. Those who enjoy vegan meat that tastes as realistic as possible will LOVE this Mexican-spiced stuff that’s been grilled to perfection. Those who don’t like fake meat will want to avoid it because it will freak you out. Feel free to give me yours, I’ll eat. Ask for a side of their mild or hot salsas as well as some vegan sour cream and you’ll be all set.

Nachos are another cheesy delight that for vegans a good rendition is hard to come by. While I do like some of the other vegan nachos in town that do a pretty decent job, I long for nachos that taste just like the real thing, and not like a cashew nut. This is another specialty that Sky’s really delivers on, and their nacho platter is not only delicious but large enough to feed two or three people. The tortilla chips came covered in a ridiculous amount of beans and more of that amazing fake meat, vegan cheese and a giant dollop of yummy guacamole, with some fresh chopped tomatoes and cilantro on the side.

Here’s a close up of the meaty bits just so you can see they’re not messing around. I don’t know what product they use to make this stuff but they have it down to an art form. There is no reason to miss meat when alternatives this incredible exist in the world… I challenge any meat eater to try this and tell the difference. If they were to say they could tell it’s not meat, I’d say they’re probably big fat liars.

Here’s one more indulgent shot with the toppings. My nacho prayers have been answered.

Now onto the tacos as, after all, that’s what this place is named for. This is one of their fancier tacos, made with sweet potatoes, sliced almonds and wild rice. Oh man, what a combo… so good! You can see there’s giant chunks of grilled garlic, and that along with their fantastic seasonings make this a taco to remember. I absolutely love sweet potatoes and particularly appreciate their unconventional and unexpected appearance in the form of a taco. They can also make you a burrito stuffed with this same filling, and I do intend to try that next time. While everything I’ve tried as Sky’s has been super, I highly recommend this particular taco above all else. I’ve never had anything like it anywhere and it’s the sort of thing I will happily drive all the way across the city in traffic for when the craving hits.

This next taco is their grilled potato version, with beans, shredded cabbage and large slabs of nicely seasoned potatoes, topped with their spicy green sauce. This too was a seriously tasty taco. The potatoes were a little bit plain but the hot salsa flavored things up and give it some pizazz. I remain however forever spoiled by the sweet potato tacos, so this white potato version didn’t do as much for me in comparision.

They’ve got a ton of other options for you to try as well, most all of which can be made vegan for you with no hassle. They’ve got daily specials that will be on display in house, as well as a lot more stuff that’s not on their online menu. It’s exciting to go in there just to find out what rad stuff they’ve got on hand on any given day. They even have a nice selection of refreshing beverages such as Sorrel, a sweet & tart hibiscus concoction, as well as homemade lemonade which you can even get as a half & half combo with iced tea as shown way up at the top.

I can’t recommend Sky’s Gourmet Tacos enough, I’ve fallen in love with this little hole in the wall… if you appreciate good, hearty Mexican food as much as I do, you will to.

Sky’s Gourmet Tacos
5408 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA. 90019
(323) 932-6253
www.skysgourmettacos.com

Papa George’s Hy Mart Deli has been a North Hollywood staple of tastiness next to the giant golf shop on Lankershim for over 20 years. Due to skyrocketing rent and a landlord that has apparently been a dick to them for the past two decades, the little family run shop has moved into a new location. Locals need not fret though as the move was into a more spacious spot just across the street. Now they’re right on the other (west) side of Lankershim, directly behind the H. Salt Fish & Chips shop.

A true mom & pop operation, Hy Mart offers a wide variety of Mediterranean style sandwiches and wraps. It’s not an all vegetarian place so expect to witness people chowing down on stuff like roast beef, turkey and gyros, however what makes Hy Mart stand out for the rest of us are their delicious vegetarian and easily veganizable specialties.

Their yummy falafel is made fresh daily and they even make their stuffed grape leaves from scratch (my latest addiction). They’ve got a number of different vegetarian wraps and platters, and most of these are set to come with labni yogurt or feta cheese, but if you are so inclined you can ask them to leave those off and what you’re left with are some pretty fantastic vegan options.

I always get the same thing but the “Shahkloot Special” is so far from boring that the repetition never gets old. Lavash bread wrapped around tabouleh, olives, cucumber, mint, basil, avocado, hummus, falafel, tomato, pickles, tahina, lettuce and pepperchinis (no feta, no onions, extra spicy is the way I order it). It’s always huge and always delicious.

Hy Mart is one of my favorite places in the valley to get a satisfying and cheap lunch. The family who runs this deli is super cool, so I’m happy to see they’ve pulled off their migration into a nicer, more spacious shop and I wish them much success in their new location.

Hy Mart (look for the “Sandwiches” sign)
4795 Vineland Ave #C
North Hollywood, CA 91602
(818) 506-7264

The folks over at SunPower Natural Cafe, the lovely raw restaurant in Studio City, wanted me to pass along this info about their Valentines Day specials. Here’s the lowdown:

Enjoy a 6 Course romantic Valentine’s Dinner at SunPower Cafe in our newly remodeled dining room!

Sunday February 14th 5-9pm
With Live Entertainment!

Both Raw and Cooked versions available for each course:
Appetizers: Raw Cabbage Tacos with Nacho Cheese / Vegan Tofu Cabbage Wraps
Soup: Raw Tomato Basil / Vegan Butternut Squash
Salad: Mango Spinach Salad with Candied Pecans and cranberries with Raspberry Dressing
Entree: Heart Shaped Pizza
Entree: Raw or Vegan Lasagna
Dessert: Chocolate Cup with Rum Cherry Custard / Additional raw layered dessert to be announced!

Whether as a couple or with friends, feel special with a unique dinner at SunPower Cafe! Price: $45 per person (paid by Feb. 13th), $55 per person (day of event). Seating 5pm to 9pm.
Reservations Essential: 818-308-7420 or ronald@sunpowernatural.com

Sounds delicious. SunPower manages to make raw food taste decadent. I’ve been back there since my last post about them so this is probably a good time to show you some of the good stuff we got to try.

To start, Bruschetta. “Zesty tomatoes and garlic on crunchy toast.” When my plate arrived it was so much more action packed than that simple description.

This brushetta was lovely to look at as well as to eat, covered in their special house pesto style sauce and served with a small salad, this simple toast appetizer was elevated to being more like an entree in it’s own right. As a fan of bruschetta in all it’s forms, I highly approve.

This big plate of wow is the Raw Pesto Pizza “Crunchy sunflower seed crust with creamy pesto sauce, cashew cheese, green onions, olives and marinated mushrooms.”

While raw pizzas are usually nothing like what most of us would consider to be a “real” pizza, they’re often tasty facsimiles coming in pretty close in the flavor department, and this one at SunPower is a good example. Both their pesto and cashew cheese sauces are delicious and I love what they’ve done with their marinated mushrooms. The raw sunflower seed crust is good and holds up nicely without crumbling apart when you pick it up, though I find it a bit too sweet, almost dessert like. I don’t know if it’s actually sweetened or if the sweetness is just a natural component of the sunflower seed situation, but I think I’d prefer a more savory flavored crust. This is mostly a minor complaint because everything else on top of it awesome.

This one I don’t have an exact description for, it was a “Soul Food” plate they had on special a while ago. Over on the right, that rounded pile if I remember correctly was a black bean, black-eyed peas & brown rice combo, which came with the gigantic vegan loaf made of various grains, seeds & rice and a large salad. I enjoyed all of it except for the salad because I wasn’t expecting it to come with onions, and there were way too many of them for me to fight my way through. The rest was all excellent, and my apologies for not being able to tell you exactly what it was, my memory is fickle. Regardless, the pictures speak for themselves, this was huge plate of exceptionally tasty food.

If you haven’t tried SunPower yet check them out for a new raw adventure. They’ve just expanded into the space next door and their new dining room with “beautiful solid wood mahogany tables and a magnificent community table” will be ready by the big event. Sounds like those going in for the Valentines Day special are in for a treat.

Sunpower Natural
3711 W. Cahuenga Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 308-7420
www.sunpowernatural.com

Did you get to hang out in oldschool pizza parlors when you were a kid? How great was Shakey’s with their big wooden booths and delicious pizza you could keep going back for more of, pie after pie? My parents threw me a birthday party there when I was in first grade, I have fond memories. My friends and I switched to loitering at our local Pizza Hut after school when I was in junior high. I haven’t been to a place like that in years considering they’re a cheese & sausage fest, but finally we vegans get to experience that kind of pizza hang out fun again, nestled deep in the west valley at the Woodland Hills Pizza Cookery.

Pizza Cookery is an archetypal wood paneling era pizza parlor… giant tables matching the walls meant to seat groups and families, comfy seating, children running around being obnoxious, saw dust on the floor, overflowing pitchers of beer, and a new addition to the love affair we’re having here… entirely separate Vegan and Gluten Free menus. It’s actually quite astonishing when you walk into this place and it’s all red-blooded, meat eating America like, and then you get handed your very own vegan menu, just for you. This place is lively and packed on the weekends (though we were seated within less than 5 minutes of waiting), and it’s one of the most well integrated restaurants I’ve been to so far that caters so well to both carnivore and vegan satisfaction. Nothing fancy, just a good old fashioned good time while kicking back with tasty food.

First the pizza- the pizza rules. They use Follow Your Heart cheese, and they use it well. My fellow foodeaters Alix & Shawn and I ordered a large 16 incher with mushrooms and vegan pepperoni. They also have a vegan smoked chicken as well as all the usual pizza toppings like bell peppers, black olives, tomatoes, and also fresh basil, garlic, cilantro, pineapple, jalapeño, eggplant, sun dried tomato, artichoke hearts… basically anything good you might what on it. The pizza was huge and smothered in melty-hot vegan cheese, tangy tomato sauce and a truly delicious crust. [If you are one of those people who don't eat their pizza crust, know that I consider you a weirdo.] They also slice it up all funky to maximize the amount of slices you can share, you end up with oddly shaped yet fun to eat mostly rectangular slices, I got one that was an oblong triangle shape. You can also order smaller pizzas or even mini individual sized versions.

For the gluten free set, they’ve got you covered with a staff that’s trained in separate food handling ready to make you gluten free pizzas, pastas and salads.

None of us ordered a salad but we did see some of them being paraded around on their way to their respective eaters, and they were ENORMOUS. These were ridiculously large and gorgeous looking salads, though most of them were piled high with sliced meat. Pizza Cookery doesn’t slack on us with the salads either as any of them can be made vegan and decked out with vegan cheese. These salads weren’t kidding around.

Ok, so pizza is one thing, but there’s more awesomeness where that came from. Pizza Cookery also makes it’s very own Vegan Philly Cheesesteak. YES!

“Smoked vegan chicken, green peppers, onions, mushrooms and vegan cheese on a whole wheat or sesame french roll, with french fries”. See that cute little American flag? That means it’s all vegan. America, fuck yeah!

When our waitress first set this down in front of me I was pretty convinced that she had made a mistake and brought me real chicken. This stuff looks so much like the real deal that even after pulling it apart with my fingers I couldn’t tell if it was real or not. Neither could my fellow diners.

I called the waitress over and asked her what was up, she told me it was the vegan chicken for sure but she would send the manager over to talk to me. Manager lady was real sweet and sat down right next to me and busted out with her official ingredients notebook, armed and ready to answer any of our annoying vegan questions, as it should be. She readily showed me the info on the chicken, which it turns out is none other than yet again, vegan Follow Your Heart. She was really cool and you could tell this place is genuinely concerned with the well being of their alternate diet inclined customers. They’ve obviously gone to a lot of trouble to design their menu and pick out their ingredients, as she said, after a lot of taste testing and experimenting.

So back to the philly, now that I knew it was safe to eat, eat it I did… and wow, it’s so good. The smoked chicken is fantastic, I’d never tried FYH’s vegan chicken before and it not only looks real but it also has an incredibly well done texture and flavor. The smokiness had a lovely spice to it, like a hint of nutmeg or cinnamon. It’s perfectly grilled along with the peppers, mushrooms and onions (which I picked out, natch). The cheese was nicely melted and the bread soft and toasty and OH MAN IT WAS SO GOOD!!! This is totally the sort of thing I’ve been craving and bam, here it is. The fries were perfectly crispy and reminded me of McDonald’s fries, so of course they’re good too. This would be right about the time for you to tell your New Years resolution diets to hit the road jack and go get some of this action on your plate… it’s so worth it.

Prefer to get fat on beer? The draft beer has got you covered. Or does your ass prefer to get bigger via dessert? Then order yourself a couple SunFlour Bakery vegan cookies and wash them down with a Zevia “all natural, sugar free” soda. Black Cherry for me please.

There’s much to love about Pizza Cookery. All three of us appreciated that they haven’t given in to the Daiya monopolization of their vegan pizza. Many of the places that at one point used to serve Follow Your Heart cheese have switched to Daiya. Teese was a player for about a minute but that vegan cheese seems to have been swept under the rug along with FYH now that Daiya has hit the scene. And understandably so, Daiya is all kinds of amazing. Both Shawn and I are fans of the stuff, but we also enjoy Follow Your Heart cheese too. Miss Alix on the other hand is on a different team along with the many other people out there who don’t like Daiya at all… and folks like her are often left disgruntled with Daiya as the only option for fake cheesy goodness nowadays. She need not worry her pretty head any longer as now her Daiya-free prayers have been answered in the form of fantastic pizza in a groovy spot only a slightly annoying distance away from home. One more victory for the underdog, the San Fernando Valley brings it! Why don’t you click here to read Alix’s take on things?

This is the original Pizza Cookery on Topanga Canyon Blvd. at Erwin St. and should not be confused with the unaffiliated place with the same name on Ventura Blvd. That other Pizza Cookery does not have this vegan menu and is therefore to be shunned. I kid. But yeah, don’t go there looking for this vegan bounty, go here:

Pizza Cookery
6209 Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
(818) 887-4770
www.pizzacookery.com