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

Earlier this year I introduced you to the outstanding Homegirl Cafe, the restaurant downtown that’s run by reformed L.A. gang members. At that time they were only open for breakfast and lunch, but they’ve recently expanded their hours and their menu, and now we get to enjoy their unique take on authentic Mexican & Latin American food for dinner! Care to join me?

While Homegirl is not exclusively a vegetarian restaurant, they are very vegan friendly and have created specialty items for their menu which are clearly marked as vegan… and they’re wonderful.

The few times I’ve been there they’ve always brought over an appetizer as soon as seating me. Last time it was freshly made tortilla chips & salsa, on my recent dinner visit it was these scrumptious spicy roasted chickpeas with lime. Crunchy and warm, they totally do the trick of getting your appetite rip, roaring & ready to go.
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The real slogan for Homegirl Cafe is actually “Jobs not Jail!” but I like my “Sandwiches not Jail!” version even better. Homegirl Cafe is located downtown just across the street from and underneath the picturesque Chinatown Metro stop. It’s the sort of special gem of a restaurant that can only exist in Los Angeles. The cafe and it’s accompanying bakery are part of the Homeboy Industries, an organization that’s helping former L.A. gang members and at-risk youth learn job skills and get real work experience. The entire staff of Homegirl is made up of young ladies who have walked away from gangbanging and are in here learning to cook and run a succesful restaurant instead.

From their website: “In only a few years, Homeboy Industries has had an important impact on the Los Angeles gang problem, with young people from over half of the region’s 1,100 known gangs seeking a way out through Homeboy. Thousands of young people have walked through the doors of Homeboy Industries looking for a second chance, and finding community. Gang affiliations are left outside as these young people work together, side by side, learning the mutual respect that comes from shared tasks and challenges.”

As if that wasn’t already cool enough, they are accomplishing some of these goals by having opened this great cafe and bakery… so not only do you get to eat an excellent meal, but you’re also truly helping people with each bite you take.

So yeah, let’s get to the food. The menu has a distinct Latin flare (the restaurant is run under the guidance & training of Ciudad and Border Grill restaurants) with a large variety of specialty breakfast items, sandwiches, salads and tacos. Homegirl Cafe is not a vegetarian restaurant but there are plenty of exciting options for both vegetarians and vegans alike.
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