Hugo’s fans take note: both the restaurant and the taco stand have new specials going at the moment, and both are as expected, delicious.

Hugo’s Restaurant has currently got this Happy Happy Holiday Feast: Two ‘New American’ veggie patties with our vegan, gluten-free gravy. Served with mixed seasonal vegetables, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes. Vegans, you MUST specify that you want to substitute either rice or roasted potatoes since the mashed potatoes are not vegan.

This is really nice, their veggie patties are always good, great texture, flavor and crunch- but what makes this dish awesome is the gravy. It’s thick & creamy with a full-bodied flavor of mushrooms & rosemary. While I wish they’d just make their mashed potatoes vegan so I could eat this yummy gravy slathered all over them, it’s really good with the roasted potatoes too. The cranberry sauce was delicious as well, more like a compote with full plump berries in juice… I don’t have a picture of it for you because they forgot to bring it at first and I had to ask for it, by then I’d already started eating this lovely plate of food you see before you.

If you prefer you could also order this special with their grilled tofu instead of the patties, their tofu is really good too, but I say stick with the patties because they rule. They’ll also make it with chicken breast, but that’s just gnarly gross so we’re not even gonna go there.

Next up, check out what they’ve got going on over at Hugo’s Tacos…

The taco stand is serving up a tasty new treat, Green Tamales. They’re so tasty in fact, and selling so well that both their Studio City and Atwater Village locations keep selling out of them. Should you happen to be lucky enough to score some, your mouth and belly will be very grateful. Hugo’s described them so well, I’ll let them do the talking:

Tamales began as a dish prepared for ceremonies and festivals, and eventually became part of the Christmas feast, so we thought this was the perfect time to add them to our menu at Hugo’s Tacos. Our version is literally green, made healthier by adding finely chopped fresh spinach. You can order them the traditional way with your choice of salsa and garnished with sour cream, or, for an extra charge, we dress them up with a topping of one of our fillings. Or take it to the next level and feast on the Tamale Plate with a side of savory organic Basmati rice and white beans with sage and epazote.

Green Tamales are made without dairy products so all you vegans can enjoy them. Just don’t forget to mention “no sour cream” when you order it!

I loved the green tamales, shown above with their pico de gallo salsa. They’re using a sweet corn and the tamale has full kernels throughout, I like that it’s not just mush but gives you something substantial to chew on. The sweet flavor along with the spicy salsa is a nice combo, I’ve also tried this with the green tomatillo salsa which was good- next time I’ll go for something spicer. I’ll bet this would also be fantastic topped with their bitchin’ soy chorizo.

I have no idea how long either of these specials will be available, at least through the month of November I think, but don’t quote me on that. I suggest you get it while the getting’s good!

Hugo’s Tacos in Studio City is a wonderful little oasis of taco stand goodness right in the middle of the valley, smack dab between a gas station and the 101 freeway, with a number of satisfying vegan options. You’ll find them across the street from Whole Foods Market and catty-corner to the Hugo’s main restaurant (yup, same owners).

Hugo’s Tacos offers a number of basic and classic Mexican dishes such as tacos of course, as well as burritos, taquitos, tostadas, tortas, salads and bowls… most of which also involve rice and beans in some form or another. You get your choice of filling which would be either one of the meat options or one of the two vegan options, which are either the soy chorizo/potato/zucchini mix, or the grilled veggie combo of corn, zucchini and string beans. Or if you wanna be extra piggy, get both (this works particularly well on the salad or in a bowl). You also get your choice of salsa, all of which they make there and are genuinely fantastic.

On a recent visit I got the Salad: “Romaine lettuce, green beans, corn, zucchini, pico de gallo, cotija cheese and vegan spicy caesar dressing.” I had them leave off the cheese and bring on the soy chorizo, which is vegan and made from Soyrizo. This stuff is so good… if crack were made from soy, this would be it. It’s very rich and meaty tasting, so if you don’t like mock meats I’d stay away from it. However if you do still enjoy all the flavor and feel of the stuff without the guilt, dig in. Their vegan caesar salad dressing is excellent too. As you can see the salad is huge and could easily feed two people.

On another occasion of particularly reckless abandon, I opted to try the taquitos in all of their deep fried, vegan glory. These also involved the soy chorizo & potato filling and they come served with delicious (and you guessed it, vegan) organic white beans, lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo, tomatillo sauce and cotija cheese (which you’ll want to remember to ask them to leave off for full veganization optimization). These taquitos are perfectly crispy and frighteningly good… well worth the occasional naughty indulgence of greasy goodness. Just do it and don’t look back.

Last but not least, yet another way to enjoy Hugo’s yummy soy chorizo… stuffed inside of a burrito. Flour tortilla with organic spanish rice, organic white beans, choice of filling (soyrizo please!), choice of salsa, onion & cilantro. Ok, so I asked for them to leave off the onions and give me the honey chipotle salsa and it’s like heaven has suddenly exploded in my mouth. If you no longer consume honey, obviously the honey chipotle isn’t for you, but if that is an ingredient you do still allow… oh mama, it’s to die for… sweet & spicy in all the right places. But as mentioned above, all of their salsa rock.

From their website: “Our Jalapeno Tomatillo salsa, for instance, is a descendant of a salsa served at a small taco stand in Tijuana. The Salsa Negra traces its lineage to Michoacan where dark red guajillo chilies are given a special roasting on open fires.”

Sounds good, right? What’s cool about Hugo’s Tacos too is that it’s another great spot to have in your arsenal for when you’re eating with folks who aren’t vegetarians… because all of the food here is delicious, so everyone in your group will leave very pleased… and very full.

And check out what I just learned: their rice pudding is vegan too! I’ve never ordered it because I always thought it was made with cows milk, but I just found this on their website: “Organic basmati rice, saigon cinnamon, tahitian vanilla, organic cane sugar, organic rice and soy milks. A sweet vegan option.” Fancy that!