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

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.

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I told you The Valley was rad. It just got that much radder with the opening of yet another all-vegan establishment, this time on the far west end of Woodland Hills. Juice Ladies, an organic, vegan sandwich/salad/juice & smoothie shop is located on Ventura Blvd., way out past Topanga Canyon, just off the 101 Schoup exit. Now everyone from Chatsworth to Canoga Park to Tarzana and into the no-mans land beyond has tasty & healthy vegan goodness practically right at their doorsteps.

The shop livens up an otherwise forgettable strip mall which is anchored by Starbucks (what strip mall isn’t?). They don’t have a lot of seating inside but there’s plenty of it outside under umbrellas. The foods they offer are a fresh and exciting alternative in this part of town where vegetarian & vegan options are few in between (aka, it’s a nice change of pace from Follow Your Heart). They offer a variety of excellent sounding salad and sandwich options, as well as a giant list of juices and smoothies, ranging from yummy berry, chocolate and coconut drinks to green drinks to some pretty hardcore immunity boosting drinks involving stuff like garlic and onions. Ewww!

Let us banish the thought of drinks with onions in them and move on to the stuff I did like…

First I tried the Nori Rollup, because how could I possibly not? Grated jicama, pine nuts, garlic, purple cabbage, red bell pepper, miso, hummus, nori sheet (I love garlic when not in the form of a drink). They use the jicama instead of rice… how clever is that? Not only clever, but also cool and delicious. The pine nut paste stuff was awesome and I scarfed these beauties down in no time flat.
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The San Fernando Valley is no longer the dreaded no-mans land that it used to be, and while those of us who live here in the SFV are used to the derision, snide remarks and upturned noses of those who live over the hill, the tables have begun turning as the Valley fills up with delicious restaurants that have both the east and westsiders hopping over the Cahuenga Pass or Laurel Canyon and pouring into our humble basin… the same folks who previously would have never dared venture into the realm of the (818) area code are now streaming in at record numbers in order to have some of what we’ve got. What’s bringing them here isn’t the oppressive heat or the medical marijuana dispensaries on every corner… no, it’s the excellent vegan food.

One such Valley treasure we’ve recently gained out here is SunPower Natural Cafe. SunPower serves up healthy organic vegan and mostly raw dishes, though a few of their items are cooked. They’re located on Cahuenga Blvd, right where Ventura Blvd. and Cahuenga do their little dance and turn into one. This makes it a prime location for serving not only most of the Valley but also anyone right up the street over in Hollywood and beyond. It’s also conveniently located right off the Lankershim Blvd. exit from the 101 freeway.

What I really like about SunPower is that they aren’t like most of the other raw places in town. Those restaurants either tend to be on the fancier side (Cru for example), too expensive and far away for my blood (the various places in Santa Monica), or to put it bluntly, not good (I’m talking to you Leaf Cuisine). SunPower is nothing like any of those- not only is the staff genuinely friendly (and vegan themselves) but the food is also bona fide delicious without being pretentious. I’ve had the pleasure of trying a number of items off of their menu and so far I’ve enjoyed everything.

Because I love all things barbecue, the BBQ Burger naturally seemed like the first thing for me to try. “Sunflower seed patty smothered in raw BBQ sauce. Topped with marinated onions, mushrooms, chopped lettuce and ranch dressing. Served on choice of bun”. For your bun options you can pick from a sprouted sesame bun, fluffy wheat bun or a raw green bun. I’m a bread loving kinda gal, so I went with wheat. Even though you can’t see it in the photo I also got some extra avocado added on. You also get a side so I went with the kale salad (you can see it with the salad pictured up at the top of this post).

This was really good. The sauce tasted sweet & savory at the same time while the patty was meaty and full of flavor. I didn’t taste like a bunch of mushed up sunflower seeds, it tasted like a hearty, healthy and action packed burger. And when I say healthy I don’t mean bland… both the patty and the sauce were very well seasoned and quite tasty. I could totally feed this to my meat-loving dad and I don’t think he’d complain that he was eating bird food.
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I knew that Nite Moon Cafe was located inside of a Yoga studio, and for that reason I’d put off going there even though I knew they served vegan food. I imagined a rinky-dink little studio that reeked of sweat, floors covered in that soft blue padding like at the Tae Kwondo studio, and with a tiny little juice bar or somesuch tucked over in the corner near the bathroom serving some kind of raw hemp coconut balls. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

In reality, Nite Moon is located within the huge “spiritual village” known as Golden Bridge Yoga, which according to their literature is the premier center for the study and practice of Kundalini Yoga and meditation in Los Angeles. The space inside is beautiful. It’s located directly behind the Arclight in Hollywood and from the outside you’d never know there was such a large & bustling community center situation going on inside the drab gray building. You’d certainly never guess that it’s home to an excellent vegetarian restaurant unless you stepped inside. I highly recommend that you do so.

The food served at Nite Moon is all vegetarian and most of it is vegan… not all of it though, so you have to read the (not very big) menu carefully and ask if you have any questions. There are a few soy cheese options available, but when I asked if the cheese was vegan the guy working the kitchen at the time didn’t know, but was kind enough to let me look at the packaging. The soy cheese did contain casein so it’s not vegan. In other words, don’t order the soy cheese quesadilla and just about everything else other than the goat cheese sandwich should be vegan safe.

On my first visit to Nite Moon I had the Tiki Masala Veggie Burger: Tempeh patty, caramelized onions, mango chutney, fresh basil on a whole wheat burger bun with veganaise. All sandwiches also come served with their house organic salad.
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I keep talking up the vegan Reuben sandwich at Follow Your Heart to any & all who will listen, but up until now I’ve only had a poorly lit picture to show for it. I am now finally able to present to you indisputable evidence, proving once and for all that Follow Your Heart serves The Worlds Best Vegan Reuben Sandwich. Don’t believe me?

(each half is larger than my hand with all fingers outstretched)

Thinly sliced wheatmeat, sauerkraut, mustard and Vegenaise, Thousand Island dressing on oversized rye bread. Offered with Follow Your Heart cheese or “cottage-style tofu”. All vegan, giant, and about as close to bliss in deli style vegan sandwich form as you’ll ever get. What more do you need to know?

Actually, there is more you need to know. Get it with the cottage tofu. This step is absolutely crucial to achieving maximum religious intensity with this experience. The regular Follow Your Heart vegan cheese version is ok and all but it’s the tofu stuff that MAKES this thing. I don’t care how much you already think you love this mighty Reuben (or any other Reuben for that matter): you haven’t really had it until you’ve had it with the tofu cottage cheese. It’s chunky and crumbly and creamy and hopped up on some kind of herbs. It doesn’t taste anything like cottage cheese or tofu, it just taste like all sorts of awesome all up in your mouth. The tofu is necessary in order to transform it from just good into something supernatural. Something not of this world and ahead of it’s time.

The time is now. The place is Canoga Park, California.
818 represent: No wimpy Reubens allowed.

www.followyourheart.com

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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[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.

(Update October 20, 2008): Karma Cafe has closed. Bummer. Well, feel free to read on to see what you missed!
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I thought I should leave you with something pretty to look at over the weekend. Feast yer peepers on this beauty…. ladies and germs, I present to you The Money Munch at Karma Cafe in Hollywood.

The ingenious and deceptively simple Monkey Munch consists of strawberries, bananas, almond butter and 100% pure maple syrup on hazelnut-raisin bread. Sure you could make this at home, but do you ever? I happened to be there on a day that they were out of the hazelnut-raisin bread, a slight bummer at first because that sounded so good, but they did have a multigrain flax bread instead which was quite nice, and perfectly toasted. The combination of all the delicious ripe fruit, nutty & thick almond spread and near sickly sweet and dark maple syrup was nothing short of ambrosial… I’m talking food of the gods territory here. Such a simple concept, and yet, an exact science involving equal meaures of breakfast and dessert. Those gorgeous orange slices were the proverbial icing on the cake.

I was alerted to the presence of the Monkey Munch by Ruby Red Vegan in her blog post, “California Does it Better Sometimes“. She had made the amazing discovery while researching vegan places to eat for her visit to Los Angeles. She picked up some great ideas from my humble blog here, so how cool is it that I got turned on to something yummy that’s been here in L.A under my nose this whole time, by someone who doesn’t even live here?

Karma Cafe is a good sized coffee house in the heart of Hollywood at Selma & Cahuenga, otherwise known as the western end of where the Hollywood Farmers Market takes place every Sunday. Ruby Red Vegan also mentions on her blog that Karma Cafe is featured on the MTV show “The Hills”. Sounds awful, right? That part worried me more than a little but thankfully the place didn’t seem very MTV at all. Funky art on the walls and funky freaks on the couches… I felt right at home. I watched all types come and go while I sat at my table and lingered on each delectable bite of my sandwich, while simultaneously rocking along with Janis and her Bobby Mcgee who were blaring from the speakers. If you visit Karma Cafe you’re likely to witness anything from aging tie-dyed Jerry Garcia types that may or may not be homeless, to crusty punks with cell phones on laptops, to clean-cut business folk enjoying a cappuccino on the couch. The adorable tattooed kids behind the counter were super friendly, and excitedly pointed out all of the menu options available to me when I told them I was vegan. More of the menu is vegetarian than not, and most items can be easily made vegan sans cheese. There’s an intriguing sounding artichoke sandwich I’d like to try next time I visit.

Parking in Hollywood is for losers, you know this already, so don’t set yourself up for a big pile of the suck and just take the Metro if you’re anywhere near it (if you’re not, then my condolences). Get off at the Vine station and you’re just a nice Hollywood Blvd. stroll away.

The Karma Cafe website appears to have died a sudden death, so again I’ll pass the buck over to Yelp, where the reviews are always amusing, and should always be taking with a grain of salt, much like mine.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/karma-coffeehouse-los-angeles