quarrygirl
i eat, i drink, i take lots of photos.
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if you follow the vegan news, you’ve probably heard the internet murmurs about beyond meat (aka savage river farms) - a new revolutionary plant-based chicken made from soy and pea powder that’s poised to shake up the industry. it has received press from the likes of NPR and mark bittman, and unlike the other faux meats available at the moment, this stuff tastes real enough to fool omnivores. well lucky me, i got to try it before it hit the market, and i can safely say: BELIEVE THE HYPE!
my beyond meat tasting occurred several months ago at madeleine bistro, since their very own chef david anderson has been working with the maryland based company. (of course beyond meat was smart enough to seek the know-how of dave, one of the best vegan chefs in the country!)
i tried the beyond meat chicken both grilled and breaded, and wow. wow. wow. it was one of those times when (even though i was sitting in an entirely vegan restaurant), i had to stop after each bite and check, “are you sure this isn’t real?” unlike gardein, the current king fake chicken brand, this stuff didn’t have a “producty” taste. does that even make sense? my tongue couldn’t detect any of the science that went into making this stuff—-just flavors of the seasoning it was cooked with.
while i loved beyond meat grilled, the breaded “chicken” fingers are what really sold me. seriously, feed a basket of these things to any meat eater and they wouldn’t know the difference. dave’s batter was masterful and inside the beyond meat was soft and moist, even breaking into shreds like the real stuff. craziness!!
i’ve been excited about lots of vegan brands in the past, but nothing has ever come so close to the taste of animal products as this has. now i know lots of you are probably thinking, “gross. aren’t we vegans supposed to be repelled by the taste of meat?” well, i grew up eating meat, and knowing that this was cruelty-free, i had none of the gross feelings that i associate with eating animal flesh—-instead i was just impressed and amazed! if we ever want real devoted meat eaters to cut back and make a dent in the factory farming problem, we’re going to have to come up with a pretty compelling product to compete with the tastes that they’re used to, and that’s exactly what beyond meat has done.
so where can you buy beyond meat? nowhere. yet. the company has attracted the investments from some high power vegan executives though, and it should be hitting the bay area whole foods markets pretty soon. i know that’s a bummer for us down here in LA, but if this stuff is a hit in SF, i’m sure it will make it’s way down the coast soon enough. for more info you can join the beyond meat mailing list and also follow vegansaurus. if you aren’t aware of vegansaurus (are you living under a rock?!), it’s an amazing bay area based vegan blog that always gets the scoop. i know they’ll be first in line when beyond meat hits stores up there.
save the chickens!
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this weekend we made a quick getaway to long beach and hit up some of the beach communities on the way, which of course meant lunch at one of our favorite healthy haunts: the spot. located just steps from the ocean in hermosa beach, the spot has been around for decades and serves a menu consisting of basic yet delicious meatless fare. in fact, they claim to be the oldest vegetarian restaurant in LA (how hermosa beach counts as LA, i dunno!), and they even have a genuine paul mccartney autograph/endorsement on the wall.
i’ve sampled the burritos and various plates at the spot in the past (all awesome!), but this time i opted for the “savory spud”: a baked potato topped with an assortment of steamed vegetables and sauce. i asked for red sauce instead of savory because that stuff is super decadent, and it was an excellent meal. fucking expensive (a baked potato and vegetables is $12?! this is a hippy restaurant, not a steakhouse!), but delicious all the same.
despite the gouging prices, i’ll always love the great healthy food at the spot.
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i can’t believe it has already been a week since this year’s LA Vegan Beer and Food Fest. such an amazing day; we can’t wait for the next one! huge thanks to the roxy and tony’s darts away…plus all the breweries, bands, food vendors, and volunteers for making this day possible. here are some snaps of the event. unfortunately this is just a small slice of the fest—-i didn’t get pictures of everything. trust me, you don’t wanna miss the next one.
chilled out picnic grounds by the golden road brewery stand
a beer float with karl strauss wreck alley and the most insane custom-made mocha ice creme by madeleine bistro
a satisfied frankenstand customer
amanda’s bakery killin’ it with a vegan maple bacon donut
torrey summer on the stage
friends and fresh fries
we looooove LAVBF volunteers and sierra nevada
more awesome volunteers
the very first sandwich from the roxy grilled cheese club: tomato, vegan bacon, and daiya on fresh bread made by secret goldfish bakery. incredible!
stephanie from seabirds diggin’ some mohawk cauliflower buffalo wings
mohawk cauliflower buffalo wings and beer. dude, this is my new absolute favorite menu item in LA.
the tony’s darts away and mohawk team, rocking amazing food!
the ultimate breakfast sandwich from doomie’s
team golden pint enjoying LA’s best banh mis from mandoline grill
the food hall
kory from LOVELIKEBEER diggin’ on an ice creme float. check them out for san diego vegan beer events!
the frankenstand!!
taquitos from plant food for people, nom!
plant food for people’s famous jackfruit tacos. the best.
co-organizers nic adler and tony yanow on the sides and juvenal rodriguez, chef at the amazing elf cafe, in the middle.
what a fucking awesome day!
again, sorry we don’t have pictures of all the amazing food vendors that were at the fest. huge shout out to southern fried vegan, mama’s hot tamales, corazon de jah, seabirds, and the sexy vegan (not pictured). everyone was raving about all the food and i’m bummed i couldn’t try anything. next year…
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HUGE THANKS to the volunteers who helped out at LA Vegan Beer and Food Fest this year. we seriously couldn’t have done it without you. thanks for being such a fun and hardworking group of peeps. also massive props to m cafe for donating amazing food for the volunteer after party: sandwiches, wraps, salads, and sushi (not to mention tote bags for everyone)! we were all stuffed and super grateful.
all photos above are from LAVBF volunteer twitter accounts. much love to all volunteers and m cafe! <33333
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the LA vegan beer & food fest hosted by the roxy, tony’s darts away, and yours truly is tomorrow! get your tickets now before they sell out: http://roxy.la/LAVBFtix
seriously, this is the funnest day of the year: unlimited beer, more vegan food than you could possibly try, and live music! the video above is from last year’s fest, and this one is going to be even bigger and better.
this year’s food vendors include: doomie’s, seabirds truck, the frankenstand, fresh fries truck, mandoline grill, corazon de jah truck, mama’s tamales, plant food for people, southern fried vegan, amanda’s bakery, mohawk bend, tony’s darts away and golden road pub! plus madeleine bistro is making the ice creme for the motherfucking BEER FLOAT stand. it’s gonna rule.
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SO EXCITED! LA is finally getting its very own all vegan bar called shift! they’ve brought on sara from the vegan spot (remember that place? best sandwiches EVER) as the chef and they’ll be opening soon in venice.
for more info and some insane food pictures hit them up on FB: http://facebook.com/shiftla
photo via thetreekisser (one of shift’s owners!) on instagram
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i am so excited for the LA Vegan Beer and Food Fest on saturday…especially since M Cafe, one the best vegan-friendly restaurants in Los Angeles, is making a generous donation of grub for the volunteer after party!!
photo credit: cindy choi
seriously, if you haven’t been to m cafe, get over there now!! the menu is macrobiotic and entirely vegan with the exception of clearly labeled fish items, and has something for everyone—-breakfast, healthy salads, sushi, burgers, and plenty of desserts.
my favorite must try items at m cafe are the vegan benedict (it’s my favorite brunch meal in town!):
the vegan benedict: grilled whole-grain baguette, steamed kale, tomato, tempeh bacon and soy hollandaise. $10.25
and also the big macro, which a serious vegan burger with all the fixins:
the big macro: whole grain brown rice and vegetable burger, special sauce, lettuce, soy mozzarella, tomato, pickles, onion, and sprouts on a house-baked whole wheat bun. $10.45 (photo credit: cindy choi)
in addition to the hearty stuff, m cafe can keep it light and healthy as well. their new spring menu is full appetizing items such as raw almond sushi, kale and shiitake ohitashi, and a barley and green garbanzo bean salad.
photo credit: cindy choi
M Cafe has two locations—-one in Beverly Hills and one on Melrose, so go get your grub on ASAP!
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this weekend marked the re-opening of tom bergin’s, and of course we were there to celebrate. established in 1936, the fairfax bar is the oldest irish pub in los angeles, and it has been a staple haunt for me since before i was legally allowed to drink. i’m happy to report that after “renovations” not much has changed - it’s a bit brighter inside, the bathrooms are nicer, the beer selection is better (hello stone ipa!), and it’s all around cleaner. the shamrocks and NYC irish pub vibe are still intact.
just steps aways from tom bergin’s is LA’s little ethiopian district, so we decided to hit up rosalind’s for a vegetarian combination after our drinking session. big enough for 2 to share, the combo is a mixture of assorted vegan stews served on a giant piece of spongy bread for around $13. collard greens, lentils, carrots, potatoes, cabbage…all wonderful!
i’m telling you guys, fairfax date night. bergin’s and ethiopian. do it.
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fuck yeah! shojin, one of the best vegan restaurants in LA, has just added new stuff to their menu and announced their mother’s day specials!
i am most stoked about the new “baked crab roll” pictured at the top - a green vegetable roll smothered in baked savory creamy sauce topped with asparagus and edamame. sign me up. shojin makes the best vegan sushi i’ve ever eaten, and i swear every time they add something new to the menu they raise the bar for rolls all around the world.
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great news! the new expanded native foods location opens today in westwood! if you’ve ever been to the old location, you probably remember the awkward seating arrangement and ordering process due to limited space. i attended the soft opening of the new space with some friends over the weekend, and i’m happy to report they’ve fixed all the old problems. they’ve completely taken over the restaurant next door, so there is now tons of comfy seating, you order at the counter, and food is brought to your table.
as usual, the food was incredible. we feasted on entrees such the reuben, the oklahoma bacon cheeseburger, and the kale macro bowl as well as appetizers like the maryland tempeh cakes and nachos, plus a slew of desserts. everything was top notch. my only complaint about native foods is that they garnish EVERY dish with bell peppers, which i fucking hate (and this isn’t even disclosed on the menu!). plus, they’re chopped so small that they’re impossible to pick out. so if you hate bell peppers, specify no garnish. sometimes i forget, and then my food is totally ruined.
i’ve heard that chef tanya is no longer involved with native foods, which makes me sad. i hope the new owners continue to fulfill her vision of creative compassionate cuisine that vegans and meat-eaters can enjoy together. so far they’re doing a great job.
go check out the new location when you have a chance!
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TICKETS ON SALE NOW (click here)!
here’s the vital info:
LA Vegan Beer Fest 2012 presented by Tony’s Darts Away, The Roxy and Quarrygirl
Saturday May 12th at The Roxy on Sunset
1pm – 5pm
Admission includes unlimited craft beer, vegan bands, food for sale from local vegan businesses and vegan food trucks!
Advance tickets on sale now! (all ticket prices will increase by $5 in May and by $10 on the day of the event)
General Admission $45
VIP Admission $55 (includes VIP lounge access and early entry at noon)
Non-Drinking $20
Proceeds from the event will be donated to CA Wildlife Center
sorry, this event is 21 and over.while the last 2 vegan beer fests have been pretty epic, this is sure to be the best one yet. we’re adding beer from more craft breweries and greatly expanding the food options—-this year vendors will include doomie’s, fresh fries, mandoline grill, seabirds truck, the frankenstand, plant food for people, amanda’s bakery, chastellis truck, corazan de jah truck, tony’s darts away, mohawk bend, golden road brewery and more…!
buy your ticket today (remember, we sold out last year!) and get ready for a day of unlimited brews and awesome food!
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i had been looking forward to the sexy vegan cookbook for ages. brian (the author) used to write incredible guest posts for my old blog, and i knew from personal experience that his home delivery service was delicious. naturally when the highly anticipated cookbook arrived in the mail, i had no idea what to make first.
luckily, brian helped me with the decision. his book is littered with witty side notes, and in the soup section, he mentions that soup is his favorite food. it was decided: i’d first make a soup recipe. while thumbing through the several appetizing options, i noticed that brian called out minestrone as his favorite soup. the favorite of the favorite! i bought all the ingredients that day and set out to make the minestrone that night.
i’m happy to report that it lived up to the double favorite bar in every way. it was simple to make, healthy, flavorful and hearty. it coved all the necessary bases: beans for protein, noodles for carbs, and loads of fresh vegetables.
can’t wait to work my way through the rest of the sexy vegan cookbook!
for more sexy vegan, check out his site here. buy the cookbook here. and attend the LA vegan beer and food fest, where he’ll be cheffin’!
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Photo reblogged from nicadler.com
LA VEGAN BEER AND FOOD FEST is almost here! the glassware is in. GET YOUR TIX HERE.
15 Days until @LAVeganBeerFest at @TheRoxy! Everyone who comes gets one of these…
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pink french vanilla vegan gluten-free scones that taste like the real thing by charmed scones. holy wow, delicious. how have i not heard of this local (and mother/daughter owned, awww!) bakery before?!
my kick ass co-worker spotted these treats at a bridal shower and scored me a bag. she’s neither vegan nor gluten-free, and she was raving about them. seriously so good.
charmed scones, you are now on my radar. can’t wait to try more flavors!
