next stop on the quarrygirl roadtrip, crazy hippie sushi from santa rosa at tex wasabi’s! what makes these sushi rolls hippie, you ask? is it organic ingredients? creed of the establishment? psychotropic drug references? nooooooooo. it’s just the names of the dishes, of course—what more could you ask for as a tourist? if the menu makes me think i’m eating hippie food, then i’m gonna buy into it.

morgan’s earthy crunchy roll: tapioca rice paper roll with sushi rice, crunchy tempura bits, avocado, cucumber, julienne vegetables, daikon sprouts served with a ponzu dipping sauce. $6.95 (double order pictured, so i will have a double amount of hippie-ness and feel twice as close to the earth)

woodstock roll: sunset mix, romaine lettuce, daikon sprouts, cucumber, avocado and topped w/ ponzu sauce. $7.95  (of course this roll reminds me of watching janis joplin, the who and jimi hendrix while under the influence of several unmentionable substances…but in sushi form. how did they capture the fantasy so accurately with just a few daikon sprouts?)

in all seriousness though, this sushi was pretty tasty albeit a bit fusion-y. the rice paper was a welcome change from the nori i’m used to…and it was nice to have a wide variety of innards in my role, rather than the standard avocado and cucumber combo. morgan’s earthy crunchy roll was the favorite at the table (good thing since we got a double order); the crunchy tempura bits blended together with the creamy avocado tasted divine.

although there’s not much for vegetarians to eat on the menu (most of the sushi has fish, and they also specialize in southern bbq) these 2 rolls are enough to please and definitely delicious. plus, the place has that chilled out rockin’ roll vibe that a lot of sushi establishments have been adopting lately. i like it.

oh, and don’t forget to start off with some edamame. it’s the root of all that’s good in the vegan diet.

eddie’s mommy (eda-mame): blanched soy bean pods, dusted with kosher salt. $4.25

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sometimes i forget how great i’ve got it in los angeles—from basically everywhere, i can head in any direction and find myself surrounded by vegan options within minutes. that is so not the case in downtown fresno. fresno is the kind of town where as a vegan, you may find yourself either going hungry or making an emergency call to the nearest pizza hut.

large pizza: hand-tossed crust, extra sauce, mushrooms and olives

i haven’t ordered food from pizza hut in years, but i found out this weekend that it makes the perfect “when-all-else-fails” meal. and if you are drunk and hungry enough, it tastes pretty damn good!

you see, we booked a hotel in downtown fresno on our way up north assuming there would be tons of vegan-friendly options to choose from. i mean anywhere that has a “downtown” area with hotels and shops has got to offer a wide variety of cuisines, right? wrong. fresno’s downtown area is more like a ghost town: shops and restaurants close early and the streets are lined with mostly thrift stores and steak houses. when we arrived at around 9pm, priority #1 was to find a bar…which we did. i think we succeeded in finding the one bar in town that was open, and even then we were the only customers. the bartender was so excited to have us there, he even bought us a free round of drinks. after much mobile yelping and google-mapping, we decided on subway for dinner. it appeared to be the only restaurant within walking distance. however, when we stumbled out of the bar a couple of hours later, all 3 nearby subways had closed. did i mention i feel lucky to live in LA?

we walked back to the hotel, buzzed with empty stomachs and decided on ordering a from the in-house pizza hut we’d seen advertised. however, we were thwarted again when they told us they only served pan dough pizzas. grrrrrrrrr, we’d done our homework and discovered that the pan dough contains milk! the kind employee did however tell us about a local pizza hut that would be closing soon, and suggested we order food from there directly to our room. so that’s just what we did.

when ordering from pizza hut, vegans must remember to order only hand-tossed or thin ‘n crispy dough, and to always request extra sauce. the normal amount of sauce just doesn’t cut it—the pizza tastes way too dry and bready.

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especially after eating this amazing bowl at native foods.

steamed veggies, quinoa, creamy garlic lemon sauce, peppered seitan, hummus and grilled flatbread. $9.85

i really consider myself a seitan connoisseur—i like only the best shit and i am very hard to please. i’ve never found a homemade seitan recipe that lives up to my standards, and i am super picky about the brands i buy in the store. so of course i was a wee bit skeptical when ordering what sounded like a delicious seitan bowl at native foods. luckily, they stepped up to the challenge and made the best seitan dish i’ve ever eaten. and it was smothered in the tastiest, creamiest, hummus-iest sauce. delicious.

peppery and flavorful, this seitan is gonna be very hard to beat. definitely the best dish i’ve ever ordered at native foods. and as an added bonus, the bowl comes with protein-laden quinoa instead of rice. i loved every last bite.

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it’s true—that was me you read about on laist.com the other day, when i broke the news of the accident at pure luck.

sorry i have been a too busy to answer your countless emails recently—i’ve been overwhelmed fielding all the offers like book deals, celebrity appearances and free food. not sure what my next move will be, now that i’ve “made it”. if you want to re-live all the excitement of my major media mention, you can catch my laist feature here. and i will post the article below as well….for your sake.

JULY 22, 2008

Truck Crashes into Pure Luck Restaurant

Around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday morning as staff at Pure Luck were closing the Bicycle District/HelMel vegan restaurant down, a truck rammed through a window. Local vegan blogger, quarrygirl, visited for a meal later on Saturday only to find the restaurant closed. “Why does this shit have to strike at the best vegan restaurant in town. boooooo,” she blogged. According to one server, as luck would have it, no one was hurt and the restaurant is still open for business during regular hours as they work to fix the window and damage.

thanks laist, for the recognition. i know i deserve it, but it still feels great. and for all you trying to reach me to congratulate me, don’t give up!

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a couple times a month, i like to hit up the los angeles farmers market, grab a few beers, and eat some fine vegan food. there’s so many little stands to choose from, and almost everything i’ve eaten there has been delicious, albeit rather expensive. unfortunately, for months, i managed to overlook one of the best vegan-friendly eateries that the food court has to offer, until reading about it on yourveganmom. singapore’s banana leaf serves fine malaysian cuisine that can be veganized upon order (woo hoo!)…and what i’ve tried tastes divine.

vegetable mee goreng fried noodles (NO EGG, please!) with tofu. $8.50

vegetable curry with tofu. $8.50

yeah, yeah, yeah, this place is pricey. especially considering the fact that you’re forced to eat your meal outdoors on plastic tables, sandwiched between “sticker planet” and a vile meaty deli. but in all fairness and with personal pet peeves set aside, i can’t expect the rest of the world to share my ludicrous “i don’t like to eat dead things that have been tortured & slaughtered” mentality. so, considering the fact that this open-air section of la’s famous farmers market is a mecca for midwest and european tourists alike, i really cannot complain about the $5 premium they add to each meal. and in banana leaf’s case, the food definitely competes with the most authentic of joints. so just close your eyes, plug your ears and ignore those loud-mouthed, overweight tourists. time to enjoy some food.

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i wish there were more places in hollywood like cafe muse. this unassuming restaurant offers quality coffee, a relaxing atmosphere and an almost entirely vegetarian menu (their only transgression is tuna). they definitely know the difference between vegan and vegetarian, and clearly mark on the menu which dishes contain dairy and/or eggs. on top of all that, and most importantly, the food is pretty damn good!

grilled tofu wrap: tofu grilled with garlic, soy sauce and red onion, with fresh tomatoes, avocado and mixed greens. $8.50

veggie burger: vegan soy burger on a whole-wheat bun, served with fresh tomatoes, red onion and mixed greens, with dijon mustard and vegan mayo (add avocado for 75¢). $7.95

this vegan burger certainly hit the spot, although i probably wouldn’t order it again. while it was tasty, it was definitely a mass-produced patty…i’m thinking it tasted like boca, but i can’t be sure. i don’t mind eating those at home, but when i go out to eat i want a vegan burger that’s special. native foods and m café come to mind. i won’t hold this against cafe muse though, because it was still delicious. especially with the light and healthy side salad.

the grilled tofu wrap, on the other hand, was incredible—probably the best i’ve had in any restaurant. perfectly marinated tofu, paired with fresh vegetables and covered in soy sauce made for an unlikely combination that tasted great. all wrapped up in a spinach tortilla and slightly grilled on the bottom, it was delectable.

i seriously can’t wait to go back and order this again. i’ve had a lot of wraps in my time, and i think the soy sauce must be what made this one so savory. yum.

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the good news is, pure luck is still open…for now. the bad news is, a truck did in fact crash into the building and cause structural damage. early early saturday morning, what appeared to be a drunk driver drove through the wall, taking out several bike racks on the way! pure luck re-opened much later that day with plywood hung up over the windows and broken wall area. despite the unwelcoming appearance (who wants to eat in what looks like a disaster zone), the place was bustling when i visited. let’s hope they can get it fixed without having to close down for very long! good luck, pure luck!

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UPDATE! pure luck has re-opened for now. they have plywood over the broken wall. it’s still pretty fucked up though. hopefully they won’t have to shut down. explanation here.

noooooooooOOOOOOoooOOOOooooOOOOOo! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?! i headed down to my favorite vegan restaurant today (pure luck, as you probably know) only to find out it was CLOSED! not just closed, but the windows were smashed and the wall looked like it had been driven into by a truck or something. the place was a mess! what a tragedy. why does this shit have to strike at the best vegan restaurant in town. boooooo.

rest assured, i will be calling them constantly to find out when they re-open. for now, my thoughts go out to the mgmt and staff. not fair that such a wonderful place should encounter any mishaps or have reason to shut down, even temporarily.

meanwhile, i’ll leave you with some of quarrygirl’s fondest memories from the best restaurant in town.

potato pals - my personal favorite

jackfruit “carnitas” tacos - better than the real thing

and of course, pure luck’s amazing tap beer. craftsman 1903 pictured here.

we already miss you, pure luck!!! COME BACK!!!!!!!

if you wanna reminisce some more, see what else we ate in the past. boo hoo hoo.

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sometimes i just want greasy, oily mexican food that makes me remember what it was like to be a vegetarian. unfortunately, i can’t trust the stuff at conventional mex restaurants, and a lot of the veganized establishments offer dishes that are a bit too healthy-tasting. so i’ve decided to take matters into my own hands and create a masterpiece of junk food with no redeeming qualities except for a few tomatoes, and the fact it tastes ridiculously fine. vegan homemade nachos! so yummy, despite the fact that all i had on hand was follow your heart cheese.

now, imho, what sets these apart from the countless vegan nachos in everywhere else you’ve ever eaten, is that these include homemade chips. most restaurants smother store-bought corn varieties (from the bag) in vegan cheddar and all the fixins, leaving people like me 10 minutes and 1,000 calories short of satisfaction. now, while cool places like pure luck have the homemade chip thing down, they don’t even provide a nachos options. wtf! that’s where quarrygirl comes in: care-free, greasy, unforgivable homemade nachos…from the chip to the guacamole.

recipe, pix, and more. all after the jump.

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…and wow, i was impressed! the food was just incredible, and i managed to show up at a time when it wasn’t crowded and the atmosphere was pleasant. yay! here’s to one of LA’s tastiest breakfasts! thanks flore!

tofu benediction: fluffy sliced tofu, tomato slices, kale and avocado piled atop toasted batard and smothered in our own take on hollandaise sauce. served with tempeh bacon. $9.95

breakfast burrito: tofu scramble, tempeh bacon, potatoes, cashew cheese and avocado wrapped in a tortilla. served with pico de gallo and a side of fruit. $8.95

now as you know, i love saying what annoys be about any restaurant, or how i think they can improve. the thing about flore is, there’s nothing wrong with it—except maybe that there’s too much delicious food to choose from.

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so before you go on reading about how much i loved my breakfast at this place, you should probably know about the very low “C” grade it received after a recent health inspection. a reader wrote in to quarrygirl.com with a link from TMZ, of all places.

the gossip rag reports:

We got hold of the inspection report. Among other things, the city found mold inside the ice machine. Glasses on the bar had gnats that went in for a landing. Some of the shelves were dirty. The waiters’ counter had paint chipping off. And restaurant workers were placing cut watermelon in the sink.

As for the fridge — problems with potatoes, feta cheese and the meat drawers.

that’s fucking gross. let’s hope they get their act together and pull that grade up stat. i think they are actually closed right now for “renovations”, attempting to fix the problem. in the meantime, i suggest you check out the interim cafe in santa monica…which was started by the same peeps, who i don’t believe still have anything to do with the robertson newsroom location.

that’s it. thought you should know. below is our original post, as published on june 25th. vegans, be careful out there.
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Back in 1983 I was fortunate enough to play chess with Garry Kasparov, one of the greatest chess players of all time. Actually, about 60 school-age kids and I played him simultaneously in a large hall as he walked systematically from table to table making move after move. Each of us had a while to plot our next move before Kasparov arrived at our table, yet he still beat every one of us, including me when I was mated after only 11 moves.

What stands out most about that experience, though, is not the humiliating (but expected) defeat rather his intriguing lunch salad of curry-covered chicken on a bed of spinach that he seemed to very much enjoy, despite the fact it came out of a polystyrene container.

This food item haunted me for years, as I was almost a vegetarian by then, and as a vegan now I longed to create the same dish that the soon-to-be World Champion (he was crowned in 1985) so nonchalantly downed while taking me, and 59 of my friends, down some 25 years ago.

Kasparov Salad - Curried Vegan Mayo with spicy “chicken”, tomatoes and mushrooms.
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as you may well know, i’m pretty conflicted about m café. they have some of the most amazing food combined with the crappiest, trendiest atmosphere. small tables crowded onto a strip mall patio and pushy patrons tend to overshadow the amazing vegan fare—that’s why i often get my food to go. however, over the past few weeks, i’ve decided to give dining in another try and i’ve found that during certain times of the day, it can be tolerable. here’s some of the stuff i’ve been eating up from m café, on the premises and at home. 

panino tuscano: tuscan white bean spread, spicy seitan “salami”, caramelized onions & arugula on house-baked focaccia grilled hot & crisp to order. served with a side deli salad (kale!). $11.45

california club sandwich: a triple-decker of savory tempeh “bacon”, lettuce, tomato, avocado, carrots, sprouts & soy-mayo on your choice of house-baked toasted sourdough or multi-grain & seed bread. served with a side deli salad. $11.25

seitan katsu bowl: crispy seitan cutlet, tangy katsu sauce, shredded cabbage salad & steamed vegetables. $10.95

bi-bim bop: marinated pan-fried tofu, Korean-style vegetables, spicy miso sauce & house-made kim chee. $11.45

as i’m sure you can see, the food at m café is extraordinary. if this place served tap beer (or any alcohol for that matter), didn’t offer fish, and didn’t have such shit ambiance…it might be my favorite restaurant. i know that sounds like a lot of conditions, but what i’m trying to say is: the food kicks ass.

these dishes for example…

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i never hang out in downtown los angeles, it’s too far to drive and until recently i didn’t think there was much going on there that would interest me. boy, was i wrong! last weekend we headed to the city to check out an art exhibit at moca and had the opportunity to try out 2 great new bars, and most importantly, a new vegan restaurant. shojin!

seitan katsu curry: slow cooked vegetable curry served with home-made seitan cutlet and brown rice. $15.95

shojin style bento box: three kinds of shojin traditional vegetable dishes, brown rice and garden seitan ball with home-made all natural ketchup. $16.95

i’ve read some rave reviews of shojin, i’m talking fulsome adulation, on yelp and other vegan blogs alike. people can’t seem to get enough of this place! now before you accuse me of adding to the shojinmania, let me say that while i definitely enjoyed my dinner and will certainly be back, i found the place to be a bit over-hyped and over-priced. that aside, the food was delicious!

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that’s right, you probably already know that california vegan is one of the many thai-vegan-restaurants-with-the-word-”vegan”-in-its-name that has popped up around los angeles. while i was getting pretty sick of these places for a while, i decided to return and give california vegan another try. we took my dad there for a belated fathers day lunch, because he just can’t seem to get enough of their orange chicken.

california orange chicken lunch special: battered and fried soy chicken coated in a spicy sweet orange-flavored sprinkled with sesame seeds. served with spring roll, miso soup, salad & brown rice. $7.95

soy chicken pad thai lunch special: sautéed thai rice noodles with bean sprouts, green onions and crushed peanuts. served with spring roll, miso soup, salad & brown rice. $7.95

silver noodle salad: glass bean noodles mixed with soy fish tofu for me, bean sprouts and tossed in lime juice. $6.95

and now for the amazing dish that made the whole trip worth it in my opinion, if there were ever any doubts:

banana spring rolls & ice cream: bananas and shredded coconut rolled in spring roll pastry and deep fried with a choice of your favorite soy ice cream flavor. $6.95. OMFG. yum.

now california vegan is one of those restaurants that rules and sucks all at the same time. the prices are reasonable, but the atmosphere blows. the servers are friendly, but somewhat incompetent. the menu is huge, but it’s mostly the same salty meats listed over and over again. the orange chicken tasted amazing, but it arrived half an hour later than everything else because they forgot about it.

enough of my ambivalence, i know you just wanna read about all the vegan food.

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