I HATE HOLIDAYS!!!! but boy do i LOVE holiday food…

peppermint patty and cream-filled cupcakes by vegan bake sale! (sadly the cupcakes got a little roughed up and smooshed in my car! )

here in america, st. patrick’s day is pretty much a wasted occasion. you don’t get time off work, the bars are too crowded to enjoy, and pervs have the excuse to go around pinching people all day. even thought i enjoy a bit of fun and am quite a heavy drinker, i just can’t get into all the green beer, glittery shamrocks, and fake irish patriotism. what i CAN get into though, is st. patty’s day themed cupcakes by vegan bake sale.

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about a month ago, we wrote a post about the very awesome and vegan-friendly restaurant, chili addiction. well since then, they’ve expanded their animal-free offerings, and now even have a separate vegan menu!

Chili Mac: Choose ANY of our delicious chili varieties as a topping on a bowl of elbow macaroni...a Midwest favorite. $8

last week, i hit up chili addiction with brittany from sick of lettuce to check out the new menu, and the food did not disappoint! since i’d already tried the vegan chili cheese sausage (which is amazing), we went with all new stuff and ordered the chili mac and chili addiction nachos. we got the chili mac (pictured above) with soyrizo hominy chili and daiya cheese, and it was absolutely incredible. i’ve never had chili on top of noodles before, but i can promise you it’s a great combo. the homemade chili was super hearty and flavorful; by far the best vegan chili i’ve had in LA.

Chili Addiction Nachos: Try our fabulous homemade corn tortilla chips (or potato chips) smothered with chili, VEGAN cheese, diced jalapenos, and sauteed onions! $6

we ordered the nachos with the three bean vegan chili, and they were even better than the mac! if you are a fan of vegan nachos, chili addiction is your place, because they make both the chips and chili from scratch. these babies came smothered with tons of chili, daiya vegan cheese, jalapenos and onions. plus, the restaurant has a toppings bar where you can add more onions, jalapenos, and fresh cilantro.

we also ordered a side of the sauerkraut, which was mind-blowingly tasty. like everything at chili addiction, this stuff was completely homemade and perfectly spiced. my only complaint is that i wanted more!

Vegan Sauerkraut from scratch. $1

so head on over to chili addiction as soon as you can and check out their new vegan menu. they’ve got chili dogs, nachos, and a whole slew of side dishes that you are sure to love.

chili addiction
408 N. La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 203-1793
lunch 12pm-3pm
dinner 5:30pm-9pm

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today was a historic day here in los angeles, because for the first time ever, the meet market offered an all you can eat vegan benedict brunch buffet for just $10! i have been looking forward to this feast for weeks, and it really did exceed all my expectations.

so what’s in a bottomless benedict brunch?! start with a tray of mini toasts topped with tofu, tomato, and spinach…

…add to that a FUCKING VAT of VEGAN HOLLANDAISE SAUCE….

…plus some tofu bacon and breakfast potatoes…

…and there you have it, the perfect brunch!

as you know, i am usually a huge fan of any brunch at the meet market….but they really hit it out of the park with this one. i really hope they offer the all you can eat benedict buffet again. it was extraordinary. (plus an added bonus for me: today’s brunch was completely BELL PEPPER FREE!)

the meet market
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-667-0116

follow @florevegan on twitter for all your meet market updates!

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heads up, vegan community! tomorrow march 14 is not just daylight saving time; but also when the meet market in silverlake will be offering an all you can eat VEGAN BENEDICT BRUNCH. this is huge.

the meet market is already known as the only vegan brunch buffet in town, and for tomorrow only they are adding a bottomless portion of sister restaurant flore’s amazing benedict to the mix.

the outcome will be epic, no doubt.

be there.
10am-3pm.
all you can fucking eat.
$10.

the meet market
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-667-0116

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as you probably know, green truck is one of the original LA food trucks. years before all these other mobile vendors arrived on the scene, green truck was tweeting and serving up healthy, organic, and vegan-friendly fare to the los angeles community. the company has a strong focus on the environment, they use produce from local farmers and even power their vehicles with vegetable oil.

although the green truck has been around forever, i never had the chance to try them until yesterday. they are usually based way over on the west side, but on thursday afternoon they decided to do a special stint in silverlake near the peta office on rowena. the green truck typically serves both meat and vegan options—but yesterday, aiming to please, they went all out and created an entirely animal-free menu for the event. of course i had to check it out.

the peta menu was pretty awesome, featuring the truck’s standard vegan mother trucker burger, as well as a variety of wraps, plus soup, salad, and garlic fries. i hit up the truck with two of my friends, who both went for the mother trucker…

the mother trucker: signature vegan burger made in house and topped with heirloom tomato, sprouts or mixed greens, topped with trucker sauce. $7

i had a bite of this burger, and i must say i am a fan. the patty is thick and full of vegetables, and the beet-based sauce they put on it is excellent. next time i am gonna have to get a whole one of these to myself so i can describe it in full detail.

south central farm vegan wrap: sauteed kale, heirloom beets, quinoa, tempeh, heirloom tomato and tahini dressing wrapped in fresh pickled mustard greens. $7

wanting to take advantage of the special vegan menu, i ordered the south central farm wrap, which was made with freshly-picked, local, organic produce from a farm right here in los angeles. it consisted of a colorful variety of beets and tomatoes, fluffy quinoa, soft tempeh, and tahini, all wrapped up in mustard greens. i think it normally includes bell peppers (which i hate), but i made it pretty clear i didn’t want any of those. the wrap was great—light, delicious, and refreshing. my only complaint is it fell apart and got a little messy, but that’s no big deal. i covered this thing in the green truck’s homemade hot sauce, which made it even better!

so don’t be like me and wait years to try the green truck. track it down next time it’s in your area and order the mother trucker. and if you ever hear about them being in silverlake near peta again, BE SURE TO GO! let’s support these guys for going 100% vegan, even if it’s only for one day.

be sure to follow the green truck on twitter and check out their website for more info.

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if there’s one good thing about santa clarita, it’s tomato joe’s. even with the billions of restaurants in los angeles and our very own vegan pizzeria, we don’t have anything like the thick-crusted, beer-flavored pies that come out of the scv. yes, yes, i know i have written about this before…but some food is just so damn delicious, i gotta remind you of it over and over.

tomato joe’s is located in valencia and has a surprising amount of vegan offerings. in fact, they are probably the most vegan-friendly, yet traditional pizzeria i’ve ever been to. they’ve got vegan cheese, vegan meats, and several vegan sauces available—plus, the veganocity of all items is clearly indicated on the menu.

tomato joe's pizza with beer crust, vegan pepperoni, mushrooms, roasted garlic, and vegan cheese.

whenever i go to tomato joe’s, i go for one thing, the beer batter crust. the thick fluffy bread is pure magic, and is made with hefeweizen brewed right next door at the wolf creek brewery. this crust is only available in an extra large size, but that’s the only size i’d ever dream of getting at tomato joe’s anyways. the more leftovers, the better!

on our recent pie, we got the beer crust loaded up with mushrooms, vegan pepperoni, roasted garlic, vegan mozzarella, and traditional sauce. as with everything i’ve tried from tomato joe’s, it was delicious. what’s most shocking to me, is that tomato joe’s still uses follow your heart cheese, and i actually like it! they some how defy chemistry and get this stuff not only to melt, but actually taste decent. it is CRAZY. all the other toppings are top notch as well, from the fresh vegetables to the rich sauces and faux meats. we didn’t get them on this pizza, but i also highly recommend you try the vegan olive oil sauce and the field roast sausage.

sally's secret garden (vegan): extra virgin olive oil, vegan mozzarella, fresh basil, white mushrooms, red onion, green pepper, roasted garlic.

my omnivorous parents live near tomato joe’s, so we always pick up a pizza for them when we are there. pictured above is the sally’s secret garden pizza, made vegan (yay!) with follow your heart cheese on a thin crust. of course i wouldn’t go near this thing because it was covered in bell peppers (which i hate), but my family really enjoyed it. they are big fans of the the crispy crust that tomato joe’s offers, and while i agree that it’s good, i don’t think it even comes close to the thick one flavored with beer.

except for a few tables scattered outside, there is nowhere to actually sit and eat at tomato joe’s—it’s much more of a take-out and delivery place. but even if you don’t have family to go visit in the scv, it really is worth the drive just to eat this amazing pizza. so go get some and bring it back to LA, if it can survive the car trip without being devoured. seriously, this stuff is that good. get the beer crust.

tomato joe’s
27732 McBean Pkwy
Valencia, CA 91354
(661) 263-8646

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hey everyone, just want to let you know about an exciting offer going on at cowboys and turbans in silverlake and how you can get some FREE VEGAN FOOD. from now until march 15th, if you order a vegan entree between 11am and 5pm and mention quarrygirl, you also get a complimentary vegan taco with your meal! hell yeah, this deal is only available vegan, which is another reason why i love it.

vegan burrito at cowboys and turbans

if you haven’t been to cowboys and turbans, this is a great chance to check them out. we are big fans of their indian and mexican inspired street cuisine, their huge portions, and their low prices. check out our previous reviews of them here and here.

as far as what’s vegan on the menu, you are gonna have a lot to choose from. two types of tofu naanwiches (just be sure to get the whole wheat naan), tofu tikka masalas, tandoori burritos (my personal favorite), samosas, fries, and more.

and i speak from experience when i say that the tandoori tofu taco you’ll receive with your entree is pure delicious. it comes with huge chunks of cubed tofu, two types of chutney, vegetables and crispy pea strips. just be warned, at first glance the crispy pea strips look like cheese. don’t worry though, they are vegan!

so head on over to cowboys and turbans between now and the 15th for some great grub and a free taco! here are the deats all spelled out:

when: march 10th -15th, between 11am and 5pm
where: cowboys and turbans (silverlake location only)
how: order any vegan entree and get a free vegan taco when you mention quarrygirl

see you there!

cowboys and turbans
2815 Sunset Blvd.
213.483.7778
HOURS OF OPERATION
Everyday: 11AM – 10PM

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it’s no secret that i love sandwiches, so i was super stoked when i heard that locali was adding two new ones to their already impressive menu. of course i had to get over there asap and try these suckers out. have a look.

first off, i got locali’s take on the vegan club sandwich…

locali's #1 vegan fan club: tofurky, tempeh bacon, avocado, arugula, vegan aioli, and mustard on sourdough. $10.95

the #1 fan club as they call it, comes piled high with tofurky (be sure to tell them you don’t want real meat), tempeh bacon, and argula…all finished off with a good smear of vegan aioli and mustard. this is not your standard club, because it isn’t a double-decker…it’s more of a typical sandwich with ingredients between two slices of bread. what makes this sandwich extra special though, is the large helping of leafy arugula. i am usually not a fan of greens on a sandwich (i’m known to take lettuce off and discard it), but soft and fresh arugula is always amazing. plus, whatever they use for tempeh bacon is really top notch. this truly is a high-quality artisan sandwich, and locali does not skimp on the ingredients. my only complaint is, it’s probably a couple dollars too expensive. nearly 11 bucks for a sandwich with no side seems pretty steep to me—other than that though, it’s perfect.

next up, i tried locali’s vegan take on the traditional ham and cheese…

vegan happy hammy sammy: vegan ham, cheddar daiya, and dijon mustard on sourdough. $7.45

this came with delicious melted daiya cheddar and thick strips of soy ham all grilled up in a warm panini. locali definitely did a great job with this, but whenever i buy any kind of grilled cheese type thing, i always feel as though it’s something i could have made with my sandwich press at home. still though, it was super tasty and if you are a ham and cheese type of person, you should definitely give this a try. when ordering, just be sure to specify you want this made vegan because they also make a version with real cheese.

so there you have it, new vegan sandwiches at locali! check them out—the club especially, i really think was excellent. and while we are on the subject of locali sandwiches, don’t forget to try their incredible reuben or pick up a taste of life breakfast sandwich from the deli case while you are there.

locali
5825 Franklin Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90028-5609
(323) 466-1360

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i am always a sucker for a good brunch, and for ages i’ve been hearing that the sunday offering at real food daily is pretty damn awesome. so, after not eating at the restaurant for quite some time and having a great experience with their takeout food, we decided to give dining in at RFD another shot.

the LA benedict: Poached tofu, roasted tomatoes, sautéed spinach, buttery rustic toast, corn hollandaise, tempeh bacon, hash browns or fruit. $13.95

we hit up the weho location yesterday with a friend, and the food was tasty all around the table. i ordered the LA benedict, which came with tofu, tomatoes and spinach all atop buttery toast smothered in vegan hollandaise sauce. it was pretty expensive at just under 14 bucks, but at least the portion was large. personally, i prefer the benedict at m cafe, but this one was pretty good as well. my only complaint was that the tofu was pretty untreated—it tasted like the silken stuff just taken out of the box and sprinkled with pepper. the high points of the dish were the creamy hollandaise and the crispy bacon, i couldn’t get enough of that stuff.

breakfast burrito: Whole wheat flour tortilla, scrambled tofu, onions, peppers, guacamole, pico de gallo, Ranchero sauce, melted cashew cheese, tempeh bacon, hash browns or fruit. $13.75

my husband went with the breakfast burrito, which was a giant whole wheat tortilla stuffed with scrambled tofu, vegetables, and guacamole. it also came covered in RFD’s amazing cashew cheese (which can be subbed for jalapeno cheese upon request!). i didn’t try the burrito because it had bell peppers in it (which i HATE), but my husband said it was a bit soggy and mushy for his taste.

lastly, our friend ordered an appetizer as his main dish, the blt tartine (pictured below). this was basically a blt sandwich, but served bruschetta-style on little pieces of toast rather than in between slices of bread. this is another dish i didn’t try, but it got a great review from our friend, and i don’t think you can go wrong with RFD’s tempeh bacon.

BLT tartine: mini open-faced sandwich Tempeh bacon, tomato, spicy vegenaise, whole wheat baguette, baby mix lettuces, balsamic vinaigrette. $9.95

unlike some other times we’ve been to RFD, the service on sunday was great. the place was super busy, but we still got a really comfortable table and were constantly checked on by our waitress. the one huge drawback to dining at real food daily though, is that while the food is good, it is PHENOMENALLY overpriced. what would cost $8-9 at a normal vegan restaurant ends up costing $14-15. their prices are on par with madeleine bistro, but the food just isn’t quite as special. oh, and be really careful ordering alcohol. they were serving tiny little glasses of champagne at brunch that wound up costing 9 bucks a piece. let’s just say less than half of our bill went to cover food. oops.

that being said, we really did have a great brunch at RFD and i’m looking forward to going back. it’s just not something i would splurge on every weekend.

real food daily
414 N La Cienega Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 289-9910

and

514 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-7544

brunch served sundays from 10am-3pm

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it took them a little while to get their license, but as of yesterday, the veggie grill on sunset is finally serving up bottled beer as well as red and white wine.

beer at veggie grill

they currently have 2 beers from new belgium brewing (fat tire and mothership wit) as well as both red and white wine from mas. i dropped by this afternoon and grabbed a bottle of the mothership to accompany my lunch, and while it wasn’t my favorite beer on earth, it was definitely pleasant.

so as if the terrific chili and burgers weren’t enough to get you out of your house and over to veggie grill in this horrific weather, you now have the added temptation of alcohol. veggie grill is one of the VERY few all vegan places in LA to serve beer, so let’s show them some support. maybe if we buy enough of it, they will put some beer on tap. (i can dream.)

veggie grill weho
8000 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 822-7575

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UPDATE 3/6/10: i went to cruzer last night and they were selling huge slices of the candy bar cheesecake for only $6.50 (down from $12)!! go get them while they last!

check out my slice:

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you gotta love the a taste of life booth at the hollywood farmers market. as if the breakfast sandwich (one of the top ten vegan items to eat in los angeles) wasn’t enough to get you out of bed early on sunday…

vegan chocolate chip cookie. $1

now you have their homemade chocolate chip cookies to tempt you as well.

these things are baked freshly, are super fluffy and moist, and will only set you back $1. this is the kind of cookie that you bite into and it starts immediately melting all over…in a good way! it’s cakey and juicy all at once and just oozes with rich creamy chocolate. mmmmm.

and while you are at the taste of life stand, you would be a FOOL to leave without buying one of their breakfast sandwiches. i know i go on and on about these, but they are WORTH THE HYPE.

vegan breakfast sandwich. $5

moist biscuit, melted cheese, succulent sausage, grilled tofu…all smashed together, ALL VEGAN. like an egg mcmuffin but way better and tastier. oh, and as you know a taste of life also makes the best vegan soul food in town…so stock up on some mac and cheese and bbq tofu while you are there as well.

see you sunday!

a taste of life
hollywood farmers market
cross street of ivar and selma
every sunday
8:00am – 1:30pm

PS: thanks to @havingmysay for telling me about these awesome cookies!!

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ladies and gentlemen, i think we have a winner…

for the past two months, we’ve been on a search to find the best vegan club sandwich in los angeles and i think our search has finally ended. i thought to myself that the contest was over when i tried the incredible club at m cafe….but surprisingly the real food daily club has it beat!

the club triple decker: seitan tempeh bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, vegenaise, sour dough bread. served with tossed house or caesar salad. $13.75

the club sandwich at real food daily is beyond awesome. first off, it’s huge…and it comes with this thick breaded seitan that’s moist in the middle and crispy on the outside, along with large strips of salty tempeh bacon. what really makes this thing though, is the bread. it’s soft and fluffy with just the perfect amount of chew. agh, so good! add to that fresh produce and creamy vegenaise, and this sandwich is a mixture of purely delicious flavors and textures.

i’m not gonna lie, there is a down side. the club at RFD is expensive as hell. i mean almost $14 for a sandwich and a small side salad?! that’s practically highway robbery. the thing is just so damn good though, i’d be lying if i said it didn’t deserve to win. it’s also worth noting that i got my sandwich to go, as eating in at real food daily can be an extremely unpleasant experience.

Real Food Daily
414 N La Cienega Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 289-9910

and

514 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-7544

so what do you think? did we miss any amazing club sandwiches? do you agree with the winner?

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FINALLY! cruzer pizza in los feliz (LA’s only all vegan pizzeria) has updated their menu, and we are super honored to be publishing it first on quarrygirl.com.

have a look for yourself. loads of new vegan pizzas, sandwiches featuring match meats, and even daiya bread sticks! not to mention vegan cheesecake by madeleine bistro. basically, it’s all amazing! (click here for the PDF version.)

regular customers will notice a new addition to the menu, which is a super tasty sounding peta pizza. this thing comes with eggplant, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, and daiya…plus, a portion of the proceeds are donated to to help animals. watch this fun video featuring michelle sass from cruzer and royale  & lauren from peta to see how the pizza got selected.

head over to cruzer asap for their new menu items and a very special peta pizza. lemme know what you think!

cruzer pizza
4449 Prospect Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 666-0600

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there’s an adage that says: “those who can, do. those who can’t, teach.”. clearly, that’s not remotely accurate as many wonderfully productive people can also teach up a storm, particularly the talented dave anderson, executive chef at madeleine bistro.

ever had one of his ice creams that are so light and flavorful that you want third helpings?
ever eaten chunks of his pan-roasted vegetables by the dozen?
ever wondered what goes into making such sublime sauces?

well, if you have (and if you’ve ever eaten at madeleine’s you’ll be on the same page here) are you not just a little intrigued as to how dave and the team invent, prepare and cook such amazing food?

thankfully for curious minds, madeleine bistro offers cooking classes/demonstrations on the weekends (the next one being this saturday!) where average folks like you and me can not only learn some of chef dave’s secrets, but enjoy an artfully-prepared three course meal as well. we sat in on the most recent class and gained some culinary wisdom that will last a lifetime.

pan-roasted califlower in filo with roasted butternut squash and cauliflower puree.

the class we attended included recipes and instruction on three separate courses, with the focus being on roasting and braising. the first course, pictured above, was pan-roasted cauliflower in filo with roasted butternut squash and cauliflower puree.

we got to watch and absorb the whole cooking process, from the pan-roasting of the cauliflower, to the oven-roasting of the butternut squash, to the forming and shaping of the beggar’s purses…

for the main course, chef dave schooled us in the art of braising with braised tempeh, braised root vegetables, and cabernet-roasted mushroom sauce.

braised tempeh with braised root vegetables and cabernet-roasted mushroom sauce.

everything in this course was wonderful, from the finely cubed vegetables to the browned tempeh slices and flavorful sauce. again, we saw the process from start to finish. i have never learned so much in two hours!

from the chopping of brunoise root vegetables…

to roasting vegetables for the cabernet-roasted mushroom sauce…

to making the roux for the sauce (woo a roux!)…

to preparing the tempeh…

and the finished product was just exquisite, vegans and non-vegans alike were singing its praises.

lastly, even our dessert course implemented braising and roasting techniques.

the last course consisted of pears braised in riesling, agave and vanilla bean, along with homemade ice creme made from baked sweet potatoes.

the dessert turned out perfectly, and i loved every last bite even though i’m not a big sweet potato or pear fan. seriously, i was licking the plate. when it was served, it even came with a dollop of dave’s special coconut whip cream (which he would not give away the secret to).

overall, the madeleine bistro cooking class was a huge success. the students gathered around in the dining area and watched intently as chef dave prepared each course and explained his methods. the students didn’t do any actual cooking themselves, but were free to take notes and ask unlimited questions. i really enjoyed the way chef dave ran the class, and i left with a stack of invaluable recipes and a wealth of knowledge. plus, dave was ridiculously funny and laid back throughout the lesson, making for a really fun environment.

madeleine bistro usually hosts cooking classes every other week, the next one being this saturday march 6th. each class is $75 per person, which includes a 3-course meal! money well spent, if you ask me.

so be sure to contact madeleine bistro and sign up for the next cooking class that you can. hope you love it as much as i did!

madeleine bistro
(818) 758-6971
18621 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, CA

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