yeah, yeah, yeah…so i have already raved about sandwiches from north hollywood’s hy-mart deli on a couple of occasions, but that isn’t gonna stop me from doing it again.

i still can’t choose a favorite menu item, because every sandwich/wrap/creation i order from hy-mart is absolutely wonderful. here we have the shahkloot special (be sure to specify vegan, no cheese!):

shahkloot special (no cheese!): tabouleh, greek olives, cucumber, avocado, hummus, falafel, herbs and all the veggies. $6.95

at under 7 bucks, this is the perfect cheap and satisfying meal. but don’t take my word for it…go to the valley and see for yourselves.

check out this post for hy-mart’s vegetarian menu (which is pretty much all veganizable)!

hy-mart deli
4762 Lankershim Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91602
(818) 506-7264
Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

PS: hy-mart may not be open today, i dunno. i heard it was a bank holiday or something.

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falafel and hummus pita sandwich $5

looking for a great vegan sandwich to shove in your face? look no farther than pita bar and grill on fairfax. for five bucks you can get a pita stuffed with falafel, hummus, and fresh vegetables drenched in tahini and hot sauce.

the restaurant also has a buffet-style salad bar that’s open to all customers, where you can fill up on as many marinated vegetables as you like.

though the pita bar and grill does serve meat, there is no dairy in the restaurant at all. so if you avoid the flesh and egg-based sauces, it’s pretty easy to eat vegan there. i suggest you go try out the falafel sandwich ASAP, and be sure to get your fill from the salad bar.

pita bar and grill
519 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 653-9024

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whenever i travel to london, i always look forward to eating at maoz vegetarian. the concept of the restaurant is simple: a small shop that serves open pita sandwiches with base ingredients such as falafel and hummus, with a heaping salad bar full where customers can fill up on any toppings they want. fast food without all the dead animals…what a great idea!

my default meal is a pita with hummus and falafel, generously stuffed with the delicious salad bar options. their falafel is some of the best i’ve ever had, perfectly spiced and crispy, and they don’t skimp on it either! almost everything at maoz is vegan, and i always wind up a sandwich weighing about three pounds—overflowing with broccoli, cous cous, cauliflower and hot sauce. everything at the salad bar is crisp and freshly prepared…i really wish maoz would open up in los angeles, because i would be there everyday.

the only down side of maoz in london is, it can get pretty packed and hard to find a seat—and you don’t wanna be huddled under a roof in the rain, juggling an overflowing sandwich. luckily though, the line moves fast and the tables turn over pretty quickly, so my advice if the place is crowded would be to wait until a seat frees up. we’ve posted on maoz in london before, and since then they’ve re-arranged the shop a bit to make it more classy and fit in more seating. the falafel is still exactly the same though, so tasty that it haunts my dreams when i’m back home in los angeles.

luckily, london isn’t the only place you can enjoy maoz vegetarian. they have locations in paris, spain, amsterdam and nyc as well. and soon they will be opening a shop in san francisco! if you are reading this maoz, please open up in LA ASAP.

maoz
43, Old Compton St
London, UK, London W1D 6HG
020-78511586

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“We don’t need to go looking for trouble, it comes looking for us…” – Oscar Wilde

Don’t you just hate it when you see something you like ripped off, and hard working people’s livelihoods threatened?

Back in 1991 two Israeli emgres, Nachman and Sima Milo, opened their very first Maoz restaurant in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. With a menu designed to be healthy, vegetarian, environmentally friendly, inexpensive and very tasty, the Milos quickly had a hit on their hands.

Now, Maoz has 22 restaurants globally. The outlets in London and Paris have a long line outside the door most days, and the Union Square outlet in Manhattan is often so crowded that it feels more like the subway station underneath than it does a modern eatery!

As we reported on Wednesday, we were delighted with the apparent opening of a Maoz franchise location here in LA called “Muma Vegetarian“. The similarity of menu, corporate branding, restaurant ambience and artwork implied to us that this was a Maoz location, only named differently because of its close proximity to Mao’s Kitchen, a popular (vegan-friendly) Chinese restaurant half a block away. Have a look for yourself and compare Muma’s menu with the menu from Maoz. Nearly identical.

Determined to see if there was a connection, we visited Muma again this weekend, posing as regular customers, and began to ask some questions. The conversation went something like this:

QG: “This place is great! Are you part of Maoz?”

Manager: “That’s the third time I’ve heard that today. Look, there are places like this on every corner in Israel, OK?”

QG: “We were wondering because this place is identical to Maoz, except for the name. Who owns the restaurant?”

Manager: “Err… it’s three people who own this restaurant.”

QG: “Would you be kind enough to give us contact details, we’d like to know if you’re part of Maoz and have plans for more openings?”

Manager: “I don’t know about Maoz, and what’s in it for me if I give you the ‘phone number of the owners?”

QG: “Well, there’s nothing in it for you personally, but I’m sure they’d like to talk to us about their future plans.”

Manager: “Why would I do that? Are you trying to sell me something?”

At that point the manager was getting very defensive and a little loud (he even stepped out from behind the counter and led us to a table where he sat down so that the conversation could not be heard by others in the restaurant). Fearing that he might ask us to leave, we said “OK, no problem – was just wondering if you were part of Maoz. That’s all.”.

Shortly after, we noticed the manager in the back room. He was glaring at us through a window in the door while engaged in an animated ‘phone call – we guessed it was with one of the three owners. Just as we were finishing up our meal he came from around the back of the counter and gave us a portion of pumpkin hummus and warm pita bread. He said: “Please accept this on the house. We make it here and call it Smashing Pumpkins.”. We wolfed down a few bites and left the restaurant right away.

As soon as we got home, we posted THIS COMMENT on the original post, and sent an email to Maoz corporate in NYC to enquire about the legitimacy of this outlet. Our comment sparked a few more in the same vain, and then this morning, we received the following response from the COO of Maoz USA:

“Thank you for your email. We have nothing to do with this restaurant. I was shocked to read your review and to find out that someone took advantage and copied the Maoz Vegetarian concept. By leveraging our brand values and look and feel they are creating confusion with our chain.”

We were, frankly shocked as well. Muma appears to be shamelessly copying Maoz in great detail.

Almost identical menus at Maoz Vegetarian & Muma Vegetarian

From the look and feel of the food down to near-pixel perfect copies of their menu items, artwork and corporate identity.

Menu artwork is almost identical at Muma Vegetarian & Maoz Vegetarian

While we were originally impressed with the food, we wonder why anybody would want to eat at a restaurant owned by people with such a lack of integrity that they would brazenly steal another company’s entire identity. If they are that shameless, we’re sure the quality of the food is also suspect.

The Maoz Falafel vs The Muma Falafel

Until Maoz deal with Muma (and we’re sure that there are plenty of intellectual property issues here that I’m sure lawyers would love to get their hands on), we’d advise potential customers to stay away. After all, we can’t support such acts now, can we?

muma vegetarian
7275 melrose avenue
los angeles, ca 90046
323-936-7697

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what’s better than a happy hour with $3 beers and $5 martinis? a happy hour with all that, plus a vegan menu, that’s what! desert rose, the upscale bar/restaurant in los feliz has introduced a separate animal-free menu with everything from bar snacks to pasta & sandwiches…and even cruzer pizzas with daiya cheese. they’ve even veganized the drinks at the bar, adding organic martinis and cocktails sweetened with agave.

finally a bar in los angeles with a full separate vegan menu, i can’t tell you how excited i am. check out the new menu and all the food they are offering here. i am making it my mission to try it all, and so far i’m doing pretty well. these are the things i’ve tasted so far…

Garlic “Cheese” Fries $7

the vegan garlic cheese fries at desert rose are absolutely phenomenal. perfectly cooked, they come topped with melted daiya cheese. these fries make for a great bar snack, and taste just like the cheesy garlic fries i remember eating as a vegetarian.

i can also highly recommend the portabello and cheese panini, epic sandwich success!

Portobello Mushroom & “Cheese” Panini with choice of French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Mixed Green Salad or Fresh Fruit $14

it also comes with melted daiya cheese and a thick fresh slab of tasty marinated portobello. the bread they serve it on is exceptional, crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and packed with flavor. i had to double check that it was vegan, it tasted so damn good.

they also whip up a mean house made hummus that comes topped with a kalamata olive and drizzled with olive oil. i know hummus sounds pretty standard, but desert rose does it right. thick, just the right amount of oil, and a really rich flavor.

Housemade Hummus with Pita Bread $5

the sweet potato fries are also top notch and the serving portion is pretty huge. for you vegans who love sweet potato fries, i can tell you that these are some of the best in town.

Sweet Potato Fries $5

they have salads as well, including a garbanzo and edamame salad topped with crispy tofu. i only had a few bites of this thing because it was full of bell peppers (which i hate), and other than the red demons it was pretty damn good…especially the fried tofu on top.

Garbanzo & Edamame Salad with Mixed Greens, Tomatoes & Crispy Tofu with a Sherry-Walnut Vinaigrette $6/$9

while the portobello panini is definitely my favorite at desert rose, the falafel sandwich is awesome as well. huge, soft green falafel balls all rolled up in soft pita with with fresh vegetables and creamylicious tahini.

Falafel Sandwich with choice of French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Mixed Green Salad or Fresh Fruit $7

when i was at desert rose, the chef offered to make me a sandwich that wasn’t on the menu, a mediterranean vegetable wrap with melted daiya cheese. oh my, it was delicious. i think you could add melted daiya to anything and it would drastically improve it, because it took this vegetable wrap from damn good to fucking incredible. even though it’s not on the menu, i’m sure if you ask for it, they would be happy to whip this up for you.

Vegetable Wrap with Daiya Cheese

and in addition to all the mouth-watering food pictured above, desert rose also offers 7 different vegan pizzas topped with daiya cheese from cruzer next door. now you can enjoy a delicious cruzer pie with a bottle of wine in a scenic setting.

if you haven’t been to desert rose already, you should get over there stat. it’s a great bar in its own right, and now they have added a bunch of vegan options that are available all day (not just during happy hour). there’s really nowhere like it in los angeles. this is definitely my new spot for drinking and eating good food.

desert rose
1700 Hillhurst Ave
Los Feliz, CA 90027
(323) 666-1166

oh, and one more thing: desert rose’s vegan menu is all thanks to farm sanctuary’s vegan outreach program. i could not be more grateful.

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Not very far from where he met her in a club down in old Soho, I used to hang out at one of London’s most famous music venues – The Marquee Club on Wardour Street. Back in the 80s this part of London was teeming with the post-punk and new wave music scene and was rapidly becoming a center for obscure indie acts – many of whom, by the end of the decade, would be mainstream pop idols. I saw bands like Guns N Roses, Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins, The Clash and Marillion, to name but the ones I recall.

The Marquee Club is now long gone (replaced by a crappy Italian restaurant and block of apartments) but that area has a different draw for me these days, as it has become the epicenter of London’s vegan/vegetarian friendly restaurant scene. All the best restaurants are within a very short walk of where the Marquee was – Maoz, Beetroot, Mildreds, Itsu (for example). Indeed, only four doors away from The Marquee’s old entrance is Hummus Bros restaurant. While not vegetarian, it is vegan friendly with all but two things on the menu being veganizable. So, it was with a certain sense of nostalgia that I walked into the restaurant that I used to line up outside, inebriated and smoking cigarettes, so long ago.

Let’s get to the point (hooray!). Hummus Bros does an AMAZING job at making a boring, middle eastern garnish (hummus, of course) come alive with flavor and texture. It’s right up there with Maoz, serving top-notch and fresh hummus with delectable trimmings and the warmest, softest pita bread on the planet. While Maoz is almost entirely self-service, Hummus Bros take each order and individually prepare it to your liking, served right to your table in moments.

hummus and warm pitta bread with stewed button mushrooms and caramelised onions. £6.90

We ordered hummus with mushrooms (sauteed with onions and herbs, sprinkled with paprika), and a side of falafel balls with pita. We could have gone nuts ordering tabouleh, aubergine, pine nuts and various salads and salsas, but we were a little full on arrival after a HUGE lunch of chips and mushy peas, so opted instead for some of the lighter menu choices.

Those prophets of popular culture, Bananarama, said “It ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it…” and that applies so well to Hummus Bros. I mean, hummus, pita and sauteed mushrooms are pretty freakin’ easy to make at home, but you can never get the experience of such good food, a super atmosphere and great location, adding immensely to the experience. Inside the restaurant there are long tables, so dining is “family style” (meaning you could be sitting next to some asshole NOT in your family who is on a cell ‘phone talking loudly), although when we were there late at night, the place was pretty empty so we had a 16-top table to ourselves.

hummus bros in london

The quality of the food, and its presentation, were absolutely lovely. The whole experience reminded me of fine dining – extremely attentive and competent servers (though you order at a counter), shiny silverware, impeccably clean tables with nice lighting, décor and ambience, only without the high prices. Hummus Bros should be a stop-over, or mainstay for every vegan visiting London. I know I’ll never be able to go home again without paying them a visit!

Finally, I can confirm that the Champagne in Soho clubs DOES taste just like Cherry Cola. I’ve been there and I’ve drank it. But that’s a whole different story.

hummus bros
88 Wardour Street
London W1F 0TJ
tel 020 7734 1311
opening times
Sunday – Wednesday 12pm – 10pm
Thursday – Saturday 12pm – 11pm

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if you go to london, be sure not to leave without hitting up camden market. the open-air market has been going on since the 70s, draws about 100,000 people each weekend, and is packed with tons of cool stalls, shops, pubs and restaurants. whether you want a pair of wacky socks, a purse, a whole new wardrobe or just some shit that glows in the dark…you can find it at camden market. definitely go on a saturday or sunday, it will be pretty crowded, but at least everything will be open. and after you work up a massive appetite from all that shopping, drop by and grab some vegan lunch from camden lock’s falafel queen.

camden market...shopping makes vegans HUNGRY

the 100% vegetarian falafel stand is located in the middleyard section of the camden lock market and appears to be all vegan as well. i didn’t see any dairy products or eggs on the menu. the falafel queen is open on weekends from 10am until 5pm and serves up pipin’ hot falafel sandwiches, fresh salads, crispy chips and cold drinks. oh, and the falafel balls are cooked right there on the spot as well, super fresh!

falafel queen: pita bread with salads, tabuli, corn, hummos, tahini, warm chickpeas, and chili sauce. £4.50

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Last autumn we spent a nice, long veganific weekend in Manhattan. Despite our penchant for fine dining on that trip, we saved the best for last and paid another visit to Maoz at its Union Square location. Located right in the heart of Sunday-farmers-market-urban-chic on the cusp of Chelsea and Greenwich Village, and a few blocks north of Soho, Maoz is very well located for a lot of foot traffic. And, with the Union Square Park literally over the street there’s somewhere pleasant to eat your food – weather permitting.

Of course, on our recent London trip, we had to re-visit the Maoz location on Old Compton Street in Old Soho (where you drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola). This outlet is sandwiched (no pun intended) right in between an adult book store (of the most racy kind!) and an exotic lingerie shop – of equally (of not more) raciness, but to be expected in Soho. It’s just seconds away from Piccadilly Circus, Carnaby Street and the West End Theater District, but as there’s no picturesque park outside I’m glad it has some inside seating — unlike the Manhattan outlet.

maoz in london

I can report that the food experience is almost entirely the same in London as it is in Manhattan. Omnivores tell me that they enjoy ordering a Big Mac in different cities around the world as they taste the same. With Maoz (already crowned as a potential MacDonald’s of vegetarian food) the same holds true.

maoz falafel sandwich with hummus and unlimited salad bar. ...before going back for more toppings!

The premise is pretty straightforward: you get a warm, fresh pita pocket, and they put hummus, falafel or both into it. From there you can help yourself to an array of incredible vegetables – from the exotic (curried cauliflower) to the mundane (shredded carrots) as many times as you like (that’s another advantage of the London location – you can go back and grab more toppings without walking back into the store and feeling like a thief!). You can add on a range of condiments (mostly vegan) including spicy sauces, tahini, vinegars etc. for a truly healthy and personalized treat.

maoz refillable salad bar

Maoz is a great invention indeed, I’m glad they have outlets centrally located in two of my favorite cities, and it’s funny that I used to chill in London during the eary 80s, right in Soho, and then a few years later I spent a lot of time in Manhattan in the late 80s, right in the Gamercy Park/Union Square district. Of course, there were no Maoz there then. Bummer.

If you plough your way through the world’s MOST FUCKING ANNOYING WEBSITE EVER to find the locations, you’ll see that more are planned to open in the near future. Sadly nothing obvious on the West Coast or in LA, but I live in hope as there’s a franchise application on the site! Hopefully somebody will drop a few bucks to open an outlet in LA. I was thinking Westwood, 3rd St. in Santa Monica or even The Grove would be great locations.

maoz vegetarian
43 Old Compton St
London, W1D 6HG, United Kingdom
+44 20 78511586

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UPDATE!!! PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT UPDATE ABOUT DEE’S DONUTS BEFORE EATING THEM.

locali conscious convenience has been a favorite of ours over here at quarrygirl.com, ever since they opened in january. i’ve been hitting them up weekly for their soy feta, lunch specials, and vegan frozen goods for over a month. it wasn’t until tonight though, that they had their “grand opening” shindig, serving up tons of free vegan-friendly samples and welcoming the community to find out what a kick-ass place locali is.

locali grand opening!

tons of our favorite local faces were there, handing out awesome food for the community to sample. the total rundown and more pictures after the jump….

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i know, i know, i’ve written about this place before, but i just can’t get enough of the hy-mart deli! the modest little sandwich shop in the valley continues to make most scrumptious wraps i’ve ever eaten. plus, the family who owns it and works the counter are sweet, friendly, and most importantly knowledgeable about veganism. if i lived in the north hollywood, i’d be grabbing food from hy-mart everyday.

bennito's burrito: falafel with hummus, olives, cucumber, tahini sauce and all the other vegetables. $6.95

my latest feast from hy-mart was bennito’s burrito. the wrap in its original form is vegetarian, but the cool dude making it was more than happy to veganize it, giving me hummus instead of yogurt. it was filled right up with soft and spongey falafel, loads of avocado, and fresh chopped vegetables. i can’t even tell ya how tasty it was.

i think i am gonna make it a mission to try every vegetarian wrap on hy-mart’s menu (veganized, of course). looks like i have my work cut out for me! yum yum yum.

vegetarian menu, all can be made vegan.

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navigating a new city veganwise can be very difficult and miami, FL is no exception. that’s why i rely on trusty sources like happycow and yelp to tell me all the cool meatless places to try out. the husband & i like to eat at as many all-vegan restaurants as we can, just to support them and make sure they stay in business. so when we heard about om garden, we knew we had to pay them a visit.

located in downtown miami, om garden was just a short drive away from my beachfront hotel. the atmosphere was bright and relaxing, the staff was friendly, and OMG the food was delish. this is one of those places that serves up really great meals that are guilt-free and astonishingly “healthy” tasting. everything is fresh, nothing is greasy, and there is something so light and refreshing about each bite. after eating a vegan burger at most places, i feel like someone has implanted an anchor in my gut. but after the burger at om garden, i felt energized and alive, active and alert.

happy cow veggie burger: our house special, served a whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, onions, ketchup, mustard and mayo. with roasted potatoes.

the whole wheat “bun” was actually more like a thin pita pocket, which suited me just fine. who needs a bunch of thick bread overpowering the delicate tastes of a vegan patty? speaking of the patty, it was superb. vegetables, grains, and other good stuff all mashed together and seasoned perfectly. i don’t remember how much the burger cost, but i think it was around $10. well worth it. especially since i could tell i was eating something made with the finest ingredients.

the roasted potatoes were also excellent. bursting with flavor and not too oily, they tasted so good and like they were so good for me.

the other entree we ordered was the supersonic sandwich. it came with a choice of tofu, tempeh or portabella. in keeping with the healthy theme, we opted for the mushroom. while my favorite was definitely the burger, this sandwich was still scrumptious in its own right.

supersonic sandwich: portabella mushroom served on a sprouted grain bun with lettuce, tomato, avocado veganaise, ketchup & mustard. comes with a side salad.

this sandwich was also, i think, around ten bucks and came on a pita instead of a bun. it was great, except it had to be eaten with a fork because the savory sauces and mushroom juices made the pita too soggy to pick up. that doesn’t matter though, it still tasted amazing. the succulent portabella was huge and juicy—who would have thought a plain old mushroom could be such a perfect meat substitute?

because i eat everything with hot sauce, i was a little disappointed that om garden didn’t have any. what they did have, though, was a little bowl of hot powder. sprinkled on the sandwich, it totally did the trick, without all the evil sodium that’s packed into my favorite liquid.

lastly, i definitely have a penchant for falafel…so when i saw on the menu that om garden sells them by the ball, i had to indulge. who the hell orders ONE falafel ball? me. and it was gone in one bite.

falafel ball $1.50

he was a pretty healthy tasting falafel ball, and even came decked out in a little hat made of hummus. doesn’t it look like he’s smiling in the picture. awww. very nice.

in addition to the tasty food and fresh ingredients, the ambiance at om garden is very pleasant. colorfully decorated with lots of windows that look out on green surroundings, om garden is a great place to relax and enjoy your big plate of vegan goodness.

so when in miami, add om garden to your list of places to check out. dine there when you want a light healthy meal, not something decadent. it’s the perfect thing to eat before you go strut your stuff on the beach with all the fit and beautiful locals.

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UPDATED. scroll to the bottom of this post for new hours.

recently i was surfing the forums over at vegan-la, and ran across something that sounded REALLY interesting: vegan soul food right here in hollywood. a taste of life divine vegan foods restaurant is an entirely vegan eatery at fountain and vermont that serves up steamin’ hot soul food and is open late. of course i had to check it out.

after reading the review in the forum, i had my heart set on ordering the kale, but unfortunately they were all out when we went. so instead, we had to settle on an epic feast consisting of a tofu filet sandwich, a falafel sandwich, and a huge side of mac & cheese. we ordered food to-go, and we had to wait ages for it in a pretty sketchy area, but at the end of the day it was totally worth it. all sinfully delicious.

vegan mac & cheese side order. $5

falafel sandwich. $5

tofu filet sandwich. $5

the tofu filet sandwich was split in half and polished off immediately. both the husband and i really loved it. deep fried and slathered in the most amazing vegan cheese, there was nothing healthy about this baby. a few fresh vegetables were sprinkled on to add some flavor, but this sandwich was really all about the tasty tofu soul food. with each crunchy bite, the breaded tofu leaked more & more delicious vegan grease. to be honest with you, i kind of ordered this sandwich hastily because i was confused by the menu when i stepped up to the counter. when i was waiting for my food, i started to think of all the things i maybe should have chosen instead. well, while i will definitely try something new next time, i in no way regret giving this a whirl. the filet was fried up in a perfect blend of spices and the creamy slightly melted vegan cheese made every bite so much better. definitely not your average tofu burger.

the falafel sandwich was equally impressive. i’m a HUGE fan of falafel, so at first i regretted ordering this as well. i thought, why the hell did i order falafel HERE, at a soul food restaurant that can’t possibly compete with my favorite places in the valley?! again, a taste of life proved me wrong. this falafel was up there with the best of them. it didn’t even encroach on the valley’s territory—instead a taste of life totally reinvented the falafel. these balls were huge, twice the size of the falafel i’m used to, and seasoned much more mildly. they were deep fried for longer, it seems like, and had a thicker & juicier skin. inside they were a lot less cooked, but still just as delicious. this sandwich didn’t come on a bun, but in a whole wheat pita pocket, making it slightly harder to share. we managed though and were both blown away by the quality. like the filet sandwich, the falafel pocket came filled with melty-licious cheese that made a beautiful gooey mess. i highly recommend this sandwich, it’s scrumptious and a total steal for just $5. plus, it’s great to experience a new take on the classic falafel.

slightly crispy pocket, juicy falafel and luscious vegan cheese.

saving the best for last, my favorite dish at a taste of life was of course the vegan mac & cheese. the noodles tasted fried and were coated with big clumps of sharp flavorful fake cheese. i don’t know what they use to make this vegan version, but i can tell ya, the real mac ‘n cheese has got NOTHING on this stuff. it was rich and oily to the very last bite, and the fake cheese had an authentic & delicious slightly sour taste to it. my all time favorite vegan mac & cheese, without a doubt.

so the food at a taste of life is definitely nothing to be scoffed at. everything was great, and i didn’t even TRY all the stuff that sounded the best on the menu.

you see, i get menu anxiety, and like to plan my order in advance, but unfortunately when i went to a taste of life, there was no menu available online. i guess they started out as a stand at the hollywood farmers market and haven’t updated their site yet with their new location and menu. so i will go ahead and take care of it for you.

here you go, scanned from the card i picked up from the coutner. the menu from a taste of life divine vegan foods. oh, and also, here is a snazzy little card with their phone number, hours, and address.

now before you get all caught up drooling and rushing over to try this amazing food, i must caution you, the restaurant has its downsides. because i am nice, and i want you all to know how much i loved the food, i will save my bitch session for after the jump. only click on the more button if you wanna hear some good, old fashioned complaining. if you don’t, then go grab some incredible soul food. whatever shit you encounter will be worth it.

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A while back I hired a contractor who hailed from Israel to do a remodel on my house. In our months (and sadly YEARS) of remodeling he took me to just about every Israeli Shawarma in the 818 area code, as we darted from supplier to supplier buying things as diverse as a front door and a sewage sump pump (YUK!). 

One place he neglected to take me, though, was Amir’s Falafel on Ventura at Colfax Avenue. I had to discover this place on my own, bereft of a Hebrew speaker, and freaked out about dealing with curt, non-eye-contact and very to the point service. The thing about my contractor (Menasche was his name) is that he understood what being a vegan was, and would debate, in Hebrew and very loudly on my behalf, about whether there was egg in the falafel or if the pita was grilled over smoking lamb fat. That was about the only great thing about him, but that’s another story.

To the matter at hand, Amir’s makes GREAT falafel. They mix and fry it in front of you, usually ever batch is fresh and it’s never microwaved (unlike certain other places in the valley).

Falafel Sandwich, $6

As you can see above, the sandwich portions are generous, perfectly wrapped and the combination of hot, crispy falafel with just the right amount of tangy tahini, lettuce, tomato and stuff is wonderful. You can certainly get much larger sandwiches for only a little more money elsewhere, but this is quality over quantity and the huge menu with reasonable prices for sides means you sure can’t go hungry for between $8-$10.

Big menu, reasonable portions. Shawrama has been covered to protect the innocent.

A few times when I’ve been there I have ordered a bunch of sides and falafel so I can make my own sandwich, but unless you’re really hungry just get the sandwich. It works out less expensive and, believe me, they know how to wrap it better than you (and I!) do.

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when i feel like wasting time at work, i often like to scan laist.com. it’s a great site that keeps me abreast of all the vital happenings in my city—pertinent information, like how the dodgers are doing, when/where sobriety check points are scheduled, and which indie bands i’ve never heard of are playing near me. sometimes i get really lucky, though, and they review restaurants with vegan options that drive me out of my mind. this was the case with their review of hy-mart deli. when i read it, i knew i HAD to go. i went with the highest of hopes, and even then, hy-mart still managed to exceed my expectations.

mediterranean madness!

the modest sandwich shop is small inside, with only 4 tables, a fridge full of beer & soft drinks, and an ordering counter. i went with my husband who decided to grab a seat and while i picked out two wraps for us to share. this is when i made a huge mistake.

i placed my order making sure to ask for no tzatziki, yogurt, or dairy of any kind…but in my lameness, i picked out one sandwich that was called “gyro gone wild”. it looked great—full of avocado, hummus, cucumbers and other treats…little did i know it would would also be full of MEAT. imagine my horror when i realized back at my table i was holding a wrap full of flesh. the worst thing is, my husband had already started eating it! ugh, what have i done? i called out before he could take another bite and told him to check his meal for animal bits, and sure enough, they were in there. he assured me it must be a mistake, and asked me what i had ordered. when i told him it was a gyro, he shot me an annoyed glance that made me know i’d fucked up. “but meat wasn’t listed as an ingredient!” i exclaimed, defending myself. “no shit, a gyro IS meat,” he explained, “it’s like ordering a hot dog…they aren’t going to list ‘meat’ again as an ingredient.” ugh.

i reluctantly brought the sandwich up to the counter and explained my stupidity to the friendly owner who’d made my sandwich and rung me up in the first place. i told him i was happy to buy another sandwich, a vegetarian one, as this was my mistake. but he wouldn’t have it, and insisted on making me a replacement. he omitted all dairy sauces and even threw in extra hummus in their place. he was so nice and cool about the whole situation, i couldn’t believe it. i was impressed.

i was even MORE impressed though, when i bit into what turned out to be the best falafel sandwich i’ve ever eaten in the valley, and the valley is full of falafel. it was called mediterranean madness and boy, was it mad! it wasn’t really a sandwich, but more like a huge burrito wrapped in lavash, filled to the brim with goodness. the version i got was stuffed with falafel, hummus, grapeleaves, cucumber, onions, tomatoes, tabooleh, lettuce, avocado and hot sauce. god, was it sooooOOOOoooOOOOo good! and the thing was freaking huge! i don’t think i’ve ever had so many foods i love all together in one wrap. the second sandwich (the one that replaced the meaty gyro) was filled with similar ingredients. i don’t remember the exact name, but it was scrumptious!

while we were chowing down our amazing lunch, the owner came by and tried to give me a dollar. there was a price difference, he explained, between the sandwich i returned and the new one. i couldn’t believe it! how could i take a dollar when it was my mistake all along, and he’d basically given me a FREE sandwich…what a sweet gesture. of course, we insisted he keep it.

as i rode away, completely replete and full of falafel, i thought about what i’d learned. 1.) gyro is another word for dead animal, and 2.) i CANNOT WAIT to return to the hy-mart deli to eat another perfect sandwich and to support such kind & friendly ownership.

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