I live in Southern California where we have perfect year-round temperatures, palm trees and sun-drenched beaches. A Beach Cafe here looks like THIS:

Paradise Cove Beach Cafe. Malibu, California

(picture courtesy of flickr)

Whereas a beach cafe in my home country of England looks, shall we say, a tad less exotic, especially on a rainy, blustery October day. However, while the Paradise Cove might LOOK attractive from the outside, what’s inside it is positively ugly. Tanks of dying “fresh seafood” – lobsters, crustaceans and even fish waiting to be plucked and cooked in boiling water.

VBites, on the other hand, is a wonderful and entirely vegan cafe on the “English Riviera” at Hove, just west of Brighton on the South Coast. Yeah, there’s no sandy beach outside the door or palm trees waving in the wind but what’s inside will warm you right to your soul on the coldest of winter days.

Once you walk through the doors of VBites, it’s like being transported to a city-center cafe like you’d find in London or New York. Bright colors adorn the walls, and everything is light wood, concrete, stainless steel or funky plastic. Right away, you know you’re somewhere different as the first thing you see is a large bar dining area with a “cupcake conveyor belt” rotating, you guessed it, many varieties of vegan cupcakes past your nose as you eat. It was off hours when we went there, so sadly the belt was not operational which is a pity.

To the left of the bar is a children’s play area with soft mats and toys – a real boon to vegan parents who can pop their toddler in a safe environment and keep an eye on them while they eat. What a great idea!

Towards the rear of the restaurant is the dining room which has a long bar down one side and comfortable tables along the other. Funky music, cool lighting and bright decor really did make me feel very urban, not at all like I was sitting a few feet form the beach.

The huge menu is delightfully varied, and has to be one of the best I’ve ever seen at an entirely vegan restaurant. You can start the day with a tofu scramble or vegan full English breakfast, then eat your way through plenty of lighter options such as burgers, hot dogs, nachos, sandwiches, and salads. If you choose to go for a romantic dinner in the evening, there’s also a full-on lunch menu, and a long list of entrees (Italian, Indian, you name it!). Additionally, there’s a “build your own vegan pizza” option with tons of toppings, all baked on dough specially brought in from Italy.

Nachos with soya melted cheese, salsa and guacamole. £4.75

We opted for some down to earth comfort food: nachos followed by bangers and mash. The service was very fast and attentive, the food arrived extremely well presented, and didn’t hang around long on the table. The nachos were awesome – home baked chips, salsa, guacamole and cheezly cheese topped off with jalapenos and a lime.

Soya bangers and mash with onion gravy. £6.95

The traditionally English “bangers and mash” sincerely blew us away. Creamy, buttery mashed potatoes (probably the best I’ve had since becoming vegan) topped with three hearty VBites sausages and smothered in a rich, creamy onion gravy. I know my description sounds like something off a menu, but those adjectives are all highly accurate, I can assure you!

Our only regret when we visited VBites is that we were on the south coast for just a few hours, and had to get back to London for the evening otherwise we would have tried far more things on the menu. On the way out there are fridges full of VBites food items (VBites is the brand formerly knows as Redwood Foods) so you can get many of the ingredients to take home and prepare. The bangers, cheezly, fake meats, burgers etc. are all available at the same prices you can pick them up in a supermarket.

Oh, and talking of prices, VBites is remarkably inexpensive considering what you get. The portions are large, the prices are low and you’d usually expect to pay a heck of a lot more considering the beach location and standard of decor and service.

Finally, there’s one more contrasting fact between our English version of a beach cafe and what exists in America: NO BEACH VIEW. Yeah, due to the crazy winds on English Channel there’s a large storm wall and built-up promenade between VBites and the sea.

That’s not a bad thing, though, as our beaches are a lot less picturesque than the ones in Southern California. Just ask Holly Walsh who made this great video just a mile or two from VBites:

I hate the seaside – Watch more Funny Videos

Our friend Lex, at Vegan-LA/Vegan-Europe described VBites as “… like finding the gingerbread castle in a fairy tale. You’ll rub your eyes in disbelief.”. So true!

Vbites
Hove Lagoon, Kingsway, BN3 4LX
01273 933757

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You can tell a classy lady just by looking at her, and the same is true of Manhattan’s Candle 79. Ensconced on a wide, tree-lined street in the affluent Upper East Side and surrounded by some of the world’s finest restaurants (and most expensive real estate), Candle 79 has incredibly sexy curb appeal and, like that classy lady, proves that beauty is not only skin deep but the real treasure is what lies within.

On our recent visit, we were treated to some of the finest cuisine we’d ever experienced, in an atmosphere that rivals only Sublime in Fort Lauderdale (the East Coast’s only other vegan fine dining establishment). Probably because we reserved for 6pm and arrived a little early, we lucked out with a great table (actually, a large booth beside the cocktail bar).

Our very attentive server ran over over the menu with us, explaining that the restaurant is entirely vegan, and if the menu said “cheese” or “ice cream” the ingredients were, in fact, vegan. Clearly, this explanation was somewhat reassuring! He then took our drink order, which was a reasonably priced bottle of organic Côtes du Rhône that arrived with a couple of small and complimentary appetizers of sliced zucchini, with a spicy vegetable-infused cream cheese combination atop. They were each gone in one scrumptious bite, and set a realistic expectation for the meal that was to come.

It took us forever to decide what to order as everything on the menu looked astounding. In the end, we mixed up the flavors by going for a Mexican-style appetizer followed by American and Italian-style entrees.

The appetizer was “Angel’s Nachos”, an incredible creation that tasted better than I remember vegetarian nachos being. Here in LA, we have a similar dish from Real Food Daily, which not only costs a few bucks more, but uses chips FROM A BAG (yes, the kind you’d get in a grocery store). Not at Candle 79, as these were freshly fried (one could taste the warm oil), and crunchy. Combined with the the vegetables and seitan created an amazing mouth texture, especially when mixed up with the layers of Daiya cheese, fresh guacamole, salsa and tofu sour cream. These are far and away the best vegan nachos we’d ever eaten, and are worth a trip to Candle 79 alone. Even if you have to walk all the way there from Downtown.

Angel's Nachos: corn chips, cheddar and mozzarella, tomatoes, refried pinto beans, chili-grilled seitan, guacamole, salsa, tofu sour cream, romaine lettuce. $16

Next up were the two entrees. We opted for the black-pepper grilled seitan, in honor of New York’s legendary prowess as the steak capital of the world. Oh, and this was amazing. I’d never had anything grilled with a balsamic base before, and this turned me on to a whole new avenue of taste. The texture of the seitan was very “grill-like”, with burned edges and a soft, succulent interior – rather like the descriptions I found online of high-end fillet steak.

Black Pepper & Balsamic Grilled Seitan: sautéed haricots verts, leeks, almonds, cornmeal crusted onion rings, celeriac purée. $23

This, combined with green beans, and a celery mashed potato-style base, all drizzled with a tasty and tangy sauce was an incredible mash-up (no pun intended!) of taste. I would be remiss not to mention the onion rings, which were perfectly crunchy and had a cornmeal batter, making them rather interesting, and a perfect compliment to the tasty seitan.

So, after paying vegan homage to NYC’s steak-house history we decided to move things up a notch and go for something Italian-style, as Italian food is usually better here than in Italy itself (go ahead, argue in the comments). Our Italian-style entree was a mixture of succulent vegetables (mainly wild mushrooms) and porcini crusted tofu sauteed up a treat in a smooth and slightly sweet red wine sauce with a layered cheese and root vegetable gratin, all on a bed of spinach, soaked in the red wine sauce.

Porcini Crusted Tofu: sauteed spinach, root vegetable gratin, wild mushrooms, red wine sauce. $22

Again, an amazing intersection of taste and textures with perfectly cooked ingredients coming together in just the right way. The layered cheese thing was out of this world – I wish I knew exactly what it is as I’d be most interested in trying to create it myself. Not that I could, but it’s nice to pretend.

Finally, for desert, we continued the Italian theme with a warm cannoli, filled with vanilla cream and topped with chocolate chip ice cream. The server also bought us some complimentary home-made ice cream (see later for why we got it for free), which went down extremely well with the cannoli. I think one of the successes of a vegan desert is that it should not taste “vegan”, and none of this stuff did. The vanilla filling was like a heavy-cream and powdered sugar filling in a non-vegan cannoli, and the ice cream tasted just like, well, very nice ice cream you’d buy in an up-market ice cream parlor. The desert was amazing, and we were very full upon leaving the restaurant.

Cannoli: vanilla cream filling, vanilla chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate drizzle. $12

On this visit, the service was excellent, but being early the place was only starting to fill up as we left. We tried to visit Candle 79 a year or so before, waited 30 minutes for our table (even after our allotted reservation time was up), got the shittiest table in the place and finally walked out after another 20 minutes as nobody came to serve us. Also, even on this trip, we did find the staff a little snooty – I don’t think they appreciated my bright yellow bobble-hat I wore upon arriving out of the 20 degree cold. When we ordered dessert, the server asked if it was our first trip to Candle 79, and we recounted (politely) our experience the first time around. He apologized, and kindly gave us some free ice cream “for your inconvenience last time”. See told you they were a little snooty, but this gesture was much appreciated.

Homemade Ice Cream & Sorbet Sampler: chef's daily selection. $9

Also, our server neglected to tell us they had any specials, and I listened to several other customers getting a run-down of some amazing-sounding specials. Not that I’m really upset as I liked what we ordered, but it would have been nice to have the same choices as the other guests. Maybe he was just too much in shock about my bobble hat…?

So, to sum up, if you’re lucky and you get a nice table and a good server you will have one of the finest vegan dining experiences possible. Yeah it’s was pricey (our bill came to just shy of $150 with tip), but, like a classy lady, Candle 79 really is worth every penny.

Candle 79
154 East 79th Street
New York, NY 10021
(212) 537-7179

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listen up!! the veggie grill has invented some amazing new daiya cheese-filled recipes, and they are testing them out starting today at the el segundo location to see how they are received. i couldn’t resist heading over there this afternoon and ordering all 3 new menu items. every single one was absolutely awesome, and i implore you to go taste for yourself.

first i tried the vg cheeseburger (pictured above), which is basically the standard v burger slathered with gooey cheese. this meal contains two of my favorite vegan products ever, daiya and gardein, and it sure is a winning combo. if you like cheeseburgers (even if you aren’t vegan!), you will love this thing…it’s thick, juicy, and cheesy as can be.

since the vg cheeseburger comes with a side, i ordered it with the new vegan mac and cheese. again, this stuff was made with daiya and it was really fucking good! i don’t know what veggie grill did to it, but this daiya was creamier than any i’ve ever tasted. i’m so used to having it chopped up and melted in little shreds, but in this it was completely smooth. plus, i think it had some jalapenos mixed in to give it a little kick. yum!

lastly, i got an order of the nachos…and before you ask, no i did NOT eat all this at once!! i took most of it home and it’s in the fridge. the nachos were excellent, and are definitely my favorite of the new menu items. crisp tortilla chips covered in melty daiya and fully loaded with beans, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and cilantro….all for under 5 bucks!

please take my advice and get out to the veggie grill el segundo location NOW. and if you can’t go now, be sure to go ASAP. the chick working the counter told me they are only trying out these menu items, and won’t keep them around if they don’t do well. i can tell you, they are amazing….so let’s make them do well.

veggie grill
plaza el segundo
720 Allied Way
El Segundo, CA 90245
310-535-0025
11am to 10pm

oh and be sure to follow veggie grill on twitter to hear about stuff like this, that’s where they made an announcement about all the new menu items.

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of all the places i’ve dined in london, pogo cafe is definitely one of my favorites. the small co-operative acts as a hub for activism, a book trader, and one of the city’s few 100% vegan restaurants. there are a couple dining tables in the place as well as comfy couches, computer stations, and coffee tables covered with anti-government literature. all this stuff is really rad, but the best thing about pogo cafe is of course the delicious food. i’m talking really good, cheap vegan fare served in huge portions.

punk burger: served with cheeze, mayo, rasher, tomato and lettuce in a bun. with potato wedges and a salad. £4.95

when fellow vegan blogger melisser of the urban housewife heard i was going to london, she insisted i visit pogo cafe. after finding it on the map, i was put off by how far away it was (i had to take the tube plus a 45 minute bus ride to get there), and showed up with my husband not expecting much. however when the giant portions of appetizing food arrived, we knew pogo cafe was a winner, and our lunch there ended up being one of the best on our entire trip.

my husband ordered a punk burger, which was hearty and tasty beyond belief. the thick vegan patty came topped with cheezly, mayo, vegetables, and a meatless “rasher,” or bacon as they call it here in america. he upgraded his burger to the meal option, which means they served it with a huge pile of spicy potato wedges and side of leafy greens. clocking in at under £6, this thing was a deal and an awful lot of food.

nacho plate: organic corn & sesame tortilla chips, with homemade salsa, guacamole, sour "cream" & melted cheeze. (GF) £3.90

i ordered the nacho plate, which was an impressive mound of chips topped with fresh salsa, guacamole, vegan sour cream and melted cheezly. i was so excited when my plate arrived and it was covered in cheezly, one of my favorite vegan cheeses that is almost impossible to come by in the states. it had an amazing rich cheese flavor, and it actually melted. i seriously think this is the best plate of nachos i’ve ever had in my life, and it was only £3.90! how is it that a couple of DIY kids in a tiny kitchen can make me a lunch this amazing, but fully staffed restaurants in fancy facilities can’t turn out something half this good?

one thing to note about pogo cafe, although it is awesome in almost every way, is that some of the staff can be snobby cunts. you see, my husband is english, and i’m american and we both placed our orders out loud. the minute i placed mine, the dude taking them turned to his fellow co-worker and started bad mouthing americans and barack obama. it’s like he was being intentionally rude and shit talking the (soon to be at that time) president, in hopes to offend me. whatever douche, i don’t care if obama is too conservative for you, i just want some fucking nachos. phew, rant over.

all rude staff aside (and just one dude was rude, mind you, the rest of the staff were lovely), pogo cafe serves such good food you would be a fool not to eat there when in london. i didn’t get a chance to try their desserts, but i hear they are amazing as well. i can’t wait to return to pogo cafe again, i will definitely stop by there on my next trip across the pond.

pogo cafe
76 Clarence Road
London E5 8HB
020 8533 1214
Wed-Sat. 12:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

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of all the incredible restaurants we visited on our recent trip to england, the warehouse cafe in birmingham stood out as one of the best. the warehouse cafe is an entirely vegetarian co-op with a bookstore on the bottom floor and a kick-ass veg restaurant upstairs. they have a passion for the environment and serve up meatless meals containing local and sustainable ingredients that taste bloody brilliant—their vegan junk food and pub fare is completely unmatched. we went for the nachos, burgers, chips and pies…no room for salad. the guilty vegan pleasures at warehouse tasted so amazing…melty cheese and buttery crusts like i haven’t experienced since i was a teenager. wowee!

nachos grande (vegan): organic hand fried tortilla chips, jalapeno chillies, melted mature cheddar, and salsa. £3.95

to start, we ordered the vegan nachos, which were nothing short of incredible. the homemade chips were sinfully greasy and thick…not to mention the melty and creepily convincing cheese. total guilty pleasure x 1000.

organic vegan burger special with garlic and mushrooms.

the husband ordered the burger special, which was also above and beyond. a thick vegan patty with soy vegan cheese, sauteed vegetables, and chunky homemade fries made this dish one not to miss. we ordered it off the specials board, but the burger is available on the normal menu, it just normally doesn’t come with the mushrooms.

warehouse cafe special: leek pie served with garden peas and chips.

lastly, i again ordered off the specials menu and went for the leek pie. holy mother, this shit was traditional pub food done just right but veganized…right down to the rich, greasy crust and huge steaming chips.

the insides were prepared absolutely perfectly…i’m talking really succulent mushrooms in a moist but crispy-on-the-edges buttery crust and creamy beer-flavored sauce. everything we tried from warehouse’s menu was waaaaaay beyond delicious.

in addition to serving up excellent, traditional, and entirely vegetarian/vegan-friendly food, warehouse cafe was charming in the fact that it was run by a shared co-op which includes an environmentally-conscious bookstore located below the restaurant, and all the staff rotate and share ownership. literature on making our world a better place is scattered everywhere…in the dining hall, in the bookshop, and even in the bathroom (where there are 3 different ways to dry your hands, and pamphlets on each method explaining its effects on the environment).

the warehouse cafe is a little hole-in-the-wall that caught me off guard with its sweetness, its consciousness, and its ridiculously tasty vegan food. i will return to this place every single chance i have, because it’s so fucking special. if you find yourself in the uk, it’s totally worth taking a trip to birmingham to visit this place.

warehouse cafe birmingham

the warehouse cafe
54-57 Allison Street
Birmingham B5 5TH
0121 633 0261
Monday to Saturday
11 a.m. til 10 p.m. (last food orders at 9 p.m.)
Sunday
11 a.m. til 6 p.m. (last food orders at 5.00 p.m.)

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if you are a vegan in los angeles, you may already be aware of the depressing fact that doomie’s home cookin’ (one of our favorite restaurants ever) has closed its doors. they are currently looking for a new place to set up shop, but for now doomie’s is no more. you still have one last chance to eat doomie’s food though, you can head over to silver lake tomorrow and pay ten bucks for an epic all-you-can-eat vegan feast.

2 flavors of doomie's vegan mac n cheese!

doomie’s is throwing two parties this weekend, both all-you-can-eat buffets to get rid of their perishable food, and to remind the vegan community what a kick ass restaurant they were. i attended the shindig today in south gate, and it was fucking amazing. i implore you to go check them out on the eastside tomorrow, this could be your last chance to eat the genius vegan food that is doomie’s.

doomie's home cookin', squatting in the m-vision graphics warehouse in south gate.

we drove all the way from hollywood to get our doomie’s fix and arrived in south gate at around 3:30pm. by the time we got there, the place was already buzzin’ with vegan hipsters carrying patch-covered backpacks and strange old hippie types with animal rights slogans printed on their t-shirts. there was a box for payment, ten bucks a head, sitting on the table and everyone was on the honor system to kick down some cash and hopefully a donation towards the reopening fund. doomie was standing behind a long table, cooking dish after dish, adding more and more food to the buffet table as people lined up pile their plates high with vegan goodness.

the doomie crew serving it up!

hungry vegans!

everything on the table was flat-out delicious, and even as we were leaving, doomie was cooking up more recipes. i looked around the warehouse and almost everyone was holding an empty plate, patting their stuffed bellies, and still eyeing up the trays of food. people who had never tried doomie’s found a reason to be depressed like the rest of us; the food is just so fucking good, and it’s a shame it won’t be available anymore.

spicy gumbo, herbed macaroni and cheese, delicious pot roast

the husband and i tried to sample a bit of everything, and i think we left about ten pounds heavier. pictured above are the spicy seafood gumbo, a new type of herbed mac n cheese, as well as a hearty pot roast. all of it was very tasty, but the pot roast was out of this world. seriously, the fake meat was all thick and succulent, the gravy was rich and salty, and the vegetables were chunky and and soft. pot roast may sound kind of standard or boring, but this was some of the best food i’ve ever eaten. and i’ve eaten a lot of food, man!

i also finally got to try doomie’s standard mac n cheese, and OMFG i LOVED it!

mac n cheese with salad.

this was some of the best vegan mac i’ve ever had. this could take the pepsi challenge with any other vegan mac n cheese shit, any day of the fuckin’ week. what the hell does doomie put in his cheese sauce? it was so thick and creamy, and tasted like REAL cheese in a really creepy and exciting way. i could have eaten like 5 helpings…but with all that food there, i had pace myself. the salad was also damn good.

doomie's burger, piled high with bacon and slathered with cheese.

in between cooking amazing mac n cheese and quite possibly the best pot roast ever, doomie was taking special burger orders as well. the husband and i split a cheesy bacon burger and it was INSANE. they had chili burgers as well, but we skipped those because of the mess factor. regardless, our burger was awesome—from the perfectly grilled patty, to the crispy rashers of bacon, to the runny cheese sauce. i am so glad we got to try it. the crowd was super pleased as well, everyone i saw with burgers shoved in their mouths were chewing and smiling at the same time.

frito pie! fritos smothered with chili and cheese.

lastly, we helped ourselves to a serving of frito pie. it was basically chili cheese nachos with fritos instead of tortilla chips. talk about guilty pleasure. i don’t even want to think of what went into this dish…all i know is that it didn’t contain any dead animal body parts, and it tasted incredible. again, the cheese sauce was killer…it tasted just like that sketchy but tasty runny stuff that comes out of a pump and covers nachos at the movie theater or the baseball stadium. sinfully authentic vegan food. i love it.

that’s it. i tried, but i couldn’t eat anymore. as we were leaving, doomie was well into cooking some mashed potatoes and asked someone, “hey, where are the pie crusts?” we took that as our cue to run for the door. dude, too much good food! and whatever the heck involved mashed potatoes and pie crusts, well, i’m sure that was great too.

so go, go, go, GO to silver lake tomorrow and eat what doomie has to offer. who knows, this may be your last chance. i can tell you, you will definitely get your ten bucks worth and probably eat some of the best vegan food you’ve ever tried. go there, eat lots, and tip well. you and doomie both deserve it.

R.I.P. DOOMIE’S HOME COOKIN’ (at least for now). let’s hope doomie’s reopens again very soon. here’s to arguably the best restaurant ever to serve up affordable and tasty vegan food in los angeles. it’s an outright crime that they were only open for 3 short months.

for all of you who want to reminisce, click here. and here.

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a couple of weeks ago, i had the pleasure of eating a much anticipated lunch with fellow vegan blogger, foodeater of to live and eat in la. we had been planning a meal of epic proportions for quite sometime and finally chose real food daily in west hollywood as the location for our feast. after all, it’s pretty fancy and very well-reviewed. plus, i never get a chance to go there because mr. meaner, my dining partner and the other half of this blog, fucking hates the place!

since we considered the lunching of quarrygirl and foodeater a pretty special occasion, we decided to share a decadent appetizer to start, the better with cheddar nachos.

better with cheddar nachos: Tortilla chips, melted cashew cheese, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, tofu sour cream. $11.75

i have heard a ton of good things about real food daily’s nachos, and i can add to the hype by saying they were very tasty. the plate was huge and overflowing with crispy chips, black beans and guacamole. we just about finished it all off between the two of us, and i seriously have no idea how we still had room for any entrees.

although we ate them right up, i gotta say, somethings about the nachos were a let-down for me. the cashew cheese wasn’t anything like real cheese; it had no melty texture, it was more of a just a yellowish sauce. plus, we ordered jalapeno cheese, and while there was a slight hint of flavor, it really wasn’t spicy at all. while the cashew sauce wasn’t bad, i was just expecting something more thick and well…cheesy. similarly, the tofu sour cream was a little disappointing. it was drizzled over the top of the nachos, when i was wanting something more like a big blob of sour cream. the guacamole and black beans were perfect though, and the nachos were overall yummy, even if they weren’t what i expected. worth 12 bucks?…maybe.

after piling half a ton of nachos down my gob, i decided to stick with the mexican theme and order some enchiladas.

el bandito rojo: Corn enchiladas, seasoned tempeh, salsa roja, Spanish rice, black beans, pico de gallo, tofu sour cream, guacamole $13.95

i love ordering mexican food whenever i can, because in most restaurants the stuff is riddled with chicken fat and lard. real food daily’s fine-dining take on the classic enchiladas was pretty decent. the soft corn tortillas were delicate, filled with all kinds of unusual vegetables, and slathered in a rich red sauce. again, the tofu sour cream was almost nonexistent and a little disappointing. the guacamole and the salsa were amazing, as was the light and healthy-tasting enchilada filling. i can’t even place what it consisted of, but i know it was a blend of RFD’s delicious crumbled tempeh and assorted vegetables including onions and chilis. although this was a million miles away from the old-school mex enchiladas i’m used to, it was still tasty in its own right. but honestly, not worth 14 bucks.

the lovely foodeater went a completely different route with her entree, but i will let her tell you all about it when she does a write-up on her blog. going into this lunch, i definitely planned on getting some dessert, especially since my last birthday cake from RFD was so bloody delicious. unfortunately, though, we were so full after all the nachos and main courses that we just couldn’t stomach it. oh well, i guess that just gives me an excuse to go back.

overall, the food i had on this visit to real food daily was very tasty. it wasn’t incredible or spectacular though, and not worth the insane prices. i sooooo don’t mind paying a lot if i am getting something really special, and RFD just didn’t quite deliver. plus, they sat us at a really crappy table next to the bathrooms and kitchen, and there was a huge distracting ruckus going down right on the other side of the wall. the service was great though, and the presentation was beautiful, so i will definitely be back to real food daily to give it another try.

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i’m usually not a huge fan of raw food. i mean, i’d like to be—i understand how healthy, sustainable and wonderful it is…but it’s usually so expensive and something about it doesn’t taste quite right. juliano’s and leaf are great every once in awhile, but in my book they are just no substitute for “normal” food. that being said, i was a little skeptical before trying lifefood gourmet in miami, an all raw restaurant that on their website describes their meals as “culinary masterpieces.” but after eating there, i can tell you their description is an understatement. this was without a doubt some of the best food i’ve ever had, raw or otherwise, and i would eat it every day if i had the chance.

lifefood sampler: an assembly of crazy nachos with garlic bread and nori sheets topped with various pates. $12

we started our meal off with the lifefood sampler and it was freakin’ incredible! i don’t even know which bit of it was my favorite because it was all sooooo good. the crazy nachos were insane, so much better than the attempt at “chips,” usually made of flaxseed, that i’ve had at other raw restaurants. these tasted just like really tasty nachos. they were topped with salsa, guacamole and fake meat, pine nut cheese and brazil sour cream. perfection.

the nori were great as well, topped with a delicious cheese-flavored pate. they were crispy, light and devoured in about 2 seconds.

the sampler platter also came with 3 scrumptious little cucumber rolls that were filled with a creamy substance that reminded me of pesto. topped with fresh vegetables and a tasty sauce, these bite-sized rolls were both pretty to look at and delish.

as entrees, we decided to go with the life gourmet burger and the lifefood burrito. lemme tell ya, these raw dishes give their cooked counterparts a run for their money…and they are phenomenally healthy!

lifefood burrito: superfood life tortilla, mild spiced brazil nutmeat, pinenut "cheddar," guacamole, marinated portobello, lettuce and tomato. $10

i was hesitant to order this burrito at first, because almost always raw “tortillas” are pretty pitiful. i was scared this may show up wrapped in lettuce or something. instead, it came in a delicious wrap with a slight sundried tomato flavor and a chewy texture. i was very pleased. the burrito’s innards were equally impressive—the “nutmeat” (haha) tasted like soyrizo, perfectly spiced with a juicy and substantial texture. the pinenut cheddar and guacamole were packed with flavor as well and added a rich taste to the light vegetables and spicy meat. the succulent mushroom was well-marinated—i love that this burrito came with a portobello AND fake meat. i felt totally spoiled.

not to be outdone by the fab burrito, the life gourmet burger was even better.

life gourmet burger: sprouted quinoa and flax dehydrated buns, walnut pumpkin seed, brazil nut, onion, celery, flax oil patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup and mustard. $12

i can’t believe this thing was raw! how the hell do they make a bun that tastes so good without cooking it? magical! the bun was thick and spongey, soft and not dry. serious yum. the patty was even better and can only be described as luscious. one of the best vegan burgers out there happens to be raw. who’d have thought?

both dishes showed up with a top-notch salad as well—fresh leafy greens slathered in a creamy pesto-flavored dressing. i absolutely loved it.

overall, i really can’t speak highly enough of lifefood gourmet. it’s vegan, it’s raw, it’s amazingly healthy, and everything tastes delicious. plus, did you see those pictures? everything shows up at the table so beautifully presented. it’s all almost too pretty to eat. A+ all the way around. the menu is huge as well, i’m pretty disappointed my trip to miami wasn’t long enough to eat at lifefood gourmet several more times! fortunately, they have a recipe ebook online, so i am definitely gonna download it and try to learn some of their secrets.

watch out though, the restaurant is a little hard to find because it’s located on top of another great vegan restaurant.

there’s no sign or anything, so just make sure to go in this door and climb the stairs to find your raw vegany heaven.

so i don’t know what you are waiting for. if you are in miami, go eat at lifefood gourmet asap…and if you are anywhere else, check out their recipes online. best raw food ever. 

stay tuned…one more miami restaurant, then we are back to los angeles!

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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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