awesome vegan news and reviews

’snice is like the nyc equivalent of cafe muse…but even better. the small and comfy coffee shop in the west village boasts an impressive and entirely vegetarian menu, with plenty of vegan options to choose from. breakfast dishes, sandwiches, salads, wraps, and specials—’snice has it all.

snice reuben 570x346 very, very snice

vegan reuben: kraut, vegan thousand island dressing and daiya cheese. $8.75

we tried ’snice on our recent trip to new york, and after all the talk of vegan reubens in LA, of course i had to their take on the classic sandwich. unfortunately we arrived at ’snice at around 10:45am, and although they open everyday early in the morning, they don’t serve lunch until 11. the breakfast options are kind of limited and full of bell peppers, so we decided to wait it out until the full menu was available. when my sandwich finally did arrive, it was well worth the wait! while i wouldn’t call it “the best reuben ever,” it was hearty and delicious….with a huge helping of soft tempeh and melty daiya cheese. i’d recommend it.

snice vegan 570x322 very, very snice

vegan panini: smoked tofu, pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. $8.75

on top of the reuben, we also split a vegan panini…which was un-fuckin-believable! soft grilled bread, creamy dairy-free pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and huge slabs of firm tofu; could anything be more perfect. while i was a fan of the reuben, this thing was definitely more memorable. if you go to ’snice, you GOTTA TRY the vegan panini.

snice int 570x418 very, very snice

so visit ’snice when in manhattan for cheapish, satisfying, casual vegan food. it really hits the spot. just be sure to show up AFTER 11am…when all the good stuff on the menu is available.

’snice
45 8th Ave
(between Jane St & West 4th St)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 645-0310

mm club cu 570x463 INSANE new menu at the meet market! and a new VEGAN REUBEN!

starting today, the meet market in silverlake is offering loads of new menu items and extending their business hours; this is seriously something you won’t want to miss. already known for its inexpensive yet hearty vegan sandwiches, meet market is adding FOUR new incredible and praise-worthy dishes to their menu, none of which will break the bank. these items are better than the ones you’ll find at other popular vegan eateries, but average 4-5 dollars cheaper. just have a look:

mm reuben 570x342 INSANE new menu at the meet market! and a new VEGAN REUBEN!

vegan reuben: rye bread, 1000 island, sauerkraut, marinated wheat meat, balsamic beats & daiya mozzarella. $4.95

first off we have the vegan reuben at a mere $4.95. did you hear that…a vegan reuben for under $5!? in los angeles!! maybe i am just used to getting overcharged, but this is a full $6 less than some other reubens in town, and WAY BETTER. in fact i would say this could be the best vegan reuben in LA, and the fact that it costs so little when every competitor is nearing (if not over) $10, is totally mind blowing. the marinated fake meat and the dripping balsamic are totally juicy and incredible. there are flavor combos going on in this thing that you won’t find in any other los angeles reuben…it probably deserves its own blog post. seriously, try it.

mm gc cu 570x388 INSANE new menu at the meet market! and a new VEGAN REUBEN!

grilled cheese and tempeh: focaccia, daiya mozzarella, grilled onions, tempeh bacon, basil. $4.95

the next dish i tried was the grilled cheese and tempeh. to call this thing a vegan “grilled cheese sandwich” is really doing it a disservice, because every time i hear those three words, i immediately assume it’s something i could make at home. this grilled cheese sandwich, however, was fully loaded and packed with fine ingredients that i couldn’t easily re-create in my kitchen. it was served on warm and fluffy focaccia bread and filled with melty daiya cheese, sweet sticky onions, smoky meaty tempeh, and soft leafy basil. again, at $4.95…this is just stunning. some restaurants throw daiya between white bread and charge upwards of $9 for it. the meet market really gives you your money’s worth. best vegan grilled cheese ever.

mm club 570x318 INSANE new menu at the meet market! and a new VEGAN REUBEN!

vegan chicken club: sandwich roll, breaded "chicken", tempeh bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, sprouts. $5.95

similarly, the chicken club does not disappoint—a soft baguette stacked with fresh avocado, sprouts, crispy breaded faux chicken, and tempeh bacon. it’s unlike any other vegan club i’vee had in that it’s basically a fried chicken and bacon hoagie rather than a traditional double decker sandwich. it’s fat, hearty, salty and flavorful with a lot of bread and tons of creamy vegan mayo. it’s quite large, under $6, and comes with a generous serving of avocado.

mm chef salad 570x447 INSANE new menu at the meet market! and a new VEGAN REUBEN!

chef salad: chopped romaine, "beef", "chicken", "bacon", daiya cheddar and mozz, creutons, tomato, avocado, sprouts, house dressing. $6.95

last but not least, today the meet market is also introducing an incredible chef salad. a huge and hearty meal, this comes loaded with 3 varieties of faux meats, 2 types of daiya, various vegetables, avocado, and rich house dressing. this salad is so delicious and such a good value, it honestly defies description. you really must go eat it for yourself.

in addition to adding this new stuff, the meet market is revising its hours to 12pm-7pm monday through friday and 10am – 6pm saturday and sunday. that means if you work during the week, you could possibly now have time to hit up the meet market for dinner. i know i will be there at least a few times this week to get completely full for under 5 bucks.

the meet market
the meet market
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
12pm-7pm monday through friday
10am – 6pm saturday and sunday

PS: while you are there, be sure to grab a vegan bake sale cupcake. they’re downright delicious.

mm cupcakes 570x264 INSANE new menu at the meet market! and a new VEGAN REUBEN!

While we usually cover LA’s extraordinary selection of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants (vegan, vegetarian and vegan-friendly), some individual menu items in our city stand out as exceptional, and we thought they deserved their own post.

We chose no-compromise vegan foods: menu items that make no apology for being vegan and that, with only a couple of exceptions, you can order pretty much any time.

Have some things to add to the list, or stuff you don’t like? Let us know in the comments!

A Taste of Life “Breakfast Sandwich”

UPDATE: just found out that in addition to being available at the Hollywood Farmers Market, this amazing breakfast sandwich can be found at Locali…so you can eat it seven days a week!

taste of life muffin 570x433 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

Why? Because it’s awesome, and they don’t run out of them now by 10am like they used to! The Hollywood Farmer’s Market is a Mecca for LA vegans, with plenty of superb things to enjoy. However, the staple food item to eat on the spot is from Taste Of Life. Their amazing Breakfast Sandwich is substantial, filling, tasty and completely vegan, costs only $5 and can be unwrapped and eaten on the go while you’re stocking up on stupidly over-priced organic carrots.

taste of life breakfast 570x389 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

vegan breakfast sandwich: sausage, tofu, and cheese on a fluffy muffin. $5

Of course, if Taste Of Life does run out of La’s only vegan “McMuffin” , don’t forget you can get a side of amazing Mac ‘n’ Cheese which you can also wolf down while walking around the market.

Locali “Vegan Reuben”

locali reuben cu 570x355 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

LA’s eponymous Vegan Reuben Wars are, by now, legend. Despite the fact that Locali has done its best to alienate its twitter following, they do make some pretty amazing prepared vegan food, and the Reuben is no different. Like many dishes on this list, somebody sat down, deconstructed a Reuben, thought about how to veganize it, and experimented to perfect it. The resulting complex array of flavors and textures indicate this was no mean feat. We have had readers who have tried this sandwich write in from various different states, and tell us that this is the best vegan reuben they’ve ever tasted. Seriously!

locali reuben half 570x305 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

vegan reuben: marinated deli slices topped with daiya cheese, sauerkraut & smothered with homemade vegan russian dressing. $9.75

Pure Luck Anything with jackfruit in it!

pure luck torta 570x392 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

jackfruit torta: sauteed jackfruit “carnitas”, plus pinto beans, lettuce, tomato, onions, tomatillo salsa, sliced avocado and vegan mayo on a grilled rustic roll. $9

Why? Because Jackfruit, done Pure Luck style, is practically in a food group of its own. From the world infamous Todd’s Barbecue Sandwich, to the Jackfruit Torta, Tacos and Burrito, whatever they do to this exotic Bangladeshi delicacy (the Jackfruit is the National Fruit of Bangladesh, in case you didn’t know) takes it to a whole new level. Of course, any of the above ordered with a side of Potato Pals will fill you up on amazing, great value food. Oh, and they have a great selection of microbrews too, served on tap at reasonable prices…

L1020740 570x344 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

todd's bbq sandwich: BBQ Jackfruit “pulled-pork” with pickles, onions and vegan mayo on a rustic roll. choice of side. $9

Madeleine Bistro “Donut”

madeleine bistro donut 570x357 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

fresh organic donut with organic fruit compote. $2

Why? Because like everything Chef Dave prepares, the donut is at the pinnacle of vegan cuisine. Something so simple and yet so tasty is a real treat to enjoy, and it arrives warm and crispy to your table. Of course, if you go to Madeleine’s for a donut, don’t forget the other menu items so that you can order some of the best vegan food on the West Coast (or any coast, actually). Yeah, and it costs only $2… WTF?

M Cafe “Vegan Benedict”

mcafe vegan benedict 570x345 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

vegan benedict: grilled whole-grain baguette steamed kale, tomato, tempeh bacon with soy hollandaise. $10.25

Why? Because LA is awash with Vegan Benedicts, and most are created pretty equal – usually some form of English Muffin with tofu, spinach and a creamy sauce. M Cafe, however, throws all they have into the pot on this one with their own crusty bread (baked on the premises), an awesome scrambled tofu mix, crunchy tempeh bacon and perfectly steamed kale, all topped with a wonderfully creamy hollandaise-style sauce. It’s a feast for two, easily eatable by one.

Vinh Loi Tofu “VL Sub”

vinh loi ham sub 570x376 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

ham sub at vinh loi tofu $5.50

Why? Because getting full in this town on tasty vegan food for only $5.50 is only really possible in one place: Vinh Loi Tofu. Chef Kevin Tran takes a generous size half baguette, and stuffs it full of his legendary seasoned “vegan meats” (from his factory out back), tons of vegetables, fresh jalapenos and sells it at a rock bottom price. Oh, and while you’re there, order some excellent deep fried tofu, Pad Thai or noodle soup to eat in, or to go. This stuff keeps in the fridge for weeks, and heats up really well, so stock up!

Purgatory Pizza Any of their gourmet pizzas

purgatory greek 570x344 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

vegan pizza: daiya cheese, kalamata olives, fresh basil and tomatoes.

Why? Back in the day, Purgatory was the only pizza joint in LA that truly innovated the art of gourmet vegan pizza – breaking away from the humdrum Follow Your Heart cheese. Even though the legendary Chef Ricky has moved out of LA, Purgatory continues to create his awesome recipes with Daiya cheese as well as Field Roast and Gardein “meats”, gourmet sauteed vegetables and a pioneering creativity unmatched anywhere else. Also, you can BYOB, and eat in – try it, you won’t be sorry!

Purgatory was, is and (until a challenger unseats it!) the best vegan pizza in LA.

Stuff I Eat “The Soul Food Platter”

stuff i eat 570x366 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

organic soul food platter: yams, Vegan mac 'n ' cheese, Organic BBQ Tofu, organic kale greens, organic mini cornbread muffins and your choice of organic potato salad or coleslaw. $18

Why? Because just a few blocks from I405 down in Old Town Inglewood lurks one of the most sumptuous vegan dishes known to man, woman or beast. The “Soul Food Platter” is a bit of an understatement, as this dish arrives on two plates, two bowls and a jug or two of sauces and dressing and spans the gamut of Soul Food from beans to mac n cheese to cornbread and greens. (Not all of it would fit into the picture, there are side dishes missing!) This meal is arguably the best vegan thing to eat in LA, is all fresh, organic and just fucking awesome. Nuff Said. Go try it.

Meet Market “All You Can Eat Brunch”

flore cafe brunch plates 570x326 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

vegans get their fill of breakfast, orange juice, and coffee on sunday mornings. $10

Why? I’ll tell you why. Tofu scramble. Breakfast potatoes. “Bacon”. Seitan sausage. Waffles. French toast. Fresh fruit. All of it the best in town, and all of it (and as much of it) available to you most Sundays for only $10 a person. Add in unlimited organic coffee and fresh orange juice with everything completely vegan, and this event seems too good to be true. Well, it isn’t. It’s good AND true, proving heaven really is a place on earth – or in Silverlake, at least.

The Frankenstand “The Franken” or “The Witch”

frankens franken 570x376 The LA Vegan Bucket List   10 meals every vegan needs to eat in Los Angeles

the franken: this classic sausage will make you feel alive! with a monster blend of sun dried tomatoes and basil giving it a slightly sweet taste. $5

Mr. Ray “catch me if you can” Frankenstand invented illusive, desirable mobile food dining long before Kogi was a glimmer in Mike Prasad’s eye (he invented Kogi, right?!). Peering out of the shadows of an obscure MySpace page, Frankenstand now has a twitter presence and is much easier to find these days. Show up as late as you like when Frankens are being cooked, and you’ll enjoy awesome service, creative plant-based dogs and a range of sides and toppings, all completely vegan. I love standing in line at 1am outside an event watching omnivores wolfing down vegan food, and going back for more. You should too.

There are, of course, another 10 awesome meals in LA – Samosa House Jackfruit Curry, Native Foods Cheeseburger, Cafe Muse Buffalo Wrap, Cruzer Pizza (form the all-vegan location in Los Feliz), Flore Seitan Avocado Salad, Frysmith Chili Fries, Veggie Grill V Burger, Mamas Hot Tamales Enchiladas, Shojin Sushi, Yummy Cupcakes in a jar (an amazing invention, if you ask me, and the jars have a second life as wine glasses!).

There are also another 10, and 10 after that too. I love being a vegan in LA with such a huge choice of amazing things to eat every day.

heyo, friends! there is a new almost entirely vegan restaurant that just opened up on sunset in hollywood, and it’s called elderberries!

elderberries in hollywood

the brand spankin’ new eatery is run by some women who are friends, and is currently serving up a small menu of sandwiches, salads, soups and smoothies. they are hoping to have an official launch this weekend, when they will expand to a much larger four page menu. i checked elderberries out this week, and while they are still working out a few of the kinks, i think this place has great potential.

Read the rest of this entry »

vegan reuben at locali

you are probably aware that there’s a war going on in los angeles right now; an epic battle of vegan reubens. people go nuts over these sandwiches and there’s a constant search to find out which one is THE BEST. so far on this site, we’ve gone over the offerings from flore, cafe flourish, follow your heart and cafe muse, but now i think i‘ve finally found my favorite of them all…the vegan reuben from locali.

locali’s vegan reuben is tasty for so many reasons, i don’t even know where to start. two thick slices of soft and delicious swirly rye bread are stuffed with daiya cheese, creamy russian dressing, sauerkraut, and mounds of thinly-sliced faux meat. before serving, locali toasts the sandwich so it’s all warm and melty when you eat it…OMFG so good!

vegan reuben: marinated deli slices topped with daiya cheese, sauerkraut & smothered with homemade vegan russian dressing. $9.75

vegan reuben: marinated deli slices topped with daiya cheese, sauerkraut & smothered with homemade vegan russian dressing. $9.75

i love this reuben because it’s filled with pink deli slices that do a really great job at emulating corned beef. this is the kind of vegan sandwich i would feed to an omnivore to really knock their socks off. locali doesn’t skimp on the ingredients either—they use daiya, which is the best vegan cheese you can get in LA, and also an ample amount of dressing so the sandwich isn’t dry at all. they put so much faux meat and cheese in this thing, i was completely stuffed after eating just half of it. just be sure to specify that you want your reuben made vegan, because i think the default one is vegetarian.

vegan reuben at locali

sorry other reubens, as of now this one is my favorite.

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

vegan reuben at cafe muse

as you probably know, there’s a bit of a vegan reuben sandwich craze going around los angeles. a good reuben seems to get everyone all excited, and right now their are several pretty decent ones around town. we’ve talked about the sandwiches from flore, cafe flourish, and follow your heart…and today we bring you one more to add to the list: the vegan reuben from cafe muse.

the muse reuben is by default vegetarian, so when you order be sure to mention that you want it made vegan. they will fill your sandwich up with delectable “ham,” follow your heart cheese, loads of sauerkraut and gooey thousand island. this makes for a super hearty and satisfying sandwich that will keep you going for the rest of the day. unfortunately, there isn’t a rye bread option at cafe muse, so the sandwich comes on your choice of wheat (pictured above) or pumpernickel.

vegan reuben: veggie ham served warm with soy mozzarella, thousand island dressing, and sauerkraut. with your choice of side. $8.50

vegan reuben: veggie ham served warm with soy mozzarella, thousand island dressing, and sauerkraut. with your choice of side. $8.50

while cafe muse’s reuben may not appear to be as special as some of the others on the list, and i definitely wouldn’t call it the best in town, it’s a damn fine sandwich at a very reasonable price. it clocks in at only $8.50, and that includes a generous side of sweet potato fries. and the sweet potato fries, well they are fucking incredible. they are thin, crispy and flavorful…with just the right amount of grease. the fact that you can get a big old sandwich and a mound of fries for under 9 bucks sounds pretty good to me.

if you aren’t in the mood for fried stuff, you can also get your sandwich with a side of salad or crispy tortilla chips. pictured below the muse vegan reuben with greens on pumpernickel. while it may not be quite the steal that a large helping of sweet potato fries is, the side salad at cafe muse is awesome. they use dark leafy greens, and also give you a generous amount of tomatoes and cucumbers. pure yum any way you look at it.

cafe muse vegan reuben on pumpernickle

so there you have it, the cafe muse reuben is one decent sandwich. it certainly isn’t going to win any awards or anything, but i would order it again and i don’t think you can get a better reuben for under ten bucks!

cafe muse
6547 Santa Monica Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90038
323-464-6873

fyh reuben cu 570x363 the vegan reuben wars: follow your heart

as i’ve mentioned before, vegans have an unhealthy obsession with reubens. i don’t know what it is about sauerkraut, thousand island, and rye bread that gives every vegan i know a hard on, but it never fails.

i’ve written blog posts on 2 vegan reubens in los angeles before, and each time i’ve gotten comments from people urging me to go to follow your heart and try their reuben. not only that, but three of my favorite blogs named it the best vegan reuben in town. i went to follow your heart over the weekend with super high expectations and finally got my mouth around the legendary sandwich.

the reuben: thinly sliced wheatmeat, cottage-style tofu, sauerkraut, mustard and vegenaise on oversized rye bread, oven-baked. served with dill pickle and thousand island dressing. $10.75

the reuben: thinly sliced wheatmeat, cottage-style tofu, sauerkraut, mustard and vegenaise on oversized rye bread, oven-baked. served with dill pickle and thousand island dressing. $10.75

one thing the FYH reuben definitely has going for it is SIZE. the thing is absolutely ginormous—definitely big enough for two people to share. it clocks in at just under 11 bucks, so i would definitely say you get your money’s worth. the weak side of carrot chips leaves something to be desired, so next time i would consider upgrading and paying a bit more for french fries.

the vegan version of the sandwich comes with your choice of cottage-style tofu or follow your heart vegan cheese. since i can’t stand FYH cheese, i went with the cottage-style tofu, which was nothing short of excellent. they layered it on nice and thick, and it gave the sandwich a hearty and thick texture that i quite enjoyed.

the follow your heart reuben is also piled high with slices of wheat meat, rather than tempeh like many vegan reubens, so it has a similar taste and texture to its meaty counterpart. the faux meat FYH uses is awesome as well, just chewy enough and very flavorful.

the one issue i had with this sandwich, and the only reason i’m not yelling in all caps “OMFG THIS WAS THE BEST VEGAN REUBEN EVER,” is that it was pretty dry. after the fact i was told by foodeater that i should have ordered it with extra thousand island on the side, and i will definitely take her advice next time. something about the combination of the crispy (maybe slightly over-baked) bread and the not-too-moist cottage tofu left me wishing the whole thing was a little more juicy.

fyh reuben side 570x234 the vegan reuben wars: follow your heart

so to recap, follow your heart’s reuben is indeed awesome. is it the best? maybe.

pros:
it’s really fucking big.
the wheat meat is awesome.
the cottage-style tofu is absolutely incredible.

cons:
the side of carrot chips is kinda lame.
the sandwich without extra dressing can be a bit dry.

overall, the FYH reuben scores pretty high here at quarrygirl.com, with just a few points being deducted for the dryness. it’s nothing that couldn’t be easily fixed though—if the bread were a bit softer and there was a tad more dressing, this sandwich would have been an a+ rather than an a-.

head on over to follow your heart and check this sandwich out. let me know what you think. i highly recommend the cottage-style tofu and a side of extra thousand island.

follow your heart
21825 Sherman Way
Canoga Park, CA 91303
(818) 348-3240

after my recent sandwich obsession post about the tempeh reuben at flore in silverlake, a bunch of vegans started chiming in with suggestions of other restaurants where i could find awesome reubens. one name that kept coming up was cafe flourish, and commenter AWk even went as far as to call it “the best vegan reuben in los angeles.” oh REALLY? naturally i had to head to flourish right away and check out this sandwich.

Love Reuben: Savory marinated tempeh with house-made Swiss, sauerkraut & avocado with Russian dressing on rye. $11.95

Love Reuben: Savory marinated tempeh with house-made Swiss, sauerkraut & avocado with Russian dressing on rye. $11.95

while i can’t confirm this is the best vegan reuben in town, because i haven’t tasted all of the contenders, i can tell you that it’s the best sandwich i’ve eaten in a long, long time. at first i thought it was pretty pricey at nearly 12 bucks for just a sandwich, but when i saw how massive and stuffed this thing was, i knew it was a good value. seriously, there must have been an entire package-worth of tempeh in there, and about half a cup of creamy thousand island dressing.

everything in this sandwich was delicious, i can definitely see why y’all were raving about it in the comments section. the tempeh was flavorful and the block of house-made swiss was absolutely fantastic…i would love to know how they do it. i love the fact that there was a huge slice of avocado in it as well, you don’t see that very often in reubens and it’s a damn shame. the only downside of this beautiful sandwich was that it was so packed with tempeh, sauerkraut and dressing that it was difficult to eat with out spilling it. i couldn’t even finish the thing, so i wrapped up half of it and the leftovers were enough for another entire meal. booya.

so whether or not this is the best vegan reuben in LA, i dunno. but i know it’s a fucking awesome reuben and i will be ordering it again. one of these days i will have to drag myself to the valley and hit up follow your heart for what To Live and Eat in LA calls “the world’s best vegan reuben sandwich”. the follow your heart reuben has also gotten a strong endorsement from Sick of Lettuce, so i am pretty interested to see how it holds up against flourish’s masterful sandwich.

i’m starting to see why vegans have this crazy obsession with reuben sandwiches. i’m hooked, and i am gonna try as many as i can. stay tuned.

there’s something weird going on with vegans and reuben sandwiches. i have never actually even had a ‘real’ reuben sandwich, but it seems that there’s obsession with them in the vegan community. vegan chefs i know are obsessed with making them, they are huge topics on most vegan blogs, and my vegan friends from other cities have the reuben itch as well. what is all the fuss about some mock meat, soy cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing?! i mean really!? i had to find out. after hearing all this reuben talk everywhere i went, i decided i better get with the program and order one of these suckers for myself from one of los angeles’ favorite vegan-reuben-serving joints, flore on sunset.

tempeh reuben: grilled reuben sandwich served on organic corn rye with layers of tofu cheese, cashew cheese, tempeh, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. served with your choice of side. $9.95

tempeh reuben: grilled reuben sandwich served on organic corn rye with layers of tofu cheese, cashew cheese, tempeh, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. served with your choice of side. $9.95

holy crap. one bite of this thing, and i started to understand why everyone makes a big deal over these sandwiches. flore’s tempeh reuben was served up on flavorful rye bread, grilled on both sides, and stuffed with bits of tempeh & 2 kinds of ‘cheese’. the sauerkraut and thousand island dressing complimented each other perfectly, making for a winning sweet/sour combination. this sandwich was fucking bomb. much better than i expected it to be.

flore tempeh reuben cu1 570x361 sandwich obsession: vegan reuben at flore

while the sandwich was regular-sized, by no means large (especially for $9.95), it was packed with so much rich flavor that i was completely stuffed after eating just half of it. i threw the other half on the panini press for breakfast the next day, and it was even better than the night before. i can’t really speak on vegan reubens in general, but i can tell you flore’s tempeh rueben is an a+. i’m looking forward to ordering this warm, comforting sandwich again in the very near future.

flore vegan cuisine
3818 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 953-0611
Tue-Fri. 11:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

what a sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad fucking day. it looks like the awesome vegan spot on sunset has finally called it quits. after much speculation and a totally strange ad hawking the business on craigslist of all places, the vegan spot has silently and calmly closed its doors…leaving hungry unsuspecting herbivores like me totally fucked on a friday night. (we are so used to grabbing vegan spot take-out!)

maybe i should have seen it coming. the last 3 times we tried to get take-out, they were closed. first, it was “due to renovations,” unbeknownst to me. next, a few days later, it was closed “due to the holidays.” now, it’s just closed due to being fucking closed. for days, the phone has been ringing through to an answering machine. for criminy’s sake, even yelpers have started to notice.

i drove by for myself and the place was boarded up. the lights were off. the phone rang straight to a fax machine. those chef salads and cheesey sandwiches that i dream about were nowhere to be found. ugh.

the vegan spot as of 9pm pst, 12/05/08. R.I.P. we miss ya already.

the vegan spot as of 9pm pst, 12/05/08. R.I.P. we miss ya already.

i guess the vegan spot has been in dire straights for quite some time. ever since they threw the biz up for sale on craigslist, their stability has been totally suspect. maybe this market proved to be just as unkind to the plant-eaters as it was to everyone else…and the vegan spot had to eventually shut its doors. what can i say, rent on on sunset surely ain’t cheap.

let’s reminisce a bit, eh? i will show you some of the stuff i last ate there….so you can feel as bad as me.

vegan reuben: tangy blend of corned beef, tofu cheese, sauerkraut, thousand island and soy mozzarella on a warm toasted bun. $9.95

vegan reuben: tangy blend of corned beef, tofu cheese, sauerkraut, thousand island and soy mozzarella on a warm toasted bun. $9.95

this sandwich was bloody awesome. greasy condiments, meaty soyness and sweet sauerkraut made for the perfect combo. i only got to eat it once, and i still can’t get it out of my head. god, this sandwich was killer.

bbq tempeh sandwich: sloppy joe tempeh and soy mozzarella on a sandwich roll. $8.95

bbq tempeh sandwich: sloppy joe tempeh and soy mozzarella on a sandwich roll. $8.95

the deceased bbq tempeh sandwich was also a winner. slathered in fake melty cheese, tangy bbq sauce, and stacked with protein…it gave all other vegan bbq sandwiches in los angeles a run for their money.

i will miss the fuck out of you, vegan spot.

what sucks most is, i should have seen it coming. the vegan spot started to tank right at the announcement of its sale. the chef salad went down hill, and some dishes started showing up totally jacked. for instance, the chicken rice bowl:

chicken rice bowl: brown rice, chicken strips, tomato, onion, spinach and lemon with a side of tamari. $7.95

chicken rice bowl: brown rice, chicken strips, tomato, onion, spinach and lemon with a side of tamari. $7.95

the description above sounds alright, huh? yeah, but my bowl came with no onion, no spinach, no tomatoes and no lemon. instead…it came with a fat serving of bell peppers, cucumbers and uncooked cashews for some reason. this dish was totally inedible. i’m sad to say this was actually my last time eating at the vegan spot, my old favorite restaurant. i tried to give them another chance tonight, but they were closed for the 4th time in a row.

oh fucking well. at least pure luck survived their accident. they give me hope for vegan restaurants in los angeles.