it isn’t very often you hear me get excited about a salad, but the chilled orient from healthyca is something to write home about.

chilled orient: buckwheat noodles, tofu, carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, rice sticks, black sesame seeds, seaweed, baby greens. $9.24

it’s less like a salad, and more like a huge bed of noodles piled high with vegetables, two kinds of tofu, rice sticks, seeds, and baby greens. there is so much going on in this thing, and i can safely say it’s the best noodle salad i’ve ever eaten. the buckwheat soba noodles are substantial and filling, and all the leaves are insanely fresh. the best part about this salad though, is the generous portion of grilled marinated tofu. it’s crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle, and very deliciously flavored. healthyca also throws in a hearty amount of soft tofu for good measure, and the combo produces some very tasty results.

the meal clocks in at under 10 bucks, and also comes with a side and dressing of your choice. i got mine with quinoa, and a cup of non-fat basil. seriously sooooo good.

the pictures don’t do this thing justice, and i can’t talk it up enough….so you are gonna have to go experience this salad for yourself. i don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

healthyca
monday-friday
11am-6pm
4724 lankershim blvd
noho, ca 91602
818-505-1035

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soup and salad combo: large soup or chili with a side serving of an entree salad. $8.50

lately, i just can’t get enough of the soup and salad combo at veggie grill. for only $8.50, it comes with a huge bowl of chili or soup of the day, along with a healthy portion of the salad of your choice. i order this all the time, and i rarely finish it—it’s so much food!

chop-chop chef: chopped romain, tempeh, veggie steak, chillin' chickin, green onion, roasted corn salsa with a chipotle ranch dressing.

i have tried a bunch of the salads at veggie grill, and my favorite one by far is the chop-chop chef. it comes fully loaded with two kinds of gardein meat, fluffy quinoa, tempeh and vegetables all in a creamy ranch dressing. seriously, it’s soooooo good. even just the side salad that is served with the combo is pretty big and filling on its own…and i haven’t even gotten to the chili yet!

bean me up chili: red and white beans, touch of soy cream, chopped green and red onion.

i am a huge fan of the chili at veggie grill, so that’s almost always what i get with my combo. it doesn’t have any fake meat in it; instead it’s just a rich flavorful mixture of red and white beans garnished with soy sour cream. the serving with the combo is generous, and it even comes with a side of delicious herb toasted crisps (not pictured).

i could seriously eat this soup/salad combination every single day. it’s so tasty and so filling, and it’s under 10 dollars. what more do i require?!

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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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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uneducated people think that vegans only eat salad, but we know better than that. one look around this blog shows that peeps adhering to an animal-free lifestyle can still enjoy ‘meat’, ‘cheese’, sandwiches, burgers, ice cream and cupcakes just like the rest of the world. sometimes, however, a good animal-free salad can be hearty enough to satisfy the omnivores and herbivores alike…and such is true of the avocado seitan salad at flore.

avocado seitan salad: bed of mixed greens with sliced avocado, grilled seitan, daikon sprouts, tomato and red onion. served with your choice of tahini, 1000 island, vinaigrette or miso dressing. $9.95

i’m not much of a salad person, but this may very well be one of the best menu items i’ve ever tasted. for under 10 bucks you get a large serving of soft leafy greens (more than i can eat), topped with sexy grilled chunks of homemade seitan and fresh vegetables in a dressing of your choosing, all garnished with generous slices of creamy avocado. i always go with the tahini dressing (it’s thick and rich, yet not over-powering)….but i hear that the 1000 dressing is killer as well.

if you feel like eating a salad that will actually make you full, head over to flore in silverlake. this dish will satisfy the meatiest of cravings, and it’s still a mere healthy and organic salad! win/win!

Flore
3818 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 953-0611

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if you ever find yourself in thousand oaks, be sure to grab a meal at PizzaSalad. the all organic eatery focuses on “environmentally responsible” pizza and salad, which of course means they have loads of vegan options. we tried them out a few weeks ago, and all our food was not just delicious, but extremely fresh and healthy tasting.

pizza special: soy-free vegan cheese, broccoli, zucchini and tomatoes. $16

the day we were there, PizzaSalad was advertising a specialty pizza packed with vegetables including broccoli, zucchini and tomatoes. we just had to try it. the restaurant had two different kinds of vegan cheese to choose from, one with soy and one that was soy-free. when we asked if either of the cheeses contained casein, the employee behind the counter pulled out an ingredient list for both. they were both 100% vegan, and we went with the soy-free option that was made from cassava root. the pizza was absolutely wonderful. thin chalky crust, perfectly melted cheese, and a generous amount of vegetables. a+!

kosa salad: crisp romaine and iceberg lettuce, portobella mushrooms, natural black olives and artichokes tossed in grava dressing. $6.30

we also ordered a salad to share—the kosa, which comes with romaine, iceberg, portobella mushrooms, black olives and artichokes. it was all tossed in a unique vegan dressing made from a blend of oil, tahini, cider vinegar, soy sauce, lemon juice, herbs and spices. the salad at first didn’t really sound that interesting to me, but with one bite it blew me away. it was tangy and flavorful and filled with the freshest produce you can imagine. the salad was just as good (if not better) than the pizza!

i really can’t fault any of the food we ate at PizzaSalad, everything was top notch. the atmosphere is really casual, with a counter you order at and a few small tables for dining. my only complaint with this place is that the dude who served us was rude beyond belief. as he showed us the ingredients for the vegan cheeses, he looked totally annoyed that we had asked about casein. then i smiled at him on the way out and he gave me a really nasty look. whatever, i will be back to PizzaSalad because the food was fucking awesome.

PizzaSalad
1655 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd #104
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
805-371-7878

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

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.

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UPDATE 12/18: sorry it took so long, but we finally have some winners for the caption contest!!!!
the winners are alex with “(looks down at weight watchers info sheet ) ‘phew it’s only 2 pts’”
and lisa with “Think twice before you make fun of men who eat salad.”
that’s all. and i’d like to extend a huge congrats to alex because he also won our first captions contest…which now means he is undefeated.<end of update!>

man, i really love tender greens in los angeles. the casual eatery specializes in big hearty salads, and has a pretty good selection of beer on tap. they use seasonal, locally grown vegetables and mostly organic ingredients…and just about everything i’ve eaten there has been delicious.

grilled veggies, crunchy lettuces, roasted tomato vinaigrette (no cheese). $10.50

i think just two of the salads are vegan by default (the happy vegan and the salad in the raw), but several of them can be made vegan by substituting vegetables for meat or omitting ingredients. above we have the grilled veggies salad, which can be veganized by leaving off the cheese. this thing comes loaded up with perfectly cooked vegetables and crunchy greens in a tomato vinaigrette. my salad came packed with halved brussels sprouts, delicate broccolini, squash, cauliflower, and zucchini. the vegetables at tender greens are always changing, so be sure to let them know if you have any aversions.

happy vegan: tabbouleh, hummus, pasta pearls, farro wheat, young kale, tender greens. $10.5

i know i’ve blogged about this next dish before, but you really can’t visit tender greens and not try the happy vegan. this little plate is full of pure vegan goodness including tabbouleh, green hummus, pasta, farro wheat and succulent greens. this thing is worth ordering for the green hummus alone….i don’t know what goes into it but the yum factor is uncharted. to be honest, this dish isn’t really a salad at all—it’s more like a feast of delicious vegan tapas.

on top of the great food, there is much more to love about tender greens. first off, you order at the counter. the food comes out super fast and there’s no fuckery with waiting for the check, etc. second, the atmosphere is way relaxing. they’ve got comfy booths, tables by the window, outdoor seating, you name it. thirdly, BEER ON TAP. if you are reading this post from a city like san francisco or portland, that may not seem like a big deal….but in LA it is so bleeding hard to find a place where you can drink beer and eat vegan food. and tender greens has a damn good selection, too. our meals above were enjoyed with two frosty pints of lagunitas pilsner. i really can’t ask for much more than that in a restaurant.

tender greens
8759 santa monica blvd.
west hollywood, ca 90069
(they also have locations in culver city and san diego)

oh, and before i forget, it’s time for the second quarrygirl caption contest! the first one was a lot of fun, and the winning captions were awesome. so come up with a caption for the picture below (we spotted this dude wolfing down a salad and some bread at tender greens), and we will post the best ones on the site!

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as you may know, on this blog we’ve been compiling a list of restaurants that can accommodate vegans during dineLA restaurant week. recently, i decided to put this info to use and hit up susan feniger’s street with my former dineLA partner in crime, jennshaggy.

when we arrived, the restaurant wasn’t very crowded and we leisurely sunk a few cocktails before placing our order. the pink drink above was mine…and it was so damn good, i can’t even remember its name. if you like fancy drinks though, street is your place. their cocktails and sangria are absolutely amazing, and they even have a drink made with absinthe on the menu!

our waitress presented us with the special dineLA menus, and when we told her we were vegans, she rushed to the kitchen to speak with the chef. she returned quickly with a list of modifications we could make to each item in order to veganize it, and our restaurant week experience was underway!

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beer beer beer. on tap.

it’s no secret that pure luck is one of the best vegan restaurants in los angeles. the small eatery has an inventive menu with lots of mexican-style cuisine and sandwiches and also boasts a great selection of micro brews at a reasonable price. i’m talking 16 ounces of stone ipa and pliny the elder for $5! best deal in town!

i wanna just take a minute to show you some of my favorite things i’ve ever eaten at pure luck. i hope this gets you drooling.

you are not allowed to eat at pure luck without trying the jackfruit. they make the most insane “carnitas” tacos out of marinated jackfruit that impresses every omnivore i know.

taco combo plate: 2 tacos with rice and pinto beans, or side cesar salad. $8

they can also throw those carnitas in a mexican sandwich called a torta with tomato, onion, avocado and vegenaise. made on soft, fluffy la brea bakery bread, this is one of my favorite items on the menu.

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

other amazing sandwiches include the tofu pesto…

tofu pesto sandwich: grilled tofu and fresh basil-spinach pesto on a rustic roll, with romaine and onions and vegan mayo. $8

and angelica’s garmabanzo salad sandwich (think tuna sandwich, but way better)!

angélica’s garbanzo salad sandwich: Need a comfort food fix? You won’t be disappointed by our Garbanzo salad. Served on a grilled rustic roll with tomatoes, onions, lettuce and pickles. $7

as a side dish, i highly recommend the vegan soup of the day.

vegan soup? yeah!

or some potato pals! just ask your waiter or waitress for these and they will hook you up…even though the pals aren’t listed as a side on the menu.

POTATO PALS

the salads at pure luck are pretty damn good too. they make the best vegan ceasar that i’ve ever tasted.

cesar salad with tofu: romaine lettuce topped with grilled tofu, sliced avocado, onions, croutons and our lemon-garlic César dressing. $8

just look at that juicy little bite of marinated tofu. i wanna kill it!

doesn’t that all look delicious?! don’t get me wrong…pure luck has some annoying flaws that have to be mentioned. let’s go through this very quickly:
1.) the food is inconsistent. somedays it’s better than others.
2.) the soy fish at pure luck may contain casein. (i avoid it just in case)
3.) pure luck used to have really comfortable seating and then they replaced most of it with high tables and bar stools that nobody wants to sit at. there are still a few decent seats though.

even after those gripes, pure luck is one of the best restaurants in los angeles. so there you have it: i am totally butt-crazy in love with pure luck. if you like vegan food, beer, or awesomeness, you should eat there as soon as possible.

pure luck
707 N Heliotrope Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 660-5993

open 11am to Midnight, Mon – Sat
closed Sundays

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big macro: whole grain brown rice and veggie burger, special sauce, lettuce, tofu cheese, pickles, onion & sprouts on a house-baked whole wheat bun. comes with a deli side salad. $9.95

i think a lot of people would agree with me when i say that m cafe’s big macro is the best vegan burger in los angeles. it’s big, it’s hearty, it has a homemade patty made of rice and vegetables, and it’s covered in melted cheese and creamy sauce. the big macro comes with a side salad of your choice (i suggest the spicy kale) and usually sells for $11.45. well until november 9th, m cafe is offering a special deal on their popular burger, and selling it for just $9.95! the best vegan burger in LA and a hefty side salad for under ten bucks?! yes please!

M Chopped: organic hearts of romaine & mixed greens, avocado, cucumber, chickpeas herb-baked tofu, scallions, ume-pickled radishes, carrots, beets, tamari-roasted almonds, crumbled tempeh “bacon” , tofu-peppercorn ranch

in addition to the discounted burger, m cafe is also offering their most popular salad for $9.95 until november 9th. the m chopped is massive and comes filled with fresh vegetables, tender leaves, tempeh bacon, and herb-baked tofu. damn, it’s so good.

so, that’s all. i suggest you get over to m cafe and take advantage of these discounts. and if you haven’t tried the big macro yet, you know nothing about vegan burgers. nothing!

m cafe de chaya
7119 Melrose Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90046
323.525.0310

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dude, i wasn’t lying when i said portland has everything for vegans. on top of the vegan grocery store, the tattoo parlor, the bakery, the pub, the donut shops, and the billions of other neat places…they also have an all vegetarian and vegan-friendly arcade. backspace cafe calls itself “portland’s entertainment mecca”—its 4,000 square foot space houses video games, pool tables, computers for web surfing, an art gallery, and a meat-free restaurant complete with draught beer & stumptown coffee. plus, the place doubles as a live music venue and hosts awesome events such as “rockband night”. hell yeah!

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Every so often in the LA vegan scene I run into somebody that says “You know, I wish I’d eaten at The Vegan Spot before it closed down”. Well, Los Angeles vegans, its successor restaurant Flore Cafe (sister restaurant to the amazing Flore) is in need of our attention once again.

Most LA vegans would put the esteemed Silverlake restaurant Flore in their top five vegan dining options in the city. An innovative menu, all-organic ingredients and incredible attention to detail in both the preparation and presentation of the food really sets it apart from places like Cafe Flourish (fast dining, limited menu). If only parking was easier in Silverlake, we’d probably visit Flore a whole lot more than we do.

Well, rising from the ashes of The Vegan Spot (my favorite ever LA vegan restaurant) just half a mile or so away from Flore is Flore Cafe. While owned by the same people as Flore, the Cafe is not entirely vegan (having eggs and milk products on the menu), but it serves many similar menu items as its sister restaurant a few blocks south – all organic, all very well thought out and all absolutely wonderfully prepared.

On a recent visit to Flore Cafe, we decided to order the Avocado and Seitan Salad and Tempeh Tu-no Melt – boy, we were not disappointed.

Avocado & Seitan Salad: Bed of mixed greens with sliced avocado, sprouts, grilled seitan, tomato and red onion. Served with choice of vinaigrette or tahini dressing. $9.95

The salad was crispy and fresh, perfectly prepared and the seitan was some of the best I’ve ever had (I don’t know how Flore make their seitan, but I wish I could make it the way they do!). In addition to the amazing seitan, all the ingredients in the salad were top notch. At first, nearly $10 seemed like a lot to pay for a salad…but when this bowl arrived overflowing with wheat meat and fresh produce, $10 seemed like a bargain. The tahini dressing was deliciously creamy as well, I couldn’t fault anything about this dish.

Tempeh Tu-no Melt: Tempeh salad, daikon sprouts and cashew cheese layered on organic seeded six grain bread grilled to warm, soulful perfection. Served with a mixed green salad. $8.95

The Tempeh Tu-no Melt was also truly outstanding – a well filled toasted sandwich with a sizable side of equally crispy salad. The melt was stuffed with a creamy and chunky tempeh salad mixture, with just the right amount of crunch. It tasted amazing all mixed up with Flore’s flavorful cashew cheese and the slightly sour daikon sprouts. Like the seitan salad, this melt was enormous. Each half was packed with a ton of tempeh; we ended up taking half of it home for a later meal.

Flore Cafe has a great menu, with tons of options, considering how small the place is. Whether you are in the mood for a full on breakfast, a hearty burger, a toasted sandwich or a burrito…Flore Cafe is your place. Here are just a few of the other things we’ve eaten there. If you are a reader of this blog, you’ve probably seen these pix before:

Smokey Seitan & Portobello Burger: served with red onion, lettuce, tomato, vegenaise and a side salad. $9.95

Flore Cafe offers 4 types of veggie burgers. I highly recommend the seitan and portobello burger—a large patty made of wheat meat and mushrooms all topped off with loads of vegetables.

Tofu Scramble: Tofu, tomato, basil, mushroom, red onion & spinach. $6.95

The tofu scramble at Flore Cafe is one of the best breakfast dishes in Los Angeles, and just about the only vegan one I can think for under $7. It comes with mounds of chunky tofu mixed with spinach and mushrooms, as well as a generous helping of tomato and avocado. Goes great with hot sauce.

Breakfast Burrito: Tofu scramble, cashew cheese, potatoes, avocado and pico de gallo ina whole wheat tortilla. Served with a side of fruit. $6.95

The breakfast burrito is also a good deal at $6.95—lots of perfectly cooked tofu, potatoes and avocado rolled up tight in an oversized tortilla.

I know we have given them flack before on this blog for serving eggs and dairy, but I’d strongly recommend visiting Flore Cafe both in the near future and on a regular basis. Like so many tiny businesses these days the economy isn’t on its side so all the help we can give Flore Cafe to remain on our list as a superb restaurant with a bunch of vegan options will, I’m sure, be much appreciated.

Let’s not lose the entire menu from Flore Cafe due to closure or reassignment of the lease to an omnivorous establishment. We’ve already seen Vegan Spot go away, as well as Flore Cafe cease offering LA’s best ever vegan breakfast deal: the “all you can eat” sunday breakfast brunch. Go pay Flore Cafe a visit… today!

Flore Cafe
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso…not to be confused with Flore at Sunset Junction)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 667-0116

open daily 10am-5pm

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mrs. winston's salad bar. $7.95 per pound.

vegans, forget everything you know. you have not been to a salad bar until you’ve been to mrs. winston’s green grocery. the small deli has a build-your-own salad and sandwich section that puts even the venice whole foods to shame. we hit up mrs. winston’s in santa monica over the weekend and enjoyed some overflowing boxes of salad on their pleasant outdoor patio. i can’t believe have a been a vegan in los angeles for so many years and this was only my first time eating here. the food completely blew my mind.

the long tables where you fill up your take-out container are just overflowing with fresh organic produce, vegan pastas, loads of specialty vegan items like “egg”, “turkey”, and “chicken” salad, plus about 20 different kinds of marinated tofu—all at just $7.95 per pound. vegan salad heaven, i am telling you!

everything that’s vegan is clearly labeled as such, so there’s no guesswork involved in filling up your box with meatless goodness.

there are about two walls full of just vegan offerings, and i think it would take several trips of gorging myself at mrs. winston’s before i could possibly try everything.

we shoved as much delicious food as we could into our take-out boxes, and completely stuffed ourselves for just $17. i definitely will be back to mrs. winston’s, and i can’t wait.

mrs. winstons actually has 3 locations on the westside—one on ocean park, one on colorado, and one on avenue of the stars. i went to the ocean park location, as i’m pretty sure it’s the only one open on weekends.

so head over to mrs. winston’s green grocery as soon as you have a chance. and show up HUNGRY, because it’s the best vegan salad bar in town!

mrs. winston’s green grocery
3150 Ocean Park Blvd
Ste A
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 452-7770

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if you read the LA vegan sites, you’ve probably heard of jennshaggy’s recipe blog. well recently, jenn has been doing more than blogging; she’s lent a hand to fratelli cafe on melrose and has helped them design an extensive vegan menu. now the small eatery has a variety of vegan sandwiches, wraps, and salads stuffed with high-quality meat substitutes, fresh vegetables and marinated tofu. i have dined at fratelli cafe twice, and both times the food was delicious.

chinese tofu salad: marinated tofu, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, red onions, crushed peanuts and organic sesame soy dressing. $10.95

on my first visit to fratelli, they had just run out of their meat substitutes, so the only protein option they had was marinated tofu. my friend and i decided to get two entrees and split them: the chinese chicken salad (with tofu instead of chicken), and the mexican cilantro wrap. while i was a little skeptical of having tofu rather than chicken in the salad, it turned out to be wonderful. this was indeed some of the best marinated tofu i’ve ever had. it was slightly crisp and oily on the outside, then soft and juicy in the center. seriously tasty stuff. the rest of the salad was on point as well, all extremely fresh with an excellent vegan dressing.

the mexican cilantro wrap did not disappoint, either. it was filled with the same amazing tofu plus vegetables, salsa and vegan cheese. since a jennshaggy designed the menu and told fratelli which brands to buy, you can trust that things like the fake cheese and meat are truly vegan. for a cheese substitute they use follow your heart, which isn’t my favorite, but it tasted pretty good in this wrap.

mexican cilantro wrap: chicken or tofu, lettuce, tomato, salsa, red onions, avocado, cilantro dressing, vegenaise, and shredded mozzarella. $10.95

i hit up fratelli cafe again a few days later, and luckily the fake meat products were back in stock…

mediterranean salad: chicken or tofu, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, white balsamic vinaigrette, shredded mozzarella. $10.95

my friend ordered the mediterranean salad with chicken, and we were pleased to find it topped with huge thick slices of well-seasoned gardein. the only complaint i’d have about this salad, is it seemed to come with normal lettuce, not spinach like the menu indicated…and the follow your heart cheese was cut in cubes, not shredded. it impressed my omnivorous friend though, and she happily ate all of it.

pesto chicken sandwich: chicken, lettuce, tomato, red onion, non dairy pesto, mozzarella and mayo. $10.95

i ordered the pesto chicken sandwich was also stacked with gardein chicken and a garlicky vegan pesto sauce. this is my favorite thing so far i’ve ordered from fratelli. gardein is just so moist and flavorful, with stuff like this out there, i don’t understand why anyone eats meat. the pesto was also incredible, creamy and so full of flavor, the dairy was not missed one bit.

so next time you find yourself on melrose, head over to fratelli cafe and check out their new vegan menu that our local jennshaggy designed. just grab the laminated menu and flip all the way to the back for the vegan selections. yum.

fratelli cafe
7200 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 938-2233
7 days 6:30am – 11pm

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next time you are looking for a big hearty mexican meal that’s not laced with lard and filled with chicken stock, look no further than highland park. head over to cinnamon vegetarian, a completely meat-free mexican restaurant where nearly everything on the menu can be made vegan.

mushroom cocktail: mushrooms, tomato, cilantro and cucumber. $6.25

we hadn’t been to cinnamon in nearly a year, but when we hit up the modest eatery over the weekend, we were blown away by how good everything was—i don’t know why it took me so long to go back! we started with the mushroom cocktail (pictured above), which was a glass filled with a thick tomato-y liquid, spices and chopped vegetables. everything was fresh, chunky, and all around delicious. i would recommend this as an appetizer if you are looking for something light. alternatively, if you wanna go all out, they also have a selection of vegan empanadas and flautas.

2 tacos: 1 chorizo, 1 tofu. $4.75

for my entree, even though it’s on the appetizer menu, i ordered tacos…one vegan chorizo, and one tofu. these tacos were absolutely enormous and incredible. stuffed with soy meat and tofu, and completely overflowing with greens, cabbage, and creamy guacamole. the tofu taco was my favorite, because the tofu was lightly covered in a delicious pesto-y flavor sauce. it was green, spicy, and insanely delicious. don’t be fooled by the small price tag, these tacos were massive and definitely enough to make a meal for one.

my husband ordered the garden salad with tofu, which was a huge plate of dark mixed greens, fresh vegetables, and the same wonderfully marinated tofu that was in my taco. i was a little skeptical when he ordered a “garden” salad at a mexican restaurant…i was expecting it to be low-grade ice berg lettuce with a couple tomato chunks. instead he got a huge appetizing dish with fresh ingredients and mounds of protein. it actually made me kinda jealous.

garden salad with tofu: lettuce, cucumber, carrot, red onions, beet and alfalfa. with tahini dressing. $8.20

overall, everything we ordered at cinnamon was top notch and very tasty. i give this place an a+ and suggest you check it out asap. supposedly almost anything can be made vegan, but you may wanna ask to see ingredient labels for the vegan cheese and soy chicken. just sayin…i haven’t tried it.

cinnamon
5511 North Figueroa St.
Highland Park, CA 90042
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday | 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM
Tuesday | Closed
Friday & Saturday | 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday | 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM

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