I have lived in L.A. for 6 years now and have never been to one Dodger Game! I'm not really a sports fan but I figured it would be fun and I heard there were some recently added vegan options so that peaked my interest. My girlfriend and her co-workers got us tickets so we headed out on a hot summer night to Echo Park.
Portland is one of my all time favorite cities to visit. The main reason is all of the epic vegan food they have to offer. With too many amazing restaurants to name, I chose to select a handful of my favorite to highlight some comfort food classics. These are definitely spots you don’t want to miss when visiting.
Feeling spontaneous, I decided to join her on this trip because I hadn’t been to NYC since I was a teenager. Long before I was vegan and an adult. My dad used to live there and I would visit at least once a year. Unfortunately, he was there when 9/11 happened living and working just blocks away but fortunately survived the horrific event. The city felt different after that day and it sure felt a lot different visiting again some 19 years later. As a teen the city felt a little intimidating but now it’s not as scary as I remember. I wish I had more time to spend there and visit my Dad’s old neighborhood for a trip down memory lane but with our limited time we had to focus on one thing…food.
Our home for the next few days was Brooklyn and the first night we ate at a place called Bunna Ethiopian Cafe where we got some food that hit the spot after our day of traveling. I’d definitely make this place a staple if I lived here.
The next day we set off to a local crepery and tea room called Little Choc Apothecary. The owner was a former model turned entrepreneur and got the idea for the concept after traveling around Paris and falling in love with crepes. It wasn’t until later that she became vegan and decided to open up her new business. MFA has released the video my girlfriend and crew shot here. I have a little cameo appearance in it as well. I was happy to taste food on camera of course. All of the crepes were so good! It was cool to see them making the crepes right in front of us. They have a good handful of savory vs sweet flavors. We got the Burrito Crepe, PB+J crepe and Pizza crepe. The tea room was amazing and offered a huge selection of flavors. You can even order pastries to go with it for an authentic experience. The best part is everything is vegan! I highly recommend this place if you’re in the neighborhood.
After some shopping, relaxing and debating where to eat for dinner we decided to check out chef Issa Chandra’s popular cuisine at Modern Love. I was in heaven with the food here. Everything we had was beautifully crafted and had me shaking my head saying “Oh my god”. For the appetizer we ordered a seasonal Tomato Tart with citrus salad then the main course was a Scampi Pasta which reminded me of flavors from before I was vegan. To satisfy our never ending sweet tooth we opted for the Cherry Pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The menu changes often so you never know what you’ll get when you go except a happy belly.
We called it a night so we could get ready for the first annual Black Veg Fest which was the next day. I wasn’t a vendor there so it was nice to be on the other side of things and hang out. A highlight was seeing Senator Cory Booker who showed up to support the event which was really cool. We ate some mac n’ cheese and cheesecake along with some other naughty things. I would say despite the rainy weather it was a successful event. We even ran into my friends from Compassion Co.
Stephanie and I love pizza so we had to check out Matthew Kenny’s spot Double Zero in Manhattan. I’m a sucker for a good Caesar Salad so we shared that as well as the White Pizza & Mushroom Pizza from the specials menu. Everything was delicious. Since we sat at the bar we had front row seats to the stone oven and saw behind the scenes of making the pizzas. The atmosphere is great for a date night spot. It was a nice night and we had heard about a tiki-bar in the neighborhood called Mother of Pearl. Even though we don’t drink we wanted to check it out and go for a mocktail. I really wanted my drink served in a kitschy shark head glass but they wouldn’t serve it to us that way. I guess that one was for a special type of drink. whomp whomp. The drink we did have was pretty tasty.
The next stop on our food tour was Rip’s Malt Shop. They offer classic diner food like milkshakes, burgers, fries and chili dogs. The burger patties are from Beyond Meat. Since Stephanie was filming we ordered tons of food and had some friends meet us to help us eat. ha. If you’re looking for comfort food classics then Rip’s will not disappoint. They have a back patio area with graffiti walls and social media photo opps. The owner and manager were super cool too. This is a great place for families.
Onto MooShoes where we stopped in to see BEETxBEET merch for sale and hit up Orchard Grocer next door. We got the Breakfast Sandwich and Lox Bagel. It was so good, really some of the best sandwiches I’ve had. One of the employees was wearing a BxB tee so I had to snap a pic with her.
Other notables:
Sweet Maresa's is a cute tiny shop in the city and wow! The best Macaroons I’ve ever had. Luckily they sell these puppies at a local LA spot called CocoBella.
On our last day we got to tour Fine&Raw which is an all vegan chocolate shop. We saw how the chocolate was made and the owner who told us his story on how he started the business. You can also see this video here.
This was just a small part of what NYC has to offer in the way of vegan options. I wish we had more time to visit more places and eat more things. It will just have to wait until next time. What are your favorite New York spots?
First off, you’ll want to bring some burgers and hot dogs (vegan, obviously). Field Roast has both so you’ve got all your bases covered. They make a great burger, frankfurters for your classic hot dog needs, and specialty sausages to kick it up a notch. The BeetxBeet personal fav is the Apple Sage Sausage. Now if you really want to impress a crowd, bring Field Roast vegan mini corn dogs. But bring a lot because they are addictive. We picked ours up at Whole Foods but you can find their products in many major grocery chains including Albertsons, Vons, Target, and Walmart locations.
Now you have your main dishes like burgers and hot dogs but who wants to eat that stuff plain? That’s right, nobody. Luckily, that’s where Follow Your Heart comes in. They are one of my favorite plant-based companies that has been around since the 70’s and now offering a wide variety of cheeses, spreads, dressings and even gluten free breads and tortilla wraps! We topped our burgers some some tasty smoked gouda (a personal favorite) and sharp cheddar slices. FYH has a ton of spread options because Veganaise comes in so many varieties. The new Garlic Aioli is amazing but the Chipotle flavor comes in a close second. (Fun Fact: BeetxBeet designed 40th anniversary labels for Follow Your Heart’s Veganaise jars!) You can find FYH products in a ton of stores including Lassen’s, Von’s, Target, Whole Foods, Publix and more.
I like big buns and I cannot lie. Pretzilla buns that is! Yes, vegan pretzel buns for your burgers and hot dogs. Dude, I know. It’s real. It’s a thing. It happened. Find them in most Whole Foods locations.
I’m big on probiotics and their health benefits so incorporating those products into my diet when I can is a must! No party would be complete without a lil ‘kraut on your dog. Let’s all remember that even though we are partying this summer, our guts need to stay healthy! Pickled Planet makes all the raw and organic sauerkraut your body could ever ask for to keep your belly nice and digesty. I love that they have a beet style kraut too! You can top burgers, sandwiches and hot dogs with this stuff. MMmmm!
We’ve got to wash down all that good food so on a hot summer day what’s better than an ice cold adult beverage? The coolest thing about 101 Cider House is that their cold pressed juice has zero sugar, probiotics and it’s made locally in LA with herbs and superfoods.
For those that don’t drink alcohol there’s fermented tea. You guys know I’m obsessed with kombucha so I had to pick up some of my favorite booch from GT’s Kombucha. Currently I’m super into the Thai Basil flavor. GT’s mom actually credits kombucha for helping her heal from breast cancer back in the 90’s and that’s when GT made it his mission to make this tea accessible to everyone and started his company. How cool is that? Find GT’s in your area by visiting their website.
What’s a summer party without ice cream? We knew we had to pull through for our guests and Nada Moo saved the day. We set up a cutie ice cream bar complete with cones, lots of toppings from nuts to chocolate sauce, and a sick back drop for photo ops. They have a ton of new flavors out so you can grab your personal favorite *cough Birthday Cake Cookie Dough cough* and grab some classics like Rocky Road or Vanilla…ahhh to please your vegan doubting friends. They also have a ton of new flavors like Strawberry Cheesecake and Cookie Dough Fudge. Are you drooling yet? Nada Moo is available at Whole Foods, Gelson’s, Sprouts, Lassen’s, and most Natural Food Stores. Bonus - They just opened their first brick and mortar in Austin, Texas.
Ok now that you know about some legit plant-based products out there I hope you never leave a summer party hungry again! I love seeing these products available at so many stores and becoming more accessible to everyone. It’s only a matter of time before your great aunt Millie calls you to say she just had the best vegan mac & cheese and wants to send you the recipe. So grab yourself some veggie burgers and a pint of ice-cream and show your crew how good vegan food can be!
What are some of your favorite plant-based products and/or recipes to make for potlucks? Leave a comment and let me know.
Love and Beets!
We show you our coverage of what it's like to be a vegan in a vegan candy store at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim California. See our first ever experience at the world's largest natural and organic products show with over 1,800 different companies showcasing the newest products in natural and specialty foods, organic, health and beauty, natural living, supplements and pet products.
See our photos from Expo on our Facebook Page
Where did you go this weekend?
I'll tell you where. Someplace warm. A place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. I'm talking about a little place called Los Angeles Vegan Food & Beer Fest.
What a day! Me and my crew arrived around 1:30pm after we drove around a little confused as to where exactly we needed to park. As we walked up to the front of the Rose Bowl the lines went rather smoothly and quickly. We were in. Upon entering there were a few booths set up outside before going into the stadium. I spotted Herbivore Clothing who always has awesome gear. We walked into the stadium and there it was, in all it's glory. A massive field just for us vegans to celebrate and enjoy 4oz unlimited pours with things like Waffle Chicken Mac n' Cheese Sandwiches with Tater Tots from The Grilled Cheese Truck or secret menu item from Clara Cakes - Chocolate Chip Cookies n' Milk Pie topped with Beer Caramel. I know, don't you kind of want to stop reading now if you didn't go. Seems a bit unfair right? What was unfair is that I only have one belly that can only hold a limited amount of food. I wish I could have tried every menu item from every food vendor. It all looked so good and I wanted to be so bad. Everything that I was able to try was so dang delicious. I am so happy I was finally able to try Donut Friend's S'morrisey. Sooooo good. Can't wait to grab a box from the shop soon.
The beer was pretty on point. I am not usually a dark beer kinda gal but I must say The Fireman's Brunette and Smog City's Coffee Porter were the winners for me.
I really didn't want the day to end. It was pretty magical having all those vegans in one place together. How cool is it to also see people enjoying it that were not even vegan? Luckily, before everything was sold out I was able to snag a Siracha Peanut Butter Cup from Bramble Bakery for the road. We had such a blast! Big thanks to everyone who made the festival possible. Grateful to be a vegan in LA!
Cheers!
Wow! What an amazing night. Where do I start?? First off, I'd like to give a huge shout out and thank you to Mohawk Bend for organizing and hosting this awesome opportunity and event. Things like this really do make you realize that we are so grateful to live in L.A. where we have an abundance of vegan options out there for us to indulge in. So thank you Mohawk Bend for being one of the many delicious choices on the vegan list and for organizing events such as this one.
Last night, we got to break bread with Gene Baur over a curated four course meal for $40 bucks! It was an overload of vegan greatness. I was joined by my good friends Amber St. Peter of the Fettle Vegan and her boo Alex who are featured in my new lookbook. Trying to stuff my face while nerding out to Gene telling his story of his tour travels and the struggles of becoming vegan in the 80's was a dream. As an activist myself, Gene is someone whom I look up to and is a great inspiration for the vegan community.
Special guests included chef Matthew Keeney of M.A.K.E. in Santa Monica and Beyond Meat culinary ambassador Caitlyn Grady whom are both featured in Gene's new book, Living the Farm Sanctuary Life.
The food was really on point. My favorite thing of the night had to be the queso! hah. I could only fit a few bites of the creamy rich chocolate pudding in before I called it quits. I was stuffed! A few of the dishes featured Gardein or Beyond Meat products in them. I'm not a big fan of fake meats but I do believe they are a great transitional tool for newbie vegans or the curious eater. It was really cool how the back of the menu featured cocktails or beer of your choice that was specifically paired for the courses. I chose the Suggested Beer Flight which I thought really complimented each dish well.
I love being able to attend events that bring people together, making new connections with those you share the same beliefs and values brings me great pleasure. Gene reminded us that we need to look at what we have achieved and the positive that has come from our actions instead of the negative. We have made such a great impact on the world, environment, animals and community that it's growing like wild fire. Even though this might have turned into a trend at least people are paying attention and caring. That's been a struggle for me and something I think about every now and then to myself is, "Am I really making a difference? Is it worth it?" The answer is, yes! We need to keep up the good work and keep spreading the word. It takes time but we have seen great improvements. The best advice is to lead by example and others will follow. In the short time that I have been vegan I find this to be very true. I gave Gene my new In Plants We Trust tee as a thank you for his advocacy and he signed my copy of his book, "Thank you for caring and making a difference. - G.B." I can't wait to make the trip up to Farm Sanctuary this year. I know it will be an incredible experience.
I'll end with my favorite quote from Gene which I included in my lookbook...
"If you can live well and be happy without causing unnecessary harm, why wouldn't you?"
Today I was happy to catch up with my girl Amber from Fettle Vegan. She had never been to Gracias Madre in WeHo so I was excited to see her reaction to one of my favorite vegan spots. Organic, vegan, Mexican Cuisine. #winning
It is a beautiful day here is sunny Los Angeles so we were lucky to grab a spot on the outside patio which always has an amazing vibe. We started things off with a Tropical Smoothie and a Lemonade then dove into the menu. I had never had anything from the Brunch menu so I took the advice from our waiter and had to try the French Toast and Chimichanga. Thank goodness he was patient with us because we had ordered what seemed like the whole menu! Ha! They did a good job of bringing it out in stages. Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs. How could you not want to order EVERYTHING? Yum!
Presentation was on point. I don't think I could pick a favorite from everything we ordered because it was ALL so good! Needless to say we both walked away with a ToGo bag full of leftovers which i'll be thinking about until I devour them tonight for dinner!
We realized how spoiled we are living in a city with such an abundance of options for our vegan pallets. Thanks to Gracias Madre for being one of them! We are so grateful for ALL of the amazing vegan Cuisine coming out of LA.
Always fun times hanging with Amber. I highly recommend checking out this spot if you haven't yet.
Cheers and Happy Saturday!
xo
- BxB
Here's a few pics of the delicious dishes:
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