Veggie Grill -- UCLA

USC takes UCLA!

Just kidding, 4 of us just went to visit some friends there. Not a big deal. No rivalry. Ok. 

We got a nice tour of the campus while it was still light out -- SO many hills, awful -- and then explored Westwood! It's obviously much nicer than the area around us (not an arguable point) but we all agreed that there's something we love about the grunge here. Then again, none of us would have complained if we had that much food and shopping around campus... Obviously we went into Urban to shop around dinner (thankfully didn't spend any money) and would've gone to thrift stores too if they weren't far. Fast forward past the shopping (which Mark hated), we made it to Veggie Grill.

There are 2 vegan places in Westwood - Veggie Grill and Native Foods Cafe. Been to Native Foods (highly recommended) so it was great to get to try Veggie Grill! 

fighting on forever

I wish I could tell you where this is, but I was pretty lost in Westwood. It's next to Nekter though! Near 800 Degrees Pizza, if any of that helps. 

Ever been to Noodles & Co? (One of my favorite places to eat in Maryland....) Well you walk in and pick up a menu on the wall to your left and order at the counter at the front. Order dessert (located on the back of this menu) at the same time. They didn't have chocolate chip cookies when we went -- not gonna lie, I was pretty bummed ): It was pretty empty when we went so ordering was quick and easy and we helped ourselves to a bench table. I'm not sure if it was because it wasn't a peak hour for them or if they're always like this, but the food came out really fast! Like within 5 minutes. 

This was mine! The Bombay Bowl. This is more the kind of thing I'd have in mind when introducing someone to vegan food -- it was kale, beans, quinoa, carrots all in a delicious curry sauce. Seriously, so good. I loved this dish. My one complaint would be that it was actually kind of small and we were all pretty hungry, so it wasn't filling enough. Scrumptious, I just wanted more of it. Especially for $8. 

Here's what Irene got, just so you can see more of the food they offer. They have an option to get 2 small portions of two things so she got a salad and a side: don't know what the salad was but something Mexican, with onion rings. According to my amigos, they had great sweet potato fries and ketchup (neither of which are my particular favorites) if you're into those! 

Great casual place overall, and they have cool teas and juices :) 

Cafe Gratitude

Last night my PAWS friends and I went to Cafe Gratitude. (PAWS is my club at USC that supports animals in shelters -- join us on Facebook to volunteer with us!) Nick, our grad student friend, goes there all the time and offered to drive (its far), and Kevin has never had vegan food before. 

----> NOT a great place to have your first vegan meal if you're just trying it out...

We didn't realize that it would be super popular on a Friday night for dinner at 7... oops, duh. So they were only taking people with reservations and we had to wait in the back. The wait only turned out to be around 10 minutes which was no biggie, and we got to hang out near all their random merchandise..

It's much more vegan than I am.. if that makes sense? Much more health-oriented, not as casual vegan-friendly. Like, I'm not into kumbucha or detox juices or cooking things with coconut oil because of its specific heat quality. But it was an interesting place! We were seated at a long table with two other groups -- one happened to be USC kids -- and we had an adorable waitress. Everyone at the table thought the best description for her was "granola." That's the kind of place this is. 

Of the USC kids, Nick happened to know one of them so we all got introduced, but the group on our other side was super annoying. We were right next to them and had to listen to one man's story about his grandmother and how his cousins are some famous man's grandchildren. It was too close for comfort -- who cares. Their food looked good though! Most of it is served in bowls with the idea being to mix it all together so we got some ideas of what we wanted from the groups on either side of us. 

^^ A lot of options.  

This is the Cool smoothie! It was easily my favorite thing we ordered (Kevin was clearly more skeptical). It tasted very fresh - much mintier than normal mint-chip ice cream but I was very satisfied with it. This is about the point in time where our neighbor started talking about his family line and all the stupid stories associated with it... hard to ignore when you're sitting next to the guy. P.S. Kevin was a great sport about trying all this vegan food :) Unfortunately, the smoothie was $8.50... so we split one 3 ways. Very expensive. Wow. 

It's definitely a nice-looking place and it even has a cute outdoor seating place but that was full when we got there too. Our food finally arrived and it was not what we expected to see. The way their menu works: give everything a normal, familiar name, like "kelp noodles with pad thai sauce" or "curried lentils," but not make it familiar at all. Which is why I wasn't a huge fan of it, and why I wouldn't recommend it to anyone skeptical about veganism. Personally, when I was just getting used to being vegan after being an omnivore all my life, I wanted things that were already familiar but easy to make vegan, like curry, or veggie burgers, but this was very out there. 

Here was mine: the Raw hawaiian pizza. To say the least: not what I expected. First off, I expected more food? But I guess it's a fancy restaurant aka they give you small portions but make them look pretty... Not about that. The pizza was fine, but I was glad it was small so that I could finish it -- I didn't like it enough to finish a large pizza. The caesar salad that came with it was mintier than any typical caesar salad, but I definitely preferred it to the pizza. 
Hearty, $14 

Here was Kevin's. His was kelp noodles with raw pad thai sauce and it sounded really good on the menu. All three of us considered getting that dish but after trying it, none of us really loved it. It was just generally sour, which was unexpected and not like normal pad thai? That's what I mean when I say it's average foods that taste different. I get that it was raw and that probably had a lot to do with it, but it was still unexpected. He actually did eat the whole thing too (what a champ) but it was a slow process. 
Terrific, $13

And here is Nick's bowl. It was curried lentils with vegetables which sounded like the safest of our selections, but it also didn't impress me. It was a dry curry, from my couple bites. I didn't try any of the vegetables on top since we just had Nick's leftovers, but he seemed to like it. It was more filling than mine or Kevin's dishes because of the lentils (it looked like brown rice though?) at least, but I wouldn't order it if I went back there. Not anything spectacular
Humble, $14

Overall, we weren't in love with our food. Nick likes it all, he goes often, but Kevin and I were more hesitant to praise it. Not to mention that I paid $22 for dinner (that includes splitting a smoothie 3 ways). 

Cafe Gratitude is located at: 639 N Larchmont Blvd and is open Sun-Thurs 8am-10pm and Fri-Sat 8am-11pm. If you go for dinner, make a reservation, it's popular! 

Sloopy's: A dog in Manhattan Beach

It may not look like much, but Sloopy's is a wonderfully refreshing lunch spot. Located on Highland Ave in Manhattan Beach, it seems to be a popular cafe with the locals. 

Saturday, a group of 5 of us were originally heading to Huntington Beach for the annual corgi (yeah, the dog) party they host every year at their dog beach... but we found a stray that morning! So the 5 of us and Doge went to Manhattan, a closer option, instead. Turns out dogs aren't allowed on the beach or bike path in Manhattan so we walked along the strand instead, and eventually got hungry. The hungriest among us - one of my roommates, Rachel, found Sloopy's online. 

 After no easy or short walk up the hill from the beach, we made it. But the place didn't disappoint. It's the kind of place where you order at the counter when you're ready, sit, and wait for them to call your name when your order is ready. Easy peasy. Which was perfect so we could sit outside with Doge. The interior is really really cool though, it's like an oasis. There are plants on the walls and around the tables, and next to where this picture was taken there is a huge fireplace, which I assume they light at night. Very family-friendly place and adorable, and great for both vegans and their omnivorous friends.

I forgot to take pictures of the whole menu, but I got the Tree Hugger sandwich with the #1 juice. I've wanted the juicer for a while and I would definitely make mine again, it was delicious! The woman also recommended #5, so if I make it back there, that's what I'll get to compare. And the sandwich was awesome, it was one of the better vegan sandwiches I've had (asked for it without cheese of course) because it was so much more flavorful than a lot of sandwiches I've gotten. 

It had sprouts in it, but it wasn't just a sprout burger. The hummus and especially red pepper were what I liked most about it (and the french fries were TOO good). Most sandwiches I've ordered have fewer ingredients than this one, so that was my favorite thing about it -- that it was different and had more in it. I don't even like cucumbers or tomatoes very much and I ate them and they were great! Goes to show it was a great combo of flavors.... Good thing I took a picture of the menu so I can make it at home :) 

Farmer's Belly Food Truck

LA is all about food trucks. They've started to take over campus... and I'm cool with it. However, a lot of the most popular ones like the Grilled Cheese Truck, the Kogi BBQ Truck, and Armando's aren't exactly vegan-friendly. The first time I heard about Farmer's Belly was when the Environmental Student Assembly brought them out to their kick-off event this spring! What's special about Farmer's Belly is that they purchase organic, local ingredients every morning so you know that your meal is sustainable and fresh. Ah, and delicious. 

~~ 

The menu rotates seasonally so sorry if this isn't exactly what you get if you go, but at least it's a sign they're really sourcing their stuff locally! They hang out near USC either at Jefferson and McClintock or, where I saw them today, at Jefferson and Hoover. I always get the sprout burger and it's perfect! Sprouts aren't the most flavorful things ever but when paired with avocado, tomato and onion, it's a great sandwich. They have the same sandwich at Urth Caffe too, so, it has to be cool. They ask you to wait up to 7 minutes for your food but today, I only had about a 2 minute wait, and it was around 11:30. I'm not sure exactly what their hours are at USC but I see them open from at least 10:30-3 whenever I pass them. They starting to show up multiple times a week and I recommend that everyone come out and try their food! It's a nice change from campus food.

mmmmmmmmmmmm 

Native Foods Cafe & Real Food Daily

In March, when Ian was here for his spring break, I got to go to a couple new vegan restaurants! (One of the great parts about his visits.) This trip, as the title might suggest, we explored Native Foods Cafe and Real Food Daily -- two I'd been meaning to try for a long time! Heads up, this post is a lot of story-telling about our days, so skip ahead if you just want food information. First up is Native Foods Cafe.

NATIVE FOODS CAFE
Ian and I love zoos, we go to pretty much every one we're close to, wherever that may be in the country. Why? I love elephants and he loves reptiles -- can't really see those in the wild too often. We took an uber to the LA zoo, and of course there was a huge line to wait for tickets at like 1 pm. Alas, we made it in and I quickly passed my "navigator" role off to Ian because, as much as I like maps, I'm horrible at reading them. We made our way past the food, the children, saw the kangaroos and a dozen sleeping koalas (adorable), glanced at some gorillas, and started looking for the elephants. We ended up way in the far corner by the primates and were super confused, but it was worth it getting to see a month-old baby monkey swinging around with its mom :) So the zoo has the elephant exhibit in the middle of the park. That makes sense. What was less awesome, was the fact that there's no easy way to get to see them. We followed the paths doing a loop around the enclosure pretty much the whole way around, watching for the "Asia Outlook" or whichever other outlooks there were, and had no luck. Almost at the exit, we found one that, surprisingly, wasn't absurdly crowded where we could see them. Naturally, by this time, it was feeding time so they were all hobbling over to the far side of the enclosure to eat and sleep, but we got to take a good look at 2 of them, and that was much appreciated!

After leaving the zoo, I wanted to explore the old abandoned LA zoo that's just down the road in Griffith Park. We had some incredible difficulties finding it, which I'm sure most people don't, but since I was in charge of directions, that explains everything. Eventually, after hiking up a mountain and coming in the back entrance, we started to get a clue and see some rusty graffiti-covered structures. Yep, that's the place. We were incredibly confused about everything we saw since it was all backwards, but eventually we figured out that the long tunnels we were at the top of were how the keepers would feed the animals. It makes more sense right away if you come in the right way, oops.  

Naturally, by the end of this excursion, we were both pretty ready for some food.

So we called an uber to take us to Culver City, where the nearest Native Foods is. It's the kind of place where you walk in, order at a counter, and sit to wait for them to bring your your food. It's a perfect place if you want a casual but delicious dinner. Ian always eats vegan when he's with me and he's really starting to appreciate places where everything is vegan and you don't have to sort through the menu and find the 2 or 3 options that could be made vegan. We ordered and struggled to find a place to sit because it was FREEZING inside and there were no seats by the heat lamps outside.... but I stared at this one couple until they left and pounced on their table outside. Mm much better. Our food came and it looked something like this <<. As a starter we got the chili which was SO good, I would recommend it to anyone. I wish I could remember better but I'm pretty sure he got the Sesame Kale Macro Bowl and I got the Twister Wrap. I liked mine a lot -- I wish it had been warmer but that's what guac and salsa will do to you, and Ian managed his, but what can ya do if you don't like tempeh of kale. All in all, a good meal and I would love to come back! We abandoned the idea of an expensive uber or lyft ride home and just decided to take the expo line straight to campus and pass out for the night. 


REAL FOOD DAILY 
Day 2's adventure was hiking. I've looked up plenty of cool hiking spots in LA and one of the ones my friends and I have always been intrigued by is an abandoned nazi camp, also known as Murphy's Ranch, hidden away in Rustic Canyon. If you want to read more about it, here's he link we used for directions. Of course, I got us lost here too, but that's not the point (I REALLY suck at directions). There's a bit of a boring hike along a fire road for the beginning of the trek, but there are some amazing views of Santa Monica. 

There are 2 sets of stairs that take you down to the camp, and we found the second. We made it to the bottom and I promptly led us in the absolute wrong direction, go me. We wound up at the gate and some abandoned water towers first instead of the iconic buildings, but we got there eventually too. It's a lot less paved than I thought it would be once you get past the initial fueling station, but our backwards hiking managed to get us in the right place again (sort of a deja-vu feeling..) and we got some great pictures of the abandoned buildings. There's a pretty cool story to the place and I recommend reading up on it even if you don't want to go, because it's a pretty random but interesting place in LA. Who would've thought -- Nazis waiting out WWII in this hidden canyon.... Anyways, we headed back to the car (THANK YOU RACHEL FOR LETTING US USE IT) and had to pick a place to eat. Of course there was terrible service because my phone refuses to work like a normal cell phone, but we decided to eat somewhere nearby or at least somewhere that would put us in the direction of home. We were right near Westwood but I've wanted to try Real Food Daily more often than I've had the urge to visit UCLA. 

I've wanted to go to RFD since I, a) heard about it from my friends last year and b) since I saw one in the LAX American Airlines terminal. Awkwardly enough, though, we picked the one that was literally across the street from the Beverly Center.. and we were in sweaty hiking clothes. But LA is all about looking fit, right? Anyway, we found street parking behind the restaurant in a residential area and just walked around the block to it. Again, it was cold inside, so we asked for a table outside. Also figured it was a good idea not to stink up the restaurant. We had a nice view of the street... and a couple gentlemen's clubs and lingerie stores, pleasant. Either way, the food was delicious. Ian's was the Kung Pao, which was really good but had some weird ingredients in it. There was lotus root which was different but I have no complaints about it, it was just crunchy and mostly tasteless. But there was also a cube of something I've never seen before and didn't recognize at all, and it wasn't bad, per se, but we both avoided it. Mine was the Mediterranean Bowl, which they list as a salad, but it was the best salad I've ever had. It had some mock cheese and some modified mashed potatoes but it was soooooo good. We both shared both of them and, very full, waddled back to the car and drove home in good-old LA traffic. Home sweet home. 

"I have no food at home"

How often do I get the feeling that the only things I have at home are rice and pasta? Answer: like ALL the time. Why? A) it's true because, B) I don't buy enough fresh ingredients because, C) I'm worried they'll go bad before I finish them. But that's my own personal problem. That aside, what to cook when you're running low on -- everything.  

I guess my first assumption is that you DO have veggie burgers. I literally survive off of these things, if it weren't for them, I'd starve. I've gone through several brands trying to learn which ones I like, including the brands offered at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Ralph's. Superior decided to stop carrying Amy's products and veggie burgers this semester, or I just can't find them anymore. Regardless, it's sad. 

Here are the three brands I recently bought to try: 

Verdict: my favorite was Amy's black bean burgers. I've only tried making any sort of patty or burger once and it was the quinoa patties and they were delicious, but it was a long, multi-step multi-ingredient process that I'm not willing to repeat any time I want dinner.

So, what do I make with these lovely pre-made meals? Don't judge me, I'm not a chef. But everything I make, sometimes to the surprise of my roommates, is edible. 

Usually it's something along these lines, where I have rice or pasta and I have a couple vegetables that I need to use up. So you know, this burger was one of the many sprout burgers I've tried over the year. They crumble very easily and really they're just a lot of mushrooms and sprouts, so that's why they're sorta mushy. Basically: not my favorite. But they're great when you wanna make something that could almost be ground beef and I've put them in a stir-fry like this and also cut it up in tomato sauce to put on pasta. 

This is one of the black bean burgers, just to show you how incredibly easy it is to cook one of these things, if you didn't already realize. I'll throw it in, find some veggies or rice or whatever and: 

Ta-da: food! (We do have more than one plate in this house, I promise, I'm only realizing now that I only take pictures/eat off of this one. It's because it's the one on top of all our heavier ceramic plates. Whatever.) I've made plenty more things with veggie burgers, some prettier some uglier, but the idea is that you can do whatever you want with them. I've substituted them for falafel in pita wraps and I've used them in pasta. I wouldn't recommend putting them in something like chili, especially not the sprout burgers, but hey, I'm not the boss of you. (I just wanna know if it turns out well.) 

Nature's Brew -- for all the coffee shop lovers

I've been meaning to visit Nature's Brew for a while now! I heard about it through a couple of my friends, and they all had positive reviews. And I figured they'd have something vegan, or at least soy milk for a latte, so why not. The place is up by Bacaro, basically next to it, so it's super easy to get to bike or longboard (if you're truly cali, like I think I am). 

My friend Ben and I came to Nature's Brew this morning to study for our econ quiz (ugh) and so I could finally understand the hype of this place. It's definitely a good study spot, but you have to either get here by about 10:30 am, or get really lucky to get a table to sit at. We managed to get a table, and they have plenty of outlets everywhere, but a lot of people just come in, get their coffee and go. 

They have these menu's lying around everywhere, and you have plenty of time to think it over while you're in line -- it doesn't move very quickly. There are plenty of coffee/tea options, and I got my usual hazelnut latte. Note: they don't have soy milk, just almond milk. I ordered just a bagel with jelly (strawberry today) and my coffee, and sat down (they call your name when it's ready). 

delicious, right?

As you're in line to order they have all the baked goods out for you to drool over and they do have a few vegan options, like the vegan burekas and the vegan sweet potato muffins. I was going to try one... but figured a bagel was more filling, and I'm always hungry. 

So Ben and I sat here for about 2 hours and studied miserable econ and drank our coffee. Since it's a big college student study spot, they do have free wifi, but you have to ask for a code at the counter. I'm not sure if it works if you come back another time and keep your own code, but I know you and your neighbor can't be using the same code. Sort of a hassle, but the bathroom doesn't require a key. I'd definitely come back here! 

Vegetarian Restaurants LIST

I realize that I'm not made out of money and as much as I'd like to, can't always eat out and blog about it. But one of my friends, Faramarz, head of the Vegan and Animal Law Society here at USC, passed along a "vegetarian guide to LA!" I've scanned a couple of the pages that feature nearby restaurants (you'll note that the area around USC isn't exactly great...) but will probably add the rest when I find the booklet again.... enjoy!

Here's a starter list of restaurants- the v next to a restaurant means vegan friendly! Highlighted means I've been there, and loved it :)

Some goooood falafel

Another new place around USC is Bella Pita. It's located in one of the strip malls, the one in front of the 90, with La Taquiza (check the Map of Restaurants Tab). It opened up last fall and is still somewhat of a secret spot for students. If you live in Gateway or Troy or the Shrine it's within walking distance and very convenient. 

I like this place because it's quick, casual, and cheap. I always get the falafel wowshi.

First, choose a main ingredient, then the bread. The difference between the pita and the wowshi is that the wowshi is fresher, and it comes with 2 halves instead of just 1. And its the same price! There is a toppings bar but if you like onions, get the grilled onions since they're a free addition. I can also speak to the fries - yummy.

They call your number when your order is ready and if you got a wowshi and if you're like any normal person and can't hold and eat two halves of bread at once, then get one of the racks to hold your extra. Then, to the toppings bar! 

Pretty self explanatory, but here you get the super difficult task of shoving more food into your sandwich .. and having it stay there when you bite it. Note: this is a messy meal. This is their standard set of toppings and at the end they have the dressings and sauces. Some of them aren't vegan, like tzatziki of course, but the hummus and tahini are safe! You can always ask them if the labels fall off the bottles, they're friendly guys! 


Next: somehow manage to eat the full half of pita without spilling it all over the table and yourself. It's pretty much impossible, but it's delicious! Here's a before and after picture of my falafel wowshi with grilled onions. 

You're not supposed to take the sauces and bring them to your table to refill when necessary, but it's totally encouraged to go up several times and re-stuff your wowshi. And since you got a wowshi, you get two! Woo!

Cuties!