Follow Your Heart Cafe

We were hungry and couldn't face cooking in Art's LA closet-of-a-kitchen. Plus the girls were with grandparents, so we were free to eat experimentally. Our options were limited since it was late on a Monday. Taking all this into consideration, we cut across the San Fernando Valley to Follow Your Heart Cafe, a mostly organic veg eatery that's open 7 days a week until 9. I was excited to eat at this vegetarian landmark and slather vegenaise on everything!




There's my Italian Salad (marinated artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, red onion, black olives, tomatoes, pepperoncinis, on a bed of organic greens)

and Art's Caesar Salad (vegetarian version of the classic with organic Romaine lettuce, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, croutons, with garlic bread)
Both salads were delicious and devoured.



"finally!" There's Art's Reuben (thinly sliced wheatmeat, natural swiss cheese, sauerkraut, mustard and vegenaise on oversized rye bread)
Mine is a Club (triple decker with wholewheat bread, turkey-style wheatmeat, vegetarian bacon bits, tomato, lettuce, vegenaise, and I added avocado)
each had carrots piled high and was delicious. But Art's would have been better had it not sat in the window for so darn long. duh!


Here's a photo of my sandwich sitting lonely on the table waiting for the other. We waited and waited, and our waiter was no where to be seen, and no one else received our wondering glance. I watched the sandwich sit under the heat lamp...
Never fear, the service won't keep us away, and perhaps it'd be better next time? Though Art chalks it up to classic vegan service. Is there something to this? Have you gotten apathetic service at veg restaurants?

Veggie Grill, Vicious Dogs, & More. It's Southern California, baby.

The girls and I met Karen for lunch at the Veggie Grill on Campus Drive. This place rocked my taste buds and is 100% animal-free! I have a fantasy that this restaurant replaces every single McDonalds on Earth. Imagine that.
Karen ordered The V-Burger (grilled steak burger) for now and The Stack (grilled veggie sandwich) for later at work. I got the Grillin' Chickin' (with cilantro pesto, avocado & other veggies on a wheat bun). Quinoa is a treat in the salads and you must get Sweetheart Fries.


I can't resist vegan cookbooks, so I was eager to check this place. The store is tucked in the back corner of a San Diego shopping center - similar to the way the books are crammed in the store. Stacks and piles of (mostly) cookbooks everywhere! I like scavenger hunts and found an abundant vegetarian section, but not one vegan book. With all the clutter, I asked. She said there's a HUGE demand for vegan cookbooks and she can not keep them in stock. Disappointing. A Moosewood and Newman's Own Organics Guide was the best I could do.

Vicious Dogs. It's a meathouse with killer vegan hotdogs! Willie understands and cooks it separately with pride. I've raved about this place a time or two before, and I mean it, if you are anywhere near North Hollywood and crave a delicious, no fuss, inexpensive vegan meal, you must give this a try. Really, do yourself a favor.
You see fries, a plain with ketchup for Abi, and my new favorite. A #4 "Chicago Style" featuring tomatoes, onion, peppers, pickle, & green relish. What a treat! So fresh & zesty!


I savored a shopping spree at Whole Foods while in California. I miss them and Trader Joe's dearly since moving to Idaho, but I digress. These are the things that caught my eye: I'd buy both food bars again (Organic Fiber Bar & Raw*Revolution) which are vegan and raw. Nature's Path Hemp Plus Granola is completely addicting. O.N.E. coconut water is rich in potassium & good in smoothies, but I'll stick to bananas. We went ga-ga over the eco-planet cookies. And I look forward to raw chocolate adventures with the cacao beans.

and look! I won a BIG jar of Vitamineral Green from Kristen's Raw, who drinks it daily, says: "Many ways... in a fruit smoothie is great, or add a teaspoon to a green juice. If you're not used to it... start small with a teaspoon in whatever you put it in. I'm at a tablespoon serving now, but I worked my way up to it. Sometimes I just chug it down fast with some water or orange juice - it's very green, but so good for you! It's easily hidden in smoothies though :)"
Next up is a Follow Your Heart restaurant review.

Cheap Vegan Eats, Hollywood

It feels great to be back in So Cal! Yesterday, we rented bikes and cruised Venice Beach.

I wanted to check out the new vegan restaurant, Seed, but my family expired before I could find it. Next time. Anybody eaten there? But I have nothing to complain about, the food so far has been delicious and priced just right! Here's an unofficial guide to eating cheap in and around Hollywood!



I have been known to rave once or twice about the soul food served up at the Hollywood Farmer's Market Sunday mornings at Selma & Vine by A Taste of Life. As usual, Art and I shared the soul food dinner combo with kale, black-eyed peas, vegan pot roast and macaroni and cheeze. comes with cornbread. $12 -- For the price, you can't do better than this if you don't mind sitting on the sidewalk.



This is a new favorite routine of mine:

Go to How's Market, NoHo. Order tofu skewers from the service deli. Check the deli case, and if you're lucky, there will be inari sushi (basically rice inside tofu pouches). Go to the coffee counter and score yourself a Peet's Coffee. Settle at a table in front of the TV and enjoy the newspaper left behind. -- less than $10



I've been dying to try Vicious Dogs since Art discovered it and wrote his guest post.

The owner's name is Willy, and he boasts 4 varieties of vegan dogs. He magically transforms Yves hot dogs into something that looks like this (minus the giant bite). Mine had grilled onions & peppers, sweet & sour sauce, and chopped tomatoes for only $3.99



Abi enjoyed hers plain with ketchup. We sat out front watching the cranes across the street build a new theatre.

All is good here in California! We're looking forward to more adventures including Thanksgiving with family. Hope yours is full of happiness.

XO

Vicious Dogs (Art's Guest Post)

I have the opportunity to guest blog here for Vicki, I've been on the hunt for new vegan grub in the LA area. I have tried various veggie dogs in town, including Pink's on La Brea (they have a "Pat Morrison Vegan Dog"), and also Orean's in Pasadena (they have a good BBQ tofu dog), but NOBODY beats the vegan dog at this place I found. It's called Vicious Dogs, located in the NoHo Arts District on Lankershim Boulevard. They have several vegetarian or vegan style dogs, take your pick. I grilled the owner (pardon the bun) on whether the dogs were actually vegan.

Sure enough, they are! Yves, and he was kind enough to pull them out and prove it! He tosses them on a special section of the grill, and you can order them any way you want. I've tried several varieties, but the best one, and what seems to be most popular there with vegans, is the "Sweet and Spicy" vegan dog. Damn, it's so good I have to cuss about it! I usually order two of them, they are $4.00 each, it's got grilled onions, grilled peppers, sweet and spicy sauce, and a delicious soft bun with the jumbo Yves dog in there.

The onions and peppers are grilled in a pan with olive oil. I caught this photo just as he had tossed the stuff on the grill. You could smell it already. They report that the vegan dogs are one of the most popular (there is a large arts community in the area and we know that artsy people are often vegans). Well, you can have it anyway you want, so I'm thinking about coming up with my own variety and asking him to name it after me. He has an "Original Willy Style" which has a special chipolte sauce and other stuff, but I'd say my favorite is the sweet and spicy and that's going to be hard to beat.

Look at that puppy! It was so good, after taking the photos, I wolfed it down and then got another one to go! You can call in your orders and each dog is made specially and ready to eat when you get there. Or, do like me, and order the dog there and talk smack with the owner, which is more fun, and probably why it's called Vicious Dogs. The difference here is that the vegan dog is cooked perfectly on the grill, as opposed to boiled or microwaved. We've tried the Foreman grill at home and it's okay, but nothing like this. So let me know what you'd put on a special vegan dog and maybe I'll get one named after me?

Flore & Fun

Art wanted to take me back to his current favorite, Flore (3818 W. Sunset Blvd. Silver Lake 323.953.0611) because last time we had brunch, which is a limited menu compared to the dinner and not a fair sampling of the many delectable options.

We both started with a bowl of the soup of the day 'Roasted Broccoli Soup' and I nearly licked the bowl. It was so tasty! I put the sprouty things in mine which tasted like radishes.



I was torn on what to order, and mentioned the 'Delectable Selectable' to our server. He kindly tipped me to get 'The Salad' instead because it includes all that and more: Bed of mixed baby greens topped with portions of tofu egg salad, shredded carrot, baked tofu, roasted beets, edamame salad, tomato, avocado, daikon sprouts, and a side of hummus. $9.95 Such a great sampling of the delicious, fresh food.
Art's regular is the 'Avocado & Seitan Salad' $8.95, which is basically what you see. We enjoyed the patio street scene.


If you have kids in LA, you gotta go here....

The Boone Children's Gallery -- LACMA West
6067 Wilshire Blvd. @ Fairfax Ave. 323.857.6128

This photo shows only a small portion of the large, stocked art studio that everyone is free to explore.




The exhibit is called Construct -- where you can learn, play, paint, build, and be artists. It's so great.

The Boone Children's Gallery is an open art studio for everyone.

Here are Abi & Liv painting to their heart's content.






We enjoyed checking out this city built from recycled materials, complete with planes and rocket ships hanging from the ceiling.

Did I mention that this is all free?! Free of charge for you, and for the kids. This must be the best deal in town for kid's activities. I highly recommend it, and we'll be back for sure.




The girls were zonked out in the backseat when we drove by Nature Mart on Hillhurst and Art says, "I'll drop you, and park," gifting me a rare opportunity to shop hands-free. I wandered around a bit, then spotted something I've been wanting to try for years -- Uncle Eddie's Vegan Cookies. I had to cross state lines to finally find them, and it was well worth it. I selected the peanut butter chocolate-chip cookies and they were soft, super delicious, and a family favorite for sure. Wish we had another bag.

So Cal.... So Nice

We had a blast in Santa Monica! We rented bicycles and cruised the boardwalk taking in the scene. Then we hung out on the pier before heading to the beach.


The girls took naps on the way to the Grandparents where they would spend the weekend.

Art & I were on our way to San Diego!


We picked up 4 orders of our favorite 'Sweet & Sour Ckn' from SipZ to-go. We downed 2 of them on a bench in Pacific Beach watching the surfers.

We stayed in our friend's pool house, and we ate the other 2 orders of sweet & sour beside the pool.





Our friend also loaned us a couple bicycles and that is how we got around. Riding bikes along the boardwalk is one of my favorite things in life.










But it made us hungry, and we were ready for something else! We found our way to Veg-N-Out in San Diego's North Park area.

I had a 'B.B.Q Chick'n Burger' and Art tried the 'Dijon Chick'n Mushroom burger', both with the house salad. We shared an order of Onion rings.

It's a small, casual, vegan & vegetarian restaurant with a patio to enjoy. Great food!



We were at the Goodwill on Garnet, when I looked across the street and saw this brand new sign. We walked over and the owner was literally painting the walls of this not even opened yet restaurant. Right now, they have the store open with all kinds of raw & vegan supplies. Next time we're in San Diego, we'll try Synergy. The owner told me they have raw vegan ice-cream!

I picked up a bracelet and vegan bar for my good friend who I was about to see.....


It was awesome to see Karen. We caught up to her in La Jolla with Mattie and friend Barney. We had a great time chatting it up, and she gifted me a big bag of birthday goodies. What a sweetie-pie! Thanks, Karen!!







Back in LA, we wanted to go back to the Hollywood Farmer's Market. We couldn't resist getting more soul food from A Taste of Life, including black eyed peas, macaroni & chz, bbq tofu, greens, rice, and cornbread.

We ate it on the curb with everybody else. So delicious, and all vegan.





I also picked up a mango-raspberry-peach cobbler from CobblerMania. They sell cobblers at several Farmer's Markets, and their slogan is, "So good you'll (want to) slap somebody!" Can't say I had that impulse, but it was very delicious. The cobbler has a hand-rolled crust, is dairy and egg free and sweetened with Agave nectar. All the cobblers, including peach, apple, pear, and rhubarb are made with fresh, hand-cut fruit.




Then, we picked up one of these unique bouquets for my Mother-in-law for Mother's Day.

We've been having a great time here, and I'm really amazing at all the new veg eateries.

Hope you are doing great, and I'll be by to say hello soon. :)

Leaf cuisine

Yesterday, we had lunch at Leaf cuisine, it is:

RAW
VEGAN
ORGANIC

They recycle, compost, use non-toxic cleaning supplies, bio-diesel vehicles, recycled paper & corn based to-go cups. Grains, seeds & nuts are soaked & sprouted. Their food is not heated above 110*F.


We were eager to give this nutritious, environmental, ethical, healthful, green, living foods restaurant a try!!

We went to the Sherman Oaks location (14318 Ventura Blvd - cross street is Beverly Glen) 818.907.8779

We shared a 'Tropical Trip' smoothie, and it was a delectable mix of mango, papaya, pineapple, banana, coconut mylk & dates. $5.99


I ordered the 'Trinity Sampler Salad' which is choosing 3 selections - what a great way to sample the menu! I chose Veggie Sunburger (veggie-seed croquettes topped with sweet tangy tomato sauce) Flying Falafel (sprouted chickpea falafel croquettes with creamy tahini sauce) and Bombay (sprouted lentil croquettes topped with creamy coconut-curry sauce) My favorite was the falafel. The salad was fresh with many kinds of lettuce, sprouted mung beans, cabbage, carrots, sprouts, tomatoes. $11.99


Art wanted the 'Hale Kale Salad' (chopped kale, avocado, sprouted wild rice, mung beans, tomatoes & cayenne) but they were out. $9.99

So he ordered 'Coconut Mushroom Medley Sandwich' (coconut & portobello loaf with mushroom sauce, romaine, tomato & sprouts between slices of herb bread) $9.99




Last night, we rode the Metro Rail to Olvera Street for some Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Here we are waiting in line, listening to the mariachi band, & watching people buy souvenirs at the outdoor markets. It feels like Mexico!
By the time we sat down, it was too dark to snap photos of our potato tacos and margaritas. OLE! We hopped off the metro at exciting Hollywood & Highland to have a beer before heading home. The kids are having a blast too @ Camp Grandparents! :)

Vegan Variety along the 101

After a nice long winter in Idaho, we are stoked to have a short visit to California to see family, friends, and have some fun!

We visited the Hollywood Farmer's Market, this morning, where we used to shop for organic produce and enjoy socializing and some food when we lived in LA.





Now, it's great to visit and see that many of the vendors are still there, and some have gotten better.











After passing some irresistible strawberries and piles of asparagus and other yummy veggies, we had to take time out for some grub.










We have loved the vegan soul food place for years, but we had never known the name, they are called A Taste of Life and we thought it was more like a taste of heaven.

The food was served, as always, with a smile and there were so many choices. As I snapped this photo, they asked if I was a vegan blogger. At first I was hesitant but I then admitted my mission, and they were very happy to let me know that they love vegan bloggers and they also love all things vegan!

We shared a $10 plate of food: mac & cheese, greens, bar-b-que tofu, and black-eyed peas. Of course, it's all vegan, along with the cornbread. We were tempted to go back for seconds but we had to save room for later.









Our market bounty: HUGE artichokes, strawberries, fingerling potatoes, oranges, lemons, and beets, as well as some pistachios.









After Art treated himself to a haircut in Silverlake, and myself to a Goodwill binge, we went to Flore (3818 W. Sunset Blvd. 323.953.0611), where they were having their Sunday brunch. I got the bagel, soy cream cheese, tomato, onion, avocado and a side of potatoes. Art got the Tofu Benediction which was amazing with a tahini style hollandaise, tofu on toast with kale, tomatoes and avocado. Art ate his quickly and did not flinch when the man at the table next to us asked what Art had ordered. It was too late because now brunch had ended and it was lunch time. Too bad for us because the lunch menu is amazing and extensive ... we will have to come back now (awww, too bad, huh?)

We also had a late nite dinner last night at Astro Burger (on Melrose near Gower) which was great as usual, I got the gardenburger with vegan patty, avocado, soy cheese, tomato/lettuce, veganaise and mustard! Art got his usual.... veggie ham sandwich. Along with fried zucchini sticks the tab was $17!
This fast-food restaurant sells it all ~ meat, vegetarian, & vegan.



We worked up another appetite after taking a 3 mile walk that we used to do many times back when we rented an apartment in the "Beachwood" area of LA. It's a beautiful loop through the Hollywood hills with amazing architecture, lush landscape, and breath-taking views of the city and Hollywood sign. Art had the great idea to go to Leonor's Restaurant. There was a point in our lives when we ate here every night. We ordered the same things. Mine is their "Salad Forever-Young" with cabbage, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, & soy oil & apple cider vinegar. Art goes for the "Chicken Salad" made with soy mayonnaise, soy chicken and topped with soy cheese & avocado. They serve massive portions of food featuring super fresh veggies and all vegan. Go to their Studio City 818.762.0660 or Valley Village 818.769.6315 locations for great food with no frills.

Special Lunch @ Native Foods

We were going to have lunch with one of my favorite people..... KAREN!

We were meeting her at Native Foods in Costa Mesa. The girls and I were early, so we explored The Camp, which is the eco-friendly shopping mall where NF resides.

The girls enjoyed running up and down these steps, relaxing in the hammock, and listening to giant wind chimes up above.


After enthusiastic greetings and photos-ops, we sat down to lunch.

Karen and I shared nachos, pizza, and edamame, all of which was very delicious.

But, it was more than food. We were excited to see each other and catch-up. We had a lively lunch full of conversation, and laughs, and the patio was a perfect setting to celebrate being together again.



I was super impressed with the children's menu!

This is what Abi had: "Save the Chicken" Nuggets, with brown rice, dipping veggies with Ranch, and a mango smile. Abi really enjoyed this, and I would have been perfectly happy with this meal myself. She let me have a nugget, and it was delicious!
Liv had the "Cheese" Pizza with banana slices on the side, which was also quite tasty.


After lunch, we took Karen with us to The Farm at The OC Fairgrounds. This is a favorite stop for us and you can see more about the farm here and here.
Karen had a special way with the animals. They must have sensed her warm and caring spirit. They'd go to her, and she would rub their heads or scratch their ears and talk to them dearly.

We were all happy piggies that day! :)