Vegetarian
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Los Feliz: Sandwiches and Cookies at The Trails Cafe
Oct 22 2012
Sure, Griffith Park is one of LA’s most majestic treasures. The Central Park of LA, it’s truly an outstanding public space with lots of fantastic attractions—Travel Town, the Carousel, pony rides, hiking trails, baby swings…you name it. But, something it also has, though rarely acknowledged, is one of the best veggie sandwiches in LA.
The avocado sandwich at The Trails Cafe, a cute little outside eatery at the base of the Griffith Observatory trail, is a lunchtime triumph, stacked high on dark, sweet bread with at least half an avocado, tomatoes, red onion, cheddar and mayo. It’s even sprinkled with soy bacon bits, which would normally scare me, but on this sandwich it works very well, adding salty crunch.
I could eat the thing everyday.
And as if that weren’t enough, Trails also makes a bevy of baked goods, vegan and otherwise, all from scratch. This cheddar and chive scone is buttery, flaky, dense, and draped in cheddar that once bubbled and dripped. Other savory options include quiches, hand pies, cheesy tarts and even some fancy pigs in a blanket called “Snakedogs”.
Highland Park’s Best Kept Secret: Brunch at Garvanza’s
Sep 19 2012
By all rights, Garvanza’s should be wildly popular, but its tucked-away location keeps it undercover. The neighborhood restaurant focuses on pan-Latin flavors with an emphasis on high quality local ingredients. The produce is fresh and seasonal, and the service is super friendly. A lot of people, including me, are rooting for it.
The bulk of Garvanza’s menu is burritos and tacos, including tender barbacoa with pickled onions, pork shoulder slow cooked in garlic and peppercorns, and flaky mango-salsa-topped fish tacos. Plates, comprised of those same meat choices and some of the most flavorful rice and beans in a 10 mile radius, are also served.
The one must of the appetizers is the Garbanzo Bean Salad, a simple mix of fried garbanzos, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. The cool veggies and a drenching of lime juice really brighten up this highly addictive dish. The chips and salsa are also notable for the same reason—the chips are thick and greasy, making them the perfect match for the tangy salsa their served with.
Eat at Home: How to Make Delicious Croutons Out of Old Bread
Aug 27 2012
The problem with baguettes is that they go stale much too quickly. I used find myself throwing a hard, seemingly useless piece away only a day after enjoying the other half. It was sad, really, and so wasteful. But, happily, that madness is over for me because I’ve learned a crucial lesson: when life gives you old bread, you might as well make croutons.
Seriously, it’s so easy, you’ll freak. Then you’ll double freak when you realize how intensely homemade croutons can perk up your salad or soup.
To facilitate this revelation, all you really need is a little olive oil, your favorite savory seasonings and, of course, bread (see my recipe at the end of this post). First, preheat your oven to 375, then cut your baguette into 1/2 inch slices.
Echo Park: Brunch at Sage Organic Vegan Bistro
Jun 28 2012
I’m glad I live in a city where the mention of “vegan brunch” actually brings to mind more than a few delicious possibilities. Echo Park and Silver Lake, alone, have more full-on vegan restaurants (that are actually good) than most states in this country. It’s pretty exciting that, once sneered and rolled eyes at, vegetarian food’s hard-core sibling is becoming a cuisine like any other in L.A.
One of the best vegan menus in town, doing tons to make the cuisine more accessible, is at Sage Organic Vegan Bistro. Open for a little over a year—replacing their not-so-successful predecessor Mooi—Sage has evolved into a comfort food haven of non-meaty goodness. Think: bacon chili cheese burgers, eggplant parmesan, clam chowder, and bowls stuffed with everything from kale and quinoa to fried macaroni and cheese.
Highland Park: Fusion Burgers Fills the Super-Delicious Burgers and Fries Niche
May 24 2012
I know that two York Boulevard posts in a row is excessive. However, after trying Fusion Burgers, I couldn’t contain myself. It’s that good, and it fills a once-glaring void in the Highland Park food scene: a full-service, gourmet burger and fries joint.
Fusion Burgers sits unassumingly in a strip mall right across the street from Maximiliano, in the space that most recently housed Tacos El Michuacano. When I first noticed it, there was just a small tarp announcing the name of the new restaurant and some white paint covering that of the previous one. Intrigued, I did some research and found out the owners are Miguel Munoz Sr. and Jr., a father-and-son team who once worked in the kitchen at Umami Burger’s Santa Monica location.
That make sense because the menu is pretty similar to Umami. Some have even claimed that it’s a rip off. It might be, but for what Fusion Burgers lacks in originality, it makes up for in flavor, complete lack of pretension, and location, location, location. I’ve never been a huge fan of Umami, but I’ll probably be a regular at Fusion Burgers.
The interior lacks hyper-fashionable decor of many of the new restaurants popping up on York. The walls of the small space are pretty bare and very orange, and the only real design flair is a parrot mural left by the previous owners. The focus, instead, seems to be on the actual menu, which consists of 13 different burgers, a few salads, Mexican sodas and even ice cream sandwiches.
Eagle Rock: Wet Burritos Happen at Taco Spot
Nov 08 2011
There comes a time in every life when only a wet burrito will do. Sometimes you just have to give in to the cheesy-saucy meltiness. It’s useless to resist.
My most recent wet burrito surrender happened at the hands of Taco Spot in Eagle Rock. Their Vegetarian Burrito, mojado style, satisfied because it met my most crucial requirement: the cheese and sauce were plentiful but didn’t overwhelm, and the sauce was thick enough that it didn’t create a watery, soggy mess. Other pluses included a whole wheat tortilla, black beans and plenty of guacamole. Of course, I ordered it without rice, which I cannot tolerate in any burrito of mine.
That’s all.
UPDATE: The owner of Taco Spot, Bret Schoenhals, wrote to me and told me that the sauces are made from scratch! Very nice.
-Valentina
Taco Spot
2006 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles,CA 90041
Glassell Park: The Revolution Burger, a Non-Opressive Habit
Oct 12 2011
I remember when international healthy food crusader Jamie Oliver introduced his Revolution Burger at Patra’s Charbroiled Burgers in Glassell Park earlier this year. Its grass-fed beef and wheat bun caused a bit of a brouhaha in the food world, angering some people in a “where-does-this-Brit-get-off-telling-us-Americans-how-to-eat-a-burger” kind of way.
Just check out the comments on a Serious Eats post on the subject if you don’t believe me. Faced with the prospect of Oliver’s burger makeover, one commenter remarked, “Burgers = unhealthy and American. There’s somethings [sic] sacred about that to me. If it’s not those two things, it ain’t really a burger.”
Luckily, my sense of patriotism is not so inflamed by foreigners tinkering with American dietary staples, and I’m not so set on the burger-as-belly-bomb edict. As a result, the Revolution Burger has actually become part of my repertoire, and I appreciate it as a healthier option when fast food is in order but I still want a little, you know…nutrition.
Echo Park: Sneak Peek of Mohawk Bend’s Food & Drinks
Jul 20 2011
Long anticipated or dreaded, depending on your point of view, Mohawk Bend is finally opening in Echo Park later this month. The “drinking and eating outpost” has taken over the former Ramona Theater space next door to Elf restaurant and will be serving a mostly vegan menu along with some vegetarian and meaty dishes.
Last night I attended Mohawk Bend’s media preview party, and I have to say I was pretty impressed with the transformation. Designed by Spacecraft, the once-forlorn theater is now an impressive modern space, boasting high ceilings, patio seating, skylights, exposed brick, vintage beer signs, and an atrium-like room with long communal tables and a fireplace.
Food-wise, it wasn’t bad. While I wasn’t blown away by anything, I did enjoy most of what I ate. High marks go to the Petite Sirah dipping sauce that came with the Fire Roasted Artichoke and The Flash Gordon Salad with flash-grilled Little Gem lettuce (similar to hearts of romaine), grapefruit, avocado, pickled onions and dill dressing. Owner Tony Yanow says the locavore/organic menu will change weekly to reflect the seasonal comings and goings of produce.
Silver Lake: A Savory (and Thrilling) Lunch at Forage
Jun 21 2011
I complain a lot. But it’s mostly about one thing: my commute. If you already know me, then you know this to be a fact, and if you ever meet me, the subject will most definitely come up. I think I’m entitled, though, since I endure the dreaded Los Angeles east to west commute everyday.
Festering in traffic 2-plus hours a day is harrowing enough, but doing the math makes it worse: 12 hours wasted on a weekly basis. That’s why I rarely venture any further than Lincoln Heights on the weekends and compulsively dream of a job Downtown.
This being my lot, I relish the rare opportunities I get to work from home. Avoiding the drive is a treat, but even sweeter is the chance to lunch in the eastern hemisphere of LA…on a weekday! Just last week week, such an opportunity arose and I found myself at Forage in Silver Lake.
It was kind of thrilling to be so far east of Santa Monica at 1 o’clock in the afternoon on a Thursday. So thrilling, in fact that I got a little out of hand and ordered the ham and cheddar bread pudding. Though a little salty for my tastes, every rich and savory bite was joyous. The slab they piled on my plate was remarkably moist inside (is there egg in that thing?), with a crispy baked top crust and thinly sliced ham pieces with a nicely seared texture—no flimsy, soggy pork here.
To squeeze in a bit of nutrition, I chose kale salad and beet and citrus salad as my sides. However, seeing as the kale salad had a parmesan bread crumb topping (a perfect texture contrast for the kale) and the beets had more cheese, I barely fooled myself.
But, I was celebrating my freedom from the 10 freeway so…
—Valentina
Lasagna Cupcakes and Beyond: Heirloom-LA Food Truck
May 04 2011
If you ask me, 2010 was Heirloom-LA’s year. The catering company, armed with its “farm-to-plate” ethos and lasagna cupcakes, was suddenly everywhere—food blogs, coffeehouses, wine bars, neighborhood grocers… you name it. They even showed up on this blog when I tried and loved their hearty Wild Boar Bolognese.
As it turns out, this year might be even more momentous for Heirloom-LA, seeing that they just launched a food truck. Yeah, I know, it’s hard to get excited by the latest food-on-wheels concept, but Heirloom does it right. For one thing, Heirloom’s food is locally sourced from small farms, and for another, their menu will change daily. None of the usual food truck doldrums here.
