tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280960522009-11-10T16:00:12.624-08:00Great vegetarian options in Pasadena, Glendale, Eagle Rock, La Canada, Silverlake, Altadena, Arcadia, South Pasadena, Los Feliz, Hollywood and beyond.pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-79041249710650243162007-10-06T18:02:00.000-07:002008-12-09T13:50:57.255-08:002008-12-09T13:50:57.255-08:00

I know that the season is OVER for the Dodgers, but allow me to post an October follow up to my previous post on baseball ballpark food.There are veggie dogs at Dodger Stadium! I had one at the end of the season. Keep an eye out for "Healthy Plate" booths on each level, located near home plate (Get it? Healthy plate? Home plate? Clever.). At $6.00 each they certainly aren't a good deal, but you

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-37649925225422082972007-09-21T17:36:00.000-07:002008-12-09T13:50:57.931-08:002008-12-09T13:50:57.931-08:00

Mark your calendars!September 28: PETA's Hug a Vegetarian dayOctober 1: World Vegetarian Day, which kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month.October 6: Animal Acres is hosting a Compassionate Cuisine Celebration in Long Beach. It's $35 per person; see their website for more info.

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-34957762332030539692007-09-01T14:00:00.000-07:002007-09-01T13:59:38.854-07:002007-09-01T13:59:38.854-07:00

The internet is becoming a big thing these days. Seriously, it's true. And it has all sorts of cool, interactive, useful stuff - including resources for vegetarians like YOU.Check it out: Happy Cow meets Google Maps. Click on your area and find veg-friendly places to pig out. Or cow out. Or whatever.Are you planning to venture out of Los Angeles into the great wide world? Check out ComunityWalk

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-65332693894319172212007-08-15T07:45:00.000-07:002008-12-09T13:50:58.442-08:002008-12-09T13:50:58.442-08:00

Where I come from, people call it "toasted cheese." Yeah, I know. When I moved to So Cal, I learned the hard way that the rest of America calls it a grilled cheese (try ordering a "toasted cheese" in a college cafeteria and enjoy the blank stare from the grill cook. I dare you.). Whatever the name, it's still melty cheese on buttery bread, and you can't go too far wrong.The people at Meltdown

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-81183705640747949722007-07-27T07:45:00.000-07:002007-07-27T15:45:03.830-07:002007-07-27T15:45:03.830-07:00

Ok loyal readers: have any of you tried Vegin' Out? It's a vegan meal delivery service with enough grub for a week or more (even dessert).http://www.veginout.com/Prices vary according to size - $100 for the single order, $180 for a double. With the former you receive eight containers of food from their weekly menu, plus five vegan cookies. They say you can get eight to ten meals from each

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-66379913178549829962007-07-11T07:55:00.000-07:002008-12-09T13:50:58.555-08:002008-12-09T13:50:58.555-08:00

Yes, you've heard my rant on coffee shops. Ideal conditions, menus, etc. Pat and Lorraine's makes the grade, but that grade is a solid B+.People make a big deal about this place because it's where they filmed the intro scene from Reservoir Dogs. You know, the Madonna Like a Virgin conversation?Anyway, most of the people eating there couldn't give a damn about Tarantino, they just want breakfast.

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-12217595542733786632007-06-27T10:42:00.000-07:002007-09-24T10:23:21.853-07:002007-09-24T10:23:21.853-07:00

Don't forget: the 12th Annual Los Angeles Tofu Festival is August 18-19. I went last year and plan to stop by again. It's a great way to sample lots of local vegetarian fare for little money, plus it's great people watching.Find out more:http://www.tofufest.org/

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-5979060509533077372007-06-08T08:23:00.000-07:002008-12-09T13:50:58.650-08:002008-12-09T13:50:58.650-08:00

[Update: Cooks Double Dutch has closed. BUMMER.]Yes, it has a weird name. Cooks is for Jenny Cooks, the owner/proprieter/chef, if that helps make sense of it. Here's the thing though - the name doesn't matter. The Dutch by any other name would be just as tasty (unless maybe it was called "Disgusting Foodstuff Factory").When you're at The Dutch, you feel like you're at a friend's house for dinner;

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-89351859421980092802007-05-21T12:00:00.000-07:002008-12-09T13:50:58.747-08:002008-12-09T13:50:58.747-08:00

The Veggie Grill is a hip little cafe in Irvine. It occupies a space that is plagued by turnover - I ate in the same exact spot about a year ago, but then it was a French bistro...so go figure. It seems like it has to be a chain; the decor so "slick" and professional that you'd swear you'd seen another one in the Southland, but apparently this is the one and only.Most of the clientele seem like

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-2791193279330900292007-05-07T07:49:00.000-07:002007-05-07T08:41:25.312-07:002007-05-07T08:41:25.312-07:00

In a previous post I told you all about my standards for coffee shops. With that in mind, consider Fred 62 in Los Feliz. Great breakfast (served all day - plus they're open 24/7), coke over crushed ice, and the salty potatoes were all there - but replace the "oldsters" with "hipsters," add Rob Zombie blaring in the background and tshirt-clad waiters and you've got this LF Village favorite.We took

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-57028819426495926972007-04-23T08:00:00.000-07:002008-12-09T13:50:58.895-08:002008-12-09T13:50:58.895-08:00

Full of Life is a little home-grown bakery at the northern edge of the Village in Claremont. It's the type of place you want in your neighborhood - reliable breakfast baked goods, flavorful and filling sandwiches, and a plethora of take away treats like pies, breads and cookies.FoL sets itself apart from other bakeries with a variety of vegetarian meals for both breakfast and lunch. They aren't

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-60935603228957793542007-04-09T07:36:00.000-07:002008-12-09T13:50:59.070-08:002008-12-09T13:50:59.070-08:00

If you're like me, the new year is all about counting the days until pitchers and catchers report to spring training. April means Opening Day and the start of a new season! The problem is that vegetarian options at the ballpark are limited. In the land where the hot dog is king, a measly pretzel just doesn't stack up (unless you splurge for the cup of cheese sauce. Then it's a close second).Last

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-13114316092703883442007-03-27T07:51:00.000-07:002008-12-09T13:50:59.269-08:002008-12-09T13:50:59.269-08:00

Confession: I don't like Mexican food. I live in Los Angeles, ergo I should be enamored with beans and salsas and peppers. I should tell you that Baja Fresh is a travesty, that Taco Bell is dog food and then share the amazing hole in the wall place no one knows about but it so fantastic and you have to go there and have the horchata.But I won't. Instead I'll tell you about Border Grill in Santa

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-9454463523703919002007-03-12T08:00:00.000-07:002008-12-09T13:50:59.601-08:002008-12-09T13:50:59.601-08:00

The Metro Diner is deceptively delicious - the benign name coupled with close proximity to a Travelodge might encourage you to drive on by - but don't! The food is well beyond standard "diner" fare.I stopped at the Metro Diner for breakfast. It has a cute, modern interior, and seemed like the perfect place to while away an hour or two with a cup of coffee and a hot breakfast, except for one

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-89204761725293907742007-02-27T07:50:00.000-08:002008-12-09T13:50:59.836-08:002008-12-09T13:50:59.836-08:00

Din Tai Fung is a chain of dumpling houses with several locations throughout Asia: Singapore, Japan, Korea and Hong Kong to name a few. Oh, and there's one in Arcadia. Random! It's the only place you can get Din Tai Fung dumplings in the USA. Lucky us.Din Tai Fung is in a strip mall. There are a few other places to eat, a little shop with imported knickknacks and magazines, and a bakery with all

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-5741733773709007152007-02-15T08:07:00.000-08:002008-12-09T13:50:59.962-08:002008-12-09T13:50:59.962-08:00

Rosti is a small chain with four locations in the southland; I recently visited the one in Beverly Hills. My initial reaction was "oh, some random generic Italian restaurant" - I was only partially correct.Rosti had a fine selection of Italian favorites: pasta, pizza and salads. Lots of standards to choose from for vegetarians and meat eaters alike, with a few unique looking dishes like the goat

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-38030182458392527492007-02-12T08:38:00.000-08:002008-12-09T13:51:00.126-08:002008-12-09T13:51:00.126-08:00

Still relatively unknown (possibly because they've shirked all forms of signage) Elf Cafe is definitely worth discovering. Aptly named for its small interior, Elf has intimate tables and counter seating, and everything is densely packed. Elf's friendly staff adds to the ambiance and comfortable feeling inside; it's a bohemian hipster paradise.All of the items on the menu are organic and

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-45054111633423733142007-01-04T12:15:00.000-08:002008-12-09T13:51:00.296-08:002008-12-09T13:51:00.296-08:00

I am no snob when it comes to Italian food. Dump some good ol' marinara on a pile of spaghetti and I'm all set. A simple, basic tomato sauce is the foundation for much of what I love about Italian food - if you can't get that right, you're sunk. The overrated, overpriced dining at Aruffo's in Claremont didn't meet the mark.Aruffo's has been an institution in the Village for well over 10 years.

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-1165907902838504002006-12-12T07:45:00.000-08:002007-02-15T08:16:41.686-08:002007-02-15T08:16:41.686-08:00

Jack Sprat and his infamous fat wife shared an amicable arrangement when it came to dining. Balancing the taste preferences of carnivores and herbivores bears a distinct similarity to their rhyming dichotomy - though not always as easily resolved. Thank goodness there's Jack Sprat's Grille, where vegetarians delight in variety, and meat eaters get their fill.Jack Sprat, as the nursery rhyme

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-1161573252788926112006-10-23T07:55:00.000-07:002007-02-15T08:15:59.287-08:002007-02-15T08:15:59.287-08:00

Is there such a thing as "breakfast dessert?" I say hell yes. The cupcake I enjoyed at 9:45 am was the perfect finish to my delicious egg breakfast at Auntie Em's in Eagle Rock on a lazy morning. I challenge you to do the same.Auntie Em's front counter is a bustling queue where customers place their order from the chalkboard menus above the cashier. It's a little noisy and crowded, since no one

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-1159843011149281902006-10-03T07:51:00.000-07:002007-02-15T08:15:28.543-08:002007-02-15T08:15:28.543-08:00

You could easily marginalize Tender Greens as a hipster hangout serving nothing more than fancy-pants salads and pretentious beverages (since when did water become "agua fresca"?) BUT you'd be missing out on all they have to offer the vegetarian crowd. Next time you're in Culver City, I suggest you stop by for lunch or a casual dinner.I am loathe to order a salad in most restaurants. They're

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-1155588640929288932006-08-14T12:39:00.000-07:002007-09-24T10:23:55.716-07:002007-09-24T10:23:55.716-07:00

The Los Angeles Tofu Festival (can we rename it the Tofestival?) is a fun way to try lots of different soylicious (there I go again) foods from local restaurants and vendors. From tofu noodles to sausage to croutons to ice cream, you could try it all in Little Tokyo this past Saturday and Sunday, and I certainly did!There were restaurants and vendors on hand to distribute samples of their wares.

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-1154475414174655042006-08-01T16:29:00.000-07:002007-03-27T09:08:27.684-07:002007-03-27T09:08:27.684-07:00

Traveling can be stressful. You are away from home, you don't have your favorite pillow, and you're trying to find a place to eat. Foreign countries can be particularly troublesome, since you might not be sure what was tossed together to prepare the mysterious dish in front of you (mystery meat anyone?).Fear not! I recently came across this post from Padawan with great information and resources

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-1153253262729050402006-07-18T12:55:00.000-07:002007-02-15T08:14:42.996-08:002007-02-15T08:14:42.996-08:00

Believe it or not, I make it out of LA County once in a while. Granted, I didn't go TOO far, but I made time to eat as always. Since Orange County is the quintessential California stereotype (surfers, tans, sun, and beaches) it seemed only right to take in some light, healthful fare at Native Foods while I was visiting for the afternoon. This vegan haven is in a funky part of Costa Mesa across

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28096052.post-1152309219226700092006-07-10T07:47:00.000-07:002007-02-15T08:21:44.105-08:002007-02-15T08:21:44.105-08:00

I love coffee shops. Melty cheese, salty potatoes and a coke over ice are all elements of a satisfying meal. I want to sit in a cushy booth, order breakfast for dinner and look up to see that I'm surrounded by diners who are old enough to be my grandparents. The Nano Cafe in Sierra Madre met all of my requirements for the perfect coffee shop experience. Situated near a sketchy old school

pomodorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16813898161655209756noreply@blogger.com1