We Angelenos are all about looking good on the outside because we're feeling good on the inside! So today skip the meat and fill your body with vegan delights instead. Your skin will be glowing by day's end.
Breakfast
Donut Friend (Highland Park)
Head on over to Donut Friend for some decadent 100% vegan donuts done right with flavors like you've never seen before. My personal favorites include the Angry Samoa which is a vanilla cake donut dipped in chocolate, and topped with caramel, toasted coconut, and chocolate stripes; and the Strawberry Lab which is a raised donut filled with whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and topped with chocolate glaze. You'll never be able to tell there's no eggs, dairy, honey, or bone char (a crazy ingredient I didn't even know could be found in sugar).
Lunch
Veggie Grill (All Over)
The menu varies by location and changes seasonally, but some of my favorites include the Double Hatch Queso Burger stacked high with two Beyond Meat patties ($13.50) and the Summer Celebration Salad with avocado, hummus, fire-roasted corn, arugula, and a citrus vinaigrette ($11.95).
For dessert, finish it all off with a Belgian Chocolate Cake that you'll never know isn't the real thing, made with chocolate cake, chocolate cheesecake, and fudge topping ($9.95).
Mohawk Bend (Echo Park)
Find yourself craving craft beer in an old Vaudeville theater? While that might be a very specific request it can all be made possible at Echo Park's Mohawk Bend. They have 70 beers on tap and a menu that will satisfy the strictest vegan to the toughest carnivore. Order the Buffalo Cauliflower served with Vegan “bleu cheese” dressing and celery if you want to satisfy everyone ($10)!
Currently they are in "hibernation mode" post-pandemic, but they will be back soon enough!
Vromage (Hollywood Hills/West Hollywood)
Looking for a vegan cheesemonger? Owner Youssef Fakhouri, now Youssef Vromage, is resurrecting the specialty shop experience. Vromage in West Hollywood is L.A.'s first vegan cheese shop and serves up delicious traditional sandwiches once reserved for only lactose lovers like a Caprese with mozzarella, tomato, and basil; or a Crunch Pizza with your choice of Vromage over a cracker base (Both $12.50).
Dinner
While Crossroads on Melrose from Israeli Vegan Chef Tal Ronnen has always been the first place I think of for a fancy vegan night out, I'm had some vega-cation as of late and hope to educate you too!
The Nice Guy (West Hollywood)
If you've always dreamt of having dinner with Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra then I might have the next best thing outside time travel.
The Nice Guy in West Hollywood doesn't allow photos inside, so you'll have to trust me while I set the scene for you. Pass the door and be transported to another time where men wear suits to dinner and you can smoke in the bathroom. If you need more of a visual just think of the 1990 Scorsese film Goodfellas.
While not an exclusive vegan restaurant, Chef Lord Maynard Llera has created something truly special with an "impossible meat" that tasted better to me than the popular rich and meaty Rigatoni Bolognese. The Fusilli with Impossible Meat bolognese, Parmegiano Reggiano, roasted tomatoes, and fried basil is sweet and salty without being too savory and as far as the "meat" goes it's IMPOSSIBLE to tell the difference($28).
As if you need more convincing, order a plate of Mollinari's Meatballs made with Impossible Meat, spicy tomato sauce, burrata, and grilled bread and watch as you fight your dinner date over who gets to sop up that last bit of sauce ($20).
Now a night as a wise guy would not be complete without cocktails! I'm always a sucker for a classic Gin Martini with Olives but if you're looking for something sweetly bitter sip on a Nice Guy for What made with Virginia black whiskey, combier cassis, lemon, and angosturra bitters ($18).
Gracias Madre (West Hollywood/Newport Beach)
This Mexican hotspot with the killer patio offers Mexican food made Vegan with a respect to all the madres out there - including mother earth. Menu highlights include the Wet Burrito made with jackfruit carnitas, beans, nacho cheese, and guacamole ($18); the Enchiladas made with soy chorizo, potato, and tomatillo ($22); and the Crispy Mushroom Mole using battered fried mushrooms and mole ($24).
You can also choose to visit during Happy Hour where bites like Nachos with soy chorizo and cheese are only $8! Signature Margaritas are only $8, while House Wine is $7, and Beer is a cool fin ($5). Hours are weekdays only from 3 to 5 p.m.
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