Shhh – there’s vegan food at The Secret Spot

Posted by socalvegangal in Breakfast Options, Omnivorous Restaurant, Orange County September 22, 2012

I wish The Secret Spot was… well… a little more secret. It’s this tiny cafe in Huntington Beach that is run by a bunch of youngins and some older surfer dude that is very welcoming to the customers. However, like a lot of the reviews say, it takes awhile to get your food. When I went, there was a longish line that moved very, very slowly. I expected it, so no biggie. I had gone once on a winter’s night and it was A LOT faster.

It was a weekend morning and I wanted something I don’t normally have, so my vegan guy and I decided to go here. I saw on their board that they now had vegan pancakes, so I knew what I was getting. It was a good thing, too, because their menu is a little confusing for vegans. I wish they had a “can be prepared vegan” icon next to those items that are veganize-able.

The story of the Vegan Pancakes goes like this. They looked good, came with syrup and some vegan butter, so I was excited. I poured the syrup onto the pancakes and saw that the consistency was not like maple syrup (or even agave nectar) – was it honey?!! I was worried that I had just ruined my vegan pancakes with a non-vegan product (well, not vegan for me). I asked and the chef said that the syrup was vegan. She went to get the container and presented me with a giant bottle of corn syrup- corn syrup?!! Gross! Who puts corn syrup on their pancakes? I don’t, and will certainly not in the future, as well. I mean, the pancakes were decent, but that corn syrup was just not good. The side of potatoes was not good, either. It was full of bell peppers (yuck).

Vegan Pancake with Fruit

My vegan guy went with another menu item that we deciphered to be vegan – their Western Garden Nut Wrap. It’s made with their vegan meat substitute and grilled with organic greens, tomato, avocado and homemade BBQ sauce in a spinach tortilla. I thought this dish was decent, although I don’t think my vegan guy was too enthusiastic about it.

Western Garden Nut Wrap

And I also saw they had vegan desserts. I wanted to try their Vegan Hostess cake, but was sorry I did. This was just a not-very-good tasting chocolate cupcake with a small scribble of vanilla frosting on top. Hello?! Hostess is supposed to have that chocolate ganache topping. Not good, guys, not good.

Hostess Cake

If you want to go to The Secret Spot, I recommend going at an off hour. You’ll have plenty of questions, and they’ll be able to help you best when there aren’t a lot of customers waiting in line. Good luck!

3801Warner Ave
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
562-592-4494

Monday: 8 am-9 pm
Saturday: 8 am-9 pm
Sunday:8 am-7 pm

Breakfast at Mother’s Market

Posted by socalvegangal in Breakfast Options, Gluten Free, Omnivorous Restaurant, Orange County September 20, 2012

Mother’s Market is an awesome place. Not only is it a great grocery store filled with vegan food, but some locations have a sit down restaurant (available at Brea, Costa Mesa, Laguna Woods, Irvine, and Huntington Beach). It’s one of the few places in Orange County to get a vegan breakfast – and it’s a good one, too! The menu is entirely vegetarian (with one tuna dish) and most things can be made vegan if they aren’t already.

The newest member to the vegan breakfast menu are their Gluten Free Pancakes ($9.95). They come with a healthy side of fruit. These pancakes are really good. Most people think gluten free foods are gross (and I agree a lot are), but not these pancakes. They didn’t even taste gluten free. I hope they don’t take these off the menu.

GF Pancakes

My vegan guy got the Ma’s Breakfast Melt ($8.95): two slices of toasted sourdough stuffed with tofu, avocado slices, vegan cheese, tomatoes and choice of “fakin’ bacon” or ”Gimme Lean” veggie sausage. It’s served with your choice of herb roasted potatoes or organic brown rice. I think my vegan guy thought it was too tofu-y, but I love that type of stuff. I had a bite and thought it was delicious.

Ma’s Breakfast Melt

Mother’s also serves lunch and dinner – and they have an incredible selection of juice, smoothies, and shakes. I’ll have to post some of my favorites from those menus sometime!

Quick Bite at Sushi Laguna

Posted by socalvegangal in Omnivorous Restaurant, Orange County September 10, 2012

Most of us know that vegans can eat the basic vegetable roll at sushi restaurants. Something I didn’t know for a long time was that some miso soups contained a fish broth (yuck!) Now I diligently ask if the miso soup is vegetarian at all sushi places. One place I know is ok for vegans is Sushi Laguna in Laguna Beach. This is my favorite omnivorous sushi restaurant and I’ll tell you why (did you honestly think I wouldn’t?).

They have the vegetarian Miso Soup that I love.

Miso Soup

And they always have the creamiest Avocado Rolls ever! They are seriously some of the best avocado rolls I’ve had. Really, it’s a boring post, but it’s true. And the rolls aren’t too expensive either. They used to be $4.50, but I think they might be $4.75 now. I’ve been to places that charge $8 for some crappy roll, so I think Sushi Laguna is a deal.

Avocado Rolls

231 Ocean Ave
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

(949) 376-8786

Monday – Thursday: 11:30 am-2 pm & 5:30 pm-10 pm
Friday: 11:30 am-2:30 pm & 5:00 pm-11 pm
Saturday: 12 pm-11 pm
Sunday: 12 pm-9 pm

I am Addicted to Chili Addiction

Posted by socalvegangal in Gluten Free, Los Angeles, Omnivorous Restaurant September 8, 2012

It has recently been announced that Chili Addiction will now be called The Addiction Bistro. Whatever the name, I love this place. It is an omnivorous restaurant with a large vegan menu (seen here).

I had never tried their Truffle Fries ($5), but decided to get them. I love their fries, but I wasn’t getting a lot of truffle flavor in these. I think the bottom fries ended up with most of that flavor.

Truffle Fries

I always get a Chili Cheese Dog ($5.95) when I come to Chili Addiction – er… The Addiction Bistro. They always have two vegan chilis to choose from, with two different spiciness levels. I got a soyrizo-based chili on my dog, which was good, but I think I like the bean based chilis better. I also wish they were able to melt the vegan cheese a bit more, but they end up topping the chili with cheese right before serving.

Chili Cheese Dog

My other favorite is the Chili Cheese Fries ($6). This time I got it with a bean based chili. I love this chili! This one had a bunch of garbanzo beans – yum! I can never find any recipes for chili like this. Most chilis I see are the kind full of tomatoes. I just want a nice beany chili – is that so hard to ask? If anyone knows of any good recipes with limited or no tomatoes that are full of beans, please let me know.

Chili Cheese Fries

On another visit to The Addiction Bistro, my vegan guy and I tried their Chili Cheese Nachos ($8). They make their own tortilla chips, but I actually wasn’t such a fan of them. It was nice to try, but I think I’ll stick with the chili cheese fries.

Chili Cheese Nachos

408 North La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA
323-203-1793

Tuesday – Sunday: 12pm – 9pm
Closed Mondays

Sandwiches from Locali in LA

Posted by socalvegangal in Breakfast Options, Los Angeles, Omnivorous Restaurant September 1, 2012

Locali is a cute little shop that sells packaged foods, eco home products, and freshly prepared sandwiches. They have a lot of meat sandwiches, but most can be made vegan.

The two most famous vegan sandwiches here are their Baaadasss Breakfast Sandwich ($5.99) and their Reuben. The Baaadasss Sandwich is made with vegan sausage, vegan cheese, chipotle sauce, and maple syrup on an english muffin. It’s very sweet and salty. I think I might have liked it with just Vegenaise instead of the chipotle sauce, because it was a bit spicy for me. Otherwise, this was a very good breakfast sandwich.

Badass Breakfast Sandwich

The Reuben ($10.50 full/$5.99 half) is made with tofu deli slices, vegan cheese, sauerkraut, and vegan russian dressing on rye. I can see why this is one of the favorite sandwiches. It’s very juicy and that dressing is wonderful.

Reuben

And one item that is not on their menu, but was special when I was there is the Hot Mama Pastrama. It came with Pastrami seitan, Daiya, and spicy homemade giardiniera. The seitan was very good – the only thing I liked about it. The veggies (aka giardiniera) were too chunky for me and didn’t have the best flavor.

Pastrami

I do like Locali’s sandwiches. The one thing that was grossing me out, though, was the fact that when I was there, there was only one guy on duty. He had to deal with customers, ring them up on the cash register, and prepare the sandwiches. Luckily when I was there he only paused to ring up people paying with credit cards (a bit cleaner than cash), but there just wasn’t that awareness of washing hands after handling non-food items that I would hope there should be. I know Locali is trying to be eco-friendly and constantly washing your hands makes for a lot of wasted paper towels, but I think a lot of us can agree that we don’t want dirty hands preparing our food. This won’t deter me from coming back, though. And, in fact, there will be a Vegan Hot Dog Fest this Labor Day weekend that I hope to go to. And you should, too, because it’s supporting ARME – Animal Rescue, Media & Education.

5825 Franklin Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-466-1360

Open Daily 8am-10pm

ROAD TRIP: Vegan in Mammoth Lakes, CA (plus bonus cookie link!!)

Posted by socalvegangal in Breakfast Options, Central & Northern California, Dessert, Dessert Shop, Gluten Free, Ice Cream, Omnivorous Restaurant August 27, 2012

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll probably have remembered I just went on a road trip to Oklahoma City for my cousin’s wedding. Well, my mom and I (and a sister) were at it again and went on a road trip to Lake Tahoe for another cousin’s wedding. Lake Tahoe is not too far from Southern California, but we wanted to make it a mini vacation, so we decided to have a few stops along the way.

Mammoth Lakes is a hot spot for skiing (so I’ve been told), but also is a great place for summer outdoor fun. We weren’t there too long, but I did have a chance to notice plenty of bike and hike paths around the town. And since Mammoth is full of nature loving individuals, it didn’t surprise me that there were a few spots for vegan food.

Our first stop was a place to get some snacks. Sierra Sundance Whole Foods is an awesome little health foods market. They had a great selection of vegan foods for snacking or preparing a meal in that cabin you’ve rented. Being in a small car with three women, we weren’t thinking “healthy snacks,” so we stocked up on some comforting sugary sweets. They even carried a local company’s vegan cookie!

Sierra Sundance Whole Foods Goodies

Speaking of that local cookie company – we passed Mimi’s Cookie Bar’s storefront on our way to our hotel and had to stop to see what other vegan selections they had.

Mimi’s Cookie Bar

This cookie bar is really cute and they have both non-vegan and vegan goodies. We got some of their daily vegan cookies and their one and only vegan ice cream. The Mocha Almond Fudge Cookie (I believe was gluten free) was a bit dry, but had a good flavor. The Coconut-Lime Ice Cream was just ok – sort of gummy. The Apple-Cinnamon Cookies (from Sierra Sundance) were also getting a bit dry from sitting on the shelf, but would be fantastic fresh. And the Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies were some of the best cookies I’ve ever had (gluten free or not)!! We went back and got more of these cookies.

****Seriously, you have to try these cookies – and lucky for you, they are running a deal on Fab.com that allows you to do just that! But hurry – this deal is only on for another 6 days!! Go get them. Now.****

Mocha Almond Fudge, GF PB Chocolate Chip, Coconut-Lime Ice Cream

And finally, on our way out of Mammoth the next day, we stopped to get a breakfast burrito at Stellar Brew & Deli.

Stellar Brew

The Breakfast Burrito ($5.50) was full of carrots, potatoes, bell pepper, and vegan sausage. I thought it was a bit spicy, but good. I also had wished they used some tofu and no bell peppers (yuck!). It did give me that wholesome breakfast feeling so I could face the day of driving.

Breakfast Burrito

Stay tuned for more from my vegan road trip, including stops in Ridgecrest, Lake Tahoe, and Sacramento!

Kyotofu Brownies from NYC

Posted by socalvegangal in Dessert, Dessert Shop, New York, Omnivorous Restaurant August 12, 2012

Kyotofu in New York City is a Japanese inspired cafe with a large bakery menu. I haven’t been here before, but I know it is not a vegan place. Their menu lists what is vegan and what is not, though. I can’t speak for their savory items, but I can speak about their vegan brownies.

I received a box full of individually wrapped brownies from Kyotofu in the mail. I thought the presentation was adorable. A fancy brown box with pink accents is my kind of style. But what did the brownies taste like?…

…Not good. Even though they were individually wrapped and marked with a “best buy” date a week later, they were very dry. The flavor was also a super deep chocolate – not my kind of brownie. It could have been better had they just been moist. I could get over the flavor by warming them up and serving them a la mode, but I couldn’t get over the texture. I hope they are better fresh from the store.

Brownies

Even though these brownies left a bad taste in my mouth, I still might try Kyotofu’s other items if I should ever be in NYC (I hear they have soft serve!).

The Best Refried Beans are at Cuca’s

Posted by socalvegangal in Inland Empire, Omnivorous Restaurant July 5, 2012

This post is going to have the most boring food photos ever, but I have to tell you about my favorite place to get a bean burrito. Cuca’s Mexican Food started in Redlands at a little hole in the wall and have since expanded around the Inland Empire. They now have seven locations for refried bean enthusiasts like myself.

Some locations are purely take-out. Others are counter service only. The location I frequent when I want to sit down and relax while I’m catching up with friends is their full service restaurant in Mentone. When you sit down, you always get a bowl (or two or three or four…) of freshly fried tortilla chips and some of the best salsa ever!

Chips and Salsa

There menu is large and consists mainly of meat and cheese laden items, but there are some vegan options. The beans, tortilla, veggies, and guacamole are vegan for sure. Never get the rice, because it is cooked in chicken broth. I don’t need anything but a nice hot tortilla wrapped around their refried beans. Sure, I’ll add a bit of that salsa, but really, I could just drink those beans. If you know anyone from the area, chances are, they are a fan of Cuca’s. I have waited in line and have heard conversations of people shipping Cuca’s to those unfortunate loved ones living out of state. Of course they were probably shipping the cruel stuff, but it shows how much people love this place. Now if only they carried some Daiya, vegan sour cream, and maybe even a little bit of Gardein.

My boring photo of the most amazing Bean Burrito ever!

Check out their website to see which location is close to you.

Veg Friendly at Taco Loco in Laguna Beach

Posted by socalvegangal in Omnivorous Restaurant, Orange County June 27, 2012

Taco Loco is one of my favorite places to eat in Laguna Beach. It is also one of the few places I go and get the same thing every time. The location has been there for a while and is one of those surfer-type joints that is popular with the locals.

My vegan guy went with the Blackened Veggie Phish Burger ($6.50): spiced and blackened veggie phish served with mushrooms, guacamole, and salsa (make sure you get it with no mayo). Of course I love this dish – it has a bit of spice and you get that fake meaty texture (if you’re into that). My vegan guy didn’t have the same love for this dish I as do – whatever: he’s crazy.

Phish Burger

I went with a different burger, but still wanted a small taste of the blackened phish. Enter Blackened Veggie Phish Taco ($3.35): same phish as in the burger, but in a small soft tortilla. It’s the perfect small bite – and a great choice for those small eaters out there.

Phish Taco

I am not a small eater and needed a burger to go with my taco. The Blackened Tofu and Mushroom Burger ($6) is my absolute favorite item at Taco Loco. It’s blackened the same as the phish, but if you’re not into the fake meat, this is a wonderfully healthy way to have your burger. Just like the phish burger, the tofu burger is served with mushrooms, guacamole, and salsa – and also say no mayo. It comes as a taco, as well, but I like the burger a lot better.

Blacked Tofu and Mushroom Burger

Taco Loco has some (crazy) great hours. In the summer, they are open really late (2am on weekends!).

640 S Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 497-1635

Monday – Thursday, Sunday 11 am – 12 am
Friday – Saturday 11 am – 2 am

Vegan Friendly at Rutabegorz

Posted by socalvegangal in Omnivorous Restaurant, Orange County June 22, 2012

Rutabegorz is a very vegetarian friendly cafe featuring healthier cuisine. It used to be not so vegan friendly, but one of my friends recently told me they updated their menu to solve this. I went in expecting boat loads of new vegan options. True, they had more, but not as many as I had thought. They don’t label what is vegan, so finding these new items was hard. I kept having to ask the waitress if there was egg in this or milk in that. Rutabegorz, if you are reading this, please add a vegan icon next to your menu items that can be made vegan!

When I used to work near a Rutabegorz, my co-workers and I would get food from here a lot (mainly so “the vegan” could have something to eat). I used to get their smoothies all the time. I love smoothies that are only fruit and juices and Ruta’s lets you choose apple or orange juice and some fruits (none of those annoying ice and yogurt fillers). Back then, the smoothies were bigger and sometimes that’s all I would need for lunch. Today, the smoothies lost some weight, but not flavor. I always got my Smoothie ($4.75) with OJ, strawberries and bananas. Delicious and nutritious!

Smoothie: banana, strawberries, OJ

While waiting for my meal, I noticed a sign on the table advertising their Mango Salsa with Chips for only $0.42! Ruta’s always has some deal like this, but none have ever really interested me. This was a nice little treat and for only 42 cents, not much to complain about.

Mango Salsa

The vegan option I chose was the Falafel Wrap (8.25): falafel patties, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and a creamy herb dressing and served with hummus on the side. The creamy herb dressing is not vegan, so don’t get it. This wrap was more of the rustic style Mediterranean food. It was a good wrap, but did taste a bit on the “healthy” side. The hummus on the side was also nice, but (again) was more of that rustic style cuisine.

Falafel Wrap

If you are in the area of a Rutabegorz with a bunch of lunch-seeking meat-eaters, I would suggest a stop here. I’d like to go back and see if I can find other vegan items on their menu, but I’m not in a huge rush. It’s a lovely place, but I’d probably go to a nearby all-veg restaurant if I was on my own.

They have three locations: Tustin, Orange, and Fullerton. Check out their website to see which is closest to you.

So Cal Vegan Gal

Category Archives: Omnivorous Restaurant