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.

Happy Family in Loma Linda

Posted by socalvegangal in Inland Empire, Veg Restaurant July 3, 2012

I’m seriously in love with Chinese food (or at least what we call Chinese food here in the states). I already told you about my delicious meal at Happy Family in Monterey Park, and now I tell you about my other delicious meal at another Happy Family. I mentioned before that these two restaurants share the same name, but are not the same company. They might have been at some point, but I am not sure about the details.

My “happy family” went here for Father’s day and feasted on lots of menu items.

First, as always, we got the Hot and Sour Soup ($6.95 – medium). This is my all time favorite soup and they do it very well. Never overly spicy, but oh so flavorful.

Hot and Sour Soup

Another dish we always order is the Sizzling Plate ($10.95), because this is my dad’s favorite dish. We get it without the “beef,” since we don’t like it as much as the tofu and “chicken.”

Sizzling Plate

My sisters like the Cashew Nuts Wheat Gluten Chicken ($8.50) the most. I also like this dish, only I’m not a fan of the plethora of water chestnuts.

Cashew Nuts Wheat Gluten Chicken

My mom and I love the Crispy Shiitake Mushroom with Bean Sprout ($9.95). These tiny strips of fried shiitake mushrooms are tossed with a wonderful sweet sauce (or as my dad calls it – “red sugar”). Whatever, dad, I’m an advocate of balancing out the savory with the sweet.

Shiitake Mushrooms with Bean Sprouts

My one sister loves soft tofu dishes, so she tried the Szechwan Style Tofu ($7.25). This dish is slightly spicy, but not too bad. It’s a great dish if you happen to like soft tofu.

Szechwan Style Tofu

And the overall favorite is the Crispy Oyster Mushroom ($9.95). I got a similar dish at the Happy Family in Monterey Park, but I definitely like this version better. I think this one has more flavor. It doesn’t even need a sauce – it’s that good.

Crispy Oyster Mushrooms

I am so happy they opened near my hometown. Now my family has a place to eat that satisfies everyone. If you aren’t in the Inland Empire, they also have locations in Costa Mesa and Rowland Heights. Seriously – check them out.

Happy Family – Loma Linda
2150 So. Waterman Avenue
San Bernardino, CA 92408
909-333-6988

Monday – Friday 11am – 3pm and 5pm – 9pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am – 9pm

Breakfast at Freesoulcaffe

Posted by socalvegangal in Dessert, Orange County, Veg Restaurant July 1, 2012

I’ve said this many times, but vegan breakfast foods are so hard to find at restaurants. Oatmeal or a tofu scramble might be here and there, but sometimes you just want a classic waffle. I could be wrong, but I think one only needs a single finger to count the number of restaurants offering a vegan waffle in Orange County. That place is the all vegan Freesoulcaffe in downtown Tustin. If you know of another place, please let me know in the comments. Freesoulcaffe is awesome… really awesome. I’ve already mentioned their delicious lunch and dessert options before, and now I’ve come back to tell you about their amazing waffle.

On their menu, they list their waffle flavors as classic, green tea, and pumpkin. I ordered the pumpkin, but found out that they were no longer doing this option (sad). So I got the Green Tea Waffle ($6.95). You can opt to add fruit for an additional $2. This waffle was so good! Nice and crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. When lots of people are ordering waffles, it takes some time, but it is worth the wait. They stop serving breakfast at 11am – no sleeping in if you want to get your waffle fix.

Green Tea Waffles

But of course I couldn’t leave without getting something from their bakery case. Dessert at breakfast is what I call living!

Glorious Bakery Case

The Key Lime Pie ($5.50) has the most delicious and creamy topping. It’s the same topping they put on their Mocha Pie I mentioned in my last post. The pie itself was equal parts sweet and tart. I shared it with my fellow diners and they liked it, too.

Key Lime Pie

They have an annoying online menu that doesn’t list prices. Their paninis run about $11.50, sandwiches are $7.95 for a half and $10.50 for a full, soups are $6.50, brownies/blondies are $3.75, and the cheesecakes/pies are $5.50.

They have a lovely covered courtyard that has heaters going on colder days. Their hours are: Monday – Saturday: 9am – 9pm (closed on Sundays).

191 East Main Street Suite 1B
Tustin, CA 92780
714.371.0976

Vegan Sandwich Shop in Irvine

Posted by socalvegangal in Orange County, Veg Restaurant June 28, 2012

This new sandwich shop opened in Irvine called Phoney Baloney (awesome name, right?). It’s a little hard to find. You first have to find this gym, then go inside, and you’ll see the counter immediately on the right. They have a small seating area where you can feel guilty by watching people work out.

I got the Cali BBQ ($5,95): grilled Phoney’s beef slathered in cherry chipotle BBQ sauce and topped with slaw, pickles, and mustard on a sourdough sandwich roll. I love sandwiches in general, but I really loved this sandwich. The roll was a tad bit thick and hard to bite into, but other than that, the taste was wonderful.

BBQ Sandwich

And of course I had to try their Strawberry Cookie Monster – a spring sandwich special. If they are still offering this sandwich, you have to try it! It’s fresh strawberries, cookie butter, cream cheese, and agave drizzle that’s panini pressed between two slices of whole wheat sourdough. Genius combination.

Cookie Monster

Good luck trying to find this gem. It’s worth it!

4880 Irvine Blvd., Suite 102 (inside Custom Bodies Fitness)
Irvine, CA. 92620
949-885-6237

Monday – Fri 11am – 9pm
Saturday 11am – 4pm
Sunday closed

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

M Cafe in Los Angeles

Posted by socalvegangal in Los Angeles, Veg Restaurant June 26, 2012

I’ve posted before about M Cafe’s macrobiotic eats and now I’m back again to tell you about another meal here. A nice little pre-meal snack is their Shiitake Inari ($2.25). It’s a wonderful bean curd skin filled with rice and marinated shiitake mushrooms. Sweet and simple.

Braised Shiitake Inari

I think I missed the boat in posting this. This item is off M Cafe’s spring menu, but now it is summer so you probably won’t be able to get it anymore. It’s a Dill Tofu Salad Wrap with a side of their Barley and Green Garbanzo Bean Salad ($8.95). I loved this wrap. It reminded me of an egg salad sandwich. It was so fresh tasting. The side salad was an interesting one. I’ve never seen green garbanzo beans, but they were good.

Tofu Dill Salad Wrap

My vegan guy got the Carolina BBQ Seitan Burger ($11.95): thinly sliced grilled seitan basted with zesty barbeque
sauce and piled on a house-baked whole wheat bun with grilled onions, pickles and creamy cole slaw. This burger has a spicy kick to it, but gets cooled down by the coleslaw. If you can handle the heat, you’d like this one.

Carolina BBQ Burger

Parking is no fun at M Cafe. There are a few spaces connected to the restaurant, but mainly you will have to find a spot on the street.

7119 Melrose Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90046
323-525-0588

Monday – Saturday 9 am – 10 pm
Sunday 9 am – 9 pm

They also have a location in Beverly Hills at:

9433 Brighton Way
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-858-8459

Monday – Saturday 9 am – 8 pm
Sunday 10 am – 7 pm

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.

Vegan Ice Cream at Scoops

Posted by socalvegangal in Dessert Shop, Ice Cream, Los Angeles June 20, 2012

It’s Summertime! And that means vegans go out in search of frozen treats like non-dairy ice cream from Scoops. They’ve been around for awhile and most LA vegans are already in the know, but some of our dear vegan friends outside the LA Metropolitan area are out of the loop. I’m here to include those poor folks and let them know of a vegan ice cream option to try on their next trip to LA. Scoops has two locations. The original location is next to LA City College and the newer spot is in West LA. Scoops sells a bunch of dairy filled ice creams (gross!) and two or more vegan varieties (yum!). The flavors change daily, so you’ll never get bored.

My latest trip to Scoops gave me Raspberry Chocolate and Oreo Ice Cream. I think it was either a very hot day or they changed the temperature setting on their freezer, because these scoops were a bit softer than I remember. I think it made them extra delicious. I also really loved the Raspberry Chocolate, because the raspberry really mellowed out the strong chocolate flavor. Most of the time when I go to Scoops, they have a chocolate based flavor, but I always find the chocolate to be too much for me.

Raspberry Chocolate and Oreo

I have yet to go to the one in West LA, but they are nice enough to update a facebook page so you know what flavors are available. The original location is very popular and sometimes sells out of the vegan flavors before closing on Saturday nights. There used to be an awesome vegan restaurant across the street (RIP Pure Luck) and I asked if their closing had any influence on the amount of vegan ice cream Scoops was selling these days. I was told that there was a decline at first, but now everything is about the same. Good for them! I’d hate to see the demand get so low that they would discontinue their vegan flavors.

Scoops East
712 N Heliotrope Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90029
323-906-2649

Monday – Saturday 12pm – 10pm
Sunday 1pm – 6pm

Scoops West
3400 Overland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90034
323-405-7055

Monday – Saturday 12pm – 10pm

118 Degrees in Costa Mesa

Posted by socalvegangal in Orange County, Raw, Veg Restaurant June 19, 2012

Awhile back, I had a Groupon to 118 Degrees. It was a great deal. Unfortunately, in my opinion, 118 Degrees is one of those reasons why I was turned off to raw cuisine. 118 Degrees was my second raw restaurant experience (after Cafe Gratitude in San Francisco – also not a very good experience). It just didn’t grab me. After two not so great experiences, I was not very interested in trying more raw cuisine. Luckily, I found some raw food in LA that I liked and the best raw restaurant in Oklahoma City. Be your own judge of the cuisine, but this is what I got.

For an appetizer, we ordered the Fried Avocado Mini Tostadas ($7): crispy buckwheat shells, spicy pepita cheese, chopped spinach, cilantro, corn, and fried avocado. This appetizer is something I have had before and liked it. However, on this trip, that crunchy coating on the avocados was lacking and brought the whole dish down. On a good day, these actually are pretty good. I can never really say anything bad about raw cheeses – I always like them, but I’m not a huge fan of dehydrated things resembling the bread (in this case: the tortilla).

Fried Avocado Mini Tostadas

My vegan guy got the Sweet Corn Tamales ($14): sweet corn masa with marinated portobello mushrooms – served warm with rojo salsa, guacamole, and napa slaw. According to the restaurant, this one sells out fast and I can see why. I enjoyed this much better than the raw stuff. Besides being comforting and warm, it also had lots of flavor.

Sweet Corn Tamales

I had the Fusion Pasta ($16): sweet miso, squash noodles in a chipotle shiitake creme with shiitake mushrooms, avocado, and dulse flakes. When I think “squash,” I mainly think of butternut squash. I’m a fan of butternut squash, so I thought I would like this dish. When it came to me, I saw it was mainly zucchini noodles. I hate zucchini. I had about two bites of this before packing it up and bringing it to someone else.

Fusion Pasta

And for dessert we got the Apple Cobbler ($9). I love baked apple cobbler, but am not so much a fan of dehydrated apple cobbler. The creme topping was nice.

Apple Cobbler

And the Raspberry Cheesecake ($9). I love Earth Cafe’s raw cheesecake, but sadly, I did not like 118 Degrees’ cheesecake. I think I liked the filling better than the crust, but all-in-all, I would never order this again.

Raspberry Cheesecake

If you are into raw cuisine (and even if you’re not), you may like 118 Degrees. I encourage you to try it out yourself.
2981 Bristol Suite B5
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-754-0718

Monday – Saturday 9am – 10pm
Sundays 10am – 9pm
Brunch on Sunday 10am – 3pm

Brunch at Sage Vegan Bistro

Posted by socalvegangal in Dessert Shop, Los Angeles, Veg Restaurant June 15, 2012

I would like to share that this week So Cal Vegan Gal hit 1,000 views! That means my vegan guy is super supportive of my blog! No, no – he’s pretty normal… sometimes (wink, wink). But really, I would like to thank everyone who visits my blog. It really means a lot to me knowing that I am not just sending this information out into the cold, black space. And I even get some views from pretty random places around the world. I don’t know what brings them to a blog about being vegan in Southern California, but if you happen to be reading this from overseas, “Welcome! Thanks for reading my blog!!” I say very slowly and loudly, because we all know that if we speak to non-English speakers very slowly and loudly, they will understand.

And now back to the post.

Sage Vegan Bistro is one of those places that has a large and varied menu that changes often. It’s a good thing if you don’t like what they offer one month, because, most likely, the next month they will probably offer something else. However, if you absolutely love something, you might be disappointed the next time you dine here. Both have happened to me. Right now, though, lots look good to me on their menu. I better start making more trips to the Echo Park area before these items disappear.

On a day with tasty-looking menu items, my vegan guy and I went in for brunch. I started with the Polenta Cake ($8.95): fried polenta topped with tomato confit and sautéed spinach with green pesto sauce. What a delightful dish. The tastes just blended so nicely and I always feel like I’ve earned some bonus points by starting off my day with some greens.

Polenta Cake

I also ordered the BLTA ($11.95) served on a croissant. For me, the bacon was too smokey. After eating some of it, I really ended up just wanting that amazing croissant. Next time I’m asking for the croissant with some jam.

Croissant BLTA

My vegan guy got the Spinach Avocado and Walnut Sausage Florentine ($11.95): served over fresh baked baguette, topped with hollandaise sauce, and comes with roasted potatoes. From what I remember, I think he liked it all right. Also from what I remember, I think I liked his dish more than my BLTA.

Florentine

Sage is located at:

1700 West Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
213-989-1718

Sunday 9am-4pm & 5pm-10pm
Monday-Wednesday 11am-10pm
Thursday-Friday 11am-11pm
Saturday 9am-4pm & 5pm-11pm

Brunch Saturday and Sunday 9am-4pm

BONUS: Inside Sage Vegan Bistro is a Kind Kreme. Easily get your vegan dessert after your meal!