Image via Complex Original
When Beyoncé and Jay-Z announced that they were going vegan for a "spiritual and physical cleanse," the Internet went nuts. Tumblrs were erected to document the journey, a vegan Jay-Z parody account quickly popped up on Twitter, and it seemed as if everyone had their eyes glued on what fur/leather/pepperoni pizza-inspired ensemble Beyoncé would be wearing to a hot L.A. vegan restaurant next.
Angelenos have unfettered access to numerous farmers markets, soy milk men, juice bars, food swaps, and CSA deliveries, and as such, vegan and vegetarian cuisine in L.A. is constantly changing the game. These day, you can find omnivores and herbivores alike happily enjoying the same establishments without giving each other any food-related side eye. Classics like Real Food DailyandNative Foodswill always have a place in our hearts, but there are plenty of new kids on the block to diversify our dining options with this year.
If you're thinking of going vegetarian, embracing meatless Mondays, or simply love yourself a plant- based meal after a hike a Temescal Canyon or Runyon, these are the spots you need to add to your repertoire (if they aren't already your favorites). Skip the food coma and go with a meal that leaves you energized and feeling right.
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Sage Vegan Bistro
Neighborhood: Echo Park / Culver City
Address: 1700 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles
Website: SageVeganBistro.com
If a person has eaten at Sage Vegan Bistro and not loved it, I haven't met them. The original can be found on Sunset Blvd in Echo Park, but these days, the talk is about their Culver City location's pizza oven. You can build your own pie from organic heirloom white flour crust or chose the gluten free buckwheat. When you find yourself at their Eastside hideout, the bowls are an absolute must, offering a diverse selection of hearty choices like the falafel bowl, mole bowl, and Brazilian bowl. You won't believe how many delicious elements Sage can fit into one serving.
Happy Family
Neighborhood: Monterey Park
Address: 500 N Atlantic Blvd., Ste 171, Monterey Park, Calif.
Website: N/A
Happy Family is an SGV (San Gabriel Valley) classic, serving up all you can eat Chinese Vegetarian every day of the week. If you live in L.A. but aren't eating Chinese cuisine in the SGV, you're sleeping and it's time to step up your game in 2014. From their house fried chicken with sesame (made with mushrooms) to their stir fry baby bean leaves, Happy Family is dishing out fried vegetarian goodness in addition to perfect sauteed vegetables. Don't forget to order the minced squab in lettuce cup, a dish so delicious that they limit you to ordering just one.
Juice Served Here
Neighborhood: Pasadena/Beverly Grove
Address: 57 E. Holly St., Pasadena, Calif.
Website: JuiceServedHere.com
Juice cleanses are a real thing in L.A. For some, juicing is a lifestyle, while for others, fresh juice has become an extravagant drink to be enjoyed post weekend yoga. But not all juices are created equal. At Juice Served Here you get the best possible ingredients in liquid form. They are raw, organic, and cold-pressed (meaning no nutrients are lost), in addition to being locally sourced whenever possible. Juice Served Here has 21 different flavors with cheeky names like "nut milk," "cream party," and "The Pipe Cleaner." When you really want to get adventurous, take a swig of the "hot shot," made with lemon, ginger, jalapeno and Himalayan liquid salt.
Cafe Gratitude
Neighborhood: Larchmont
Address: 639 N Larchmont Blvd Los Angeles
Website: CafeGratitudeLA.com
"I Am Local," "I Am Inspired," "Thriving," "Magical:" these are just a few of the names of dishes you can eat at Cafe Gratitude. Specializing in 100% organic vegan cuisine that supports sustainability in the community, Cafe Gratitude is THAT restaurant. Open from breakfast until dinner, you can walk in any time and order something that brings comfort and warmth while remaining incredibly healthy. Embrace the friendly service, and for a second, imagine that this is what it's like to live on a commune. From their macrobiotic bowl, kelp noodle pasta, and Indian curried lentils, the flavors at Cafe Gratitude are thoughtful and rich, all prepared to nourish you in the best possible way.
Samosa House
Neighborhood: Culver City
Address: 11510 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles
Website: SamosaHouse.net
It's been years since I first experienced the bold flavors of Samosa House and this establishment has only became better with time. Now doubled in size, it appears this Culver City restaurant and market place has won many hearts with its vegetarian Indian cuisine, representing both the North and the South on their menu. There are not many places you can enjoy three mains with rice, naan, and raita or vegan soup for under $9. The price is on point and the food is always fresh and bursting with incredible spices and flavors. Not to be missed is their take on jack fruit, which offers a similar texture to carnitas and makes for a seriously satisfying bite. Pair it with a nice veggie tikka masala and saag paneer, and you'll be eating like a boss.
Another Kind of Sunrise
Neighborhood: Venice
Address: 1629 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, Calif.
Website: AnotherKindofSunrise.com
A cereal bar seems like something only dreams are made of, but in Venice, it's a reality. Located in a cozy nook directly off Abbot Kinney, Another Kind of Sunrise is serving up bowls of organic, natural, and non-gmo cereals, with options for vegans, vegetarians, gluten frees, and paleos alike; this is Southern California, after all. If chia is your game, they have a tasty bowl packed with the Latin American seed rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fresh coconut milk and vanilla. My personal favorite, the açaí bowl, is hand crafted with açaí berries, blueberries, cashews, coconut milk, banana and wildflower granola. If classics are more your steeze, they've got you covered with cocoa puffs, corn flakes, and rice crispies, all organic of course. Sounds like a great to start the morning, doesn't it?
Crossroads
Neighborhood: Beverly Grove
Address: 8284 Melrose Ave Los Angeles
Website: CrossroadsKitchen.com
Vegan fine dining with farm-to-glass cocktails and wine pairings do exist, and it's happening under the expertise of Conscious Cook author and chef Tal Ronnen at Crossroads. Plant-based cuisine never looked so intricate and beautiful, with a menu that boasts vegan tomato ricotta angnolotti, artichoke oysters with kelp caviar, and hearts of palm calamari. The vibe at Crossroads in sophisticated and so is the food. This is a great date spot when you're looking for something a bit different. If you can't make it for dinner, make sure you grab something off their new lunch menu. The kale Caesar salad or favarolo sandwich, made with black truffle leek pate, oven roasted mushrooms and almond ricotta, are both incredible.
The Juice
Neighborhood: Atwater Village
Address: 3145 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles
Website: TheJuiceLA.com
The Juice is an Atwater Village gem and rumor has it that it's given the neighborhood quite the juice addiction. Come for the raw, organic, fresh pressed juice and stay for their unrivaled smoothies, made with in house vegan coconut or almond milk ice cream. Combine any of their 12 juices with the creamy churned goodness and you'll have had one of the most delicious and healthy sweet treats in all of L.A. You'll only need one sip to be officially hooked.
M.A.K.E.
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Address: 396 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica, Calif.
Website: Matthewkenneycuisine.com
You'll forget any preconceptions of vegan and raw when you eat at M.A.K.E. Santa Monica. Located on the top floor of Santa Monica Place, this well-designed space is flooded with natural light during lunch hours, enhancing an already pleasant dining experience. M.A.K.E. is the creation of Matthew Kenney, one of the leaders in the ever growing raw food movement. His living foods restaurant has a menu that is as diverse as it is stunning in presentation, with the Market Tomato Lasagna, made with zucchini, macadamia, pistachio and basil stealing the show. Not to be missed, the Kimchi Dumplings with ginger foam and coriander which will leave you feeling like you ate a piece of art. If you need something sweet and on the go, the Malted Chai hits the spot every time, with the perfect blend of bananas, dates, coconut meat, coconut water, cinnamon and maca.
Azla Vegan
Neighborhood: Historic South-Central
Address: 3655 S Grand Ave Ste# C2, Los Angeles
Website: AzlaVegan.com
One of the latest editions to Historic South Central's Mercado la Paloma is Azla Vegan, a restaurant that successfully marries classic and modern Ethiopian. At Azla, it's a family affair, with a very talented mother executing her recipes in the kitchen and a savvy daughter running the show out front. Their vibrant plates appear as a rainbow of food, packed with kale salad, gomen (collard greens), kik (yellow split peas), keysir (marinated beets) and of course, ingera, the porous flatbread that so fascinatingly absorbs every flavor on the plate. Azla has also developed an incredible gluten free pizza with a tomato sauce bursting with berbere, an Ethiopian mix of 15 different spices. This is the first I've tasted of its kind and it feels so right. Ethiopian pizza is crucial in 2014.