Vegan down in Nawlins’ ;

Surrey's!

This past week I’ve been back in New Orleans( my native state) visiting my parents and pup, and of course I had to “try” to find some vegan goodies to enjoy in the city. Obviously when most people think of New Orleans ‘vegan’ isn’t the first word that comes to mind.. Seafood, Fried, Beignets, sweets? yes, but vegan..ha. I did a bit of research before heading down and had a couple of places in mind to try ( no restaurants in NOLA are vegan but some very vegan

Organic Fresh Fruit!

friendly). My mom and I decided to try this cafe that I had found called “Surrey’s Cafe & Juice Bar”. Situated in the quaint Lower Garden District on historic Magazine Street in New Orleans, Surrey’s offers up great breakfast, lunch, and brunch dishes. They are not totally vegan but have some yummy options like; tofu scramble, oatmeal, soy milk, fruit plates, veggie po boys, tofu sandwiches, and lovely organic juices. To start off we got a sample of the fresh squeezed OJ and it was killer-

Oatmeal!

so fresh and chilled. YUM! For our meal we got the “Cup of Fruit” ($4.00) Seasonal Fruit which included; Banana, Pineapple, Grapes, and Melon. Great portion for the fruit and some of the freshest fruit I’ve ever had. Then we decided to split two menu items the first being the “Oatmeal” ($4.00) Fresh Oats cooked and served with Brown Sugar, and Fruit. What a huge portion for only $4! It was really delicious to. It was cooked just right, and served with some soy milk! I

Tofu Breakfast Platter

love a great bowl of oatmeal!! Then we had to try the “Tofu Breakfast Platter” ($7.75) Soy & Ginger Marinated Tofu Sauteed with Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, and Onions. Served with Brown Rice.  This could have passed as a “tofu stir fry” but it worked for breakfast as well! Wonderful flavors!; I don’t know what they did to it but it was so good, I ate every bite!! YUMMY! So happy to see New Orleans offering up some vegan goodies for us! Surrey’s is a must if your in New Orleans, even if you just want a fresh organic juice! Eat clean and green folks!

Peace, Love, and Vegan Food,

Kris

Surrey’s Cafe & Juice Bar:

1418 Magazine St.

New Orleans, LA.

504.524.3828

Let’s talk thai;)

Mac & Cheese!

The Veggie Grill is one of the most popular healthy vegan fast food type places in LA. I’ve been so many times and loved each one. They have some amazing food selections ; salads, soups, sandwiches, wraps, kale dishes, nachos, mac & cheese, and dessert! Let me say this it is ALLamazing, you cannot go wrong!

Thai Chickin'

They have numerous locations including; West Hollywood, Santa Monica, El Segundo, Torrance, Irvine, and a *NEW* location coming to the Fairfax Farmers Market in Hollywood this summer! I decided this trip to try a couple of items I’d never had before and I am so glad I did! I started off with the “Macaroni & Cheese”

🙂

($2.25) Quinoa Pasta, VG Cheese, topped with Toasted Garlic Bread Crumbs. This was like that old school mac & cheese mom use to make for ya. So delicious, creamy with a bit of crunchy bread crumbs. YUM!  For my entree I got one of their many delicious salads the “Thai Chickin’ Salad” ($9.50) Chillin’ Chickin’, Romaine, Red & Green Cabbage, Roasted Corn Salsa, Green Onion, Mandarin Oranges, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Cilantro, & Wontons with SPicy Thai Dressing. This salad had so much going on! It’s definitely a favorite menu item at VG. *Must Try* the flavors were mouth watering! MHM. SO another delicious meal at The Veggie Grill -make sure you stop in and try some of their spectacular food!

Peace, Love, and Vegan Food,

Kris

The Veggie Grill:

8000 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA.

322.822.7575

Native Foods.. I love you.. thats all:)

Wild Buffalo Ranch Salad!

It had been a while since I’ve gone to Native Foods, but seeing that they added a couple of new items to their menu I head to head down to check it out!  They have a fantastic menu with different salads, earth bowsls, sandwiches, pizza, nachos, wraps, desserts.. SO much! I love the salads, and seitan and Native Foods so I tried a new menu item that included those items.. The “Wild Buffalo Ranch Salad“ ($9.95) Romaine Hearts, Jicama, Tortilla Croutons tossed in a Creamy Ranch & topped with Red Onions, Black Beans, Corn, and their Native Seitan

Mac & Cheese

Strips slathered with Louisiana Hot Sauce. Im always struck by any menu item that says ‘louisiana hot sauce’ – me being a ‘Nawlins’ native and all, I have to see how well they did at kickin up the heat (bam!).. This salad was so fantastic!  FULL of fresh black beans and crunchy veggies.. now the verdict on the ‘louisiana hot sauce ‘ : I was pleasantly surprised this actually was pretty spicy.. normally when I have anything “spicy” it means you can taste it, but they did a fantastic job of ‘kickin it up a notch’ . SO Great job on that one! I also for the longest time have been

PB Parfait ; love.

wanting to try their “mac & cheese” and today I finally did! “Freddies Mac & Cheese“ ($1.95)  Quinoa “super” Pasta with a cow friendly Cheese Sauce * Broccoli Trees. Soy and Wheat Free. This was really great mac and cheese!! It was very creamy and soft yummy noodles.. just perfect! Now onto dessert! Today I got the “ Peanut Butter Parfait” ($2.95) Creamy whipped Peanut Butter Filling layered between Boogie Bar Crumbles & Chocolate Chips. Agave Sweetened. Hook me up to a drip! This stuff was amazing!! Moist boogie bar pieces ( coconut, chocolate, nut bar) with the creamiest pudding like pb layered. OH my too good!! LOVE IT! I am a huge supporter of Native Foods,and am loving their new menu items!! Eat clean and Green!

Peace, Love, and Vegan Food,

Kris

Native Foods:

1110 1/2 Gayley Ave.

Los Angeles CA.

310.209.1055

M Cafe.. ” I did it my way…”

...I did it my way....

So M Cafe on Melrose is one of the best places to grab a healthy bite to eat. They have a HUGE case of prepared foods or to go stuff, as well as in house ordering, and delicious baked goods. Everything is prepared healthfully and nutritious! I’ve been many times before and enjoyed every time; SEE. This review is of something I kind of create myself at M Cafe. First off my two favorite items on the menu is their BBQ Seitan Sandwich, and the M Chopped Salad– but obviously

ooey gooey Cinnamon Roll!

eating alone I can’t order both ( although they are so tasty I prob. could stomach it;)}.. Anyways, I order the “M Chopped Salad &BBQ Seitan My Way”($11.45) Hearts of Romaine & Mixed greens, , Cucumber, Chickpeas, Herb-Baked Tofu, Scallions, Umeboshi Pickled Radishes, Carrots, Beets, & Tofu-Peppercorn Ranch Dressing. YES! This is my favorite way to have this salad.. I’ve had numerous people ask me what that is because it looked so darn

Blueberry Bran..yummy!

good! (and it is) Really everyone, try this at least once.. I wish M Cafe would throw this lovely dish on their menu- 😉 Now to a couple of goodies that are on their normal menu.. The lovely woman at the counter told me that the Cinnamon Rolls were her favorite and absolutely amazing- I was told just by looking at them so thats what I got; “Cinnamon Roll” ($2.00 about?) Homemade Cinnamon Rolls made with Maple Syrup baked to perfection. This was an amazing cinnamon roll! It wasn’t super heavy or sweet. Very light and fluffy with a lovely icing! Scrumptious! Next up was the “Blueberry Bran Muffin” ($2.00 about) Bran Batter full of Fresh Blueberries. This was a nutritious and delicious muffin. . They bake everything so perfectly- never over cooked or undercooked just amazing! MHM! Thanks again for another lovely meal M Cafe. See you soon! Eat Clean & Green!

Peace, Love, and Vegan Food,

Kris

M Cafe:

7119 Melrose Ave.

Los Angeles CA.

323.525.0588

NYC’s *1st* Vegetarian Food Festival!! 2011

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It was only a matter of time before NYC had their first ever Vegetarian Food Festival. I have been looking forward to this for months, and it was awesome! The festival was held on April 3rd from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. 2011 in Chelsea. It featured food samplings, and meals from New York City’s *top* vegetarian restaurants & food companies. It was totally free admission, had some raffles, and the greatest stuff ever! I attended with my dad this year ( who is not 100% vegan mind you, and he was making numerous rounds at the festival to get more of the vegan goodies).and we arrived about 15 minutes before 10, so we got in and had fresh delicious samples! Im glad we got there early because after that the wait was about 3 hours!! We tried everything from vegan cheese sticks, marshmallows, raw ice cream, cookies, dessert crackers, macaroni & cheese, tuna salad, teas, chocolates, sushi, & more. There was SO much good food there I didn’t even know where to start!! Some of the Vendors & Contributors from our festival experience include ; The Cinnamon Snail, Sweet & Sara, Loving Hut, Liz Lovely, Goodie Girl Sweets, Sacred Chow, V-Spot, FoodSwings, Marys Gone Crackers, Purely Elizabeth, Raw Ice Cream Company, Wild Flour Baking Co., Chicago Soy Dairy, Rescue Chocolate, Organic Nectars, Clean Plates, Coconut Bliss, Party Like a Vegan, Peeled Snacks, Ricks Picks, Peanut Butter & Company, Gnosis Chocolate, and more! No words can describe how epic this event was! I am so happy I got the chance to attend and sample some amazing vegan treats with my dad! The Sweet & Sara Marshmallow treats were one of my favorites ..I have to admit i visited their booth a few times! My dad had the cheese sticks from Chicago Soy Dairy and adored them! We also had a few samples of the vegan raw ice cream offerings..so many good samples it was crazy! My dad and I both agreed that if you want to impress a carnivore friend, take them to a festival like this..they will be in awe of how tasty vegan really can be! Totally stoked for the next festival (fingers crossed for a NYC festival in 2012).!!” Party Like a Vegan” people!

Peace, Love, and Vegan Festivals,

Kris

NYC Vegetarian Food Festival:

Sunday April 3, 2011

135 W. 18th Street.

New York NY.

Crazy good Vegan Food Truck!

The Cinnamon Snail Food Truck

A vegan Food Truck??! I think so:) The Cinnamon Snail is a mobile vegan restaurant serving up breakfast, lunch, live entrees, beverages, and some ridiculous pastries! They serve NYC as well as New Jersey on various days. I saw the pastries in the window of their truck and knew I had to stop for a treat:) There were SO many

SO many Choices!

options like donuts, muffins,and danishes I had no idea what to get.. My dad was with me and he’s a big fan of non- vegan danishes, so I thought I would get one to split with him- to see how it compared for him:) So we split the “Raspberry Cheese Danish” ($2.00) Fresh Vegan Flaky Pastry Batter baked with a ‘Cheese’ & Raspberry

oh yeah:)

Jelly Filling. Oh my word- If I could have this for breakfast every morning I do believe I would. The pastry was flaky with the perfect balance of ‘cheese’ and raspberry jelly. I am in love my friends. . How did my dad the part time vegan eater rate this little delight you may ask? He was in absolute shock that it was vegan.. you could totally trick a carnivore with this puppy..mhmm. I rate this a 12 out of 10;). The staff is super helpful and has a cool vegan vibe. love it. I cannot wait to try some of their other goodies as well as their entrees! If you ever see this truck make a point to stop!! Eat clean peeps!

Peace, Love, and Vegan Food,

Kris

The Cinnamon Snail:

201.675.3755

*For location info check their Facebook Page*

Vegan Marshmallows? I think so!

pure Heaven.

Let me start this post with asking- who doesn’t love a good smore? or perhaps marshmallows in your hot chocolate? what about peeps at easter? or those lovely rice crispy treats we all indulged in as kids? All of these things us vegans miss out on because of gelatin in normal marshmallows!:( Now the good news; Sweet and Sara! Sweet and Sara is  the original manufacurer of 100% gelatin free, vegetarian & vegan marshmallows, and they are dang good. They have numerous products such as ; Easter Peeps, Rice Crispy Treats, Macaroons, Biscottis’s, Mini

Peanut Butter Smores.

Marshmallows, Vanilla Marshmallows, Coconut Marshmallows, Original Smores, Peanut Butter Smores, Rocky Road Bark, Cinnamon Pecan Marshmallows, and Strawberry Marshmallows. Their products can be ordered online or can be found at your local Whole Foods or possibly a health market in your town ). I was fortunate enough to attend the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival this past Sunday and I was a frequent visitor at their booth and got to try most all of these goodies! EVERY single thing that I tried knocked my socks off. I have never tasted ANY

Original Smores.

marshmallow vegan or non this delicious. The owner was super sweet as well. always had a smile on:)! My favorite of all the goodies was the “Peanut Butter Smores” ($3.95) Fresh Marshmallow with Graham Cracker, Chocolate and Peanut Butter. absolutely the best marshmallow ever created! I could have eaten 20 of these babies! MHM Another great one was the “Original Smores” ($3.95) Marshmallow with a base of Graham Cracker Crust, and Chocolate on top. This one was scrumptious, just brings you right around the camp fire again! Perfection:) Sweet and Sara you are amazing- vegan would be lost without you!

Peace, Love, and Marshmallows,

Kris

Sweet & Sara:

Long Island City NY.

sara@sweetandsara.com

718.707.2808

 

lovely little brunch:)

Hummus Tapa

So today me and my dad decided to go for a lovely brunch in the cute little hippie joint Sacred Chow in the West Village. I’ve been a few times and always had a lovely experience. Today our food experience was delicious ( as always). ..the waitress left something to be desired though.. She opened the door 5 minutes before they opened, but didn’t say anything so we were kind of standing there awkwardly awaiting  her to invite us in or just to acknowledge our existence..finally, I asked if they were opened and she acted like I should have known that

Tempeh Strips

they were opening 5 minutes early today.? Ok.. I wont go into detail but in general she was just a bit rude and uninviting..acted annoyed that we were there to eat.. scorned me for dropping my fork.. I felt like a child almost being punished after dropping a utensil..( oh no, not the fork!) ..let’s just say the service was disappointing today seeing as in the past I’ve always been treated so well ( they even used my picture for the tempeh reuben on there menu.) OK so to the good stuff.  We were feeling in a bit of a “lets try lots of different goodies today” mood, so we went

Seitan Sausage

for the “3 tapas dish” ($18.00) 3 different Tapas from their huge menu of Tapas.. Choice #1: Hummus & Crostini: Homemade Lemon Tahini Hummus served with Crispy Crostini Dippers. This was amazing hummus, so refreshing and a little tangy with the lemon.. super yum. The Crostini’s were also killer! Choice #2: Tempeh Strips: Fresh Marinated Tempeh served with a Mustard Sauce. I really enjoyed this tempeh, it came with some crispy pieces and soft ones for a good mix.. the mustard sauce was tart and flavorful! mhm!

Better than biscuits & gravy.

Choice #3: Seitan Sausage (special): Fresh Grilled Seitan Patties served with Soy Cheese and Sauerkraut. This stuff was very tasty! It was their special tapa of the day and it was a fantastic choice..the cheese dip was really good almost like a hummus! My dad ordered the “Better than Biscuits & Gravy” ($13.75) Two Biscuit halves layered with Steamed Greens and Tofu Scramble ; with White Gravy. My Lord, they said “better than” and they meant it.. first off the plate was SO much food that my dad and I combined couldn’t finish it off.. absolutely amazing.. my dad is a huge “tofu scramble” guy and he was impressed. 🙂 Just an amazing brunch to say the least! Sacred Chow has a huge, unique menu full of healthy sandwiches, salads, soups, veggies, and the brunch is the best ever! ALSO: the portions are giant sized so you can totally get yourself two meals out of it!! Eat Clean. .. just don’t drop your fork;)

Peace, Love, and Vegan Food,

Kris

Sacred Chow:

227 Sullivan Street.

New York NY.

212.337.0863

 

Candle Cafe.. you’ve outdone yourself..again:)

Breathtaking & delicious:)

SO it is no secret that Candle Cafe on the Upper East Side is one of my favorites! I’ve reviewed them numerous times before, which you can check out by clicking here. They are a lovely cafe offering up some scrumptious appetizers, hearty entrees, spectacular sandwiches, salads, soup, indian, mexican, healthy delicious vegan cooking basically! Today me and my dad went in, and I decided to go out on a ledge from my normal order of a sandwich or salad and get something indian. The special today was the “Indian Plate” ($15.00) Okra-Seitan Curry, Black Eyed Pa Masala, Yellow Basmati Rice, Date-Raisin Chutney, Cabbage Salad, & Parata Bread. This is some of the most amazing indian vegan I have eaten. In a strange way it reminded me of a gumbo ( maybe the okra and black eyed peas), but like gumbo gone indian. It was just delicious. HUGE portions, fresh veggies, soft seitan, and luscious chutney ( I could just eat a bowl of that stuff.mhmm) .. I am so happy I decided to step out on a ledge if you will and try something new! Thanks again Candle, you know I love and support you guys! Eat Clean and Green 🙂

Peace, Love, and Vegan Food,

Kris

Candle Cafe:

1307 3rd Ave.

New York NY.

212.472.0970