Restaurant Reviews
-Los Angeles
-San Francisco
-New York City
-Boston
-Portland, OR
The Cinnamon Snail Organic, Vegan Food Truck in NJ (video)
Food trucks are all the rage - somewhere between take-out and dining in at a restaurant, it's a fun and convenient way to eat. Unfortunately, vegan options are often lacking at these meals on wheels, aside from the occasional veggie burger, chili fries, dosa, or gourmet popsicle. However, there are a few saving graces (i.e. vegan food trucks) across the country - there's Seabirds Truck in the Orange County/LA area, Sunny Vibrations up in San Francisco, GMonkey in Connecticut and The Cinnamon Snail in Hoboken New Jersey (and perhaps others I don't know yet). Today I'm excited to feature the latter, a truck I didn't think I'd get to try due to it's seemingly random East Coast location - but taking a little detour on my way to NYC this summer was beyond worth it.
Pure Food and Wine, Raw Restaurant in NYC (Video Review & Interview)
It's so nice to be catching up on all my old videos! Like my last review on 118 Degrees, this piece on Pure Food and Wine has been on my mind since I tapped it last year. In fact, my sister has been bugging me about it because she thinks it's one of the best meals she's ever had with me, and I agree. Watching the footage again reminded me of how incredible the food is there (and how nice NYC is in the summer!).
118 Degrees - Raw, Organic Restaurant. Plus Interview w/ Jenny Ross (video)
In 2005, brand new in LA, I applied to a job ad on Craigslist for a vegan cafe called Taste of the Goddess in West Hollywood, and I was thrilled when I got an interview. But this wasn't any vegan establishment - they made raw food, which was pretty foreign to me. I'm not sure if I ever had raw food before this time - it wasn't really a big deal back in Boston. Well, I got the job and worked there part-time for about 6 months until I got too busy to keep it up - I learned so much about raw food and health from the owners Jenny & Nwenna, I even did a month long cleanse (Ejuva). Sadly, Taste of the Goddess didn't remain open much longer, but the ladies behind it went on to do bigger and better things.
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Veggie Grill in Santa Monica (video)
Some time ago I caught wind of some very exciting news: Veggie Grill was going to open in Santa Monica! I was thrilled because it not only meant that one of my favorite vegan restaurants would be closer to my apartment, but all of my friends in the area would be able to experience it. Veggie Grill is always on the top of my list to recommend to people who want to try vegan food, and having another location makes it that much easier to suggest. Therefore, when I was invited to preview the new location last night I jumped at the opportunity, and it was wonderful.
Salad Bowl Cafe: cheap, fast, healthy food in Beverly Hills
Last week I got a taste of the offerings of Salad Bowl Cafe, a franchise that recently opened their doors in the heart of Beverly Hills. I got the Big Create Your Own salad and was allowed to choose 8 out of the 50+ toppings; I asked for mixed greens, spinach, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes, walnuts, jalepeno peppers, chickpeas, cucumber, and avocado. I opted for the suggested raspberry vinaigrette, but made the mistake of not asking for it on the side - it was way too much and made the entire salad too heavy. There were also too many jalepenos, which made the salad too acidic. Yet, I really enjoyed it and was impressed at the massive portion and value - salads range from $7.95 - $12.95, which is inexpensive for the quantity.
Lula's Sweet Apothecary (NYC): chill-out with vegan "ice cream" in the heat of summer
Eco-Vegan Eats in Portland, OR
Green Drinks at The Green Life
- Tracy from Your Daily Thread
- Scott O'Brien and his wife Jessie of The Green Life
- Elisa Brown of LA ECO Salon
- Jessica Peltz of Go to Green LA
- The Border Grill truck
The Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons, Boston
My family goes to The Bristol Lounge at The Four Seasons, Boston every Christmas Eve, and in 2009 they were prepared with some vegan options.
- hummus
- tomato soup
- risotto with vegetables
- a delicious cocktail