Where I Ate in Los Angeles

Hinterhof LA Vegan German Restaurant

WHERE I ATE IN LOS ANGELES

If you've been to L.A., or even if you just follow a handful of vegan handles in the City of Angels, you'll know that they're potentially the pinnacle for vegan food in the states. While on the best coast - I mean, the west coast - I had a mental list of all the places I knew I needed to check off. Here's where I was able to get to!

First things first:

Madame Shugah

I am a big fan of Madame Shugah because A. she's hilarious on social media, and B. her treats are the talk of the town. A town with a population of about 4 million. That kinda says something.

While there, little did I know I would run into the infamous Raw Boy... so I had to be that girl and ask for a photo. He was super sweet!

When I approached her booth (at Smorgasburg L.A., btw) she couldn't have been nicer. Or more charming. Or more fun to order from. She said she's known for her pistachio ice cream in the famous ice cream sandwiches, so I ordered one of those. Duh.

Once informed to wait a while before eating since it was sitting on dry ice all morning (but spoiler alert - it was eventually INCREDIBLE), I moved on in search of something to tie me over in the mean time... and found:

Avocado Mama

Avocado Mama was at Eat Drink Vegan, but I never made it to their booth - so I was ecstatic to see them at Smorgasburg!

This is their Buffalo Mac with ranch and avocado added (of course). *Heaven.*

So, next up - this isn't technically anywhere that I ate... but it's somewhere I worked off where I ate!

Everybody Los Angeles

My darling friend, the adorable Edyn Jacks, has recently been certified as a yoga teacher! And since she was coming to the city for Eat Drink Vegan, she also coordinated a class to teach at Everybody, Los Angeles - a friendly, body-positive gym and studio that took sliding scale donations.

I feel like I was one of the first folks to sign up, simply because I was so excited!

I drove to Everybody directly after eating Buffalo Mac and an ice cream sandwich 😂 but because Edyn is a gentle goddess, we did some introductory group discussions and then eased our way into some light yoga work. It was the best way to get re-introduced to yoga, after... longer than I care to admit. (And honestly, I don't know that I remember the last time I truly practiced yoga! Eek.)

Afterwards I was so happy to mingle with other plus-sized beauties, including but not limited to Edyn and her co-host of The Vegan Chub Club podcast, Joelle - aka The Bopo Vegan on Instagram.

And I can't write about this class at Everybody without mentioning this badass! Jessica was assisting Edyn's class that day, but don't be mistaken - she teaches her own classes as well. Give her a follow!!

Seriously - such a calming experience to partake in, and take a break from the bustling city.

WE INTERRUPT THIS BROADCAST TO INFORM YOU:

Immediately after my yoga class, I drove straight to San Diego for a week. If you haven't already read that blog, go ahead and read that now.

If you've already read that: you may continue!

Hinterhof

Like most of my other Los Angeles foodporn follows, I stumbled upon the incredible ALL-VEGAN GERMAN RESTAURANT known as Hinterhof.

Above, you'll find their Hefeweizen with a scoop of lemon sorbet - made by... who else? 

Madame. Shugah.

And below, off the Happy Hour menu:

Vegan Schnitzel Sliders (housemade seasoned seitan cutlets, creamy herb yoghurt sauce, and french fried onions on pretzel buns.)

Kraut Strudel (herbed sour cream over top of a flaky savory strudel filled with sauerkraut, tempeh, onions? I can't recall, and it's not online! But SO GOOD.)

The quarter-German heritage in my genes was rejoicing.

Next up:

Gracias Madre

In a future blog, you'll read all about my long weekend participating in the Girlboss Rally 2019... and the first place I drove in West Hollywood (aka "WeHo") after the weekend ended was Gracias Madre.

The Chili Relleno pictured above is just as f*cking delicious as it looks... a cornmeal-crusted poblano pepper, stuffed with tempeh chorizo, corn, and tomato, served with black beans and salsa ranchero. It's newer on their menu, so (at this point in time) you won't find it online - but just trust that she's there.

I can't even... I can't even tell you... it's easily been over a decade since I've had a "true" Chili Relleno... This took me back, and thrusted me into the future, all at once. It was glorious.

The Kitchen

If you follow my newsletter, you'll see that I recently featured my pal Michelle, a.k.a. The Freedom Fairy! (and if you're not signed up for my newsletter yet, what are you waiting for?)

When I visited L.A., I knew I had to meet up with Michelle for the first time in person. So we met at a place she recommended: the Kitchen, in Silver Lake.

We were in the beginning stages of Mercury Retrograde (IYKYK) and we had arranged to meet there at 4:00/4:30 - right when they were closing. Whoops!

So, Michelle, being the smartypants she is, went ahead and ordered for us before they closed the kitchen.

She ordered the nachos (above - YUM) and their famous mac and cheese (below).

If you're in the mood for a cute atmosphere, with a charming deli next door, and a chill vibe, go over to The Kitchen for that cafe feel and order a couple of their decadent dishes. It was a cute find!!

Now, for something more on the fancy end of the vegan restaurant spectrum... you'll want to go to:

Nic's on Beverly

Good GOD, talk about #foodporn!

This place... I don't even know if dishing about it here on my blog can do it any justice. You just have to follow them on Instagram, watch yourself develop into a superfan, and then waltz your happy vegan ass in there to experience it for yourself.

The cocktail pictured above was the ultimate tease on my Instagram... Bua Loy Kai Wan:

House Made NELA Horchata, El Silencio, Mezcal Espadin, Taro, Kabocha, Pandan, House Kick Boxer Bitters, Plant Based Thai Egg, Black Lava Salt.

Yeah. A PLANT-BASED EGG. As a garnish. Yep.

I first saw Nic's on Beverly on social media when VegOut LA attended a soft opening for them. I couldn't believe the shit I was seeing. I knew I had to make it in there. Ordering the cocktail was the easy part... the food choices, though. Shooooot. So I went with a classic.

Falafel Burger.

truffle tahini / tomato relish / harissa secret sauce / gratin fries

These fries... the Washington Post describes gratin fries as: a rich, special-occasion dish of beautifully layered potatoes, crisp on the outside and buttery within.

Crunchy. Every. Bite.

Get to Nic's on Beverly's. Like, yesterday. You're welcome.

Doomie's Home Cookin'

I have to give my trashiest vegan award to this joint.

When I asked a vegan Facebook group where to go in L.A. over a year ago, they all recommended Doomie's for a dirty time. I ate here in 2018 a handful of times, but this trip... it actually made me sick. So, I advise you to eat at your own discretion! But if you hear from any junk food folks, they'll tell you that Doomie's is THE spot.

Junk food galore, Doomie's is where you can get a late-night fix of greasy vegan items. They even had ice cream floats you could make with their soda machine. 

If you're more into Mexican, check out their store next door... Doomie's Next Mex!

The Treehouse Hotel

Technically a boutique hotel (bed & breakfast style), you'll be delighted to find The Treehouse in Bel Air among one of the most charming places to dine.

My first day there, I had delicious strawberry yogurt with almonds, blueberries, and granola. Their coffee is out of this world.  They even sell it by the bag directly from their hotel!

My second morning, I was offered some quick vegan waffles with Miyokos butter and strawberry jam. I had a bit of a tummy ache that morning (because it was the morning after Doomie's) so the lovely hostess, Gina, made me fresh ginger tea. 

They really know how to make you feel at home here.

You can read more about my review of the Treehouse coming soon as a full review on Happy Cow's blog, which I'll be sure to link here as well as repost on this website (after it runs on Happy cow, first).

Have you ever been to any of these LA vegan spots? Which one are you looking forward to trying?! Leave a comment below and let me know! And stay tuned for my YouTube vlogs to come, where I visit these places and others in California!