This is  a completely picture-free post, because I don’t think to shove my cameraphone into my food’s yap unless I’m in the sanctity of my own home. This is a bit of  a test for myself, to see if I can do a decent roll call of the various places that I’ve gotten to dine at in the last year.

Lotus Vegan – North Hollywood, CA

Vegan delivery, and just a few blocks from my home? Yes, please. Despite the Operation: Pancake debacle, this is my neighborhood haunt. Super friendly staff, great food, fast delivery. All they need now is online ordering! Order the Orange Chicken, the Chicken Burger, Chicken and Pancakes (uhh… maybe ask if they’ve changed their mix yet), the satay… you won’t regret it. [link]

Wahoo’s Fish Taco – Various Locations

Yeah, I’m not shitting you. Wahoo for Wahoo’s, as they are surprisingly vegan friendly. You can order dairy-free burritos, tacos, and other plates with the following vegan fillings: Tofu (vaguely teriyaki flavored), Banzai veggies (teriyaki), “vegetarian” (rice and black beans), blackened mushrooms. The guacamole is vegan and pretty decent. My favorite is to order the taco tofus, cheeseless, and a side of guac. Yum. Ask your server about cleaning the grill first, it’s not something that I ask about because it’s admittedly pretty low on my list of priorities (but I’m not assuming that you’re the same, so please ask!) [link]

California Vegan – Hollywood, CA

Just tried this place last weekend, and the food is great! The service is friendly, but a little forgetful – so keep an eye on your order, they’re more than happy to fix oopsies like forgetting whole dishes. My omni companion got a smoothie and the Banana Raisin pancake, I got the Sweet Chili Fish Lunch Special (I think my spring roll was forgotten, but I still received the dipping sauce, lawl), and we both shared a quesadilla and the Banana Coconut Spring Rolls with Ice Cream. Really, really good, and I love the open, old timey diner feel of the place. Some aren’t so into it, but I can dig it. [link]

Pure Luck – Los Angeles, CA

Pure. Luck. Is. So. Goddamned. Good.

Deliver all of your delicious food directly to my mouth, please.

I’m not even going to review this place, just fucking go there. And bring me back an order. [link]

Flore Cafe – Los Angeles, CA (Silverlake)

Took the opportunity to take advantage of the $10 All You Can Eat Brunch Buffet, what a great deal! The tofu scramble was yummy, the french toast was great. The bacon was a little burned, the sausage was flavorful, and the waffles were a little… tough. However! It was all you can eat! And boy, howdy, did we. Get your face in this if you get the chance. [link (via Yelp)]

zPizza – Various Locations

See this entry.  [link]

Astro Burger – Hollywood, CA

They’re pretty ok, and they’re probably much more awesome for vegetarians than vegans. However, their sweet potato fries are pretty awesome, they have lots of veg meals, and vegan stuff is clearly marked. I’ll have to probably visit again, after reading this post a few more times. Bring cash. [link]

Taix 321 Lounge – Los Angeles, CA (Silverlake)

There’s a lot of history in this restaurant, and one accidentally vegan meal on the menu. We dined in the lounge area – get there early to get a table and you can watch whatever acts come on to the stage. Our night found us with a man that did a bluegrass cover of a Motorhead song (and it wasn’t Ace of Spades). Pricey, and perhaps the Penne a la Monegasque wasn’t really worth the price, but it was a fun night anyway. Neat place to see bands, and you can get a hassle-free meal out of it. [link]

Follow Your Heart – Canoga Park, CA

I’ve only recently revisited FYH, after a lackluster first visit about a year ago. On the advice of everyone, everywhere, I tried the Reuben (extremely skeptically) with cottage style tofu. My very first Reuben, I never even tried it when I was omni. Much to my surprise, I was really impressed. Pro Tips: Order with cottage style tofu, extra Thousand Island, and the fries. Carrot chips aren’t exactly the pinnacle of awesome. Also, for those of you that are honey-averse, the buns contain honey, and so does the root beer – even though there’s Virgil’s in the refrigerator case. Can’t win ‘em all. [link]

Hy-Mart Deli – North Hollywood, CA

How cool is this place? It’s a tiny, Mom n’ Pop deli, with inviting owners that are knowledgeable about veganism, the food is awesome, the portions are huge, and the prices are low. So good. Bring cash! [link (via Yelp)]

Madeleine Bistro – Tarzana, CA

Fancypants dining! I came here with a fellow beignet lover for brunch and we nommed the fuck out of the amazing array here. We shared the beignets, and to be honest, I can’t even remember what else we had. The fresh squeezed juice drinks are great, too. Awesome place to take someone, especially if you want to get all romantical and shit.  [link]

Scoops -Los Angeles, CA

Finally! I got me some Scoops! Unfortunately, after dining at Pure Luck, the vegan Oreo cheesecake flavor that I wanted was all gone, but I got a scoop of Peanut Butter & Chocolate, and one scoop of Almond Hazelnut. Motherfuckingyummy. [link (via Yelp)]

Vinh Loi Tofu – Reseda, CA

I’ve only been here once, and it was over a year ago. My (super picky, think a spoiled 8 year old) omni companion wasn’t impressed with what he got, but I liked what I had. I definitely have to come back with better company, and I have a feeling that I’m going to start buying all of my tofu from them, as they manufacture their own tofu – I hear it’s amazing. [link]

Vegan Factory – Tarzana, CA

Another vegan Thai place in the SFV. Their satay is out of this world; I definitely have to revisit this place some time. [link]

Garden Wok – Tarzana, CA

A mostly vegan (just look out for some of the meats) Buddhist fakey meat Chinese place in the middle of the SFV. Extremely nice servers, a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. I hooked an (extremely obnoxious and picky) omni on their orange chicken and now he’s a regular. Sorry guys, I hope he behaves himself. They’re pretty good, nothing extremely amazing or poor – but one of its biggest strengths is that it’s also a great place to go when you have a big party, unlike a lot of vegan places, which simply don’t have the room or the family-style tables. [link (via Yelp)]

Veggie Era – Upland, CA

Straight up, really great fakey meat Chinese/Thai, and the best one that I know of that’s run by a (fun, goofy) cult (take that, Scientology. I bet LRH couldn’t fry up seitan to save his body thetan clusters.) And it’s the only place like it in the area, so it deserves all of the love that you can throw at it. I have a special place in my heart for the “My Sweet and Spicy Lady” – mock chicken flash fried in sweet chili sauce.  [link]

Chico’s – Riverside, CA

Chico’s used to be the best! Dual kitchens for omnis and vegans, GREAT food, neat ambiance. After the restaurant switched owners, shit definitely got real. The menu, service and food suffered, big-time. The last time I passed by there, the building was closed. Oh well, we’ll always have memories of your amazing vegan quesadilla with crema and guacamole. [link (via Yelp)]

Honorable Mention:

Orean’s Health Express – Pasadena, CA

Fuck Orean’s. They’ll (maybe, as their food is pretty fucking bland) get my money if they can bother to stop lying to customers about their dairy use. It’s too bad, man. I really wanted some of that chai milkshake action. (Spoilers: They’ve been dishonest assholes for years about it.) [link]

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