3 "failed" trips to Hugo's last week, resulted in us branching out and trying some new places.
Read the reviews at "The Valley Vegan"
Caioti Pizza Cafe
Jinky's Cafe
Last night, finally broke down & ate a veggie burger.... at Hugo's of course!!
Happy Reading!!
January 29, 2010
January 24, 2010
The Valley Vegan!
As many of you already know, The Vegas Vegan is relocating to Los Angeles and obviously I can't continue to be referred to by The Vegas Vegan if I'm living in a different city!!
So my gastronomic partner-in-crime, suggested the handle "The Valley Vegan" and I like it!
In the last 5 months, I have been filling my tummy with wonderful treats from LA establishments. I have a backlog of sushi bars & cafes to review, so it's time to get to work!!
If you have any favorite restaurants in LA that I need to visit, please let me know!!
Please visit the new blog: http://thevalleyvegan.blogspot.com
January 10, 2010
Rick Moonen's RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay
Tucked away at Mandalay Bay is this wonderful restaurant by Rick Moonen: RM Seafood Perhaps you were a fan of Top Chef: Las Vegas and remember the episode of Restaurant Wars took place here? If you haven't experienced this place, then you have no idea what you're missing!Dining on The Las Vegas Strip is difficult for vegans, but RM does make a fantastic vegetarian sushi if you ask your server. There is a "Seasonal Veggie" roll on the menu, but be sure to remind your server that you do not eat any fish whatsoever to ensure that there aren't any hidden treats like fish flakes or crab meat (sometimes considered "vegetarian" by traditional sushi chefs!).
From Las Vegas Weekly: Moonen, who wrote the terrific Fish Without a Doubt, a home cook’s survival guide full of techniques and recipes for all manner of sea creatures, is a champion of sustainable seafood; or, in other words, fish that are caught in an environmentally sound, socially responsible manner, and which are not in danger of being fished out, like the dreaded Chilean sea bass, aka the Patagonian toothfish
I've had the pleasure of dining at rm 3 times, and each time the vegetable sushi is unique and creative. The size is also manageable - sometimes sushi chefs pack a veggie roll so full it barely fits in your mouth! I'm not complaining: it just means they are actually excited about the fresh ingredients they have on hand & want to show them off. I'm all for it.The experience of dining at rm is worth the trip in and of itself! The decor is clean & sophisticated - really makes dining out feel "special" which, let's face it, if I want to eat in a restaurant that looks like my own comfy kitchen, then I'll just eat at home! I want to be wowed when I go out to eat!
There are a few other items on the menu that are lacto-vegetarian (*) or can easily be converted to vegan:
- Edamame (vegan)
- RM baby lettuce & wild herbs salad (most likely vegan but ask about the dressing)
- Grilled eggplant & hallumi cheese panini (*)
- Asparagus mascarpone ravioli (*)
- Heirloom tomatoes (ask to remove the sopressata)
- Marinated beets & watermelon
- Bib lettuce & wild herbs (again, ask about the dressing)
In all, rm is worth the experience, and it is nice that the sushi chef is willing to put together a pretty and delicious veggie roll. Being a seafood restaurant, though, the choices are inherently limited. Although... one of their incredible Mojitos will make you forget all about that!
Located in the entrance to Mandalay Place
Between The House of Blues and the Lion King Theatre
3930 Las Vegas Blvd. So.
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702-632-9300
January 9, 2010
Señor Fred, LA
Today was a veritable foodgasm for the Vegas Vegan in LA: lunch at Hugo's & dinner at Señor Fred. It's becoming clear to me that the Vegas Vegan is quickly morphing in to a very fat Valley Vegan as most of my gastronomic exploits are occuring in Los Angeles these past 5 months. Who's complaining? I say bring on the food!!Señor Fred's always begins with a basket of warm corn tortilla chips with salsa. When it's just the two of us, one basket of chips is enough, but tonight, we had 2 hungry teenage boys with us... and I'm almost proud to confess that we polished off 3 baskets without batting an eyelash. Everyone enjoyed a good laugh as the 4th basket was placed in front of us and we waited to see who would crumble and take the first chip. (it wasn't me!)
At first glance at the dinner menu there are several items that can easily be made vegetarian by removing the meat. As usual, it's easy for lacto-vegetarians to eat just about anything they want off the menu with just a little creativity. But the vegans always have a little more trouble at Mexican restaurants. Lard & cheese are usually in every dish! So imagine my joy, the first time I ate at Señor Fred's when I saw right on the menu "lard free" !! Bring on the refried black beans! The Vegas Vegan is hungry!
On the menu, there is one purely vegetarian item, a burrito. And I can say that I've been eating that burrito every single time I've gone. That burrito is packed full of rice, black beans, spinach, onion, garlic, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and whatever other veggie they have lying around! But tonight was special. Tonight was our 2nd meal at Señor Fred's in 2 days. Yep. We LOVE Señor Fred's!! So we spoke to the waiter, asking what the chef could make that was vegan. To my undisguisedly enthusiastic joy, I was told I could have an enchilada with spinach, mushrooms & onions, covered in my choice of red or green sauce, with a side of beans & rice. Oh baby!! It's been YEARS since I've had an enchilada!
The only thing that would have made this enchilada better would have been vegan cheese inside. Not impossible, Señor Fred... I know it doesn't keep for long after opening, but it might not hurt to have a few bricks of Vegan Gourmet cheeses on hand!!
I'd highly recommend Señor Fred if you're in LA and looking for great Mexican food!!
| Phone: | (818) 789-3200 |
| Fax: | (818) 789-3232 |
| E-mail: | info@señorfred.com |
| Address: | 13730 Ventura Boulevard Sherman Oaks, California 91423 (just west of Woodman Avenue) |
January 3, 2010
Border Grill
Today I had the pleasure of dining at Border Grill at Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas Strip. Regular readers of this blog know that I avoid dining on the Strip as much as possible, but today, was a wonderful exception!According to the website, Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales”, want to "spice up your day" and they certainly spiced up ours!
At the hostess stand, we perused the menu - I noticed right away several dishes that could be made to be vegetarian or vegan, but my friend made a point of telling the hostess that I am a vegan and would I be taken care of? She assured us that the chef was able to make anything on the menu vegetarian and if we spoke to the server, there would be no problem in creating a vegan dish. Woo hoo! Show me to the table!!
We were treated to chips and 3 types of salsa: chipotle, tomato & tomatillo. Each had their unique charm, and it was difficult to decide which I liked better. The chipotle was smokey and dark, the tomato was sweet and smooth, and the tomatillo was cool and citrusy. We pretty much devoured it all - stopping just short of licking the monkey dishes.
Time to order... When I told the server I was vegan and what would he suggest I order, he immediately jumped enthusiasitcally to my aid. He pointed to several dishes that could have the meat and cheeses removed, but said that the chef usually makes black bean tacos (this is an off-menu item and many of us vegans are used to eating off-menu!) with 2 types of rice (green & red) and pico de gallo served with warm home-made soft corn tortillas. The server assured me that the rice and black beans were 100% veg*n, no lard. My friend ordered Chile Relleno (roasted poblano pepper • manchego • panela • cotija cheeses • roja salsa • tomatillo salsa • rice • black beans) which I am now realizing is vegetarian!
My black bean tacos were to die for because of the simplicity! I love eating foods where I can identify in one tasting and name all the ingredients in English, not in chemistry terms. Simple and delicious.
With the help, confidence & knowledge of the hostess and the server, and the ease with which the chef whipped me up something as delicious as these tacos, I am happy to give Border Grill 5 sprouts and recommend that if you are on the Strip and looking for Mexican food, visit Mandalay Bay for this hidden treat located over the lazy river & along the way to the Shark Reef.
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89119
phone: 702.632.7403 fax: 702.632.6945
Executive Chef - Mike Minor
General Manager - Kent Harman
December 25, 2009
Hugo's Restaurant, Los Angeles, CA
Hi. My name is Lisa & I'm a Hugo's addict.Any guesses as to how many times The Vegas Vegan has dined at Hugo's....? I think 10 times in the last 5 months. It might even be more...
The best thing about Hugo's is the fact that I can find something different to eat every time. With so many choices, I refuse to limit myself to one favorite dish. Considering the limitations of other restaurant menus, it would be irresponsible of me not to take advantage of Hugo's menu!!
- Use their handy guide to find the right dish for you:
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-Free(
) - Can be Vegan(
) - Can be Vegetarian(
) - Can be Gluten-Free Gluten-Free Energy Pancakes
Our gluten-free, vegan pancakes blended with our energy granola which features pumpkin seeds, quinoa, almonds, shredded coconut, cashew nuts, sunflower seeds, puffed rice, dried cherries & cranberries, cinnamon & maple syrup. Topped with sliced bananas and served with spiced agave syrup.
I admit, I have never eaten gluten-free pancakes before! They were delicious & if I didn't know better, I wouldn't have known they were gluten-free. They were crunchy & sweet, and now I am dreaming about these...Indian FrankiesFrankies are the quintessential Mumbai (Bombay) street food. They are the Indian version of wraps. Ours contains Indian spiced roasted vegetables with leafy greens and peas blended with our Tika masala sauce and wrapped in a Ezekiel sprouted grain tortilla. Served with cilantro-mint chutney, plain yogurt and a jicama cucumber salad with orange segments and cherry tomatoes.
Avocado-Hummus Wrap
Spinach tortilla wrapped around avocado, tomato, cucumber, hemp hummus & sunflower sprouts with a drizzle of sesame-ginger dressing.
The Very Green Protein Burrito
Two other dishes I've had recently were off of the Specials menu:Portabella Mushroom stew
Moroccan Vegetable stew
And I certainly need to try the green juice at some point (though I admit to being a vegan who is deathly afraid of green liquids!)
They make a wonderful soy latte as well - although I needed to add 3 packs of Sugar in the Raw - and drew me a beautiful leaf design in the foam. Be still my heart...
GO TO HUGO's!!! (oh, and Hugo's: hire me for advertising!!)
I give Hugo's 5 Sprouts, although this place is in a class all it's own.TWO LOCATIONS:
12851 Riverside Drive
Studio City, CA 91607
(818) 761-8985
8401 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 654-3993
September 6, 2009
Typhoon
Another trip to Los Angeles, this time found me dining with a friend at: Typhoon. Located at the Santa Monica Airport, this was the site of yet another memorable meal in LA! Labeled: "LA's Premiere Pan-Asian Restaurant" on their website. Granted this is the only Pan-Asian restaurant I've been to in LA, I have it from a reliable source that this is indeed the best!The menu at Typhoon is varied & eclectic, very original, and with plenty of choices for any hungry vegan!
It's hard to say if the potsticker and spring roll wrappers use any egg whites, sometimes that is the case with those papers. You may want to ask your server to find out for you if you plan on ordering one of these items. I did not order an appetizer, so obviously I did not ask!
You will find plenty of vegetable dishes, noodles, rice, soups. But remember, always ask about the base of each soup and sauce, and of course keep in mind that in Thai cuisine, "basil" may include shrimp. Your more adventurous friends may be interested to hear there are all sorts of insects on the menu.
I enjoyed the deep fried tofu - crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. It is not served with veggies, but all it took was one simple question and my tofu was dressed up with some beautiful broccoli.
Grab your chopsticks and bring an empty stomach because you could sit here for hours, watching the planes take off & land, while grazing through several courses of this amazing food.
3221 Donald Douglas Loop South • 2nd Floor
Santa Monica, CA - 90405
Tel: 310.390.6565 - Fax: 310.390.8032
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