Vegan food is catching on!

[kriz]

I took my friend to to a relatively new (opened in December) vegan restaurant

[VeganMum]

Think I'll move to California

[kriz]

It's nice.

[VeganMum]

Swap you
You come to the UK and I'll go to California - fair exchange I reckon (for me)

[kriz]

Oh, did I tell you, the new place is always packed.

[VeganMum]

It's ok us British are used to queueing

[kriz]

No, I'm staying here now. But you should go here on a vegan vacation, enjoy the beaches and good food.

[VeganMum]

Ok
Years ago I did go to Anaheim (for disney) and to San Diego and loved it. Would love to come back one day

[kriz]

Santa Barbara is a very nice place, too.

[Roxy]

Go by boat though. I recently spent a 9hr lay-over in the L.A. Airport and found most of the airport staff to be rude and unhappy. They need customer service training in order to greet visitors with a more welcoming attitude!

[kriz]

You're right, Roxy. I don't know what has gotten into these people at the airport here, they're rude and careless. It didn't use to be like that, really. Maybe the working conditions worsened.

[FR]

Oh, did I tell you, the new place is always packed.

You Californians are so fortunate.

[Rabbit]

I took my husband to a relatively new (opened in December) vegan restaurant. The place is called Vegan Glory and they serve delicious Thai food. We enjoyed everything so much that we decided to top it off by stopping at a little coffe house on our way home. And as I was zipping my coffe, I discovered a big sign across the street saying, "California Vegan" Another Thai vegan restaurant!! WOW! That's fabulous! You, guys, It doesn't end there - next week some friends are inviting me to a NEW vegan Ethiopian place....What's going on? I think this city is experiencing a vegan invasion. I'm so happy!

Hey Kriz!

I went to California Vegan last night and it was delicious! So much to choose from! I had what they called a BLT Burger with fries. Ummmmm. And carrot cake for dessert too.

Do you ever go to Native Foods in Westwood? That's my all time favorite place, but I can never find parking and it's not a very nice "sit down" type of place either. Pricey too. I love their Temphe Chips and Save The Chicken Wings. I usually order "to go".

I'm starting to see more and more restaurants cater to the vegan life style.

[Gorilla]

Wow Kriz you're lucky. i live in a pretty veggie-friendly place, but there's not a single 100% vegan restaurant for miles around. another good veggie restaurant here closed down recently. and to hear that your restaurants actually have the word 'vegan' in their names - i don't think they'd be too popular in the UK!!

[VeganMum]

I wish Portsmouth would catch up. I have one veggie "cafe" near me and the next one is about 15 miles away. I don't know of a single vegan one at all. Luckily I do have a decent independent health food shop near I work but thats about it. I really think I need to move ......

[Aurora]

Well don't move to Essex then, they don't even understand the word let alone have places to eat here. The nearest vegan/veggie place to me is in Norwich or going the other direction Cambridge.

[Rabbit]

I've always wanted to live in an area that didn't have too much competition and open up my own little vegan cafe! Nothing too elaborate.

Soups, sandwiches, light meals, desserts...just a standard menu where people can come in, grab something to eat and not have to wonder "gee...are these french fries fried in the same oil used to fry an animal with, OR was this cream sauce or dessert made with milk?

Everything would be animal friendly!

I love my animal friends...why would anyone want to eat them???

I'm glad everyone on this forum lives a vegan life style, and you're all so very kind and friendly too!

Thank you.

[kriz]

Hey Kriz!

I went to California Vegan last night and it was delicious! So much to choose from! I had what they called a BLT Burger with fries. Ummmmm. And carrot cake for dessert too.

Do you ever go to Native Foods in Westwood? That's my all time favorite place, but I can never find parking and it's not a very nice "sit down" type of place either. Pricey too. I love their Temphe Chips and Save The Chicken Wings. I usually order "to go".

I'm starting to see more and more restaurants cater to the vegan life style.

I love Native Foods too!

[VeganMum]

Are you positive no one wants to swap houses with me ? After all here I have one health food shop and zero vegan restaurants ... fair swap I think

[kriz]

We would have to swap dogs too, then!!!!

[VeganMum]

As tempting as it sounds, I may have to reconsider
Although - I bet yours doesn't snore as much as Jessie or manage to take up all the room in a king size bed

[kriz]

Mine is a true "mama boy" and wouldn't let me leave anyways.

[Rabbit]

Kriz,

Where is "Vegan Glory" located in Santa Monica??? Ummm, Ethiopian food...I'd love to try some. I know that strip of stores/restaurants on Fairfax. Huell Howser did a special on the particular area. I always wanted to try it. Now even more so since I hear it's vegan. What is the name of that restaurant you went to there? Was it "pricey" or reasonable?

Is your puppy a whippet or greyhound? Very, very sweet face. I love the LONG nose.

[kriz]

Unfortunately, there's no "Vegan Glory" on the westside, not yet ...

[kriz]

I'm happy you liked my little companion, 3 years old...but acts like a puppy...plays with squeaky toys all day long. And sleeps a lot, too.

[phillip888]

hmm I've been thinking of checking out vegan restaurants down south.


The San francisco area has lots of vegan and vegetarian places too. There are at least a dozen places just around silicon valley. About six different places are within lunch trip distance from work, so it's nice if I want to eat out for lunch (although there's an organic salad bar and a few vegan options here at work)... There are quite a few vegan and vegetarian places in the city, but I almost never go there. In santa cruz there are some vegan and vegetarian places too.

[kriz]

Time for a vegan road trip, phillip. Spring is here!!

[feline01]

Anyone ever eat at Millenium, I could kick myself for not eating there when we were in SF years ago. We tried to eat at Greens (I think that's the name) but it was closed for a private function. Still, SF was one veg-friendly city.

[Rabbit]

Anyone ever eat at Millenium, I could kick myself for not eating there when we were in SF years ago. We tried to eat at Greens (I think that's the name) but it was closed for a private function. Still, SF was one veg-friendly city.

feline01 ---

Just last night we got an invite from my husband's friend in S.F. who offered to take us around to the many veggie restaurants there.

I'll make sure to mention "Millenium" and "Greens". I'd love to find an a vegan Mexican restaurant/stand/cafe. I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD! YUM!!!

Thank for the suggestions feline01...that's one cute kitty .

[Seaside]

Posted by kriz:

Are you a Huell Howser fan too?!! I just love all that positive energy he generates. Now, that's someone who's truly excited about life. He's one of a kind, really.

I love Huell Howser! I still remember when he went inside the Golden Gate Bridge. I haven't watched regular TV for almost three years, but being reminded of "California's Gold" might change my mind.....

[kriz]

Huell Howser is a natural wonder.

[Michelle]

There is one vegetarian resaurant that I know of in the town right next to me and I've only eaten there once. To be honest, it was really yucky and I haven't had the urge to go back. It's kind of styled like a cafeteria where you go in and pick a plate of whatever they decided to cook that day and then they have some desserts or what not that you can buy, too. It's almost like they tried to make vegetarian "soul food" and it didn't work out. I could think of so many great things to serve in a vegan restaurant...sandwiches, salads, soups, pasta, breakfast items, rice dishes. Things that were vegan but not weird so that more people would try them. Most of the stuff I looked at in that restaurant looked unidentifiable and overcooked or something. Yes...you are very lucky!!

[Seaside]

That's too bad, Michelle! I think it is easier in California to find good vegan food because of our ethnic diversity. The cuisines of other, less wealthy cultures are dependent upon non-animal foods because animal foods are so much more expensive. They rely upon a bigger variety of plant ingredients to make their dishes tasty, and their cooking techniques are better. Lots of Asian and Mexican restaurants actually changed their cooking when they first started out in the USA because there wasn't enough meat in the dishes to appeal to Americans. Happily that attitude is changing!

[Kevster]

ANOTHER vegan cookbook on the way...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...211462-9142842