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Healthy Vegan Fast Food In San Francisco

August 26, 2015 by India Leigh 2 Comments

Healthy Vegan Fast Food In San Francisco

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I was on a road trip recently with my new husband. Yes, for those of you that follow my blog..I got married in July to a wonderful American man!! We had a blissful wedding day in Ojai, California. Magical!

We were road tripping up to Orgeon to my first nerve wracking meeting with some of his siblings and their children, and for husband to enter a 13 mile hill race. (Swoon). We stopped off in my much loved city, San Francisco. Time pushed and road weary (7 hours driving…just to here) I was pulling him around the Mission excitedly showing him cafes where I had spent many hours writing..dragging him up Bernal Heights for a night view of the city and picking up morsels of vegan food along the way.

Project Juice has been raved about by me in the past. Situated midway up Valencia Street it is a filling and stop for healthy fast food and the antithesis of our unregulated in car crunchy snacking! We ordered the Macro Bowl, with ginger, sesame kale and roasted butternut squash, and the Spiced Lentil Wrap with a cashew-turmeric aioli which honestly was so incredible I could have eaten a bowl of the stuff with a spoon! Our food was incredible. Happy making. I like it when my intense love of food is shared! We washed it all down (so incredibly full now) with an Espresso smoothie, with super foods and fresh young coconut. It was good. Husband enjoyed it. But not being a coffee girl I must say my heart is still true to the Chocoholic smoothie! Project juice are in several Northern and SoCal locations. Recommended.

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790 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

 

 


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Though I’ve spent many months of my life in San Francisco in recent years..I felt like a tourist with my husband by my side! We had to take photo’s with murals..it just wouldn’t be right not to!


 

It was not easy to pick only two vegan restaurants to feast in San Francisco. We only had a few hours and I had to narrow it down. My second pick was Seed & Salt. A personal favourite. I had attended their opening in winter 2014. Their menu is original, organic, vegan and totally gluten free and even processed sugar free. A dream!

We deliberated a while then settled for the chopped cobb salad with chickpea frittata and the beet burger. ONE of the wonderful benefits to having a husband is that you do not have to decide on one item from the menu. You can order two and SHARE. I know. Such a bonus. So we also plumped for the beet burger, made with beets, walnuts and mushrooms. Both came with a cashew ranch dressing. Both were good and filling.

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2240 Chestnut Street

San Francisco, 94123


Despite our stomachs feeling fit to burst after our eating spree, and to sort of balance out all the healthy (though very delicious) food. We also devoured a bag of Wholesome Bakery spiced oat, cream filled whoopee pies. They are soft, chewy, cinnamony, creamy and jump and and down good. I once walked past their little catering kitchen in the Mission and stood at the closed door just inhaling. Yes, I did that.

Sorry. No pics!

I am hoping another trip up to San Francisco will not be too far away. I have many, many more restaurants for my new (and oh so lovely) husband to try with me.

Which is your favourite vegan place to eat in San Francisco?

 

Filed Under: California, North America, Restaurant Reviews, San Francisco, Vegan Travel Tagged With: burger, eating out, Fast Food, food, gluten free, healthy, kale salad, lunch, Project Juice, RAW, San Francisco, seed & salt, smoothies, Vegan, wheat free, wraps

Vegan In Los Angeles

April 15, 2015 by India Leigh Leave a Comment

Vegan In Los Angeles
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Organix - The Puerco (bbq jackfruit ‘pulled pork’) sandwich

Vegan In Los Angeles


I’ve been spending a lot of time in Los Angeles. After spending a number of years being ever so slightly obsessed with San Francisco, it has made a nice change. I’d forgotten how much I loved Silverlake and this time I also discovered the delights of the vegan friendly neighbourhoods of Eagle Rock & Highland Park. These small walkable shopping streets are a mix of mom & pop Latino stores and artisanal food and art boutiques. The border of Eagle Rock spills down to Highland Park where one can eat vegan gluten free pizza, vegan and gluten free (make your own!!) donuts, vegan taco food truck, ‘bowls’ and tempeh reubens, and acai bowls and juices!

If I had had a car (a girl can only get so far in LA traffic on a rickety bike) and an excess of cash..I would have gone on an eating spree. I had wanted to visit Crossroads, M.A.K.E, Shojin and Au Lac for sure. They are a $$$ though and too far from where I was staying, so they (for now) remain unchecked off my list of places to eat.

The list below is of the restaurants and deli’s that I did visit AND where I remembered to take a photo. You find on a previous post the hedonistic delights of Donut Friend, home of vegan donuts - they’re GLUTEN FREE!

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Hands down my first and most enduring love in terms of vegan food, in LA was Organix. A family owned vegan deli and food store in a strip mall on Colorado Boulevard. You know you have been somewhere a lot when you and the owner and life long resident of Eagle Rock, Andrew Perez are on first name terms. I ate the same thing every time. It was consistently good. VERY good. So good I was scared it may not hit the spot each time I ordered. Oh, but it did. They are truly making magic in their allergy friendly deli. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. The leading photo on this post is of the much loved puerco - vegan pulled pork sandwich on fabulous gluten free bread. $10 for a loaded sandwich. Worth EVERY cent!

Organix

1731 Colorado Blvd

Eagle Rock

CA 90041


 

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Interesting things are afoot in Downtown LA since I last visited 6 or so years ago. The place is getting much more fancy and vegan eateries are sprouting up all over. Cafe Gratitude (a place I oft frequented in SF before they closed that particular location), Au Lac, Localita & The Baddasserie, Tiera Cafe and Shojin to name just a few. A newly opened hub in the Arts District DTLA is THE SPRINGS. It’s an organic juice bar, yoga studio, wellness center, raw vegan restaurant & wine bar, and an online eco-vegan, mind-body, one stop shop. The food was good (my friend enjoyed his dish more than I did mine), a good selection of healthy, some raw and mostly vegan dishes (be aware that some dishes include honey, which is not vegan). Mostly gluten free too. The atmosphere is chilled, the staff friendly and the prices reasonable for it’s location and style.

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Raw Nacho Salad

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Seaweed Caesar Salad

The Springs

608 Mateo St
Los Angeles
CA 90021

 

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SunCafe, a garden oasis located just off the 101 freeway in Studio City. I was expecting great things of this vegan restaurant. The reviews on Happy Cow were many and mostly glowing. They have an extensive menu - soups, sliders, sandwiches, Mac & Cheese and a selection of raw entrees. Choosing what to have was not easy. When I visited I was feeling a bit gastronomically virtuous so I opted for a salad and not my usual choice of something wedged between two slices of gluten free bread. The Raw Kale Colossus – massaged kale, SunChorizo (sadly omitted as not gluten free), mushrooms, bell peppers, pico de gallo, raisins & bananas, looked promising so I ordered that with a side of pickled beets. My dining partner ordered the Portobello Sandwich on gluten free ciabatta. We both wanted the mash & gravy side to share.

The food arrived fairly quickly. Whilst we waiting (stomach’s rumbling. Or maybe that was just me?!) it gave us time to get a feel for the place and have a look around. There is a large outdoor seating area under green arbours with an intimate feel. The staff were very efficient though not overly friendly. The clientele were not of the hipster persuasion, of the like seen in Silverlake/Echo Park and seemed more of the office-y and healthy eating tribe (though that is all conjecture).

Aside from finding the short row of four slices of banana laying on top of entree a bit odd, my salad was generous and tasty. The mash and gravy was good (but not as good as mine…Yes, I will blow my own trumpet!). The portobello sandwich was stacked and good.

The prices were in line with other establishments of similar ilk in LA.

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Portobello Gluten Free Ciabatta Sandwich - marinated Portobello, avocado, tomatoes, spinach, pecan crumble, cashew cheese, special sauce. With a side of mashed potatoes and gravy (lots of sides to choose from but who can resist a bowl of fluffy mash?!).

SunCafe

10820 Ventura Blvd

Studio City

CA 91604


rahella lassens

So what to turn to when your budget is squeezed and you go take-out? Lassens. A small chain of health food stores in LA and Ventura County. They were my local (as well as Trader Joes of course!) whilst I was in Silverlake. They have a hot and cold deli and salad bar, and in store pre-prepared food. The Raw Collard Green & Mango Wrap was cheap and heavenly. The wrap was stuffed with a rich and filling tomato/walnut ‘meat’ and the avocado/cilantro/orange sauce was sensational. I could have easily drunk it as a smoothie! Yum and under $5!

Another favourite food grab was a yellow split pea Ethiopian Wrap (100% teff injera) from Rahel Vegan Cuisine. They sell in other locations in LA too. These were a bit more spendy..(but very filling). I think the wraps are about $7.

Lassens

1631 Sunset Blvd

Los Angeles

CA 90026


I will be returning to LA in May…..Jumping up and down!…. I will update you as soon as I sample more of the vegan and gluten free eats on offer in the city.

Filed Under: California, Los Angeles, North America, Vegan Travel Tagged With: 100% plant based, eating out, gluten free restaurants, healthy eating, jackfruit, la, plant based, pulled pork, Restaurants, Vegan, VEGAN LOS ANGELES

Vegan Street Fair Los Angeles 2015

March 6, 2015 by India Leigh 2 Comments

Vegan Street Fair Los Angeles 2015

 

March 1st 2015. I was so excited about the Vegan Street Fair Los Angeles. I’d managed to situate myself in the (sort of) vicinity of North Hollywood to be able to attend. I’d scrolled down the list of close to 50 vendors, to plan my path of indulgence. Donut Friend, Organix, Doomies, SunCafe, Healthy Organic Positive Eating (to balance out the vegan junk)..and more and more and more were on my hit list. But the rain, which (probably) only comes five days a year in Southern California decided it was going to give a spectacular performance on the day of the fair. I sat and watched as the rain pelted down outside the window of where I was staying. The rain pounded on the flat roof. The rain drew a watery curtain to stop me from seeing the views beyond the pane. All of my hopeful thinking and wishing away the clouds did nothing to stop it from pouring, and pouring.

4pm came and all of a sudden I rallied and me and my friend decided to head out to catch at least the last hour. Rain or no rain!

When we arrived at NoHo and parked the car the rain had eased. My worry about the rain was now replaced with the worry of how I was going to get to sample everything I wanted to before it closed. We had under an hour left. I was excited to see so many people still milling around but a lot of the vendors had already hauled ass out of there. Not because of the rain but because the fair had been so popular that they ran out of food! We purchased a few strips of tickets to pay for my food bounty and began the chase to scout out what we wanted to eat.

The rain then came down in buckets!! We dashed around, hunting out the gluten free offerings. Soy curl taquitos from Broke Hungry Vegan (oily, crunchy, tangy, chewy..easy to like), Jackfruit Puerco slider from Organix (to LIVE for!), Cauliflower wings (delish) and crab cakes (ok) from Sage Vegan Bistro, a sample of Shugah Mama cookie (swoon), a moist and dreamy cupcake from Luscious Organic Desserts (I don’t even remember what flavour it was as rivers of rain water were puddling around me at this point)….and finally coconut and cashew based hazelnut crunch ice cream from Divine Dips Vegan Ice Cream (so creamy and sweet and so very good…no photo as I was balancing umbrella and ice-cream tub whilst eating and trying to stay dry!)

I wished I’d just braved the rain sooner and got to see all the masses gathering and chowing so happily. But then again I loathe long lines for food, and am not my happiest when I am being shoved around in a sea of people - be them vegan or not. I read some glowing reviews, and some gripes online the next day. To be expected I guess. The first year is always the ironing out process. Next year will be at a bigger venue hopefully, with room to move and a bit better organised. But all those people?! 9,000 or so of them out despite the rain?! A success I think.

About the organizers
Jessica and Ken Schoech, a vegan married couple, have been entrenched in the vegan community for many years. Together, they run The Vedge.com, a resource to help explore, enjoy, and experience vegan food around the world. They have traveled the world visiting vegan establishments, beer festivals, and vegan events, in an attempt to enjoy the amazing vegan growth that has recently taken place. While savoring their travel and working in the vegan community, they knew it was time for Vegan Street Fair to make it’s debut in Los Angeles.

Jessica and Ken decided to expand on the vegan events across the world by creating an experience that celebrates vegan food while introducing the lifestyle to non-vegans in the process. Jessica and Ken will be taking Vegan Street Fair to other cities in the future too. Woohoo!


Vendors included:
AFC Soy Foods, Azla Vegan, BeetxBeet Clothing, Best Gumbo in the Hood, Blöde Kuh Artisan Vegan Tree Nut Cheese, Bramble Bakeshop, Broke Hungry Vegan Catering, Charlie’s Brownies, Chicza, Clean South, Divine Dips Vegan Ice Cream, Donut Friend, Doomie’s Home Cookin’, Follow Your Heart, H.O.P.E.- Healthy Organic Positive Eating, Health ‘n Spice, Hugo’s Tacos, Hummus Republic, Ihsan’s Falafel, India Jones Chow Truck, Jones Soda, Joni Marie Newman/ JustTheFood.com, Les Beaux Chocolats, Life is Sweet Bakeshop, Luscious Organic Desserts, Main Squeeze Lemonade Truck, Mimi’s Natural, Mud Hen Tavern, OmBrosia, One Veg World, Organix, Plant Food for People, Rachel’s Cosmic Cuisine, RawFiv5, Sage, Southern Fried Vegan, Sub Zero Ice Cream, SunCafe Organic, The Herbivore Clothing Company, The Karma Baker, The Rabbit Hole Café, The Ridiculous Baking Company, The Shugah Mama, Vegan Pizza, Vegans Rock Apparel, VegeTaryn Apparel, Vromage, Whole Foods Glendale and more.
Here are some photos/ sorry about the quality.

Filed Under: California, North America, San Francisco, Vegan Travel Tagged With: Food Trucks, Los Angeles, Vegan Events, Vegan food, VEGAN LOS ANGELES, vegan street fair

Vegan Donuts Los Angeles

February 7, 2015 by India Leigh 2 Comments

Vegan Donuts Los Angeles

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Vegan donuts Los Angeles.

Donut Friend two words in the English language that are good, whether alone or together. Donuts are great. Friends are great. Put together? Well, after eating a pillow of doughy, adorned heaven at Donut Friend, for a moment the world drops away to reveal a glorious illumined alter of the baked bonne bouche. Really, you say..is it that good?! Ok so vegan baked donuts that taste like they are fried with GLUTEN FREE options that you can either dress up with one of their crazy good on-menu (sweet and savoury) flavours, or, OR make up from your own limitless crazy imaginations. Yes, DIY. They slice the donuts in half and that creates a lidded platform for you to fill, stuff and cram as you see fit. THEN, yes then you get to have it drizzled, dipped, sprinkled and literally drowned in more sensational toppings.

I went straight for the DIY option, with a gluten free donut. After much deliberation I opted for the raspberry habanero jam and coconut cream filling. Chocolate and vanilla glaze. Gloriously topped off with coconut bacon. My fingers were restless as I watched them create my masterpiece. I was eager to get my hands on it. Did my friends look at me strangely to see the over-the-top pure excitement I was displaying for a donut?! No matter. It was worth getting excited about! Picking it up it was dripping in glaze, I bit into it and waited for the flavours to tinkle my tastebuds like a piano player on the ivories! It was insanely good! The jam packed an intense sweet heat, the coconut bacon was crisp and smokey and the flavours played together like a symphony! The donut was baked but it tasted every bit fried. It was so delicious!!

I had to quell the oink within to hold back from trying all the flavours that were teasing mercilessly behind the glass! Friend J had the blueberry loaded ‘Husker Blu’, Friend C had the ‘Angry Samoan’, a chocolate and coconut adorned creation. C said he could not tell the difference between the gluten and the non-gluten donuts. They both admitted my DIY donut was totally delicious. I took another friend a day or so later and they said that they’d never know it was vegan and it was the best donut they’d had. It definitely was mine too!

Feast your peepers on the menu - I dare you not to salivate with creations like; caramelised apple, with vegan cheese, caramel and toasted peanuts, strawberry shortcake, pastry cream & chocolate, the S’Morrissey with a chocolate cake donut filled with toasted marshmallows and topped with chocolate glaze and graham cracker crumbs!!!!

As if you’d care with all that amazing ‘can you even believe it’ ‘have I died and gone to heaven’ ?going on but the prices are good, the donut shop is located in a fun, cozy part of town and the staff are squeezably nice too! It is not an all vegan place but it is mostly. Which you can tell by the fact they * the non-vegan items!

If all that is not enough, Donut Friend are also in Highland Park, a fun, hip and friendly area of town which I have fallen madly in love with. I will be going back again. And again, and again…and again. Nothing wrong with having donuts for lunch!

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donut friend blueberry

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Mine, all mine!

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Yes, well it is a confection laden donut, it was never going to be the glamor shot!

 

Donut Friend

5107 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90065

Filed Under: California, Los Angeles, North America, Restaurant Reviews, Vegan Travel Tagged With: cafe, donuts, filled, gluten free, highland park, Los Angeles, Vegan

Seed + Salt New Vegan Cafe Opens in San Francisco

December 1, 2014 by India Leigh 2 Comments

Seed + Salt New Vegan Cafe Opens in San Francisco

seed+salt

A long anticipated, now it is here. Seed + Salt New Vegan Cafe Opens in San Francisco.

I was fortunate to be invited to the preview party on Friday. I honestly did not know what to expect but from my research on the owner, I believed it would be something special.

Located on Chestnut Street, Marina District, a rather sophisticated, trendy shopping street a mere stones throw from a magnificent view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Seed+Salt has a crisp, clean, beechwood and white interior. If it is possible to effuse an atmosphere of health then this place does. It was packed with friends and family, gathered to do a trial run before opening proper.

The owner, Mo came and greeted me warmly. I have to say everything about this woman is beautiful. No flapping, ‘rabbit in the headlights’ , opening day panic was evident as she talked me through the menu. I was fascinated by her zen like air. I discovered that Mo was born with entrepreneurial DNA. At 8 she was making greeting cards and selling them in her neighbourhood in Michigan. She had balance sheets and plotted every sale and every cent. She said it just was the most natural thing for her. She then grew up and founded a marketing company. Sold it years later with a substantial book of large corporate clients. Mo then sidestepped into making designer jewellery. She told me that opening a restaurant was never part of her vision but she got a sense a couple of years ago that she wanted to build a place that served the type of food she wanted to eat. Plant based (vegan), gluten free and processed sugar free. She hired a chef from Brooklyn and over 1.5 years they developed a menu that she is really proud of. This was all whilst bringing up a small child and running several of her other businesses. ‘How do you juggle it all and look so calm?’ I asked. Meditation, came the answer.

Mo wanted to create the cleanest food that could be delivered quickly. It’s a walk up to the counter place. The menu has soup, bowls, breakfast items, sandwiches - her eggplant bacon BLT was a hit with the customers (friends/family) I chatted with. Over 90% of the menu items are made in house from scratch, from cheeses to all the delicious spreads (she plans to sell on her product line one day) and her (one day sure to be famous) nut bread and baguettes (gluten free!!). Her ‘clean’ ethos extends to all the cutlery, takeout boxes, napkins etc. All green as can be and compostable.

So, what was it like you ask?

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seed+saltchef

Incredible Chef Ariel Nadelberg.

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Mo Clancy. Owner of Seed+Salt.

I began with cookies. They just called to me from the stand. Chocolate chip and ginger molasses. Soft, chewy, crumbly, perfectly sweetened and very morish. One of the best cookies I’ve ever had! And healthy to boot! Just how all food should and, as inventive vegans are discovering, can be.

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Next I sampled a selection of the spreads suggested by Mo. I tried the nut bread topped with wild mushroom and walnut spread, house made cheese, and a chimichurri sauce. The tri-combo of spreads were incredible. Their cream cheese is exceptional, and I can say that as I have tried many on the market. The whipped mushroom spread was flavoursome and light. The vibrant chimichurri was perfect and added an acidity that made for a reverential mix of flavours and a great acidity/creamy/umami balance.

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Warm from the oven, the flourless nut bread is packed with nuts and seeds but it somehow manages to be light. Mo suggested I tried the chia seed jam coupled with the raw lemon curd. The cool sweet but slightly tart curd on top of the warm bread and the thick chia seed jam were so very, very good. The curd is like a smooth citrus butter cream and it is spoonable, sweet loveliness.

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This is the eggplant bacon sandwich. Most of the people in the party I spoke with were carnivores. Each and everyone declared the eggplant bacon had a great flavour and closely matched the flavour of bacon and was worthy of much respect.

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Everyone I spoke to declared the food to be full of flavour and satisfying. The cookies and nut bread and spreads were very filling. I had no room for anything else. I will be returning for sure. I have to try that eggplant bacon, and the soup, and the blackbean tempeh.

Seed + Salt is a great concept, set to flourish in San Francisco and no doubt, from what I know of the beautiful Mo Clancy, in every city another Seed+Salt appears. The staff are super friendly and passionate about their fayre. The food will speak for itself. Seed+Salt is a sure fire hit.

Seed + Salt New Vegan Cafe Opens in San Francisco. December 2nd 2014. 2240 Chestnut Street, San Francisco.

Hours 7am - 8pm.

Filed Under: California, North America, Restaurant Reviews, San Francisco, Vegan Travel Tagged With: breakfast, burgers, dinner, gluten free, healthy food, lunch, Marina, nut bread, San Francisco, sandwiches, smoothies, soup, spreads, sugar free, vegan cafe

A Vegan & Gluten Free Guide To Leipzig. Plus Handy Travel Tips

September 3, 2014 by India Leigh 10 Comments

A Vegan & Gluten Free Guide To Leipzig. Plus Handy Travel Tips
I arrived into Leipzig on the fast (70 min) ICE train from Berlin. The fare was not cheap (costs between €29-40) and I could have taken the more leisurely 2 hour, €8 bus, but I was impatient to get here. My first view of the city was the fun yellow and blue trams zipping in and out of the zone in front of the station.
Leipzig is another town hailed as the ‘new Berlin’, I heard that about Budapest (I visited recently) as well, but seriously, no where can be the new Berlin. Berlin is Berlin, Budapest is cool and very inexpensive and Leipzig has a charm all of it’s own. My curiosity, and my obsession with getting to grips with places that have a large vegan following (though that is becoming less and less unique..I am happy to say), were the driving forces behind my visit. I’ll give you a bit of background first and then we will delve a bit deeper and show you want you want to know…what I did I eat?.

The city of Leipzig borders a lush riparian forest, a forest which lies adjacent to a river, with towering trees. The Elster Saale canal runs alongside too. It is beautiful and surprisingly you can feel like some of the paths are leading you to the depths of nowhere, but the city is never that far away. Leipzigers really enjoy this area, and a canoe or two are always gliding through the shaded waters. I did not do that, but I did have lovely bike lent to me and I took the bone shaking cobbled street from my apartment, through the beautifully landscaped Clara Zetkin Park for a bit of red squirrel and nordic walkers spotting, to the forest everyday for some ‘green time’. I also biked to the Cospudener See, a large picturesque lake south of the city with white sandy beaches, where clothing is optional, or just biked along the canals that weave through the city. I could not help but note whilst exploring Leipzig, just how clean it is. No litter droppers here!

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Filed Under: Europe, Germany Tagged With: Bauhaus, Dessau, eating out, fine dining, Germany, gluten free, HOME, monuments, plant based, pub food, restaurant reviews, things to do in Leipzig, transport, travel, travel tips, Vegan, vegan butcher, vegan travel

A Gluten Free And Vegan Guide To Berlin With Travel Tips. UPDATE 2014

September 1, 2014 by India Leigh 3 Comments

A Gluten Free And Vegan Guide To Berlin With Travel Tips. UPDATE 2014

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Filed Under: Europe, Germany, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: cafes, eating out, gluten free, HOME, plant based food, Restaurant reviews Berlin, things to do in Berlin, travel, travel tips, Vegan, vegan restaurant guide, vegan travel

A Gluten Free and Vegan Guide To Budapest With Advice On Things To Do

August 29, 2014 by India Leigh 11 Comments

A Gluten Free and Vegan Guide To Budapest With Advice On Things To Do

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Filed Under: Europe, Hungary, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Budapest, cafes, coffee, eating out, gluten free, HOME, Hungary, restaurant reviews, ruin pub, translation, travel, useful words and phrases, Vegan, vegan travel, vegetarian

A Trip To The Coast Unearths An All Vegan Food Store

August 28, 2014 by India Leigh 2 Comments

A Trip To The Coast Unearths An All Vegan Food Store
I was house sitting a couple of months ago when Britain was awash with a welcome hot sun.  I travelled to a little English village beside the ‘Butlins infamous’ town of Bognor Regis.  A seaside town with pebble beach on the south coast of England.  I was a bit concerned beforehand that it would be a jolly vista of lobster pink bodies, garish teeth chipping candy, and awash with bawdy ‘hens’ on a night out.  Not so.  Just 1/4 mile from Bognor promenade and you arrive in a calm and peaceful oasis where time has stood still.  It’s all precision clipped lawns and friendly doffed caps.  The most rowdy you’ll experience in this village of thatched cottages and dogs you can tuck under your armpit, is a swooping opportunist seagull nicking your cucumber sandwiches!

As usual when I am travelling around much research is carried out and the internet chugs out helpful lists of places of interest, and of course Happy Cow lets me know what is in my area in terms of vegan eats.  The vegan eats drew a blank, the closest being Daisy Moo in Worthing.  What I did find was Vegetaria.  A totally vegan shop (curiously combined with an estate agency - the veggie passionate owners wanted to make eating meat free easier for shoppers).  It is small shop floor but well stocked with ready meals, gluten free products, veggie ‘meats’, vegan cheese, desserts, frozen good, condiments, snacks, drinks, house hold products and pet food!  And, it is a not just a high street store.  Vegetaria have an online store too!  I’m so happy to see more and more vegan stores sprouting up in Europe.

Two of the three pugs that I had the pleasure to look after.  Pugs are hilarious as I had the joy to discover!

Filed Under: Europe, United Kingdom Tagged With: Bognor Regis, food, gluten free, HOME, online shopping, product reviews, south east england, Vegan, vegan cheese, vegan travel

M.O.B In Brooklyn. Avant-garde Pizza. A Tale Of Two Cities.

May 6, 2014 by India Leigh 1 Comment

M.O.B In Brooklyn.  Avant-garde Pizza.  A Tale Of Two Cities.

I flew to New York last year.  It was a long held dream of mine to visit the Big Apple.  The iconic city definitely did not disappoint.  I wrote about all my food adventures in NYC, but I left out this one.  I wanted to visit Paris and see the other MOB and bring you both of them.

M.O.B. was born in the mind of Cyril Aouizerate, over a 20 year period, while he was studying the works of Maimonides, a Spanish born Jewish philosopher, on the health benefits of various combinations of vegetables, fruits and spices. At that time he tells himself that someday he will try to make this philosophical text an ambitious project in bringing men together, regardless of their beliefs. And for their desire to, and belief of eating together.  After finding the appropriate place for him to build his restaurant, Cyril founded M.O.B (Maimonides of Brooklyn).  
It is set away from the hipster areas of Williamsburg and up and coming Bushwick. It gave me a good excuse to further explore Brooklyn. The neighbourhood circles a huge greenspace.  Prospect Park may not have the fame of Central Park in Manhattan, but I actually preferred it as a place to get away from the craziness of the city.

I visited in the afternoon.  Hungry from sightseeing and map reading.  A cute Irish guy offered me a warm welcome, sat me down and brought me a tray of oven baked kale chips whilst I read the menu.  Whilst it was a bit quiet inside, the lunch rush not yet taken hold, I thought the atmosphere was easy.  I chose an MOB. Well, I couldn’t visit and not imbibe their namesake.  The Iron Man. A generous topping of kale, shiitake mushrooms and a gorgeous horseradish aioli.  All vegan.  All gluten free.  The base is made mostly of chickpea flour.



The MOB is baked in ovenware formed to the shape of the Brooklyn Bridge (nice touch).  It was delicious.  Generously topped and the base, though not like pizza, it had an almost cakey texture but it was good and it soaked up the aioli and the juices from the sauté perfectly.  Filling too!  I would definitely recommend eating at MOB when you visit Brooklyn.  If you come to NYC, Brooklyn is a must.   It has a totally different feel.  Less frenetic than its island neighbour.  I felt I could breathe here.


MOB Brooklyn
525 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217, United States

Paris!!  I was lucky enough to be in Paris a few weeks ago. I found MOB located in a great little spot right beside the Seine, in a building dedicated to design.  However, not all things are created equal and when I asked for a gluten free MOB I was told, ‘this is Paris’, we do not do the same as Brooklyn. Disappointing.  
However I was made to feel a little better by their eye catching ‘plastic animals in nightshade’. Yes, I am at times, easily pleased. 
I had to go elsewhere to find vegan AND gluten free food.

MOB Cite De La Mode
34 Quai d’Austerlitz

Paris, France

Filed Under: New York, North America, Restaurant Reviews, Vegan Travel Tagged With: Brooklyn, eating out, Fast Food, gluten free, healthy, HOME, New York, pizza, restaurant reviews, Restaurants, Vegan

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