lunch Archives - A Vegan Obsession

Healthy Vegan Fast Food In San Francisco

August 26, 2015 by India Leigh

Healthy Vegan Fast Food In San Francisco.

Where to Eat Now

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 Oregon to my first nerve wracking meeting with some of his siblings and their children, and for my husband to enter a 13 mile uphill race. (Swoon). We stopped off in my much loved city, San Francisco in order to track down some healthy vegan fast food in 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.

790 Valencia Street

San Francisco, CA 94110

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.

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?

Project Juice Bar San Francisco

December 20, 2014 by India Leigh

A new juice bar has opened on Valencia Street in San Francisco’s Mission District. Juice bars are not new, but I’d heard their set up was a little different so I thought I’d check it out.

Valencia is a very gentrified area of The Mission. Think lots of independent furniture design stores, clothing stores awash with hipster apparel and a myriad of smart restaurants and coffee houses. The walkways outside are embedded with glitter which pleases my magpie heart. Ooh, shiny. It is a street that holds much for the avid people watcher.

Project Juice Bar San Francisco has a clean, simple and minimalist interior. I felt healthy just standing inside and perusing their extensive and creative menu of smoothies and juices. The staff were super friendly and helped me to make my selection. Along with the smoothies they have raw wraps and tempting desserts.

I spotted in the chiller a coconut-meat wrap stuffed with house-made vegan, cream cheese. I’m going back for that sucker. Today though I felt in the mood for smoky, so I ordered the Southwestern Burrito to go with my smoothie of choice. Though the juices are fresh pressed to maintain ALL their nutrients and enzymes so thrice super healthy, I only had eyes for a thick, decadent smoothie.

CALI CARROT $9.00 House-Made Almond Mylk, Cold-Pressed Carrot Juice, Raw Coconut Meat, Dates, Hunza Raisins, Lucuma, Cinnamon, Spices. It is said there is 5 lbs of produce in each bottle.

I’m not one for overly sweet so I asked them to omit the raisins. My order arrived within minutes and I took a stool at the window to begin feasting. The smoothie was thick, creamy, and the cinnamon was sweet harmony. I tucked into my burrito. A delight, let me say. I was not a particular fan of the little pot of salsa, but the wrap itself was smokey and crisp (from the lettuce) and bbq sweet. As if that was not enough to delight my senses it just so happened I turned up when they were experimenting with a new smoothie. My eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning when I was handed their seasonal no-egg nog to try. It is made from a base of their turmeric mylk with added nutmeg eggnog flavour notes. I was actually full by now but I took it on for my dessert stomach, which always seems to be very accommodating and nudges over and make room for sweet things. The flavour was insanely good, my head was in my hands and the wonder of it. Seriously. Project Juice have a full time chef on staff. Together they are making flavour whoopee!

I also sampled the Buff Beatnik, Berry Blaze and the Chocoholic. I think I consumed a gazillion calories but hey, it’s the holidays! And everything is made from healthy ingredients. Sourced locally (for the most part. Their fresh coconuts come from the Philippines. They use as much of the coconut as they can, even using the husk and shell to make vegan activated charcoal to go into their Black Magic hangover cure/detox juice). Greg & Rachel, the owners of the Project Juice bar take pride in personally knowing all their suppliers.

Valencia is their forth location. The fifth to follow soon on Market Street. They also deliver detox and cleansing packs direct to your home. Their first store only opened 1.5 years ago, after a successful Kickstarter Campaign helped to get their vision off the ground. The couple had moved from the East coast where they’d been daily patrons of Organic Avenue. Rachel said that when they arrive 4 years ago there was nowhere in San Francisco where she could go to for uber healthy food and smoothies/juices. Being celiac and allergic to eggs and dairy, Rachel had turned her health around prior to coming to San Francisco by adopting a mainly vegan diet. Frustrated the couple decided to take the matter into their own hands and open a healthy juice bar in San Francisco themselves.

As I find so often in these stories, there is usually a nice path that leads (not always straight..sometimes a little squiggly) to career Nirvana. Rachel’s background had previously been working with autistic children. Through her work she was particularly interested in the nutritional effects on these children. Studies now prove that careful focus on nutrition has been found to help with symptoms. She’d attended many nutritional courses, so coupled with her studies, research and experience of finding health for herself it kind of dovetailed and gave her the impetus she needed to begin Project Juice. Greg had had a long career in investment banking in the food sector. See how that works?! In their whirlwind last 18 months the couple even managed to have a child. It must be the super foods keeping them going!

I had begun to think that the vegan food scene had stagnated in the City but things seem to be gaining fresh energy. That can only be good.

Seed + Salt New Vegan Cafe Opens in San Francisco

December 1, 2014 by India Leigh

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?

Incredible Chef Ariel Nadelberg.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Where to Eat Now

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

Connect