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5 Days in Los Angeles, CA

Downtown Los Angeles, California

Earlier this month, we took a trip to LA to escape the Portland winter. Much to our dismay, it rained while we were there, but we still caught some much needed sunshine. It has been over 10 years since I visited LA, so everything felt very new to me. And of course, our itinerary was planned around restaurants we wanted to visit!

Accommodations & Transportation

Staying at Airbnbs was the way to go as hotels in LA can cost a pretty penny. The one we stayed at in Downtown LA (and has a nice view from the rooftop!) was conveniently located a few blocks from a Metro station. Obviously, LA’s Metro can’t compare to the NYC subway system, but it got us to wherever we needed to go within a reasonable amount of time. As much as people say you need a car to explore LA, we didn’t rent one until the 4th day of our 5-day trip. We still experienced our share our crazy LA traffic.

Universal Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles

Theme Parks

On this trip, we visited Universal Studios and Disneyland. As you can see, we made a new friend who really likes coffee and donuts! I’ll be writing blog posts about the vegan and vegetarian options at both theme parks, plus tips on how to make the most of your time there. Stay tuned!

Crossroads Kitchen, Los Angeles

Crossroads Kitchen

After a long walk down Melrose Avenue, Crossroads Kitchen was the perfect spot for a weekday lunch. To be honest, I was expecting more casual setting instead of plush booths, white tablecloths, and elegant fixtures, but I’ll happily take it!

Impossible Burger, Crossroads Kitchen, Los Angeles

At the moment, Crossroads is the only place in LA that carries the Impossible Burger, and they only serve it for lunch/brunch on weekdays. The burger features heme protein, the ingredient that gives meat its meaty taste, but is also found in plants. The Impossible Burger totally lives up to the hype! Definitely in my top 3, and possibly number 1, but I’d have to do a side by side comparison with some of my other faves to be sure.

Chicken & Waffles, Crossroads Kitchen, Los Angeles

Turns out the best chicken and waffles I’ve ever had is vegan! Drizzle on that spicy maple sauce and take me to my happy vegan place. Getting the $20 bottle of bubbly with a carafe of grapefruit juice was a very wise decision too. Something tells me Crossroads Kitchen can expect to see us next time we’re back in LA.

Little Pine, Los Angeles, California

Little Pine

I have no idea how many steps we took, but we made our way on foot from Melrose Avenue to Silver Lake over the course of the day. Little Pine has been on my list for a very long time. It’s a 100% vegan, mostly organic bistro that donates all of its profits to animal welfare groups. It’s also owned by Moby, a longtime vegan and animal activist. We didn’t see Moby there, but they do play his music.

Mushroom Bourguinon, Little Pine, Los Angeles, California

The food at Little Pine is all sorts of fabulous, but it was so dark inside the restaurant. Without my camera, we wouldn’t have gotten such a good look at our food. The fried cauliflower with kimchi aioli was great as a shared starter, and John enjoyed the sausage & polenta. I was all about their mushroom bourguignon with fluffy mashed potatoes and juicy crimini mushrooms!

Grand Central Market, Downtown Los Angeles

Grand Central Market

Grand Central Market is a major foodie landmark in Downtown LA. I vaguely remember coming here for tacos way back when I was a teenager. It’s pretty lively around the clock, and you might have a tough time getting a table on the weekends. I love that food halls offer options for everyone regardless of your dietary needs and restrictions, but we came here for one thing…

OG Ramen, Ramen Hood, Grand Central Market

Ramen Hood

It’s not everyday that you come across a 100% vegan ramen joint, and this one even offers vegan eggs. Ramen Hood’s sunflower seed broth with kelp, shiitake, and miso is creamy and tasty without feeling heavy. The noodles were good, though not amazing. The king oyster mushrooms were too tough for my liking. The vegan egg is all looks. I’ll give them credit for attempting a vegan egg, but I wasn’t crazy about it. (I guess there’s nothing quite like a chicken period.)

The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles

The Last Bookstore

I wasn’t up for doing much that evening, but I’m glad we popped into The Last Bookstore. It’s an independently owned new and used bookstore located in a gigantic loft space. You could easily spend hours in here flipping through books, and don’t forget to visit the labyrinth upstairs. Lots of great photo ops, like the tunnel of books, but it’s tricky to get photos when it’s crowded. The rare book annex has an incredible gallery wall.

Chinoise Salad, Au Lac, Downtown Los Angeles

Au Lac

Don’t be fooled by the strip mall-esque exterior of this place, Au Lac offers vegan Vietnamese fusion in a lounge-like space. Some folks were all dressed up for dinner here. The staff seemed overwhelmed by the Saturday dinner rush and completely forgot about our table for a while. They redeemed themselves with the food though. Fresh, clean flavors. I didn’t try the chinoise salad, but it was a hit with John. I opted for the raw vegan Bun 33 noodle dish, which did not disappoint. Healthy, but still very satisfying.

Ropa Vieja, Mojo Wings, Equelecua Cuban Cafe, Los Angeles

Equelecua Cuban Cafe

Who would have thought that there would be a little cafe near LAX with an all vegan Cuban menu? At Equelecua Cuban Cafe, we happily chowed down on ropa vieja and their mojo wings with garlic sauce. Vegan Cuban is not new to me, but this is the best veganized version that I’ve had so far. There are a number of car rental companies nearby, so next time you pick up a car from LAX, swing by Equelecua for a delicious time.

Gardens at the Getty Museum, Los Angeles

The Getty Museum

Visiting the Getty Museum was one of the highlights of our trip, and we were graced with beautiful weather that afternoon. Even if you don’t have time for any exhibits, the gardens make the Getty worth a visit, but that’s a longer story for another time. I’ll leave you with that one photo for now.

Vegan Scene, Venice Beach, Los Angeles

Vegan Scene

Strolling down Venice Beach is nice, and it’s a shame that we didn’t get there before the sun had set. But if you’re looking for a cute boutique (not along the boardwalk, but a short walk away), check out Vegan Scene. Home to all things vegan, including some of my favorite cruelty-free brands like Angela Roi and Matt & Nat. If you’re lucky, you might get to meet Katrina, an adorable gray and white kitty who is their Head of Customer Outreach. She wouldn’t stay still long enough for a photo!

Venice Beach, Los Angeles, California

Plant Food + Wine

This sleek, sexy restaurant by Matthew Kenney is what plant-based fine dining dreams are made of. The patio seating at Plant Food + Wine looked cozy, but we opted for a table by the fireplace in the minimalist dining room. The Plant Bowl was tasty, especially the bright orange pepper romesco sauce. The butternut and potato gnocchi was both beautiful and enjoyable. We usually skip dessert at restaurants, but everything on the dessert menu sounded so temping. The Banana Split Parfait was heavenly! Highly recommend this spot for an upscale meal in the Venice Beach area.

Butternut & Potato Gnocchi, Plant Food & Wine, Venice Beach

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11 Comments

  • Reply
    Pech
    at

    I’m definitely bookmarking this for a future trip to LA! Although I’m not vegan my husband practically is and it’ll be great to take him to some places that might wow him outside the Thai Town and SGV stops I always force him to and then promise him local brewery visits to make up for the limited choices

    • Reply
      wazwu
      at

      There are so many vegan spots in LA that I ended up making a giant map for future reference. Let if you know where you go on your next visit. Hope you enjoy!

  • Reply
    Marlynn Jayme Schotland
    at

    Pinning this one! I lived in LA for a short time and hated it, but I keep meaning to go down there for some culinary travel adventures. All of the restaurants you visited look great!

    • Reply
      wazwu
      at

      Don’t think I would ever want to live in LA, but it’s definitely great for a quick vacation, especially during this time of the year. Gotta get some sunshine and try some new food! ;)

  • Reply
    sileas
    at

    Oh my I’d love to go to LA! Looks like there’s lots of cool places and amazing food! Again, I’m always pretty amazed by the amount of vegan food options you show us. I can’t really tell the difference to their original/meaty counterparts!

    • Reply
      wazwu
      at

      Yes, you gotta go! And maybe I’ll even meet up with you there. ;) Yay, always happy to hear that from omnivores. That’s one of the reasons I keep going with this blog!

      • Reply
        sileas
        at

        I’ll keep that in mind! It’d be so cool to try some vegan restaurants with you ;)

  • Reply
    Catherine Ryan Grego (@TenThouHourMama)
    at

    Vegan chicken and waffles? Sign me up!!!

    • Reply
      wazwu
      at

      Yessss! You also have to try the Impossible Burger at Crossroads. :D

  • Reply
    Sofia
    at

    All the foods look so delicious! I went to LA a few years ago. It was a work trip so I was cooped up in a hotel all week (which was sort of ok because there was this ridiculously horrible heat wave). I was lucky to have a last day off (and the temperature went to normal that day thank goodness) when I got to meet up with food bloggers, so much fun and of course they brought me to great places to eat too :) xx

    • Reply
      wazwu
      at

      It’s always so fun to explore and experience a new city with local bloggers who know where to go and what to eat. Aww, that’s really unfortunate that there was a bad heat wave. Hope that won’t happen again if you go back!

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