Soaking Up California: Four New Restaurant Reviews

Apologies for the lag in posts. I started a new job last week at an independent school to help defray our moving costs. Today is Columbus Day (or Indigenous Peoples Day if you live in a city full of hippies like I do) so I've got the day off to catch up.

Ever since we announced a move date we've been feeling like we need to check things off our list of things to do in the Bay Area before we're gone. Unsurprisingly, most of the things on my list have included food. I've checked three new restaurants off my list in the last few weeks.

The first was Souley Vegan in Oakland. They sell some of their products in Rainbow, thus getting me completely hooked on their potato salad. They'd closed their downtown location a while back and re-opened not too long ago, not far from Jack London Square. We split a massive combo plate, the other highlights of which were the Mac and Cheese and Southern Fried Tofu. They also had a live band playing, ridiculously friendly staff, and an overall good vibe.
Last week we took a friend out for his birthday. We met up at City Beer Store in SOMA. It's not often I dine in that neck of the woods with omnis, so we took the opportunity to try Heaven's Dog. Restaurants with animals in the name don't often bode well for us, but this upscale Chinese restaurant from the same owners as the Slanted Door actually had a number of interesting veggie options. The best were easily an appetizer of "vegetarian pork belly" sandwiches which were made from tofu skin and mushrooms. Not sure it resembled actual pork in any way but that's probably for the best.

Then, over the weekend a friend invited us up to Napa. We've been dying to check out gourmet vegetarian restaurant Ubuntu for a while now, and it was well worth the wait. Most of the dishes are vegan or can be prepared so. We split a number of small dishes and recommend the fried chickpeas, the lemongrass curry, and the fregola. Everything was inventive and full of flavor. High quality, fresh ingredients make all the difference. It's pricey, but well worth it.

We found a cheap hotel and stayed the night and the next morning we ate at Ad Hoc in Yountville (just north of Napa). They have a prix fixe Sunday breakfast that, although is not remotely vegan by default, our server asked if we had any special dietary needs to accomodate. We happened to be dining alongside one of their cooks, but I'm fairly sure anyone could go in and ask for vegan options. They did not disappoint with thick-cut toast, and a variety of grilled veggies.

Lastly we were off to do some tastings. I have to admit that I've not always paid close attention to whether or not my wine is considered "vegan." Frankly, anything organic or biodynamic uses animal products in some phase of production, so it seems a bit nitpicky to me. (All hate comments can be left here.) We hit a few bigger places, but I think we could all agree our favorite was getting a private tasting at a small winery called Sullivan. Its proprietor told us all kinds of great stories about the process of becoming certified biodynamic. Apparently one part of this involved having "established" birds that work symbiotically with you to keep out pests. They're not purchased, you basically just have to work in close commune with your land.

We came home yesterday with three bottles, full bellies, and empty wallets. But it was all worth it to soak up some of the best food and drink that California has to offer. If you live in the Bay Area, let me know in the comments what else I need to check out before I leave.

You Say Tomato...

At some point this weekend I managed find time in between internet arguments to have a fun, beautiful Saturday. Although Slow Food Berkeley is not known for its vegan-friendliness, a friend of mine did invite me along to an event of their that happened to be right up my alley: tomato picking!

I dragged myself out of bed before sunrise so we could make the drive down to Mariquita Farms in Hollister, California. Essentially, it's getting towards the end of the season, so rather than letting the crop rot on the vine, they invite people to come take home as much as they can carry for a staggeringly cheap 50 cents per pound!

When you factor in the Zip Car cost, it may not be that great a deal, but you can't beat the freshness. We were sampling cherry tomatoes right off the vine and it was soooooo delicious. We got to chat with the farmers, who were also selling peppers and greens at great prices, and hear their stories. Some were heartbreaking like the spinach farmers who were basically bankrupted during the E. coli outbreak last year.

As someone whose lack of a green thumb has caused her to kill cactuses, I was in awe standing out in the massive vegetable fields. California's beauty never ceases to amaze me. 

Once we'd filled our boxes full of a variety of tomatoes (San Marzano, Green Zebra, Beefsteak and more) we hit the road in seek of lunch. Just about the only place with any Yelp reviews in Hollister was called Casa de Fruta. What a happy accidental discovery! It's almost like a theme park, what with its Casa de Carousel and Casa de Choo Choo. Unfortunately the Casa de Restaurant was pretty lacking in vegan lunch choices, but it made up for it with its marketplace. 

It had more  dried fruits and nuts than I've ever seen in one place, along with candy, produce and canned goods. I stocked up on pickles, dried mangoes, and rosemary flavored pistachios. Though I was exhausted from being in the sun all day, I managed to find the energy to come back to San Francisco for dinner at Saha.

Saha is an "Arabic Fusion" restaurant and I highly recommend it as a great place for vegans and omnis alike to find a great meal. They mark all the veggie items, and although it's on the pricey side I've never left disappointed. Last night I had a great dish of spinach, tofu, chickpeas and Yemeni noodles.

Now I'm off to make a sauce out of my San Marzano tomatoes to go into a lasagne. (Luckily enough Rainbow Grocery recently started carrying Daiya vegan cheese! I've already made a pizza and absolutely loved it.) I may also try out this fried green tomatoes recipe. If you have any other amazing tomato recipes I need to try, let me know!

SoCal Vegans, Help Me Out!

My next wedding adventure takes me to Southern California. Having been a resident of this state for 4+ years, it's a little tragic that I've never ventured further south than Santa Barbara. But starting Friday, my husband and I will be in San Diego for two nights and Los Angeles for three (one of which is our own 2 year anniversary).

Naturally, I'm trying to plan this trip a bit around where we want to eat just as much as the places we want to see. Here's what I've got planned so far, but knowing little about these restaurants, I welcome suggestions for better places to go...

Aug. 7 - We fly into San Diego mid-afternoon and will probably just explore Balboa Park. Dinner at Spread.
Aug. 8 - Spending the morning/afternoon at Mission Beach. Lunch at Vegan Zone. That night: Ali and Quinn's wedding! Yay!
Aug. 9 - Lunch at Rancho's Vegan Deli. I think we may go to the Zoo* that afternoon before driving to Los Angeles. Dinner in LA at Real Food Daily in West Hollywood.
Aug. 10 - Tourist day! Hollywood Walk of Fame, etc. Lunch at one of these somewhat-generic vegan restaurants. Dinner at Pure Luck and then maybe check out Silver Lake. Is there good nightlife there?
Aug. 11 - Our Anniversary! Santa Monica for the day, lunch at Euphoria Loves RAWvolution. (Their website is ludicrous.) Dinner at Michael Minna's XIV, which apparently has a semi-secret vegan tasting menu.
Aug. 12 - Lunch at Cafe Flourish and if we have time, the La Brea tar pits. Then we head back to San Francisco that evening.

So, my SoCal readers, are there any glaring omissions in our restaurant choices? I'm a little disappointed we can't go to Fatty's in Eagle Rock, but they're closed Monday and Tuesday and a bit far to drive on Sunday. I guess there's always next time. Are any of our other restaurant choices bad ideas?

Also, is the tourist stuff we've chosen totally lame? I mean I'm sure city residents always hate their touristy areas. (God knows I avoid Fisherman's Wharf if I can.) But there is something to be said about cultural landmarks. (I still marvel everytime I drive over the Golden Gate Bridge.)

What about night life? Havng to drive every where will put a little bit of a damper on how much we can drink, but where are some good neighborhoods to hang out? (Maybe reminiscent of SF's Mission District?)

Much obliged for any help. Looking forward to some much needed sunshine!


*I know, it's questionable when it comes to animal rights. Feel free to try persuade me otherwise (seriously I may change my mind). But I love animals! I'd hang out with monkeys and penguins every day if I could, and my love of animals and zoos while growing up, I have no doubt, made me more inclined to become vegan. And San Diego Zoo is reputable and huge, not like some sad zoos where the gorillas look depressed, right? Right?? (Yes, I carry some guilt, can you tell?)