The Four Seasons LA Goes Green and Vegan!

chef Ashley James with his vegan creations at Windows Lounge

I have a soft spot for The Four Seasons - about 5 years ago my family started a tradition to go to their Boston location for dinner every Christmas Eve. Since we've become regulars, the staff quickly learned about my vegan diet and now has an option for me each time I'm there - what started as a plate full of vegetables has turned into delicious dishes like creamy risotto, which you can see in this video. Thus, I was thrilled when a friend of mine told me that The Four Seasons Los Angeles was adding vegan items to their restaurants' menus - I knew I was in for a special experience but boy were my expectations exceeded. 

In this video, follow along with me as I try every healthy vegan dish (most of which were organic and/or gluten-free) at The Four Seasons LA's Windows Lounge and Culina restaurants, get an organic massage at their spa and try out their new green hotel room features:

Even More Exciting Vegan Food At Veggie Grill On Their New Menu

I've done a lot of coverage on Veggie Grill despite their limited gluten-free and soy-free options because it's one of my favorite restaurants to indulge at. So naturally I jumped at the opportunity to check out their new menu offerings while visiting Los Angeles - and boy am I glad I did. The following video is a teaser to the snazier version I'll edit when I get back to San Francisco, and since these items on available NOW at the Sunset Blvd location, you better get your butt over there ASAP to check out things like:

• Buffalo Chickin Salad or Burger 
• "Crab" Cake Burger
• Chickin with Cauliflower/Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
• Blackened Tempeh and Portobello Mushroom Steak (gluten-free)
• Chocolate Pudding Parfait 
• and more!

The first comment I received on this video was, "wow that is all vegan?!" and the non-veg journalist who dined with me today was in total disbelief that it was free of meat and dairy. Veggie Grill is that good!

Review: M Cafe de Chaya

Haven't had time yet to do a write up, but this video review of M Cafe de Chaya in Los Angeles should speak for itself (for now).

Video Review: z pizza - Vegan and Gluten-free Pizza Made with Organic Ingredients

Berkeley Vegan pizza

Forget Pizza Hut, Papa Johns and Dominos - go for something healthier and higher quality. If you live in a big city in the U.S. chances are there's a place call z pizza nearby, where you can get a delicious pie with fresh, organic ingredients. Today's video features z pizza in West Hollywood and their vegan and gluten-free pies, including an interview with the store owner and son of the founder.

Video Review: Paleta - Organic, Sustainable Meal Delivery in LA - The Ultimate Way to Diet and/or Get Healthy

Yet another video has finally come out of the Eco-Vegan Gal vault! Just over a year ago I tried out Paleta's meal delivery service, which offers vegan and gluten-free options that are organic and locally sourced.

Video: Being Vegan is a Breeze at Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles

In April I was invited to try the new vegan menu at the beautiful Breeze restaurant, which is part of Hyatt's Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles. Despite being on a strict anti-candida diet at the time, I thought it was worth going to have a few bites of the promising dishes. And it was well worth it! A handful of non-vegan food bloggers and I were presented with a private, upscale, 7-course vegan meal, and we all loved it.

Video: Vegan Zombie, Healthy Meals Under $4 A Day, Gluten-Free Advice, Sugar-Free Ice Cream, & More!

Time for another healthy and sustainable weekly roundup video!

New Gourmet Vegan Restaurant Opening In LA! Introducing: Seed Bistro!!!

I am thrilled to pass on some great news I've had to keep to myself for months: there's a new high-end vegan restaurant opening in Los Angeles by the owners of Seed Kitchen in Venice Beach. Introducing: Seed Bistro!!! This has been Chef Eric's dream for years and I am so happy he finally made it come true. Seed Kitchen has been one of my favorite vegan restaurants and I have been fortunate to work with them on many projects - check out some of the cooking videos below, which are great examples of what you might see on the Bistro menu. 

Here's a blurb about the exciting announcement from Seed's Facebook:

Seed Kitchen is proud to announce a new restaurant, Seed Bistro, located in West LA near Brentwood, with easy access from the 405 Freeway. At Seed Bistro you will enjoy a full service dining experience, lunch and dinner. Chef Eric Lechasseur and Sanae Suzuki have created exciting new organic vegan macrobiotic food, elegantly presented, with your health and enjoyment in mind. The menu includes starters, small plates, entrees, course menus and sublime desserts, organic vegan sake, beer and wines. Some wines are sold exclusively to Seed bistro.

The restaurant is projected to open in the new moon toward the end of August to the beginning of September.

They haven't shared any other details about the menu, but it will be more upscale than the Kitchen's cafe style menu. And they have confirmed that there will be gluten-free items.

Of course this happens right as I move out of Los Angeles, but I am going to try to visit for the grand opening. Make sure to add this to your to do list as well!

Videos I've made with Chef Eric:

• Foie Gras
• Crab Cakes
• Coconut Macaroons

Eco-Vegan Daily Download: New Frozen Vegan Food, Eco Marketplace, and The Coconut Shortage

Highlighted Greenwala Article

A Cruel Delicacy: Eating Animals While They're Still Alive

Business Opportunity

Greenwala is launching an eco marketplace on which they're looking for companies to sell their products and services. It's free to have your own store, and there's just a minimal commission percentage taken out of each sale. Since I'm one of the editors for the site, you can contact me if you're interested in more details and I'll put you in touch with the right people.

Vegan Food News

If you're not in New York City you can now enjoy Candle 79 & Candle Cafe's foods by visiting a Whole Foods near you! The famous vegan restaurants now offer 4 of their delicious meals in frozen form for just $5.99! The mouthwatering options are: Seitan Piccata with Lemon Caper Sauce, Ginger Miso Stir-Fry, and Mac & Vegan Cheese (made with Daiya of course). If you prefer to have freshly made food, check out Candle 79's new cookbook, which is available by pre-order (looks amazing!)

There's a new pizza spot in town and it's called Stella Rossa Pizza Bar. Located in Santa Monica, their food is created by a hip, young chef who's happy to cater to vegans and gets his ingredients from the farmers market. Though I haven't tried it myself yet, I've been told that the pizza dough is vegan, so they’re able to make a variety of vegan pizzas. Each of the salads can be made vegan, and the vegetable anti pasta can be made vegan too.

Events

Dallas, TX - October 23rd: Texas State Veggie Fair. Vegan events with speakers, cooking demos, and more!

Worth a Read

Can't find your favorite flavor of Coconut Bliss? It's probably because there's a coconut shortage! I'm bummed that the new Maca flavor is so hard to find. : (

Cool Eco Stuff

Children's book swap through ThreadUp

Eco-Vegan Daily Download: Radio Interview, Raw Food Recipes, Festivals, & Books

Eco-Vegan Gal News

I'm being interviewed on a live radio station this Tuesday the 14th at 10:15am Eastern (7:15 PST) on The Mary Jones Show. If you can't tune in I'll try to post a recording of it afterwards.

Mini Review

Sunshine "Hemp-Fast" Breakfast Patties ~ For the longest time I didn't like Sunshine's burgers - they tasted really bland and...well, too earthy. But since going gluten and soy free I forced myself to try them again and realized they're actually really good. I'm assuming this is because my palate has changed, but they're actually a really popular brand and are available in most natural markets, probably because they are virtually allergy free. This morning I tried their Hemp-Fest Breakfast Patty and loved it. It has that breakfast patty flavor and hearty whole grain taste. The only problem is that they're quite dry, especially when you don't cook them in oil (healthier) and they fall apart really easily. But I enjoyed it completely on it's on and was very satisfied.

Eco-Vegan Daily Download: Virgins, CSA, and New Vegan Food!

Food News

Sol Cuisine's products are finally available in Whole Foods stores in Northern California, Southern California, North Atlantic, North East, Midwest and Southwest regions. I love their falafel.

Eco-Vegan Daily Download: tortillas, beer, and free desserts!

Mini Review

I just tried Food For Life's Brown Rice Tortillas for the first time and they are so yummy! What a great gluten-free option for making wraps, burritos, and quesadillas! You can have them uncooked, warm and soft, or baked/broiled and crispy (my favorite). Put them in the freezer and they can last a while, but with only 6 in a package they'll probably be gone before long!

Eco-Vegan Swag Bag!

Congrats to Bake Anything for winning this fabulous prize!

It was incredibly hard to pick a winner because of all of the great entries. Ultimately it came down to 2 and I had to toss a coin to choose, but Bake Anything is quite worthy of the win! 

Hope to see some of you at WorldFest or in LA before I head up North. 

By now you probably know that I'm moving to San Francisco - if you've been out of the loop check out my post here. In lieu of the upcoming move, I've been going through all my stuff and I discovered a ton of eco-vegan products, literature, and coupons I want to giveaway. And who better to receive all my eco-vegan swag that you, my faithful eco-vegan pals!

This bag is worth at least $50! Here are some of the great items inside:

• Caviart (vegan caviar made from sea vegetables)
• TONS of Vega samples in pretty much every flavor
• Dairy-free protein drinks and mixes
• John Joseph's Weapons of Mass Destruction (men's medium)
• Berkeley Vegan Earth Day eco t-shirt (women's medium)
• Reusable water bottle from Berkeley Vegan Earth Day
• Gluten-free books (not all vegan, but lots of great info)
• Earth Cinema Circle DVD
• "Miracle Man" book
• Coupons to establishments and companies in Los Angeles and nationally
• Reusable bags with sayings like, "make love not trash" and "I am a natural bag" plus bags from cool companies like VEGA and Healthy Spot
• Vegan literature, "Meet Your Meat" DVD, and stickers

Awesome stuff right?!

WorldFest This Sunday!

Congrats to the Winners!

Amy, Diane, & Steffany

If you're into health and/or the environment, like food and music, want to learn how you can make a difference, and enjoy meeting new people there's an incredible event coming up this Sunday. WorldFest is a solar-powered celebration of music, the environment, animals and humanity - and it's one of my favorite annual events in Los Angeles because it's so eco-vegan!



This year I'm extra excited because I'm speaking on a panel about sustainable food! I would love to see you there and meet you in person (if we haven't met already).

50 Minutes To A Stronger, Healthier, Sexier Body at the studio(MDR)

GIVEAWAY! Scroll to the bottom for details

It's almost that time of year we all dread - bathing suit season. Though we know it's coming, it always seems to creep up on us and suddenly we've run out of time to whip ourselves into shape. You can try intense liquid-based cleanses, diet pills, and 20 minutes on the elliptical each day - or you can find an exercise class that will kick your butt. If you live in Los Angeles and can make it over to Marina Del Ray, I've got just the place for you.

A Solution To The Coconut Issues That Will Satisfy Eco-Vegans

Coconuts are all the rage. They are used in many raw foods, hot Thai dishes, and recently started appearing all over the vegan market in ice creams, yogurts, milk alternatives, and even as soy sauce substitute. And perhaps it's just an LA thing, but it seems like everyone is drinking out of a Young Thai coconut with a straw. But as much as I love the latter, they are a rare treat for several reasons:

• Young Thai coconuts are not organic
• they are wrapped in plastic
• they come from Thailand (really far from LA)
• and...supposedly many of them are dipped in formaldehyde!!!

Calculating Long Distance: The Green Way to Travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco

My boyfriend lives in San Francisco, and he's totally worth doing the long distance. But every time we travel to see each other some things cross my mind:

1. It takes a lot of time out of my day if I'm traveling (3 - 9 hours each way)
2. It is expensive ($100-$150 round trip)
3. Traveling isn't very eco-friendly

For now, this is what we have to do to be with each other. So I decided to figure out the way to travel with the smallest carbon footprint.

Rosti Tuscan Kitchen - vegan and gluten-free Italian food in Santa Monica & Encino, CA

Last spring I reviewed Rosti Tuscan Kitchen's location in Encino and loved their food. This spring I am thrilled to review their location in Santa Monica because of their new vegan and gluten-free menus! Yes, they have added 2 menus - one that is completely vegan and the other gluten-free, and luckily you can combine the two if you're both like me. Don't mean to pat myself on the back too hard, but the owner told me he was inspired to do the vegan menu after my visit to the restaurant last year because I asked why vegan items weren't marked on the existing menu. : )

Savyon Cafe Launches New Vegan Menu!

My eco-vegan friend Ken Spector (of Living Eco) told me that a cafe on Pico Blvd in mid-LA will be launching a new vegan menu tomorrow. They will serve mediterranean dishes, including paninis, salads, pastas, soups, spreads, and dips.

Animal Acres' 5th Annual Compassionate Cuisine Event

Back at the end of October I attended Animal Acres' 5th Annual Compassionate Cuisine Event in Long Beach. Since that occurred right at the beginning of the holidays, I'm just bringing the coverage to you now. Thank goodness for my amazing intern Rachel for editing it!



This was my second time at Compassionate Cuisine and it was a lot like the 2009 event - same location, same setup, and many of the same vendors. I was thrilled to finally try food from the Seabirds truck (beer battered avocado was amazing!), Margo's Bark root beer was excellent, and Kamal Palace had some of the best chana masala I've ever had. My favorite vegan dessert goddesses were there: C'est La V Bakeshop and Luscious Organic Desserts - they each had some gluten-free treats that were incredible, plus some glutenous desserts I indulged in.

The event benefits Animal Acres and they had a huge turnout of hungry supporters. This was a great example of how delicious and fun vegan food can be. Hope you enjoy the video!