Pizza Fusion in Santa Monica now has Daiya cheese!

The vegan pizza with Daiya at Pizza Fusion is so good I'm pretty sure I could trick a non-vegan into thinking it was regular cheese!

When I say "gluten-free" in the video I'm referring to Daiya. Daiya is soy & gluten free but the pizza was made with a wheat crust. HOWEVER - Pizza Fusion does have a gluten-free crust (but it's not vegan). They have a few gluten-free options, including their Vegan brownie.

I've written about Pizza Fusion many times, since I'm a huge fan - click here for more posts.

Featured in Pizza Fusion Grand Opening article

I was interviewed during the Pizza Fusion, Santa Monica Grand Opening for the Pacific Palisadian Post. Check out the entire article here, but this is the excerpt:

"Also on hand were bloggers John Berardi (losangeles-pizza.blogspot.com) and Whitney Lauritsen (EcoVeganGal.com), who were covering the event for their respective blog angles: L.A.'s best slice pizza and L.A.'s best vegan spots...Lauritsen, with pal Aimee LeMaire, told the Post that the grand opening was her fifth visit: 'I come here a lot. This is the best vegan pizza.' She appreciated that David Whitworth recently upgraded to a new vegan cheese that hit the market."

I'm sure you already know how much I love Pizza Fusion, based on all my reviews! = )

More vegan pizza in Los Angeles

Another reason for vegans to love L.A. - there is lots of vegan pizza.

I just discovered Fresh Brothers pizza has vegan options, even though they're only a few miles from where I live - one of their 3 locations is in a really cute part of Marina Del Ray. It has a great vibe - very casual, warm, simple; just like most pizza places. Although, their employees are super friendly, which is not always the case.

The pizza is very good. I had their thin crust and their gluten-free (it's vegan!), and tried 3 different toppings: cheese, veggies, and Fresh Mama (without pesto). The latter was my favorite and they are working on getting vegan pesto - yum!

Fresh Brothers melts the Daiya cheese very well, to the point where it looks like "real cheese". As I say in the video, you can go there with your non-vegan friends and feel like you "fit in". They also do delivery, which I'll be sure to take advantage of.

How does it compare to other vegan pizza in town? I haven't been to Cruzer or Z Pizza yet (I know, I'm so behind!), but compared to Pizza Fusion, which I love, it is just different. Pizza Fusion has a gourmet feel to it, and it's organic. Fresh Brothers is more typical of a pizza place, but it's a little light. I really enjoyed it and, with the wonderful customer service, I'll be going back there for sure.

Taste: 7/10

Unique menu & flavors: some

My favorite dish: Fresh Mama

Organic: no

Local: some

Healthy: relatively

Eco-Friendly: not really

Portion Sizes: medium

Price: moderate ($14 - $20 for a pizza)

Customer service: very nice, knowledgeable about allergies/restrictions

Atmosphere: casual

Location: great part of Marina Del Rey

Parking: easy and plentiful

Dog-friendly: yes, you can eat outside

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.

Holiday giveaway: $25 gift card to Pizza Fusion, Santa Monica

You probably already know how much I love Pizza Fusion in Santa Monica. I have reviewed them five times! They have delicious vegan pizza (with Daiya or Follow Your Heart), vegan brownies, vegan alcohol, a great atmosphere, and the staff is incredibly nice. Therefore, I am thrilled to announce this contest:

Two $25 gift card to Pizza Fusion in Santa Monica! (not valid at any other location)

Two lucky winners will be able to give one of these cards as a holiday gift (perhaps to someone who will bring them along)! Yes, that's right, you can't keep the card for yourself - you must give it away. The holidays are all about sharing and spreading the love...and pizza!

Pizza Fusion, Santa Monica: delicious beer!

Last night I went to Pizza Fusion because I was really craving it - I love their pizza (so much so that I ate it cold for breakfast)! I was going to get the New Belgium Fat Tire that I enjoyed at their grand opening, until they introduced me to something else.

Let me start out by saying that I really don't drink beer often because I just don't love it. In fact, I barely drink at all, aside from the occasional glass of wine, margarita, or mojito. However, after having the Fat Tire I realized that I do enjoy some beers enough to ask for them again. And then I tried Lindeman's Lambic Pomme.

Lindeman's Lambic Pomme is the perfect beer for me, mainly because it barely tastes like beer. It tastes more like a berry tonic - fizzy and fruity, with a slight beer taste. It's wonderful for someone like me who has a major sweet tooth. It is very filling and isn't too strong, so one glass was perfect with dinner. And as they say on their website, it's "perfect with rich cream sauces, hearty soups, aromatic cheeses and spicy cuisine - supremely refreshing" (all vegan of course).

Vegan Drinks at Pizza Fusion, Santa Monica

I finally went to Vegan Drinks for the first time, which was an easy decision because it was at Pizza Fusion (you know how much I love them). It was a great time and I was bummed that I couldn't stay very long - an hour wasn't enough. Within an hour there were already 30 people there, mingling and having a great time. 100 people RSVP'd, and at least 50 attended.

The energy was very relaxing and comfortable - I felt I could easily speak to everyone. I was especially thrilled to finally meet Lex and Kristen of Vegan-LA, and they organized the event (along with Jason).

Be sure to join the free Meetup.com group so you can come next time!

Gluten free is the way to be for me (for now)

I AM GRACEFUL (INDIAN BIRYANI BOWL) from Cafe Gratitude

You've probably seen me writing about eating gluten-free (GF) recently, but I'm excited to report that I've been GF for almost 2 weeks and I feel AMAZING! Mainly, I have more energy, my body seems lighter and less bloated, and my skin is clearing up.

I was inspired to reduce the amount of gluten I ate when my best friend Sarah started doing it on our trip to Maui. I'm always looking for ways to eat healthier, and I've felt guilty about eating a lot of bread and pasta for a while. Sarah showed me how easy it was and how many GF options were available, especially in L.A. We made delicious pancakes from The Cravings Place, ate GF pizza at 3 different restaurants (Pizza Fusion, Z Pizza, and Fresh Brothers), found options at Veggie Grill, etc. etc.

My real commitment to going gluten-free started on my tour with vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke, who was promoting his new book: Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness (check it out, it's amazing). I brought up the GF idea and he was interested, so we decided to give it a try because we both wanted to feel our best during the intense trip. Within a day we were both feeling a difference and got really excited about it. We also decided to avoid soy as much as possible, which made us feel even better. I think it's a great testimonial that a bodybuilder is living a gluten-free, low-soy, vegan lifestyle! In fact, some of his friends built themselves up on a completely raw diet.

See the slideshow below of the delicious gluten-free food we had in Oregon, Washington, and California. More details and videos soon to come.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. If you're interested in what I've been eating, check out the What Whitney Ate Today section of this site.

You also may be interested in a recent post I wrote about whether the gluten-free diet is a fad, a rare allergy, or a serious issue for everyone. Please share your thoughts with me on how you feel about the matter.

Pizza Fusion, Santa Monica Grand Opening Party

If you're reading this because you love pizza and you're not vegan, be sure to check out the LA Pizza blog. John may not be vegan, but he's awesome.

Pizza Fusion, Santa Monica: video review

Finally great, authentic vegan pizza on the WestSide! Loved this place and can't wait to go back!

They also have an impressive wine & beer list, and a great vegan dessert. Heaven!

Summer cool down with gluten-free vegan beer

I've never been a big drinker, but in recent years I've developed a taste for beer and I like to have it on occasion. It all started when I discovered Fat Tire - not only is it delicious, but New Belgium is very sustainable and it's often on-tap in CA. That was my beer of choice until I went gluten-free and realized beer was full of it. I wasn't too upset about giving up that occasional treat, but was pretty happy to learn that there are a few gluten-free and vegan beers.

Vegan Drinks at The Waffle

Tonight I went to Vegan Drinks at The Waffle in Hollywood, and I had a blast. Though my first Vegan Drinks (at Pizza Fusion) was fun, this was better because I stayed longer, it was at night, and a ton of my friends were there (Christy Morgan, Lindsey Packer, Lex, Robert Cheeke, Carolyn Scott, Prabhat Gautam, Billy Hulting, to name a few)

The Waffle is semi-vegan friendly, but less so then they advertise. Though their menu claims several items are vegan, be careful to double check. Their soy cheeses are not vegan (though the staff is super confused about this) and their fries are cooked in the same oil as meat. So make sure to double, if not triple, check everything. Their prices are also quite high, but I really enjoyed what I got. The $12 reuben was tasty, even though it was pretty basic. The $6.50 chocolate milkshake was really good - thick and malty.

Please try to make it to the next Vegan Drinks - you'll have a great time!

Another gluten-free beer: New Grist

While shopping at Co-Opportunity this evening I stopped at their beer section to see what gluten-free beers they had. The entire selection is very modest, and after a quick scan I didn't see any of the GF drinks that I often find in Whole Foods. I was upset for a moment - how could my favorite market not have gluten-free beer? However, during my second scan my eyes landed on a bright label with some of my favorite works: gluten-free. I grabbed a 12 oz of New Grist and decided to give it a shot.