Golden Mean: new vegan cafe in Santa Monica

Last night my vegan friend Nik and I were on our way to RFD for dessert when I realized that there was a new vegan cafe opening in Santa Monica that I wanted to check out. We swung by and saw it full of people, so we went inside. The display case was a little empty, but there were a few good looking desserts. Right after we ordered a chocolate cookie and a lemon bundt cake, the owner (Aaron) approached us and explained that they weren't actually open yet and were just having a private party! So, we accidentally crashed the party, but Aaron gave us the desserts on the house and invited us back for the grand opening tomorrow (Tuesday the 7th). The desserts were pretty good - no wow factor, but good enough for me to check it out again, and I'm always glad to have a new vegan place on the Westside! The staff was super friendly and the atmosphere reminds me of RFD - cozy and 2 stories. In fact, a former RFD employee now works at Golden Mean.

Golden Mean: Grand Opening - Tuesday, April 7th - 9am - 3pm.

Wilshire Blvd & 11th (across the street from El Cholo)

I can't find a website for them, so I don't know their exact address or telephone number.

In case you were curious about what the heck "Golden Mean" means, here's Wikipedia's explanation.

Golden Mean: new vegan cafe in Santa Monica, part 2

I just got back from an amazing meal at Golden Mean's grand opening. My friend Nik and I shared the cornmeal pesto pizza, the Vegan "Chicken" Pesto Panini, and a delicious chocolate cream cupcake. The cupcake was easily one of the best I've had in town, and I've had a lot of cupcakes!

Aaron, the owner, is such a wonderful person. He explained how he made the walls by combining clay and crystals, to infuse the cafe with energy. All of the furniture and plates are made from bamboo. The upstairs is a zen area with pillows and books. The staff is amazing, and the chef (Brit) is very humble about her delicious food. Definitely check it out, and stay tuned for my video review!

Golden Mean

Wilshire & 11th

(they don't have a website yet)

9am - 3pm (temporary hours)

Click on the menu to enlarge it:

Golden Mean Vegan Cafe, take 3: "live" video review

While I was at Golden Mean for dinner tonight I did a spontaneous review of the Falafel Wrap, using Aaron's (the founder) iMac. Recorded, edited, and posted to YouTube in 15 minutes - gotta love Macs! ; )

Cru: My new favorite vegan restaurant!

A few weeks ago I went to Cru for the first time and had an incredible feast there, thus deciding it's my new favorite vegan restaurant! This is a bold statement to make, since I love a lot of places. I can at least say Cru is my favorite on the east side of Los Angeles (so I can still say Seed Kitchen is my favorite on the Westside). Of course I love Real Food Daily and Golden Mean and Flore and Madeleine's Bistro...so many choices! Well, let's just saw Cru is #1 on my top 5 (or 10) list. ; )

Here's my review:

Golden Mean, take 2

Guest starring my friend Kelly Hennelly!

Vegan bakeries in L.A.

Today my office and I wanted to buy a cake for someone's birthday, and naturally I started thinking about where I could get a vegan cake. And my mind went blank. So I reached out to my Twitter friends to compile a list of vegan bakeries or places with vegan options in Los Angeles.

• A Votre Sante - Brentwood
• BabyCakes - Downtown LA
• Golden Mean Cafe - Santa Monica
• Hansen's - Beverly Hills & Tarzana
• Jamaica's Cakes - West L.A.
• Kiss My Bundt - West Hollywood
• Lark Cake Shop - Silverlake
• Little Spoon Desserts - Downtown, food trucks, Groundwork Coffee
• Madeleine Bistro - Tarzana
• Mani's Bakery - West Hollywood
• M Cafe - multiple locations
• My Sweet Cupcake - Pasadena
• Real Food Daily - Santa Monica & West Hollywood
• Seed Kitchen - Venice
• The Sensitive Baker - Culver City
• Shojin (special orders) - Downtown
• SunPower Natural (raw desserts) - Studio City
• Sprinkles
• Urth Caffe - multiple locations
• Whole Foods
• Yummy Cupcakes - Santa Monica & Burbank

Here are some bakers without store-fronts:

• Bunny Muffin Bakery
• C'est La V
• Earth Cafe (raw cake)
• Fabe's Bakery (you can find them in Whole Foods)
• The Fakery Bakery
• Fork in the Road Foods (cookies; you can find them in Whole Foods)
• Ghalia Organic Desserts
• Luscious Organic Desserts
• No Whey - they have Twinkies!!!
• Pattiseraw (raw desserts)
• Vegan Bake Sale

If I forgot anyone please comment below and I'll add them to the list. = )

Golden Mean: restaurant video review

Click on "HQ" for best quality