California Foods, they’re unforgettable; part 1!

"You could travel the world, but nothing comes close to the Golden Coast.." Oh yes, I DID just quote Katy Perry, "California Gurls". Hey, I'm a California girl, born and raised, and funny enough, every time I go in to a store in Vienna, the song seems to come on the sound system. It might just be my (totally awful) theme song.. although I am listening to Morrissey while writing this, so maybe not.

One thing I'm guilty of is covering very little of what San Francisco has to offer for vegans. While this post isn't 100% SF, in my next two posts I'm going to show you what I ate in my last 2 weeks in California. So, let's start with a weekend jaunt to LA to say goodbye to family. Once again Ryan I had went to Pizza Guru in Santa Barbara, as we couldn't resist another round of personal pizzas. This time I opted for Caramelized Pears and Garlic, while Ryan went for a Veggie combo with vegan Pepperoni, both topped with perfectly cooked Daiya. If you find yourself driving the 101, Pizza Guru is most certainly worth a stop!

That night I met up with my long time friend Jessica and her boyfriend at Pure Luck in Los Angeles. I was all ready for Jackfruit Tacos, like the ones I often make, but to my dismay, they were out of tortillas! Nooooo! This isn't how my final LA meals were supposed go to. Instead I got a side of Jackfruit, fried Plantains, and Potato Pals, which are fried gnocchi. Luckily the Potato Pals were delicious, as I was otherwise underwhelmed. Hopefully, they'll have tortillas next time. By the way, Scoops is across the street and they have vegan ice cream, except when I'm in town! DOH. Once again, they were out, so I was SOL for dessert. This seems to happen there a lot, so I think Scoops needs to get in the game and step it up with the vegan flavors. Add one more, please!

Luckily, the next day more than made up for all the slip ups, as I went to Madeleine Bistro for brunch! I was lucky enough to be joined by a crew of awesome friends including Polly from Veggywood, Adriana from Anarchy in the Garden and her husband Hector, Erika from Purrfect Pineapples, Britt from The Fakery Bakery, Gary and Kezia from Evolotus PR, and Kim and Ryan from C'est La Vegan! (QuarryGirl, we missed you!) Needless to say, Chef Dave and Molly spoiled us immobile, starting us off with Donuts and Onion Rings. After we ordered, we were also treated to the most delicious Strawberry milkshake, THEN I was brought my own Chocolate Souffle, one of their most famous desserts and a serious case of, "how did they do that?!". As if I wasn't stuffed already, my Seitan Chicken and Waffles arrived with mashed Potatoes and their always impressive gravy. I was never a gravy person growing up, but this hearty brown gravy is amazingly delicious. I could drink it! Next I had to try something I was SUPER intrigued by, a vegan Egg in a Hole! I used to eat these from time to time before I was vegan, so I had to see what a vegan sunny side up egg would look like. WHOA, realistic! It was pretty tasty too. Finally, as if I wasn't about to burst, we were brought a new dessert on the menu, S'mores! I love all things marshmallow and this was toasted marshmallow fluff with chocolate mousse pieces, graham crackers, and a scoop of chocolate ice cream, all made in house! I managed to get a few bites in before I was ready to collapse, hahaha. Madeleine Bistro always thrills me and this was no exception! Thanks Dave and Molly!

Okay, a little San Francisco bite! Ike's Place be closed down any day due to landlord problems, but they've been the stronghold for the best vegan sandwiches and the location of the SF Vegan Bakesale for ages. Hopefully, they'll be open in a new location in San Francisco soon, and they have a few other Bay Area locations. My favorite sandwich was the once called Vegan Backstabber, which was Vegan Turkey, Soy Cheese, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Garlic & Herb Sauce, Dirty Sauce, and Veggies on a Sourdough Roll - yum! These days it's called the Vegan Brutus and instead comes with Vegan Breaded Chicken, which I'm sure is also delicious. If you find yourself near an Ike's location, check them out! It's certainly not health food and you should be prepared for a long wait, but it's a great indulgence from time to time!

Another spot I liked to dine at in the rare times I wasn't cooking was Gracias Madre. An all vegan Mexican joint from the hippies who brought you Cafe Gratitude, their tortillas and beans were worth the price of admission alone! While the dish shown here is the Enchiladas con Mole Poblano, which is solid, but nothing amazing, my jam is the Platillo de Legumbres with Greens and Platanos. It also comes with served with rice, beans and tortillas, so it's a ton of food and super delicious. Gracias Madre also has a dessert selection with items like Key Lime Pie and Mexican Wedding Cookies with ice cream, but the Flan is where it's at! I never found myself to be a flan lover in the past, but this is awesome AND soy free. In fact, Gracias Madre is a great place to go for a gluten or soy free meal!

Okay, next week I'll have my final days in San Francisco. In the meantime, don't forget to vote in the VegNews Magazine 2010 Veggie Awards! VOTING ENDS TODAY!! (so I won't bug you anymore.)  The Urban Housewife is up for "Favorite Blog" and Cruelty Free Face is up for "Favorite Website". Voting means you could win awesome prizes!
(Thanks Polly for the banner!)