Taste and Believe: Veggie Grill, Los Angeles

I finally got to try the phenomenon known as Veggie Grill in Los Angeles. It was my last night in LA and a friend nearly punched me out for not having tried it yet. Los Angeles is like a giant, confusing strip-mall, I explained to her. How was I supposed to have just stumbled across it? I’m a New Yorker, I need grids and subways!

We drove over (in a hybrid, of course) ordered their new “cheeseburger” with sweet potato fries, which was ridiculously amazing. This burger hit that late-night, salty, savory, ooey-gooey spot. We also got the breaded cutlet sandwich, the tomato soup, a side of mac and “cheese” and a kale salad. If you are a health-nut, this place is great – but if you have a hankering for a juicy, cheezy, bready, filling indulgence, even better! Next time you’re in Hollywood, don’t pass this up! They even have gluten-free and soy-free options, as well as desserts, daily special soups, and they cater!

Swim Trunks for Guys Who Care About The Ocean

Not only does Livity make their entire line from recycled materials and organics, but everything is produced in equitable trade. These trunks are made from recycled plastic and hemp. They are quick-drying, and feature some cool patters and prints.

Loomstate‘s Baja Board Short in organic cotton are less bold, and feature a leaf-inspired print.

Baja Board Short Baja Board Short

Patagonia also has a handsome khaki, or khaki check board short in organic cotton.

Patagonia Men's Cotton Board ShortsPatagonia Men's Cotton Board Shorts

If you care about the oceans, there are some great resources out there for ethical surfers, like EcoBusinessLinks page on surf companiesCountry Feeling Surfboards uses soy-based and sugar-based foams; deck inlays made from hemp, organic cotton, bamboo, and resin that is catalyzed by the sun.  The best surf accessories, like hemp boardbags can be found at Wave Tribe. If you have an old board to recycle, send it to ReSurf! I also highly recommend joining the efforts of Sea Shepherd.

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We know that The Cove has won an Oscar for Best Documentary of 2009, and if you haven’t seen End Of The Line, you must!

Darbster, West Palm Beach, FL

Darbster

On a recent trip to Florida, I took my family to a new vegan joint called Darbster – named after the owners’ rescued pooch, Darby. I believe that it’s the first and only entirely vegan restaurant in West Palm Beach. We arrived on a rather chilly evening, and the place is an open-air bar-style restaurant with outdoor seating (dog-friendly!) overlooking a canal. Unfortunately for us, the place was wrapped in plastic tarps with heat lamps inside to keep some warmth in, so we didn’t get to experience any of the outdoor atmosphere. We were, however, greeted by a very friendly staff, and the service was quick!

There is a good-sized menu with several raw and gluten-free options, a nice wine list, and several desserts.

The food was good. The first thing I wanted to order was the Kale Chips, but they were out! So we started with the Palm Cakes, which were pan-fried, chopped hearts of palm in a savory pine nut sauce, and were reminiscent of crab cakes. I thought they were delicious, and I’ll have to try to recreate this recipe at home.

My entree was the Gardein filet prepared in a lemon, pine-nut sauce, and my sister got a marinara version with Daiya cheese and tomato sauce. My little side of mac & cheese was delicious. I so wish there had been more. The Gardein filets were a bit too thick, but seasoned well and very filling.

The Beefless Sliders were one of the highlights for my whole family. The special sauce was perfect, and there was just enough contents between the soft sesame bun. This is a must-have if you go. My mother and father (not vegetarians) thought these were the best thing, and that the faux “beef” was delicious and satisfying.

For dessert we enjoyed a coconut-sorbet sundae with chocolate fudge, raspberries, blueberries, and walnuts.

On future trips, I’ll be sure to make reservations for daytime enjoyment of the outdoor seating, or at least a warm night to be in the open air. The next time you’re in south Florida, definitely check this place out! I plan to be back.

Spiraling in Dallas, Texas

Eddie and James of Dallas Vegan

I recently traveled to Texas for work, and the first thing I did was call up my friend Eddie of Dallas Vegan to take me to his favorite dining spot. Spiral Diner in Dallas, Texas was quite an unexpected treat! My tour guides, Eddie and James and I chowed down on some serious Texan grub including Daiya quesadillas, BBQ seitan-steak grinders, cashew-cheese nachos, jerk tempeh sandwiches, sweet potato pie, and a ridiculous brownie Sunday with homemade coconut based rocky road ice cream featuring sweet & sara marshmallows. It looks like even cowboys can be compassionate gastronomes. Next time you’re in Dallas, do not pass this place up!

PALA PIZZA ROMANA

Only two months ago, Palá Pizza Romana, a gourmet, Italian pizzeria in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, revealed an entirely alternate vegan menu featuring outstanding artisan pizzas, pastas, antipasti, salads and more. Using Daiya cheese, which makes for an incredible crispy, stretchy, gooey, cheesy pie, the staff excitedly prepared a feast for us.

My friend and I dined on the “carciofi al parmigiano” salad featuring grilled artichokes, cherry tomatoes and daiya cheese, the “trofie” pasta with  zucchini, daiya cheese mousse and mint, and two pizzas: the “patatosa” which is topped with shaved patatoes, zucchini, rosemary and daiya cheese, and the “funghi  e salsiccia” featuring veggie sausage, field mushrooms, daiya cheese, and hot pepper. All the crusts are made with organic ingredients, and they even have gluten-free options for you silly-siliacs!

Our waitress was beyond friendly, and the romantic atmosphere was candlelit, rustic and urban. A dried bouquet of oregano on the table made for an elegant alternative to a glass-shaker. The only drawback was that they did not seem to have a vegan dessert option. Regardless, the food was outstanding and if you are a fan of Italian food or artisan pizza, you should certainly check this spot out. It’s officially one of my new favorites!


Bi-Coastal Brunching

It’s almost weekend brunch time! I was in San Francisco recently, visiting my sister and working on a Thanksgiving campaign for Farm Sanctuary featuring Ginnifer Goodwin (I’ll be posting the photos by Ryan Pfluger, and the videos by Yours Truly very soon!) and I got to stop by Herbivore for brunch not once, but twice. How come nobody told me they had doughnuts?! These cake doughnuts can blow Dunkin’ D’s out of the water (and who wants to support them anyway, now that we’ve seen how they treat egg-laying chickens).

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These were my delectable brunches of Blueberry Glazed & Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts, and Spinach-Mushroom Scrambled Tofu with House Potatoes. Yum!

Back in New York, I swung by Sacred Chow, who also does an amazing brunch, with everything from biscuits n’ gravy to waffles and thick, yummy french toast drenched in blueberry sauce.

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Where are your favorite places to brunch? We’d love to hear to where you make your weekend pilgrimage, or what you make at home. Leave us a comment and tell us!

Ethical Exploits Vol.4: California Dreamin'

Day-to-day choices for the ethically handsome man
By Matt Lara

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Where the Wild Photos Are: BABOONS IN PROFILE, AMBOSELI 2007

While everyone was checking out wild fashion at NYC Fashion Week, I was moving out to the wild, wild west known as Los Angeles. My first excursion out of the world of unpacking and back into the world of enjoyment was a visit to the Fahey/Klein Gallery to see A Shadow Falls by photographer Nick Brandt. Little did I know that a fun afternoon trip would turn out to be a private audience with the photographer himself! I was astonished to hear him explain that it was the gorgeous African wildlife that originally drew him in, and that this was the best way for him to honor it. The work is also available as a book. An excerpt from the introduction:

“For me, every creature on this planet has an equal right to live. Whether human being, Serengeti elephant, or factory farm cow. That is why I take these photographs. I hope that maybe you will see these animals, these non-humans, in the way that I do—as not so very different from us.”

App Happy:

According to a friend of mine, I have finally joined the “evil empire” with the purchase of my new iPhone. After figuring out picture-texting and voice activation, I sought out some of the more useful apps for healthy and compassionate ladies and germs:

Vegan Yum Yum has fantastic recipes from their blog, some with photos. I like how you can check off ingredients, which is helpful while in the grocery store.

Dirty Produce from the Environmental Working Group is a quick list of the most highly sprayed crops for when it’s difficult to find all organic produce.

Thanks to Chloe at GirlieGirlArmy for Be Nice To Bunnies which lists companies that test their products on animals. So helpful in those giant drug store aisles.

Whole Foods also has a nice app full of recipes I have been flipping through. They are arranged by category including vegan and gluten-free dishes.

Stir Crazy
Okay, I am still learning how to make astounding dishes a la Joshua Katcher (the DB himself). For now, I am a fan of the “dump-and-stir” recipe. This one looks, feels, and tastes special every time I stir-and-serve it. Therefore, I make it often:

Lemony Chickpea Tofu Stir Fry, and Stay tuned for more crazy stirring…

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A Real Food Day


A few days after my big move I grabbed lunch with the man behind those naughty candles over at A Scent of Scandal, Ari Solomon. We laughed and chewed for quite a while over some wonderful dishes at Real Food Daily in West Hollywood. According to his recommendation, I am to come back and stuff myself with their nachos with melted cashew-cheddar cheese. That is after my next stop, the brand-new Veggie Grill on Sunset Boulevard!

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Now that I’m pretty much all moved, I’m keeping my eyes peeled for a good living space and a good day-job. I’ll keep you posted! If anyone out there has any tips, questions, or suggestion about living Ethically Handsome on the West Coast, please leave me a comment below!

Ethical Explolits Vol.3

The ups and downs day-to-day ethical living.
By Featured Contributor, Matt Lara

Normally I’m all peace, love, and Veggie Booty, but I’ve been a little stressed out this summer. The money has been tight, and not much has been happening with my projects. So I decided to reinvest in regrouping. To help counteract these trying times I’m going to go Maria Von Trap on you and embrace my inner self-help guru. These are a few of my favorite things:

Sasquatch JournalSasquatch Spotting
Since I’m feeling a little stuck creatively, I decided to reread on of my favorite books: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. It’s a 12-week program aimed at unblocking creativity and it involves quite a bit of writing which is perfect for these Sasquatch notebooks made by CarolinaPad. They are named after the elusive creature leaves only a rare footprint behind, and these products are made with mostly recycled materials. The comp books I’ve been using are made from no less than 100% recycled paper. I’m onto you sasquatch…

The Happy Company Down To Earth Eye PillowLay Down to Earth
Yes, I am a man with an eye pillow. I received this Down To Earth Eye Pillow from The Happy Company. It’s made from 100% Organic Cotton, and comes minimally-packaged in recycled paper printed with soy-based inks. I used to be the last person in the world who would have an eye pillow. Now I can’t wait to cool this baby down in the freezer and lay back with its light and easy aroma of eucalyptus.

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Wanna Walk?
When was the last time you went for a walk? To me, walking for its own sake is de-stressing at its simplest. If you’re already a walker, I recommend a visit to a walking labyrinth found via the World Wide Labyrinth Locator. I’m getting a little hippy-dippy here, but I promise there’s nothing spooky about it. You may even find David Bowie in there. They are meant for meditation without the sitting still. Your concern about where you’re going becomes secondary as you let your mind relax and go with its natural rythms. Definitely something to try.

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Meditate
While we’re at it, the sitting still kind of meditation is wonderful in 10 minute intervals. You would be amazed at how it can turn around a busy day. Try this Meditation 101 from Yoga Journal. Yoga Journal: yoga poses, yoga video, yoga articles, yoga studios and teachers

Since Ethical Explloits explores the triumphs and disappointments of ethical living, I have to acknowledge that it can get very difficult out there. Why do the worlds of fashion, food, and pop culture have such mixed up values? It stupefies me. But fear not! By becoming Discerning Brutes, we can choose to embody poise and style as our weapons rather than stress and anger. We worry enough as it is, and just don’t need the health detriments that anxiety brings. I say invest in de-stressing. Schedule it, do it, hold to it, and be at your optimum.

-Matt Lara

MattLara

Matt is an actor, singer, closet poet, dancer, avid reader, guitar picker, waiter, home cook, nosey coffee shop guy, animal lover…he basically has to know how to do everything. He lives in New York and Los Angeles.

Végétalien à Paris

One stop on my European travels was a little city called Paris. Ever heard of it? We found a little health food store that had some amazing vegan cheeses and spreads. Le Sojami is a french company that makes some ridiculously good herb cream cheese and veg pate. PURAL makes one of the best vegan cheddars I’ve tasted. Carlie and I had a picnic under the Eiffel Tower and made warm baguettes with fresh fig and three cheeses! “Get out of town,” you might be saying to yourself… well I did! I went to France and it was great!
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Rory Freedman and I ate at a handsome little veg place called Le Potager Du Marais (mostly vegan) and enjoyed a delicious, traditional French meal with a super-rich chocolate mousse dessert. See the menu below for a descripion of what we ate. We were so thrilled to be eating French food, as oposed to just typical vegan food. One of the many things I loved about Europe is that the sidewalk cafes and bars are all set up to face the street, which makes people-watching so much easier.

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Another spot we hit up was La Victoire Supreme Du Coeur. This was fine dining at its best, and if you go to Paris, this is a must. It is totally vegetarian with many vegan options.

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In addition to eating out, we also cooked a few meals! I dumpster-dove those gorgeous sunflowers, and we bought produce at little markets in the neighbohood to enjoy with a breakfast of multi-grain banana pancakes that I made from scratch. For dinner, Joelle and Carlie made pan-fried brussels sprout-cakes, roasted chickpeas, and herb-polenta with gravy.

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Finally, we went out in search of dancing partners, bars, and booze.

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Juicy Jones, Barcelona

One of the places my friends and I returned to several times while traveling in Barcelona this month was Juicy Jones. Located in Ciutat Vella, or ‘The Old City’ – Juicy Jones offers up amazing daily specials – including an Indian-inspired thali plate, and an impressive list of juices, smoothies, soups, salads, and sandwiches. For only €8.50 you can have Soup, the Daily Special, and Dessert. The portions are generous, and the staff is incredibly friendly. When in Barcelona, definitly check this place out!

JuicyJones