Being Vegan in L.A.

...is the best. When I was vegan on the East Coast, I got those weird looks when someone found out. San Diego is pretty vegan-friendly (Thanks, California) so I love that servers in restaurants actually give me awesome vegan substitutes and suggestions when ordering off their menus. But L.A. has a plethora of straight up vegan restaurants. On Saturday, I decided on only two after doing some extensive research and Yelping.

For lunch, we went to M Cafe de Chaya off Melrose. Awesome, clean, bright vibe immediately upon entering as I was greeted with a smile, which is always nice! I had looked at the menu already online so I had a general idea of what I might order. I decided to take a gander at what they had behind the display glass. And let me tell you... I saw vegan sushi and desserts galore. Hold me back!

After asking for a recommendation (and seeing those Yelp pictures) I went with the Macro Burger which also came with the freshest, most delicious sweet potato fries I have ever had. Ever. And that sauce? My mouth is watering. Here's the description of the delicious burger in case you're not already hungry: house-made whole grain brown rice & vegetable patty, special sauce, lettuce, soy mozzarella, tomato, pickles, onion, and alfalfa sprouts on a toasted whole wheat bun. I've had a lot of veggie burgers in my day and this was... the best! Hands down.

To top it off, I also had the choice of which green tea or lemonade I wanted. I went with the most popular choice, the watermelon mint lemonade! Are you kidding me? Talk about refreshing! Angels were singing after my first sip. I wanted so badly to try one of their green juices but I had plans for later... And I was pretty full after that meal!

After spending the afternoon in Hollywood, there was one more vegan stop I had to make before heading Downtown for Dane's show. Ladies and gentlemen, Cafe Gratitude! I had seen this place all over Instagram thanks to some of my fellow green juice junkies and enough was enough, I had to try it for myself! There are four locations in California and we went to the L.A. location, on Larchmont Blvd. This building is absolutely gorgeous. I didn't get a photo of the entire outside, but I was able to find a beautiful image that a photographer captured.

[photo credit]

We were seated out on the eclectic deck where our server greeted us with the "Question of the Day." I was in love already. Another reason why vegan, raw foodies put the biggest smile on my face. So, the question for us to ponder was:

"What are you overcoming?"

I wish you could have seen how bright-eyed I got in that moment. My mind was flooded with thoughts and ideas of things that I was currently (and still am) overcoming, as life had quickly taken a turn recently.

After we ordered, I just started to take it all in. I looked inside where I saw the chalkboard with the question written on it. I looked at the other patrons on the deck; some with their dogs, some with friends, some with dates. I noticed the pretty lipstick shades the two ladies next to me were rocking and the fun outfit of another girl nearby. There I was, in the middle of the City of Angels. A city so large with people from all walks of life. There's truly something for everyone there and I found my place. In those moments, as the sun sunk down into the California horizon and I excitedly anticipated my order, I felt at home.

It's crazy how you can find "home" in so many different cities. But not every city.

Certain cities speak to certain souls.

Finally, the drink I had been talking about for days arrived for me at my table. And again, angels sang. He got the Marvelous (I think) and I got the Cool. (The way the menu works is that each item is named a different adjective and it starts with I Am... So, when you order you say: "I Am Cool.") Pretty fancy, huh? :)

This delicious treat that I had been dreaming about was a mint chocolate chip milkshake with Vitamineral green and raw cacao nibs (100% raw, vegan, and delicious of course!) I loved how the mint was REAL mint, not the mint syrup you get at most other places. It was so absolutely tasty that I tried my best not to inhale it but, well, you know how that goes...

Sigh. I am grateful for Cafe Gratitude and their positive vibes all around. Even their vintage milk jars filled with water with the words "Love & Gratitude" etched into them were a beautiful added touch.

Moral of the story: I can't wait to live in Los Angeles. Job well done.

Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty Review

Having adopted the vegan lifestyle again means making some new adjustments not only when it comes to what food I eat, but also what products I use. I spend time now reading product labels on everything: Hairspray, face wash, eyeliner, sweaters, etc. I check to make sure that a) the product has not been tested on animals and b) that there are not any animal bi-products in the ingredients. It's kind of crazy just how many ingredients used in make-up and other beauty products come from something you'd probably rather not know about.

So, I started doing some research on vegan-friendly brands! There are a lot of great options out there, you just have to look for them. I've been a fan of Alicia Silverstone and all of the efforts she's made for animals so one day, when I was on her website The Kind Life, I read about the line of vegan beauty products she has with Juice Beauty. Originally, I was going to try the chamomile cleanser first but ended up going with the Simply Nourishing Moisturizer. After all, I've spent a LOT of time this year in the sun.

I apply a very small amount onto my fingertips and gently smooth it along my face, focusing around my eyes and forehead. First of all, let me tell you that the scent is divine. It's a refreshing smell that relaxes me just before bed which is when I apply the moisturizer after washing my face. I've noticed how smooth my skin has felt and, more importantly, how radiant my skin looks now in the morning when I wake up!

The best part is that I know the formula I'm applying to my skin is 100% organic and vegan. Here is a list of its awesome ingredients such as organic acai berry, passion flower, and organic sunflower oil. As described on the website, "Organic shea and cocoa butter kiss your skin with hydration, while powerful champagne grape antioxidants renew and leave a silky finish." Amazing, yes? YES.

Online, the product retails for $36, and coming from a girl who loves her drug store bargain finds, you're totally getting what you pay for with this product AND a little bit goes a long way. Do yourself a favor and check out Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty. Not only will you be doing yourself some good, you'll be doing good for the world too! And who doesn't love that? :)

You can check out her full line here. It used to be carried at Ulta but last time I went in, it was just the regular Juice Beauty collection and not hers. I'm seeing the same thing online at Ulta.com so I'm not sure what that's about but you can buy directly through the Juice Beauty website.