We sat near the bar in their Cantina and ordered lots of Avocado Tacos! Just be sure to ask them to hold the dairy. There’s usually crema in these tacos, but they will gladly make them vegan! The staff is really friendly and accommodating.

Here’s the description: Avocado tacos with red quinoa, amaranth, black sesame, chipotle salsa, grilled corn relish, and pickled onion. The avocado was covered in quinoa and black sesame, and that gave it a really nice crunch! So delightful/addictive.

We’ve dined in their restaurant before, but this was our first time in the Cantina. We’ll definitely be back. Order some tacos, drink some cocktails, and enjoy their colorful, vibrant atmosphere for a fun night out.

PS Their Mexican Chopped Salad is also really delicious. Our picture is too dark to be included in the post, but it’s really good and we highly recommend it!

We also had the Brown Rice Bowl! It’s brown rice, baked tofu, carrots, mushrooms, black-eyed peas, haricot verts, and red bell peppers with a ginger carrot dressing. We’re kind of black-eyed peas-obsessed, so we were sold when we saw their inclusion in the description! It was the comforting fix we needed on a chilly Burbank afternoon.

AND we most definitely could not resist getting a Snickerdoodle. It was vegan AND gluten-free! AND absolutely delicious!

PS They had a good beer selection on tap when we were there as well! Grab a sandwich, a cookie, and a pint of beer for a pleasant afternoon.

Sheri staring at a vegan cupcake at ‘sNice in NYC

At the beginning of each food tour, we ask our tour attendees about their favorite food, and you always answer with “tacos.” What is your favorite type of tacos?

See, I don’t have a favorite type of taco. That’s what I love about tacos. They’re so versatile. But I suppose if I had to pick, my current favorite are the tofu tacos from Mandoline Grill.

What food item can we always find in your kitchen?

There are so many! Sriracha is definitely always available though. It can be added to so many things to add an additional kick.

What is your favorite dessert?

A nice bread pudding. It’s tough to find a good vegan bread pudding, but when you do, it’s the best.

Besides eating and hosting food tours, what do you like to do?

I like to read, write, draw, hike, and spend time with Jen and Waffle!

Waffle! Sheri and Jen’s corgi

It’s almost spring/summer! What fun places do you like to check out during perfect LA weather?

I like being outside, whether it’s a stroll in Santa Monica, or a bike ride at the beach, or lunch on the patio of a café.

List your favorites!

Cookbook: Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
City to visit: Portland, OR
Cocktail: A Slightly Dirty Martini or an Old Fashioned
Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Afternoon snack: Pita and hummus

Sheri hosts Urban Food Crawl tours every weekend. Come join us on a tour!

The description: “char grilled Weiser Farm’s broccoli & cauliflower with BBQ spices in a smoking bag, served with spicy apple cider & dipping sauces.” They arrive at your table in a paper bag. You dig in and want more.

We also ordered the BarbaFaux’a Torta...

We knew this would become a favorite sandwich that we’d crave daily from the description alone: “shaved seitan & pinto beans braised in chipotle agave BBQ sauce with crumbled tofu, shredded romaine, avocado, cilantro vegenaise & corn tostada on a soft roll.”

That description basically says it all. And yes! It was really tasty, flavorful, and we can’t wait to stuff our faces with it again.

Of course we’ll miss Casa, but we’re sooo happy about Blue Cow Kitchen! We definitely recommend adding it to your “Awesome Places to Dine” List.

(PS Blue Cow Kitchen’s cocktails rock! And their beer selection is impressive. And if you’re missing the Casa Margarita, it’s on the menu!)

The frosting is rich. The cake is moist. And even that chocolate topper is delightful. It does look like a more modern version, but the old fashioned flavors are all there. It goes perfectly with your coffee beverage (in this case, a latte and a green tea latte).

Urth Caffé has a bunch of locations in the Los Angeles area. Go treat yourself to a slice!

So sloppy! So delicious! Here’s the exact description from Mendocino Farms: Shaved Seitan and Pinto Beans Slow Braised in Chipotle Citrus, Barbecue Sauce with Avocado Puree, Veganaise, Pickled Red Onions, Candied Jalapenos, Tomatoes, and Shredded Romaine on Toasted Ciabatta.

Whoa. As you can tell, this sandwich is filled with lots of delicious ingredients, and it all works so well together! The Seitain is absolutely smothered in the incredible BBQ sauce, and the candied jalapenos give it a great, spicy kick.

We think that you should head over to a Mendocino Farms location and eat it up ASAP. The Sloppy Faux is currently the featured sandwich at Mendocino Farms, so check it out soon since it’s not officially on their menu. Yet.

You’re probably thinking, “Okay, I need to find out how to make these.” It’s simple…

1. Prepare the dough from your favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe (we’re partial to Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar).

2. Take out your Oreos or Oreo-like cookies (we used the delicious Newman O’s).

3. Take an ice cream scoop and place one scoop of dough on top of the cookie, and one scoop of dough on the bottom (we used a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop). Gently wrap the dough around the cookie. It basically ends up looking like a snowball.

4. Put them in the oven! Naturally, these take more time in the oven than your usual chocolate chip cookies due to fact that these are monster cookies. (Ours took about 5 more minutes than usual, for a total of 16 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.) Keep an eye on them and they’ll be just fine!

5. Eat them all up.

Enjoy!

Proof Bakery is a wonderfully quaint bakery located in Atwater Village, with really talented baristas who create well-crafted coffee. We heard that they serve up some of the best coffee in L.A., so we knew we had to try it! (They also have a friendly staff and a welcoming atmosphere—other qualifications on our “Things we want to see at your coffeeshop/bakery” list.) And what we absolutely love are their vegan teacakes!

The flavors vary, and we caught them on the day they carried Chocolate Almond. They were delicious (to say the least)! The chocolate flavor was just the right amount of sweet, and the toasted almonds were the perfect topping. We could probably have eaten about five more.

It was just what our (amazing!) lattes needed. And we can’t wait to go back again!

And yes, it is packed with picnic-y goodness: filled with house marinated organic tempeh bacon with potato salad spread, Vegenaise, red onions, whole grain mustard slaw, and tomatoes on a panini-grilled Dolce Forno’s soft roll with a side of Chipotle BBQ sauce!

There is so much in this sandwich, and it all works so well (and so deliciously) together. It’s overflowing with tasty tempeh bacon, and the potato salad spread adds to the yum factor. Dipping it into the Chipotle BBQ sauce gives it a little spicy kick, and brings your picnic to the next level.

Mendocino Farms has locations in West Hollywood, Downtown LA, and Marina Del Rey. Pick your location, head over there, and try this sandwich ASAP.