Restaurant Review

Portland Vegan Food Tour 2017 #portland #vegan sweetsimplevegan.com
The great Pacific Northwest — breathtaking views, an energetic yet calming atmosphere, and some of the most delicious food we've ever had the pleasure of tasting. A few weeks back Jasmine and I set out on a road trip with our sights set on Portland, OR. From there, we made our way up to Seattle, WA, and then back down to Los Angeles, CA. We are here to outline our trip, including the Portland vegan food adventures we enjoyed, and everything else...so let's go!

Jill's Restaurant Vegan Buffet + The St. Julien Hotel | Boulder, CO sweetsimplevegan.comRecently, my partner Chris (Conscious Chris) and I headed out on a 12 -Day road trip. You can watch it all on my road trip video playlist on my youtube channel. Along our trip, Chris and I touched down in Boulder, CO for a few days. It was my first time in town, his second, but even with that, there was still so much ground we both had to cover. Fortunately, even with our last minute booking, we were able to score a room at the St. Julien. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-KmrW4FyGc[/embed] Included in my road trip video playlist was a video (above) with a mini hotel room tour and our experience at the all you can eat vegan buffet discussed below. Especially coming from the various Super 8's and Priceline express deal booked rooms, this whole experience was even more than the paradise we expected it to be.

[caption id="attachment_11716" align="alignnone" width="770"]San Diego Day Trip: Bar Kindred + CRSSD Music Festival sweetsimplevegan.com Photo by Gabe Tiano Photo by Gabe Tiano[/caption] Last weekend, Chris and I drove down to San Diego with two friends and I decided to recap a bit of the fun here. We started our day, of course, at the Hollywood Farmer's Market for breakfast, then set off to SD in the afternoon. CRSSD started at noon I believe, but since the two musicians we wanted to see were later that night (Gorgon City and Chet Faker), we took our time and swung by Bar Kindred upon our arrival. I have a rough list of to visit spots in SD and I was able to cross one of them off during this trip, Bar Kindred in South Park. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="899"] Image by SanDiego.Eater.Com[/caption]

This past weekend, Chris and I had a food adventure and visited eLOVate in Santa Monica followed by the Spontanea Pop Up Dinner in Santa Ana hosted by Hannah McNeelyBriana Maxson and Evan Oliver. These three ladies put together a vegan 5-6 course pop-up dinner each month (different every time) in order to bring together the community, share their love for plant-based foods & super delicious food that non-vegans are attracted to. The 5-6 course Spontanea pop-up dinner is only $40/person, which also includes a complimentary glass of wine or {non alcoholic} kombucha; additional glasses are available for purchase :) This month's theme was Childhood Classics Redone - Vegan!

eLOVate Kitchen 1705 Ocean Ave, Ste 111 Santa Monica, CA 90401 | website This past weekend was filled with so much fun! Food adventures, the making of new friends, recipe development (oil-free fruit & nut bread to be exact), and a visit to The Gentle Barn, all in light of spreading the light and love of this beautiful plant-based movement. This lifestyle has not only allowed for me to choose health, save the animals and environment, but it has also allowed for me to broaden my perspective on life, connect with a new community (a family, actually) and create new and lasting memories and experiences that have helped me grow to be who I am now, as well as who I am meant to be.   
  Visiting eLOVate was more for me than just a simple visit to a vegan restaurant. Chef Roberto's book Vegan Cooking For Carnivores was actually the very first vegan cookbook I owned, a gift from my parents when I went vegan and one of our very first introductions to and inspirations for the vegan lifestyle. My mom was really into Ellen back then and found him on her show. To be able to meet him and try his food firsthand filled my heart with gratitude; to be doing what I do and supporting Roberto after he indirectly supported me warmed my heart. I love being a part of such a positive community, and supporting establishments just like eLOVate to aid in the exponentially growth of this beautiful plant-based movement ????❤️ Roberto was kind enough to put together an oil-free meal for Chris and I, and I must say, OOHHH MY, it was so good! Bomb food, a comforting environment, and a kind & accommodating staff, I felt like I was right at home.

Plant Food and Wine - Venice, CA {Oil-Free Brunch Options} sweetsimplevegan.com

Sundays mean brunch, and what better way to do it than at Matthew Kenney's newest establishment, right by Venice Beach. I had visited this spot once before, but this was the first I had been for brunch. Let me just say, it will not be my last. Plant Food + Wine 1009 Abbot Kinney Blvd Venice, CA 90291 Plant Food + Wine is open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The menu includes locally sourced and seasonal items, with a fusion of both raw & cooked vegan foods. The restaurant is somehow able to manage being minimalistic in design yet still refined and sleek in its delivery. They offer indoor and outdoor seating, and although the indoor seating should not be overlooked, if possible, I recommend requesting a seat in the outdoor patio and garden, filled with fresh produce, trees, and a comforting feeling of nature. What I loved is the fact that there were fresh herbs, greens, citrus and even a fig tree thriving on their property, from which they source ingredients for their dishes.Plant Food and Wine - Venice, CA {Oil-Free Brunch Options} sweetsimplevegan.comPlant Food + Wine also houses the Venice location of Matthew Kenney Culinary, a raw and vegan culinary school. Although I was not able to photograph the location at this particular visit, I did have the chance to do a walk through during my previous visit, and I am certain I will, someday again be able to attend the school and refine my skills in the kitchen. I actually attended two weekend intensive courses at their Santa Monica location (now closed), and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I probably have ever had. You can check out my full summary of the experience in this blog post. Not only did I learn so much from being immersed in knowledge of plant-based cooking, I was also able to connect with chefs and students of all ages and backgrounds who are pushing for the same plant-powered movement I am a part of and promote here on my page.
The restaurant was more than willing to accommodate for my oil-free preference, and I encourage you to, even if not at this restaurant, consider seeking out that option wherever you go. Although I have in fact come across a few restaurants in LA that will not accommodate, I have found that more often than not, restaurants are willing to do all that they can to satisfy and comfort their customers. For me, this brings a bit more ease and enjoyment in eating out with friends and family and I hope it will do the same for you, too!

Oil-free brunch options: