Monday, September 28, 2009

Follow Your Heart.

Follow Your Heart Cafe (http://www.followyourheart.com).

Location: 21825 Sherman Way. Canoga Park, CA 91303

Time: 11am (Breakfast).




Anita's Vegan Dish (no pictures - ate it too fast!)
Drink: Fresh brewed coffee with soymilk
Entre: French Toast… $5.50 (half order was sufficient)
Thick Sliced Whole Wheat Bread Dipped in Our Own Special Non-Egg, Non-Dairy Batter. Topped with Pecans.
Vegetarian Sausages… $4.25
Grade: A (for the French Toast), B (for the sausages)
Comment: The French Toast was perfect. I have not had any since I went Vegan so it was such a refreshing taste and their maple syrup and pecans made for a great addition to the entre. I was not a fan of the sausages but I do not believe they are made in the Café rather they are Smart Links Breakfast Links because they taste identical. They both have the flavorless taste to them although with the sweet French Toast it wasn't a horrible combination to be honest (I never was a fan of "real" sausage anyway). I would probably order the same thing again.



Kristy's Vegetarian Dish
Entre: Breakfast Burrito… $8.95
Scrambled Tofu, Black Beans and Vegetarian 'Chorizo', Wrapped in an Oversized Whole Wheat Tortilla. Served with Spanish Rice, Guacamole and Sour Cream.
Grade: A+
Comment: Kristy is a huge fan of this breakfast burrito as she always loved chorizo and eggs for breakfast but had not known of this vegetarian substitution until recent. This is the dish that she craves in the morning all the time and from Follow Your Heart in specific. She said the tofu that replaced the eggs in the burrito feel almost equivalent to the eggs that usually accompany the entre. The black beans are great as well. This burrito is filling in size and taste!

Since, Kristy and I are both from West Hills this friendly neighborhood Café has always been a favorite for us to go on quick lunch or dinner dates. However, I had never had the chance to check out the breakfast menu and I'm really glad I did as I will probably be reviewing many more dishes of theirs now! The greatest part about the cafe is that almost every item on the menu is "Vegan" optional so they can transform any Vegetarian plate for Vegans. Follow Your Heart has convenient parking right next door to the Market & Café and it's a great place to go if you need to grab a few groceries on your way out (since you pay your Café bill with the market cashiers on your way out instead of your waiter). Follow your heart to delicious food and make sure to grab a jar of their award winning Vegenaise (Vegan mayonnaise substitute)!

Real Food Daily.

Real Food Daily (http://www.realfood.com/)

Location: 414 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood - (310) 289-9910
Time: 9pm (Dinner)





Appetizer:
Better with Cheddar Nachos… $11.75
Tortilla chips, melted cashew cheddar cheese, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, tofu sour cream
Grade: A+
Comment: Christopher and I frequent Real Food Daily (also known as "RFD") for this specific dish. Christopher is not Vegan (he diet consists of animals) and he lives for these nachos. I believe the whole world needs to try them. The refreshing taste of cashew cheddar cheese makes this dish taste like something your taste buds have never come in contact with. It's simply to die for.


Anita's Vegan Dish
Drink: Kombucha Wonder… $2.95
Entre: Caesar Salad (add grilled tofu $2.75) … $8.25
Romaine hearts, capers, wheat-free blue corn croutons, Caesar dressing + grilled tofu
Grade: A
Comment: I love this salad. I usually sprinkle on a lemon wedge for extra tangy flavor but it really does not even need to be added. The croutons are probably one of the greatest parts of the salad. They have a sweet salty taste to them and the addition of the grilled tofu is a great compliment to the taste along with the smooth "Caesar" dressing. This salad is awesome for pregnant women craving Caesar salads but avoiding the raw egg ingredient. It's a great twist on the traditional version!


Christopher's Vegan Dish (Guest Reviewer)
Drink: Porter Beer
Entre: Black Bean w/ jalapeno cashew cream… $4.95
Grade: B+
Comment: Christopher said this soup was very tasty and mildly spicy. He said although the soup was very delicious, he would have preferred more texture in the soup (more beans, less liquid). The jalapeno cashew cream was a pleasant topping to the soup and added the mild spice.

Christopher and I are frequent customers of Real Food Daily. It is located on La Cienega near the Beverly Center and has Largo as their neighbor which makes for a convenient dinner & live music combination for any night out (as well as a variety of other nearby hangouts). They conveniently have valet parking in the front of the restaurant and the outdoor seating option makes for a beautiful day or night out in the city. I especially love their organic vegan wine and beer menu as those items are often hard to find in Vegan restaurants. This place is great for any and all occasions (dressed up or down)!