Cafe Gratitude - Venice, California

Address: 512 Rose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90291

Items Ordered:

•  I AM IMMORTAL - tonifying elixir w/ Reishi, Shilajit and Ormus. Served hot with coconut milk and raw honey 
• I AM HAPPY - Mediterranean wrap with live falafels, zucchini cilantro hummus, spinach, red onion, tomato, cucumber, red chili pepper sauce and garlic tahini dressing on live sun-dried tomato bread
• I AM LIBERATED - Creamy hemp seed pesto pasta with kelp noodles, heirloom cherry tomatoes, green and kalamata olives and  spinach topped with brazil nut parmesan and fresh basil 
• Dessert (forgot the name) - warm peach and berry compote with vegan ice cream

Happy New Year everyone! I really do hope your wishes become a reality in 2013. What are your food-related resolutions for this year? Mine is to stop eating chocolate for 6 months! It's quite sad, but makes my dessert options at restaurants easier to choose. I'll give you guys an update in June on my progress (if I don't break before then).

What better way to start the new year than spouting some uplifting phrases and eating some vegan food? I was very amused with the names of the dishes at Cafe Gratitude, and almost wanted to order everything off the menu just so I could say "I am magical and awesome." But I suppose all that food would defeat the purpose of healthy eating. We started with the I AM IMMORTAL drink, which if I were to sum up with one word, would be...terrible. Please try something else instead. The drink tasted like water with a weird herby taste, and I'm not sure made us immortal. I liked my I AM HAPPY, but realized quickly that vegan bread/wraps are a little too dry =/. The I AM LIBERATED was pretty tasty and well-dressed with their pesto. Kelp pasta kinda looks and tastes like vermicelli in case you were wondering. I really loved the vegan ice cream (made with nuts?) that came with the dessert, but again the compote and fruits were a little dry and overcooked. I know this review doesn't sound that positive, but I liked the concept of Cafe Gratitude and would probably return to try out some of their cooked vegan dishes next time.

--y

Cafe 70 Degrees (formerly Westsubs) - Culver City, California

Address: 3863 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA 90232

Items Ordered (breakfast menu):

• Smoked salmon bagel with egg salad
  
• "Simply Yummy" - baked egg, turkey bacon, potatoes
• Peach Icy Snow with boba

I waited a long time to write this post b/c I kind of don't want to share this place with anyone :O. I first discovered this small cafe nestled in Culver City Center when I was in need of wi-fi for a few hours. I ordered a boba milk tea and to my surprise a giant beer mug of creamy, perfectly sweetened milk tea and chewy boba arrived at my table. I liked the drink so much, I proceeded to order a crunchy tuna wrap and thoroughly enjoyed polishing off the whole plate of fresh tasting ingredients including the side of cantaloupe and salad. I can't recall if I actually got any work done that day amidst all the eating...

Ever since discovering Cafe 70 Degrees, I've made multiple return visits, and honestly have loved everything I've ever ordered here. On this particular day, I went for breakfast with a friend, and thought the salmon was smoky, fresh-tasting, and paired beautifully with the toasted bagel. I was a little too stuffed with the egg salad atop, as it probably could've been made into FOUR delicious egg salad sandwiches--too much for one person! The peach icy snow was one of the best drinks I've had from Cafe 70 Degrees yet.

If you decide to visit, and love this place as much as I do, do me a favor and keep it on the DL. It'll be our little secret, yea? Thanks.

--y

Clementine - West Los Angeles, California

Address: 1751 Ensley Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024

Items Ordered:

• Pimento cheese and turkey sandwich with side salad
• Chocolate chip cookie

There were so many rave reviews on Yelp that my roommate and I were really excited to try Clementine. Parking really was difficult on a Sunday afternoon, and unfortunately we were lazy butts and didn't make it in time for brunch :( . They have a really good deal of half salad, any salad, and dessert or drink on the menu. The pimento cheese was a little too salty, but the side salad was fresh and healthy tasting. Chocolate chip cookies are probably my favorite, and I read multiple reviews where people swore this was the best they've ever had! The verdict? It was soft and gooey, but unfortunately too oily. I would try Clementine again, and this time order a different sandwich and dessert to see if they can live up to the hype.

--y

Urth Caffe - Beverly Hills, California

Address: 267 S Beverly Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90209

Items Ordered:

• Egg white omelette
  
• Curry chicken salad
• Oatmeal with fresh fruit and granola
• Tiramisu
• Cafe lattes

It is true that this particular Urth Caffe location in Beverly Hills is crowded, but for good reason. Sitting out in the sun, people watching, and enjoying delicious food and drinks really does a body good. Everything that I have tried here from breakfast to the salads and sandwiches is fresh tasting and prepared with care. The portions are definitely filling--even if it's only greens. Urth Caffe makes me want to become a vegetarian, get a hybrid car, and run 26 miles in recycled shoes. It is really that fresh tasting. One of my favorites is the tiramisu, which is a hugely generous portion of sugar, caffeine and mascarpone cheese. It has just the right balance of sweet and bitterness from the cocoa and reminds me of really fancy pudding. If that doesn't give you enough of a sugar rush, try the cute coffee drinks, which are actually quite tasty too. I have been to this location several times and have yet to see a celebrity I recognize so I guess there will be many more visits in the future, lucky me ;).

--y

Ivan Kane's Cafe Was - Los Angeles, California

Address: 1521 Vine Street, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Items Ordered:

• Onion Soup
• Bouillabaisse
• Beignet

Cafe Was is a French bistro inspired restaurant. I LOVED the ambiance here. We were seated in the Piano Room, where there was a performance by an artist that sang while playing the piano. Not only that, but the piano and the circular floor piece that it was on rotated slowly as we enjoyed our meal in the dimly lit room. We went for LA Restaurant Week and the set menu was delicious.

--v

Royal/T - Culver City, California, USA

Address: 8910 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232

Items Ordered:

• Three Egg Omelette with Bacon, Sausage, Mushrooms
• Free Range Turkey Burger with Fries
• Crispy Spicy Tuna
  
• Small pot of milk tea
  

Visited Royal/T Cafe for a nice pre-concert brunch. The food was adequate, but the decor was amazing! With pictures of Harajuku girls lining the walls, a museum to visit, and Hello Kitty toys (!) the experience reminded us of being in Japan. Also, don't forget to order the tea, it is what they're named for after all, and our milk tea did not disappoint.

--v & y