Archive for adventures – Page 2

‘Street’ Food Gone Vegan


By Leslie · Comments (1) · May 11th, 2012

I recently had the distinct pleasure of dining in L.A. at a restaurant of one of my favorite chefs—a woman I’ve looked up to for a long time—accompanied by someone whose food-writing career I love to follow!  I had a spirited lunch with Eric Gladstone of JLiving magazine and the foodie website Now I’m Hungry and we dined at Susan Feniger’s latest restaurant called simply Street.  If you haven’t yet been I’ll spoil this article for you now by saying that you shouldn’t even finish reading… just go!  Susan Feniger is a legend in this town. She’s pioneered some of the most delicious food in Los Angeles, most notably at her world-famous Border Grill. Susan never disappoints and Street is no exception.  The menu boasts street food found around the globe.  But she’s careful not to put too many spins on the plates, leaving diners with some of the most authentic ethnic food they’ll ever experience (even if they never leave L.A.).  Knowing I was a vegan, Eric suggested Street since Susan had recently expanded her vegan options…and trust me, there were far too many to try in just one seating! By the way, all menu items with an “*” can be prepared vegan, no questions asked!

We started our journey —like all good journeys— with a cocktail… This is a version of a moscow mule and was absolutely fabulous! (btw that’s not an Instagram filter but rather the pink hue filtering through the red umbrellas hovering over our heads!)

When it came time to order, we employed my favorite method of deferring to the waiter to bring us his favorite veggie dishes.  And boy did he deliver! What came was a parade of exotic, mouth watering decadence…

the Garden Chopped Salad:

the Vegan Fritters:

the Berbere-spiced French Fries:

the Veggie Burger:

the Rickshaw Noodles:

And for dessert, the Filipino Sticky Rice Tamale:

…which was good, but I say skip and get the Apple Fritters for pure perfection!

If your eyes are full, imagine our bellies! And as I mentioned, they have so many more options!  Next time I’m definitely going for Street’s vegan versions of my favorite Paani Puri and the Golden Tomato Fattoush.

Bottom line: Hit da Street!  It’s the perfect resto for vegans and carnivores alike! How rare is that? Also, be sure to check out Eric’s amazing interview with Susan Feniger and Nancy Silverton (of La Brea Bakery and Mozza fame), another gal I greatly admire in the restaurant business. You can find the interview on pg. 25-29  in JLiving Magazine and follow Eric’s culinary adventures on Twitter.

Street

742 North Highland Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90038

323.203.0500

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments (1)
Categories : adventures, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurant Reviews Los Angeles

Behind the Scenes at Cupcake Wars


By Leslie · Comments (8) · March 5th, 2012

I hope you all enjoyed last night’s first ever Vegan Cupcake Wars—a show I was so honored to be a part of!  The challenge posed to the vegan bakers was to create the ultimate array of vegan cupcakes fitting to debut at the Green Festival in Los Angeles. In case you missed Sunday’s show, the episode will be available soon on FoodNetwork.com.  I had so much fun appearing as a guest judge!  Today I thought I’d give you a little peek behind the scenes to see what goes on and what it was like tasting 30 cupcakes!

Leslie Durso, Vegan Guest Judge of Cupcake Wars

I arrived at 6:30am and was escorted to my dressing room for wardrobe, hair, and make-up. I was so lucky to have my favorite Dean Roybal from Planet Salon do my hair and make-up :)  He used all AVEDA products on me which were, of course, vegan.

At about 8am I was escorted on set, met the host Justin Willman and the other permanent judges Candace Nelson and Florian Bellanger.  They were super nice!

And here was my view for most of the day:

This really wasn’t like any other set I had ever been on!  Watching the contestants run around making their cupcakes… I don’t know how they do it! It was so stressful just to watch.  I was sure happy to be sitting on the other side of the judges table.

We filmed all day and to answer the question you all have been asking, yes, I really did eat all of those cupcakes, plus a few dozen more!  Such a sugar rush! I’m not sure how Candace and Florian do it everyday!  More than 12 hours and 30 cupcakes later, we wrapped; it was truly a day of sweet indulgence but also quite an enlightening food television experience and one I hope to have more of!

**SPOILER ALERT**

The following weekend everyone at Green Fest LA got to experience and taste the winners cupcakes.  Here I am with the winner Stephanie Sparkles from Bliss Cakes and her winning display:

PS if you like my dress it came from my friend Kris’s adorable shop in Manhattan Beach called Bella Beach!  And here we are shooting a little promo clip for the show (how beautiful do these cupcakes look??):

It was such a fun experience and I have to thank Food Network and everyone involved in having me on the show! Be sure to catch me LIVE on stage at the GreenFest NYC on April 21 & 22nd, EarthDay Weekend!

xoxo

Comments (8)
Categories : adventures, featured, Fun Stuff

Veggie Dreamgirl Does 2012 South Beach Wine and Food Festival


By Leslie · Comments (6) · March 4th, 2012

Every February thousands flock to Miami to partake in an annual festival of eating, drinking, and getting up close and personal with their favorite chefs: South Beach Wine and Food Festival presented by Food Network and Food & Wine Magazine.  Four decadent days of tasting tents, live celebrity chef appearances, fancy pants dinners, too-late after parties, and cooking competitions (including the epic Burger Bash hosted by Rachel Ray).  The weather was warm, the people were friendly, the drinks were flowing, the food was….

Yup… That’s the only vegan item at the fest.  Through the blur of chefs passing out baby-back ribs, pulled-pork tacos and Ahi tuna crips, I saw the Whole Foods Pavilion and thought, “Thank goodness Whole Foods is here, they’ll have something fabulous and healthy!”  I couldn’t really believe my eyes when all I saw that was “healthy” were these little gazpacho cups… I guess when they said this weekend aimed to indulge, it did not mean indulging in vegetables ;)

But Whole Foods did offer these lovely mimosas made with locally grown fresh squeezed orange juice:

Suffice it say, I had no problem, um, with liquids. Regardless of my minimal food-intake, I still had a FABULOUS time!  So many neat things to experience and great foodie people to see!  Here’s Bobbly Flay making fried chicken after ‘throwing down’ three mojitos on stage in a cooking demo:

Loved that Badilla had a spice station where you could mix your own spice blend!

Rows of wine… I can’t even imagine how many bottles were consumed!

This was my first trip to Miami and hopefully not my last!  The city was so fun and so beautiful!  South Beach Wine and Food Festival is definitely a must-do for any die-hard foodie!  And who knows, hopefully by next year’s Sobe Wine & Food Fest, one of Veggie Dreamgirl’s Veggie Burgers will be competing at the legendary Burger Bash!

Comments (6)
Categories : adventures, featured

Vegan with a View — Oh My, The Setai South Beach


By Leslie · Comments (0) · February 27th, 2012

Day 2  into the all-consuming South Beach Wine and Food Festival already found us desperately seeking some ‘soothiness’ — and Oh My, The Setai delivered!  Just walking into The Setai transports you to a zen-like tropical paradise.  A beyond welcoming staff — from valet to maitre d — made me feel more like a visiting dignitary than a hungry Veggie Dreamgirl. We chose to be seated at a high table so as to enjoy our gorgeous view of the ocean.  (I mean, is there a better way to enjoy lunch?)  While scanning the menu I spotted ‘The Setai-Colada’ and definitely needed to give that a try. Mint is the key ingredient to make this pina colada something special but the creaminess achieved by the coconut cream is what makes it luxurious.

Starting with a grilled artichoke is always a good idea and today was no exception.  The three halves arrived piping hot and grilled to perfection!  It was served with an aioli that I opted out of, but heard was light and lovely.

Not having a pure vegan item on the menu, both server and chef were happy to adjust the Arugula and Pear Salad to fit my needs, which simply meant leaving off the blue cheese ;) The anjou pears were perfectly roasted and the candied walnuts were a crunchy-sweet delight.  It was large and tasty…just what I needed before hitting those meaty tents at South Beach Wine & Food!

This meal was delish and The Setai property is so lovely it’s definitely worth a trip!

The Setai

2001 Collins Avenue

Miami, Florida 33139

(305) 520 6000

Comments (0)
Categories : adventures, featured, Fl

Nacho Average Mexican Restaurant


By Leslie · Comments (0) · February 23rd, 2012

Born and raised in San Diego, it’s safe to say Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines!  I was ecstatic to hear about Ranchos Cocina.  They have two locations, one in Ocean Beach and one in North Park.  I’ve visited both and I think I may like the one in North Park just a little bit better.  The staff is beyond friendly and the food is fresh and fabulous!  This particular afternoon I ventured out to North Park with my sudo-vegetarian partner in crime, otherwise known as my cousin Christy.  She is always willing to try my latest vegan obsessions.  That said, let’s get something straight: they do serve meat here!  The menu is almost overwhelming to tackle. (isn’t it the best when you go to a restaurant and find more than one veggie option?!)  Not craving anything in particular, I asked our waiter for his favorites.  The meal started with some fresh chips (not warm, which is a bummer) and a bowl of pico de gallo that packed a punch.  In addition why not order nachos right?!

They were super yummy!  I’m not the biggest fan of fake cheese, but this one did the job.  Soon after came my trio of enchiladas and believe me when I say the plate was bigger than my head!

I had the hardest time trying to pick my favorite!  The sauces were all rich and full of flavor.  The rice and beans were nice, not very unique of exciting, but good none-the-less.

Bottom line: if you are in SD looking for your Mexican food fix, definitely check out Ranchos!

Ranchos Cucina

3910 30th St

San Diego, CA 92104

(619) 574-1288

Comments (0)
Categories : adventures, CA

Cruzin’ for Vegan Pizza in LA


By Leslie · Comments (3) · February 7th, 2012

I can’t believe I am just discovering Cruzer Pizza!  They are a 100% vegan pizza place in Los Feliz, CA.  Now, I was pretty skeptical mainly because I don’t love the taste of fake cheese.  But I have to say, I really really enjoyed my pizza!  By recommendations from my fabulous twitter friends, I ordered the quarry girl (yes, named after the one and only).  It’s piled with olive oil, garlic, mushrooms, vegan sausage, and fresh basil.  It was bursting with flavor which I loved.  The crust was very nice, thin-ish and perfectly crispy.

I do wish there was more of a restaurant to Cruzer Pizza.  I’d love if it had more of a real pizzeria feel, but with the few bar stools facing the wall, the place is really a take out and delivery restaurant.  If you are in Los Angeles, definitely make the trip over, you won’t be disappointed!  I can’t wait to go back and try more like the Falafel Mediterranean pizza and the Ratatouille pizza!

Cruzer Pizza

4449 Prospect Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
Phone:323-666-0600

Comments (3)
Categories : adventures, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurant Reviews Los Angeles

A Very Veggie Dinner at Cru


By Leslie · Comments (4) · January 6th, 2012

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a dinner party with some pretty fabulous people :)  The wonderful folks at Open Sky  (have you been? you should!) hosted Ironman triathlete Brendan Brazier and a few of us lucky writers (code for: bloggers).  I was so excited to eat at Cru because I have heard so many wonderful things!  It’s located in Silverlake right off of Sunset and serves mainly raw vegan food with a few cooked dishes as well.  I have to thank the wonderful Lynn from TheActorsDiet for letting me borrow all these fabulous pics of the evening.

The restaurant is not large, but we managed to squeeze in.  And there is me with none other than miss Lynn :)

    

The food started rolling out and I didn’t want it ever to end!  These spring rolls were super yummy!

Sure there was the “typical” raw food menu staples: nachos, pizza, lasagna etc. and all were done very well!

the raw nachos

Two stand out dishes were Lynn’s Quisotto (quinoa risotto that you will find me trying to replicate very soon!):

and my VEGAN Mac n’ Cheese:

The evening ended with a divine piece of banana creme pie that you should order as an appetizer because it’s soooo good!

The fabulous ladies from Open Sky even sent us home with wonderful goodie bags!  Inside were Brendan’s cookbook, Devin Alexander‘s The Biggest Loser’s Cookbook, and some yummies from Brendan’s line of nutrition packed foods Vega.  A little review: I think all of my readers out there will really enjoy Brendan’s book Thrive!  It’s filled with fabulous vegan raw and cooked recipes from some of my favorite restaurants all over the country!  Devin’s book has some great workout tips and if you are a fan of the show you’ll be really happy!  The only thing is that the book focusses a lot on meat and protein in that form so if you are a veg there isn’t too much for you in it…

Cru

1521 Griffith Park Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90026

tel: (323) 667-1551

Comments (4)
Categories : adventures, featured, Restaurant Reviews Los Angeles

Eataly, New York City


By Leslie · Comments (6) · October 19th, 2011

Eataly should have it’s own zip code!  A veritable Disneyworld for Italian foodies (and wannabes), Eataly takes up 50,000 square feet of the Gramercy Park neighborhood.  It’s owned and run by Mario Batali and Lidia and Joe Bastianich.  Lidia is considered the Grandmother of Italian cooking in America.  Joe is her winemaking/entrepreneur son and Mario, well, turn on the Food Network and he’s probably on.  Eataly is restaurants, markets, a school, a store, basically everything anyone would ever need to become Italian…  I think Mario might be a little disappointed to not be born Italian… what do you think?

So, if you can maneuver your way through the mass amounts of tourists, there is some pretty cool stuff going on here.  The two restaurants that I ate at were fantastic and the produce I bought and cooked was excellent.

The first restaurant I hit up was La Pizza & La Pasta.  Of course I had to start with a little Italian beer ;)

IMG_7310-webI brought along my friend Laura (an incredible photographer BTW) and we shared a plate of the quadrati ricotta e spinaci (spinach and ricotta ravioli) to start.  They were delightful little pillows of joy in a creamy buttery sauce topped with pistachios.

IMG_7311-webOf course we had to order pizza :)  I ordered the Napoli which is just tomato sauce, oregano, garlic, and basil:

IMG_7318-webMario always makes a good pizza and this one is no exception, but I have to say, his pizzas are best at Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles and I have to credit Nancy Silverton for being the best bread maker in the country.  But this pizza is amazing and you should order it!

The following day I went back for more… This time eating at Le Verdure.  The vegetable restaurant!  A Veggie Dreamgirl’s dream!  They do serve some cheese here, but clearly state on the menu what is vegan and what is not.  We had to start with the special of the day appetizer.  Fried shishito peppers topped with oyster salt:

IMG_7326-webMmmmmm!  So good!  Then we got a few salads, the raw vegetable salad

IMG_7321-weband the special of the day salad which was heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, basil and a little fresh ricotta cheese.

IMG_7325-webEverything was fabulous!  You could taste the freshness of all the ingredients and the love behind this entire complex.

Now if you are of the meat eating presuasion, there are plenty of things for you to enjoy as well… just check out the list of restaurants.

This place is a must.  Must see, must eat, must experience!  Just try to stay away during lunch time.

Eataly

200 5th AVENUE

NEW YORK, NY 10010

Entrances on 5th Avenue and 23rd Street

212.229.2560

Lesliesarnasig

Comments (6)
Categories : adventures, Restaurant Reviews: New York

Restaurant Review: La Bella Ferrara, New York


By Leslie · Comments (2) · October 18th, 2011

If you are looking for authentic New York Italian pastries, this is the only place to go.  Now, I can't tell you about all of the pastries: a. because there are so many to choose from and b. because I only ever order two things from here.  

IMG_7331-webIt's a family tradition to come to this bakery for cannoli's and the sfogliatelle.  You are probably familiar with what cannoli's are, but sfogliatelle (In Italian means many layers) look like clam shells and they are filled with ricotta flavored with candied orange rind.  They are super super super tasty when done right!  Here they are lined up in their case:

IMG_7332-webAnd cut in half:

IMG_7344-webTheir cannoli's are also out of this world!  Seriously, you aren't going to find better in NY!

Ferraras-webBraving the trip down to tourist filled little Italy is well worth it for the pastries at La Bella Ferrara!  PS just don't confuse it with Ferrara's down the street, totally different place :)

La Bella Ferrara

108 Mulberry St. (between Canal & Hester St.)

New York, NY 10013

212.966.7867

Lesliesarnasig

Comments (2)
Categories : adventures, Restaurant Reviews: New York

Restaurant Review: Pure Food & Wine, New York City


By Leslie · Comments (3) · October 17th, 2011

According to the New York's tourism board, there are 18,696 restaurants in New York City!  From the research I've done, only about 77 of them are vegetarian… So I started my trip at where many New Yorkers consider vegan mecca… Pure Food and Wine.  It's raw fine dining.  I was so excited to go, I've been hearing about it from just about everyone.  So I grabbed my friend Sarah and we headed to Union Square.

                 Purefoodandwine1 Purefoodandwine2
We ordered the portobello burger and the lasagna.  Both tasted fabulous!  It's lovely to see a fabulous vegan raw restaurant in New York.

That being said, I'm a little torn on this place.  The food was really good, not the best raw vegan food I've ever had, but certainly delicious.  But it was really the tiiiiiny portions (see the picture where my burger is barely bigger than the cherry tomato) with large price tags that got me.  I understood that the combo of being in NY and it being a raw food restaurant that the prices would be higher than I'm used to on the west coast, but the entrees are $24-$26… that's double what I was expecting.  

The restaurant definitely has wonderful food and a full bar which is rare to find in a raw spot so if you are with a group of veggies, definitely check it out.  Just remember to bring your wallet!

Pure Food and Wine

54 Irving Place

New York, NY 10003

212.477.1010

Lesliesarnasig

Comments (3)
Categories : adventures, Restaurant Reviews: New York
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