The Unvegan

6/23/2011 Reviews Los Angeles

Thai. Seriously. At Summer Canteen

unvegan summer canteen — A real summer has no vegetables.

In the continuing story of trying to find new and interesting food in the Valley, a coworker suggested trying out a place called Summer Canteen. Not knowing what sort of food a place named Summer Canteen would have, I opened up the menu online to find that it served none other than Thai. Wait, Thai? Really? I thought the rule of Thai restaurant naming was that it had to have “Thai” in its name (Thai Boom, Thai Smile, Natalee Thai, etc.) or use words from the Thai language (Jitlada). Summer Canteen broke these two rules, and would go on to break one more.

Asian Beef Curry Meat Restaurants Summer Canteen Thai Toluca Lake

6/21/2011 Reviews Los Angeles

Living Large at Larchmont Wine & Cheese

The little area known as Larchmont in the middle of Los Angeles is LA’s version of Main Street America. Populated mostly by mom and pop shops, it features a few chains and also its fair share of shuttered establishments. In the middle of this strip of Americana resides Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese. Though the place certainly has its fair share of wines, spirits and cheeses, the main draw is the sandwiches. The long, yet swiftly moving line is a testament to these sandwiches. They offer only seven select sandwiches and not one of them is extravagant.

Hollywood Italian Larchmont Larchmont Lillage Wine Spirits & Cheese Los Angeles Prosci Sandwiches

6/20/2011 Reviews West Hollywood

A True Detroit Experience at Coney Dog (CLOSED)

We Detroiters (or metro-Detroiters in my case) are adamantly defensive and passionate about our Detroit roots. Ask one of the thousands of Detroit expats what they miss most about their homeland and they will give you answers ranging from the lakes to the sports to awesome summers. But there is one thing just about all of us can agree upon: we miss coney. In LA, we are about as far from Detroit as possible in the lower 48 and absence truly makes the heart grow fonder. Just about every conversation I’ve had with a former Detroiter in the 3-plus years I’ve lived in LA has led to a “wouldn’t it be awesome if we opened a coney restaurant out here?” moment. Yet, while all these conversations were taking place, a few people were making it happen.

Beef Burgers Coney Coney Dog Coney Island Detroit-Style Hot Dogs Loose Burger Los Angeles Meat Restaurants Sunset Strip West Hollywood

6/17/2011 Reviews Los Angeles

Beefing Up at Soul Dog (CLOSED)

A few months ago, a sign appeared in North Hollywood for a soon-to-open restaurant called Otis Jackson’s Soul Dog. The sign claimed “premium hot dogs & soul fixins” and while I wondered who the hell Otis Jackson was, I figured that this place wasn’t just serving the hot dog meat, but also the souls of the animals in the hot dogs. But, with Vicious Dogs just a 3 minute walk down the street, this was going to have to be a damn good hot dog to compete.

Beef Chili Hot Dogs Los Angeles Mac and Cheese Meat North Hollywood Otis Jackson's Soul Dog Vicious Dogs

6/16/2011 Rants and Raves

Dine on Iodine

While there are many obvious nutrients missing from the diets of vegans, there is one essential element that is typically passed over: iodine. This element is particularly important in a pregnant woman’s body because “low iodine can increase the risk of miscarriage and thyroid problems in moms, in addition to mental disabilities in babies.”

Babies Iodine Natalie Portman Rants and Raves Vegans

6/15/2011 Reviews San Diego

Por Ti Funghi, Volare

While in San Diego with a couple of runners the night before the Rock and Roll Marathon, we needed some carbs. I wasn’t running, but I am never one to turn down a carbo-load. Knowing nothing of Italian food in San Diego and not really wanting to go to Olive Garden (no offense to the Garden, but we wanted to support something local), we turned to Urban Spoon. Yes, there’s an app for that. This directed us to Volare, a sort of whole in the wall in a sort of sketchy part of town. It looked perfect.

California Gnocchi Italian Loma Portal Pasta Restaurants San Diego Travel Volare

6/14/2011 Reviews Los Angeles

Melting at Marmalade Cafe

Sure, brunch is a good “meal,” but sometimes even if the clock hasn’t struck noon you need a good hearty lunch. That’s just what happened to me when I headed to Marmalade Cafe at The Grove. I skipped right over the omelets and waffles and jumped to the sandwiches. I even skipped over the burgers since I had tackled one at Ford’s Filling Station the night before. Fortunately there was a meaty unvegan sandwich on the menu that was right up my alley.

American Los Angeles Marmalade Cafe Restaurants Sandwiches The Grove

6/13/2011 General Thoughts

Getting Physical

Sometimes I wonder if people truly understand how amazing life is as an unvegan. They think, “Eating meat and not vegetables is awesome, but it will destroy my health.” And they are wrong, for if you give that picture to the left a little click, you will see that my physical from May 18, 2011 resulted in normalcy. This may be all good and well in the medical world, but I wanted more.

Physical

6/13/2011 Heroes and Villains

Jim Tressel: Unvegan Villain

As a lifetime Michigan football fan, Jim Tressel has been a villain to me since I first heard his name. Finally, much of the world is realizing how much of a villain he truly is, and not just in football. His villainy transcends sports and reaches into something very dear to me: meat.

Jim Tressel Ohio State University of Michigan Villains

6/13/2011 Reviews Culver City

Filled Up on Ford’s Filling Station (RELOCATED)

EDIT: Apparently this place can now be found at LA Live or LAX. Or both!

Evoking images of an old fashioned gas station for Ford cars, Ford’s Filling Station in downtown Culver City actually has no actual relation to Henry Ford. It also has no relation to Gerald Ford, the former US President from the great state of Michigan. It does, however, have a relation to another Ford, Harrison. You see, Ford’s is owned by Benjamin Ford, Harrison’s son, and he also happens to be the executive chef. Last time I went to Ford’s, which was before the unvegan blog came into existence, Benjamin himself actually came out to our table to tell us the specials. It was like the foodie version of meeting Harrison Ford.

Bacon Beef Burgers Culver City Gastropubs Hamburgers Los Angeles Restaurants

Recent Posts

10 Years of Unvegan

A Quick Bite at Burrito Express

Serendipity at Northern Waters Smokehaus

Twerks and Burritos at Casa Amigos