The Unvegan

Recent Posts

10 Years of Unvegan
A Quick Bite at Burrito Express
Serendipity at Northern Waters Smokehaus
Twerks and Burritos at Casa Amigos

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2/17/2009 El Segundo

The Hummus Factory

Nothing compliments a sandwich quite like fries.
Nothing compliments a sandwich quite like fries.

Situated just off the main stretch of downtown El Segundo is The Hummus Factory. The name is really false advertising because it certainly is not a factory and also makes a lot more than just hummus. To be precise, they should have named it The Middle-Eastern Restaurant.

When it came time to order, I chose the Chicken Kabob Sandwich, which I assumed would be like schwarma. The only things that stood in my path to an unvegan lunch were cabbage and pickles, which I made sure to order without. The sandwich also came with salad or fries and I (surprisingly) opted for the fries. To top it off, I got a side of hummus in the expectation that the rest of my food would not quench my unvegan hunger. That proved to be a wise choice.

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2/6/2009 El Segundo

El Tarasco

Before they went soft.
Before they went soft.

Taco Tuesday came around again and I found myself at a divey little Mexican restaurant in El Segundo, called El Tarasco.

Hoping to find a great taco deal like $5 all-you-can-eat or $1 tacos, I was instead shown a menu that listed all the daily combos. Tuesday’s special was three tacos with chicken, ground beef, beans or chunky beef with medium drink. It’s seemingly a good deal until you look at the price: $6.50! These had better be damn good tacos. In an attempt to get variety, I ordered one chicken, one ground beef and one chunky beef. There was no need for me to waste precious stomach space on a bean taco. Remembering the drama from my last taco Tuesday, I made sure to order without lettuce, regardless of whether it already came with it.

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1/26/2009 El Segundo

La Paz Restaurant

This burrito makes life beautiful.
This burrito makes life beautiful.

Once every million years or so I venture outside of my Taco Bell comfort zone and find a Mexican restaurant that I just can’t get enough of. That is the case with La Paz, a great, greasy little restaurant tucked away on Center Street in sunny El Segundo.

After trying (and enjoying) many different items from their menu, I have finally fallen into a dish that I can never get enough of, the Super Deluxe (Wet) Burrito. The menu says it comes with ground beef, rice, beans, lettuce, guacamole and cheese, but La Paz Restaurant (just like La Paz, Bolivia and their constitution) is happy to make substitutions.

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1/5/2009 El Segundo

Mandy’s Family Restaurant

You know it's family-style because the bread is crustless.
You know it’s family-style because the bread is crustless.

On a recent lunch excursion from work, I found myself at Mandy’s Family Restaurant in El Segundo. Off of the main strip of Main Street, Mandy’s is a little gem tucked away into the corner of a strip mall.

As I walked in, I saw a sign proclaiming the lunch special of the day, a hot turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes, gravy and a soft drink. I kept this special in mind as I sat down and perused the massive menu. Everything looked good, but I remained intrigued by the turkey sandwich. My friend had mentioned that the seasoned fries were amazing, so I asked my waitress whether they were better than the mashed potatoes and she agreed with my friend. I made the substitution and awaited my meal.

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1/2/2009 El Segundo

Whole Foods Market

This is as meaty as Whole Foods gets.
This is as meaty as Whole Foods gets.

Despite all of my kicking and screaming and my best attempts to avoid it, I found myself stuck at Whole Foods Market in El Segundo with some colleagues for lunch.

If I ate fiber, the very concept of Whole Foods would go against every fiber of my being. It takes seemingly untouchable products like potato chips and makes them healthy (tasteless). This Whole Foods in particular jumped to a whole new level of anti-unvegan, offering all sorts of food cooked-to-order. I got chills as I walked by what I believe was an entire olive bar, but I was afraid to make eye contact for fear of burning my retinas. I shuddered as I walked past the multiple salad bars and finally made it to what seemed like a safe haven, the Mexican section. The Ranchero Burrito, with carne asada, looked like a decent unvegan choice, so I ordered mine with cheese, salsa, rice and beans, being careful to avoid the Pico de Gallo and potentially dangerous greens.

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11/25/2008 El Segundo

Quizno’s (CLOSED)

I couldn't make this look good, so I opted for the open-face look.
I couldn’t make this look good, so I opted for the open-face look.

Today I ordered Quizno’s for lunch. Quizno’s, a sub shop can be found just about anywhere in the country. Apparently in El Segundo, California, they have delivery and it’s quite fast. It had been a few days since I had some (good) red meat, so I ordered the Prime Rib and Peppercorn. On top of the prime rib, the sandwich comes with mozzarella cheese, sauteed onions and a mild peppercorn sauce. I made sure to get mine without the dastardly onions.

I’ve had Quizno’s before and it has never been spectacular, so when my sandwich arrived, my expectations were pretty low.

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