Juicy Ladies

Woodland Hills is awesome. It's beautiful and there are lots if hidden treasures there. One of them is definitely Juicy Ladies Organic Cafe and Detox Bar. I originally found this because I was searching for gluten free options close to home. 

This is literally one of my favorite restaurants. They have the best gluten free waffle ever....EVER. I had the blueberry and my friend had the banana oat. Of course it comes with some earth balance vegan butter and pure maple syrup. Yum!

This is not just a spot for breakfast food. They have wraps. Gluten free and vegan wraps. I literally couldn't remember the last time I had a wrap, but my wrap-less streak is broken. This made me so happy because I have a place I can just run in and grab a wrap. Gosh, I love saying that. My favorite wraps here are the ones with the vegan bacon bits...aka the tofu scrabble burrito. I am really good at figuring out how restaurants make dishes  taste the way they do, but I wish I could make my tofu taste the way they do. And yea..it's panini pressed. 

Oh and if all this hasn't sold it for you...they have freshly made gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free treats. My favorite has to be the Chocolate Yummy Parfait. It's layers of gf brownie with mousse. Heaven..pure heaven. 

Next time your in the valley, check this place out. You will not be disappointed. They also have smoothies, fresh juices, healthy sandwiches, salads, and in house made grab and go food. They recently expanded the restaurant with lots of seating, couches, and a coffee bar. Enjoy❤

Crossroads Kitchen...Let Me Count the Ways I Love You

1). This is some of the best food I have EVER had in my life (not to mention it meets my dietary...issues).

2). This is a vegan tapas place, so you get to try MORE dishes than you would at a regular upscale resturant.

3). It's on Melrose Ave.....so shopping before or after (which ever you please).

4). The menu is chalk full of heavenly little GF markings next to gluten free menu items. The place is vegan, so I didn't have to worry myself about dairy. 

I could keep listing for a while, but I'll spare you. I went with two friends and we all shared our tapas plates. These were the standout dishes: arugula salad with a chickpea pancake (surprisingly flavorful and delicious), GLUTEN FREE lentil flat bread with roasted root veggies and fried onions (I kid you not when I say this is the best pizza I've ever had in my life....seriously), and cappuccino ice cream with a wafer (this was unresistingly tasteful and creamy).

This is just such a delightful place. It's a great place for a classy girls night out or date night. I am going back the next chance I get. Happy gluten free adventures :)

XOXO,
V   

Le Pain Quotidien

If you live in LA or any other larger cities like NYC, you might have seen or heard about Le Pain. This place is all about the bread and the creamy coffee drinks, so you would not expect it to be a friendly place for the gluten and dairy sensitive. Think again!

Their menu is clearly marked with vegan options and servers can inform you about gluten free options (they can do their tartines on gf crackers). They have fantastic organic salads and crunola (a gf raw granola). They also serve unsweetened soymilk opposed to the sugary option at most chain stores. I would say this is the perfect place for breakfast or lunch.

I started my brunch off with a refreshing ice soy latte. They have great coffee and serve their warm beverages in the traditional European coffee bowl. I then dined on the tofu scramble with the gf crackers (ask for a gluten free version of dishes). I finished with a chia seed pudding made with coconut milk and a raspberry topping.

I think it's very refreshing that you can get gluten free, vegan, and organic options at a chain. If you dine here, rest assured you will get a good meal in a charming atmosphere. Own your inner European and pretend like your in Belgium (it's very entertaining).

Babycakes Birthday and Vosges

Hello! I got to celebrate my birthday on Saturday at Dockweiler Beach with a beach bonfire. Dockweiler is the only beach in LA county with fire pits and it was a blast. Along with gluten free marshmallows for s'mores, I got Babycakes cupcakes to celebrate. If you didn't read my earlier post about Babycakes, it is a vegan and gluten free bakery in Larchmont Village (off Melrose). It's also adorable. I decided since we were on the beach cupcakes would be easier than an actual cake. I got an assortment if flavors: chocolate, vanilla, lemon, and carrot. They also have "delux" flavored cupcakes; I totally recommend the mint brownie...to die. The cupcakes were a total hit (even among the regular food eaters). Babycakes is also on the healthier side of dessert places because they use coconut oil, agave, and whole grain gf flour.

Today I finally got to visit Vosges chocolate in Beverly Hills. I've been dying to go, and I knew they would be able to cater to my restrictions. For those that are gluten free only, all their chocolates are gf except those with marshmallows and beer (they also have a freshly made gf cookie at their cafe). For those like myself with th dairy free component also, they have two flavors of vegan and gluten free truffles! Hip hip hooray :) The girl working their was an absolute angel and totally helped me out. I had the coconut and pomegranate chocolates. This was literally the best chocolate of my life not to mention its made with coconut milk and agave. This is a great find and a cute gift to give to other gf friends ❤

The sandwhich that gets its own post

Being gluten free, I crave "normal" food. I mean things like sandwiches, a delicious everyday food. I have had some great gf + df sandwiches in my day, but yesterday one special creation broke into the atmosphere.

I usually like to eat in the places I go; I like to get a table and just chill. Lately I have been running around like a mad woman, so I get my food to go. Real Food Daily is a place I've known about for a while and the best place for vegan food. I have tried most of the gf choices on the menu (they're vegan so you don't have to worry about dairy), but there is one section I completely overlooked, the sandwiches. I saw they had gluten free bread, but I didn't think the stuff inside it would be safe also. I am happy to report all their sandwiches are gf except the club. I got the BLT. It is tempeh bacon, tomato, lettuce, gluten free bread, and spicy aioli. My no gf + vegan mom loved it (she ate the other half :)

So RFD is also your place for sandwiches too. They serve them on the gluten free millet bread from Rising Hearts Bakery. Their locations are in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Pasadena.

CFD Expo and KindKreme

I had an absolutely wonderful day Sunday. I started out at the flea market at the Pasadena Community College, a huge market perfect for vintage lovers. I made out like a bandit with some great vintage finds.

Then it was over to the Celiac Disease Foundation's Gluten Free Expo. This event was packed with gluten free vendors (many dairy free as well). I made some new finds including: Food for Life exotic black rice bread, Schar's multigrain ciabatta, Hail Merry tarts (all are delish) and strawberry macaroons, WayFare chocolate dairy free ice cream, San J Asian BBQ sauce, and Arnel's cake mix,. Of course some of favs were there: Van's cinnamon cereal, Authentic Foods mixes, Crunchmaster crackers, and So Delicious dairy free ice cream and almond milk.

I also got to meet so awesome ladies from various gluten free blogs: Gluten is my Bitch, Thriving Gf, and Gluten Free in Arizona. I also got a t-shirt from Celiac and the Beast. They have super cute gf shirts (mine is a baseball shirt with a gluten free cupcake one it).

Afterwards, our crew was surprisingly still hungry. I decided to try out KindKreme (Pasadena). This is a vegan ice cream shop and cafe. Their entire menu is gf excluding the Oreo ice cream topping. I have found that many vegan ice creams are made of nuts and are much too filling for me. Luckily their vegan soft serve is nut free and delicious. I'm a chocolate lover so that's what I opted for. They also have had scoped ice cream, pastries, sandwiches, bowls, juices, and more. Their main location is in Silver Lake.

Hugo's (& Hugo's Tacos) Revisited

Well the other week I went to Hugo's Restaurant and essentially fell in love. Their superb allergen friendly service and healthy comfort food was right up my ally.

I went back one time and had the roasted coconut pineapple pancake (you can order just one). This pancake knocked all other gf pancakes way out of the park (it's vegan too). It had such a lovely fluffy consistency and was filling (in the best kind of way). I went back a second time and ordered the blueberry pancake with berry compote. I liked this one even better! It was infused with blueberries, so when you cut into it...it's blue :) I also ordered their healthy gf, vegan, and eggless flan. It's made with coconut milk, almonds, vanilla bean, and mango purée. It was so delightful and had a creamy texture.

I also visited their taco stand in Woodland Hills. I don't eat corn, so I opted for the bowl with grilled fish, guacamole, vegan Daiya cheese, pico de gallo, lettuce, organic white beans, and organic rice. It was very fresh tasting, and I was so pleased about all their gluten free and vegan options. We also sampled and purchased their vegan froyo (also gluten free and containing soy + nuts). They have chocolate, vanilla, or swirl. We liked the food better at the Woodland Hills taco stand over the one in Studio City. It was much cleaner, and the food was better

Gosh I love Hugo's. This is my new favorite restaurant ❤ I am defiantly a fan of their "stealthy healthy" food.

New Products, Gluten + Dairy Free Mag, and a Gluten Free Expo

I have had so many wonderful discoveries lately. I'll start with some of my new favortie products:
- Bionaturae Organic Gluten Free Elbow Pasta (this is the most "normal" tasting pasta ever!)
- Svelte Hello Beautiful Chocolate Protein Drink (gluten and dairy free goodness on the the go)
- Authentic Foods Blueberry Muffin Mix (tons of my friends and family tried them and swore they were eaxctly like regular muffins)
- Arnel's Gluten Free Buckwheat Bread Mix (this whole grain mix is made with buckwheat and brown rice....not to mention it is fluffy and delicious)
- Zen Chocolate Pudding with Soy or Almondmilk (need I say more)
- Whole Soy Vanilla Yogurt (creamy and rich...better than your regular yougurt)

I always wrote off soy milk for a non dairy alternative because of a bad soy milk latte I experienced. I was wrong because soy milk produducts have a simliar taste and consistency to dairy products. Unlike many non dairy milks, soymilk has 7g of protein (1 less gram than milk). Hip hip hooray!!

A couple weeks ago, I was walking through Westwood, and I stopped at a magazine stand. My jaw almost dropped to the floor when I saw a gltuen and dairy free magazine called "Living Without." It was filled with health tips, articles on vitamin deficiences, ads for allergen friendly products, and recipes. Is a great magazine, and I will definately purchase it in the future.

It also had an ad for the Gluten Free Expo in Pasedena which I didn't even know existed. I will be attending Sunday and am excited to make new discoveries. Of course, I will post all my findings on my blog :)

Buttercelli Bakeshop in Sherman Oaks

I was on a lunch break in Sherman Oaks and was trying to think of some gluten free options. Buttercelli Organic Bakeshop came to mind. I called ahead to make sure they had gluten and dairy free options; and they assured me plenty of treats for me.

I arrived at their location of Ventura and was greeted by a gluten and vegan sign on the street. When I came in, the girl working there showed me all my options: carrot cake cupcake, berry bar, date bar, and some paleo treats. I feel the gluten free option is always a cupcake, so I was excited to see some variety and chose the berry bar. It had a delicious lemon crumble on top with a gushy berry layer underneath. It had a soft texture, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. They also have almond milk, so I was able to have my favorite espresso drink, an unsweetened almond milk cappuccino.

This is a nice little place for a treat. They do have food also (gluten free but not dairy free). They also have plenty of goodies if you are on the Paleo Diet. If you are not, I recommend selecting from the non paleo options :)

Hugo's Restaurant..my new find

I don't know why I always assumed Hugo's was just your regular diner type place. When I got wind of it being allergen friendly, I decide to check out the Studio City location.

This is literally the most allergen friendly restaurant I've ever been to. Their entire menu is allergen coded with vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and nut free options clearly marked. If you tell them you have allergies, they put a red circle on your table to notify your server. The staff is extremely knowledgable about what is in the food and how to modify it (though many dishes don't even need modification).

Now let's talk food. I didn't order dinner, but I did order dessert, the brownie tort that is. This is a heavenly creation, and it's gluten free and vegan! It's to die for. It reminds me of lava cakes I used to order. If that weren't enough their menu states (about the torte), "they are so full of whole ingredients we consider them more a nutritious food source than any ordinary dessert." So it was good for me to... I'll take that.

I am definitely returning to Hugo's as soon as I can! Their menu is huge and intriguing; hello gf pineapple coconut pancakes ;) They have locations in Studio City, West Hollywood, and Agoura Hills.

Fresh Brothers

Tonight we decided to have a little chill sesh at the Commons in Calabasas. It's a beautiful little shopping and dinning area. I kept hearing about Fresh Brothers (a SoCal pizza, salad, and wing joint) and their gluten free menu. I saw they had a vegan pizza, so I immediately chose that. When I ordered, I informed them of my dairy and gluten allergies. My server said he would make sure they brushed my pizza pan with olive oil instead of butter (great save)! The pizza tasted great and not allergen free (even though it was)! The crust was perfectly golden and slightly crisp. The vegan cheese was melted and gooey (surprised they don't use Daiya cheese though this one was satisfying). I am not a meat eater, but they looked like they had some great options (gluten free BBQ chicken pizza and wings). This is a great find :)

Also we walked around a bit and wondered in Menchie's frozen yogurt. As I have mentioned before, frozen yogurt was my favorite before going dairy free. Luckily we got to sample two dairy and gluten free flavors tonight: mango and sweet pink lemonade. The mango is my new favorite df Menchie's flavor. You would swear it has milk in it! It has that delicious creamy taste to it 💕

Gluten free, Dairy Free, Nut Free and Vegan on the Road

Is this even possible? ....Yes.

Yesterday I got to drive down to Vista, California to shoot my friends music video (Elli Lauren Music...check her out❤). I knew we would be at the house shooting all day, so I devised a plan. I went to Whole Foods the night before and found items that I thought would travel well (and of course met my needs). I discovered a collection of goodies; my new favs are Zen chocolate pudding (with almondmilk) and Amy's Lean and Light sweet and sour Asian noodles. A little prep went a long way! I had food all day and snacked on bananas there. But let's not forget, Starbucks's americanos are 100% gluten and dairy free. Yay!

Rising Hearts Bakery Culver City

If you are gluten free in LA, then I'm sure you've heard of Rising Hearts Bakery. They supply many restaurants and markets in LA with gluten, dairy, casein, and peanut free products. Today I got to go to the mother ship.

It's a small store in Culver City with a huge (and exciting) gluten and dairy free sign out front. They carry their products and other allergen free products. The had samples of fresh bread and snicker-doodles that were amazing (just out of the oven), but the giant case of treats is what caught my eye. I purchased the baguette and lemon stack cake. The baguette was truly amazing (even my non GF mom was BLOWN away). For my taste, their desserts are overtly sweet. I tried the cake and returned it for brownies, but both were not to my liking (though the consistency was spot on). I can see why this bakery supplies bread to so many places because they really know how to do it. If you are ever in Culver City, definitely stop by for some fresh bread! I included a picture of their menu below.

When I got home, I decided to make a pb and j because I literally haven't had one in a year! I did my version though, since I cannot have nuts (digestion issues). I used my delicious Sunbutter (unsweetened and made from sunflower seeds) and sugar free blueberry jam. It blew my mind...so happy!

*one side note: I have had their snicker doodle before at a restaurant, and it was dried and hard (completely unrecognizable from what I sampled today). I think their products are best fresh. Try calling ahead to see when you can get their products fresh from the oven.