Review of Golden Mean Vegan Cafe

I gave Golden Mean Vegan Café an overall score of 3.9, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 3 of 5, Every once in a while. price range 3 of 5, Let's splurge tonight; less than $35. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 5 of 5, No worries quality of service 4 of 5, Attentive and friendly. quality of food 4 of 5, Happy tongue. local mainstay? 1 of 5, Here today, gone tomorrow. Comments: Vegan cafés often focus on trying to be a traditional, American “café,” but with vegan ingredients. This often misleads them down the road of creating meat-like tastes, using meat-likes, that always remind me of my first, and last, meat-like McRib sandwich. Incidentally, this was, I’m sure, one of the major contributing factors to me becoming vegan. And, it taught me to stay away from engineered food, which nowadays translates directly to meat-like. Like many wannabe successful vegan cafés before them, Golden Mean unfortunately conformed to the same, meat-like café menu. Once I got over my initial disappointment, I really enjoyed my Golden Mean “experience.” The ambiance is relaxing and yogaish, (…can I say that?) The wait staff was very friendly, attentive, and relaxed. And the food was well-presented and delectable, though I can’t comment on the meat-likes. Everything is vegan and organic, so no worries about what goes on behind the scenes; besides the fact that in an extremely cozy place like this, the only “behind the scenes” contains a toilet and sink. …clean toilet, big +. I have eaten here a few times now, and have stuck to the sandwiches and wraps with different side salads. They’re really tasty and somewhat unique, but their sides are the best thing on the menu. And, when ordered alone, are much larger than the dollop that you get with your sandwich. They are displayed in the case next to the register if you want to see them before ordering. Golden Mean Vegan Café is your typical café with meat-like organic, vegan food. The slender restaurant is clean, well laid out, trendily decorated, and simple. They have small, tasty, and unique portions served by a helpful and attentive staff. And last, and possibly least this time, though their vegan food keeps my body well centered, the green in my pocket sure wasn’t. Maybe “Golden” “Mean” doesn’t mean what I thought it did.

Additional Info Address: 1028 Wilshire Blvd, 90401 Area: Wilshire Reviewed Meal: Lunch Ethnicity: American Click for more info.

Review of Le Pain Quotidien

I gave Le Pain Quotidien an overall score of 3.5, or 3 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 2 of 5, Every once in a while. price range 3 of 5, Let's splurge tonight; less than $35. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 4 of 5, Hmm, what to have. quality of service 3 of 5, Didn't notice. quality of food 4 of 5, Happy tongue. local mainstay? 2 of 5, Fresh paint, but it's a good color. Comments: I really enjoy communal tables and Le Pain Quotidien has a beautiful one down the middle of their slender, cozy, and boulangerie décor restaurant. They also have a small, but nice sidewalk café if you are a watcher rather than a talker, and this is a good location for watching because it’s around the corner from The Promenade. I’m not sure how to comment on the bipolar service; …or that may have captured it perfectly. On our first visit, shortly after they opened, the service was attentive and friendly, though she forgot my toast. On our return however, the service jumped to the other side of the spectrum. A wactor, or possibly worse, an industry keener, was not attentive and seemingly had no patience once we paused while ordering. Given that this place is new, I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. But, I’ll be on the lookout for another too-cool-to-be-cool though. The food was very tasty, but, somewhat as expected for an international chain, a little sterile and conservative. They use top, mostly organic ingredients and have a lot of vegan options, though they seem to love cheese; be careful. The breads are good, but not inspired like you would find at a local artesian bakery that’s baking because they enjoy it. The coffee was really good, but they served it in a metal teapot. If you like hot coffee, you can quickly pour it from the metal teapot to a thin walled bowl, but this is only incrementally better. Continuing my conjunctional phrases, overall, the food was delectable, but overpriced. Le Pain Quotidien has a great location and good ambience, and I look forward to giving the wait staff one more shot on a lazy morning where we wake up late and head for the ocean. This is the type of place that, if they survive, it will no doubt be on the backs of the unsuspecting tourists. Though the communal table and cozy atmosphere should bring about community, the overpriced food will no doubt keep most away.

Additional Info Address: 316 Santa Monica Blvd, 90401 Area: Mid City Reviewed Meal: Breakfast Ethnicity: French Click for more info.

Review of Poquito Mas

I gave Poquito Mas an overall score of 3.6, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 3 of 5, When I'm bored with my other options. price range 5 of 5, Pocket change, less than $10. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 3 of 5, At least one good entrée. quality of service 3 of 5, Didn't notice. quality of food 4 of 5, Happy tongue. local mainstay? 2 of 5, Fresh paint, but it's a good color. Comments: Poquito Mas and the Veggie Grill moved into an old Sizzler; imagine the shock of the meat and potato seniors looking to finally redeem that coupon for angioplasty. They ripped out all the 30-year old booths, put a dividing line wall down the middle, created a front porch with tables, and added their paint by number décor for a bright and inviting, though sterile, ambiance. The west side, Poquito Mas, is basically a slightly upscale Baja Fresh where you can see them assemble your food behind the cash registers. The upscale part comes at the end of the assembly line, a shiny, steaming tortilla press. For vegans, the upscale part of their menu is their Natures Grill line. The Natures Grill burrito for instance has eggplant, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, black beans, zucchini, and salsa. Be careful to ask for no dairy though. I always substitute guacamole for sour cream and ixney the cheese. Like Baja Fresh, they advertise natural ingredients, no lard, no cans, and 0 grams of trans fat. This is music to my intestinal tract, (pause), except for the last one which is a pet peeve of mine. Instead of saying “no added trans fat,” they say “0 grams trans fat.” Trans fats should be measured in milligrams not grams, and food suppliers have exploited this to be able to add trans fat and, thanks to the mathematical concept of rounding down, still claim zero. I would guess that Poquito Mas is utilizing this loophole because they are not a clueless mom and pop shop. Regardless, they still make good, filling, and relatively healthy food that is assembled fresh and served quickly. If you are in the area, looking for filling Mexican food, and have had enough of Tacos Por Favor, by all means necessary, skip past El Cholo and head to Poquito Mas for a Natures Grill burrito, hold the cheese, and substitute guacamole for sour cream. Then, sit back on the front porch and see if you can spot any disappointed seniors mumbling something about hippies.

Additional Info Address: 2025 Wilshire Blvd, 90403 Area: Wilshire Reviewed Meal: Lunch Ethnicity: Mexican Click for more info.

Review of Sunnin Labanese Cafe

I gave Sunnin Lebanese Café an overall score of 4.7, or 5 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 4 of 5, I don't need a menu. price range 3 of 5, Let's splurge tonight; less than $35. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 4 of 5, Hmm, what to have. quality of service 4 of 5, Attentive and friendly. quality of food 5 of 5, Sorry Mom, but this place knows how to cook. local mainstay? 5 of 5, Route 66 hangout. Comments: I am generally fond of UCLA mainstays because they are cheap and good eats, and this was one of those places. Everybody on campus knew of this little hole in the wall restaurant with a 3 car parking lot, shared with 2 other places, where cars were always double parked. The restaurant itself looked like an old doughnut shop. A few years ago, they decided to let out their belt and moved across the street to a much larger place. They developed an expanded menu, cheesy interior décor, and a need to bring in more money (prices exploded), but still had the same great food. Additionally, they now have vegan items clearly marked on their new menu, putting to rest the fear we have of the wait staff’s brief, blank stare followed by, “ya I know what vagan means.” Hommos, babaganouj, moujadarah, and tabouleh can all be ordered as appetizers, but in my mind, make the perfect meal. AND, this is pretty much what you have to do since the main courses are pretty much all meat based. One thing of note is that the falafel is not made with egg, hence vegan-friendly. Oh, and skip the desert menu and grab a pureed garlic and olive oil to go. It’s a must if you are a garlic lover; just make sure you don’t eat it all at once. That is unless you want to sit home alone and watch the True Blood series for the next few days. Overall, I still visit this restaurant often because it’s still a good eat, but I don’t see the students as often these days.

Additional Info Address: 1776 Westwood Blvd, LA, CA 90024 Area: Outskirts - West LA Reviewed Meal: Dinner Ethnicity: Lebanese Click for more info.

Review of Warszawa

I gave Warszawa Restaurant an overall score of 2.5, or 2 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 1 of 5, Once was enough. price range 2 of 5, Money's not a thang; less than $50. family friendly? 2 of 5, You're cramping my style. % menu vegan 1 of 5, Hope you like water! quality of service 4 of 5, Attentive and friendly quality of food 2 of 5, I guess grease has a flavor local mainstay? 3 of 5, Been here since I've been here Comments: I ate bread and wine. Good wine, but I have determined that I probably don't want to travel to Poland.

Additional Info Address: 1414 Lincoln Blvd, 90401 Area: Wilshire Reviewed Meal: Dinner Ethnicity: Russian/Eastern European

Review of Interim Café

I gave Interim Café an overall score of 4.5, or 5 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 3 of 5, When I'm bored with my other options. price range 4 of 5, I only have a $20. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 4 of 5, Hmm, what to have. quality of service 5 of 5, Like family. quality of food 4 of 5, Happy tongue. local mainstay? 4 of 5, Sponsors local teams. Comments: As a grad student at UCLA, I appreciated good eats at reasonable prices. I found a place in LA that was somewhat exotic and fairly cheap for the fare; News Room Café. After moving to Santa Monica, I gave their small local mini-café a try. It paled in comparison to her big sister in LA; it was dark, dirty, cramped, and the staff must have used up all their patience with the disappointed customers before me. Now fast forward to the time of Yelp. I was sifting through reviews trying to find something new, and I did. It was Interim Café, and it was getting some rave reviews. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t know about this place. But unlike the Atkins Diet, there was a perfectly logical explanation; Interim Café is the News Room’s mini-café, renamed. But wait, wait, wait… They also changed a lot of other things. Dark, dirty, and cramped is now bright, clean, and, well, cramped. …but I might call it cozy now. And this new bright and cozy interior must have helped in bringing on a bright, friendly, and happy staff. And it gets better. They know vegan, eat vegan, but I somehow forgot if they are vegan. There are plenty of vegan options on their menu including tasty smoothies, delicious soups, and good, imaginative sandwiches. I hear that they have great breakfasts too, but they open for breakfast too late for me. I’ve only been to Interim Café once now, and look forward to visiting again. This place is in the running for becoming a mainstay for me, but I have a lot more research before I draw that conclusion. It’s gonna be painstakingly hard work and will require a lot of smoothies. Luckily they have a large selection and are reasonably priced!

Additional Info Address: 530 Wilshire Blvd, 90401 Area: Wilshire Reviewed Meal: Lunch Ethnicity: American Click for more info.

Review of Fritto Misto

I gave Fritto Misto an overall score of 4.8, or 5 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 5 of 5, Norm. price range 4 of 5, I only have a $20. family friendly? 4 of 5, Wait staff entertains kids. % menu vegan 4 of 5, Hmm, what to have. quality of service 5 of 5, Like family quality of food 4 of 5, Happy toung local mainstay? 4 of 5, Sponsors local teams Comments: Fritto Misto is probably my favorite overall place in Santa Monica. If you’re the “look for crowded restaurants and you’ll find good eats” type, then this place will suck you in if you wander by because their always crowded wait list is outside like an old time theatre marquee. That’s if you wander by; this place is off the beaten path and the building is unassuming. If you do happen across this corner oasis, when you enter you will find those cooking immediately to your left and those slurping it up immediately to your right. The interior stretches across two rooms that are both homey and decorated with art, dishes, and wine crate tabletops. Upon being seated by the vegan host, they will drop bread and butter on your table. Give ‘em back the butter and ask for garlic and olive oil. My wife and I have an agreement that neither of us eat here without the other; we can’t stop because the pureed garlic’s that good. But whether or not you like garlic, the menu’s large, diverse, and most entrees can be made vegan. I order off the “build your own” page with wheatless-eggless pasta, marinara, and then mix it up on the additions. That is unless their vegan lentil soup’s on the board. Then it’s that, another basket of bread, and a usually great, inexpensive bottle of red.

Additional Info Address: 601 Colorado Ave, 90407 Area: Mid City Reviewed Meal: Dinner Ethnicity: Italian Click for more info.