What are you Grateful For?

Right Downtown
on Main Street!

Hadley Evarts, my best friend from high school, was visiting me in LA for Spring Break.  I took her to all my favorite Los Angeles spots.  Shopping at the Promenade, hiking to the Hollywood sign, watching the skateboarders at the Venice Boardwalk.  We had a week full of activities.

My Hearty Romain Spicy Salad

 Seasoned vegan meats wok, white onions, 
green onions and chili flakes,
romaine lettuce, garbanzo beans, 
red bell peppers, and persian cucumbers, 
and chimichurri dressing. 

(with Hadley's hand sneaking in)

Along with the busy site seeing, I gave her taste buds a tour of the city.  Hadley loves to fuel her body with healthy and hearty food.  Throughout high school she was vegan, and at one point, even raw.  I took her trip as an opportunity to try Dr. J's Vibrant Cafe, an organic and locally sourced cafe in the heart of Downtown.   I have driven past it several times, and wanted to try the macrobiotic dishes with an Asian twist.  

I tried the Hearty Romaine Spicy Salad.  I haven't seen many "spicy" salads, in my life, so I thought I would give it a try.  The romaine lettuce was crisp and the garbanzo beans made it pretty hearty.  The seasoned tofu wok was really the highlight of the salad.  It was salty and savory, and quite filling.  I love chimichurri sauce, and it made a great salad dressing. The salad already had a oil base on it, so when I started getting to the bottom of the bowl, the lettuce was pretty saturated.  But I would definitely order it again if I was craving salad and spice.

After showing Hadley some of the classic USC spots (Bacaro and La Barca), I wanted to treat her to another renowned LA vegan restaurant. After picking up our other high school friend, Meggie, I took us to one of my favorite under-the-radar streets in LA.  Larchmont Blvd in Central LA is a trendy village with lots of shops, restaurants, and cafes.

At the north end of the street is Cafe Gratitude.  Cafe Gratitude is collection of vegan, heath and sustainable conscious restaurants with great atmospheres.  With the other location on Rose in Venice, they truly identify with the culture of the neighborhoods around them.

We sat out on the heated patio decorated with string lights.  This is the perfect atmosphere for a first date.  The servers are all friendly and very personable.  Ready to give the spiel about the restaurants' mission and provide lots of recommendations of their favorite dishes.

The names of the menu items are all adjectives (I'm guessing on how you will feel after consuming them?)  Last time I visited the restaurant, I ordered the "Humble".

Fortified

It was a great take on an Indian dish, I just wish there were more lentils, and less sweet potato.  The lentils really made it more hearty, while the potato was a little too mushy.

This time I decided to try to getting "Fortified".  The basic dish was quite simple, as I ordered it with the red pepper harissa sauce.  The sauce definitely spiced it up a little, as the zucchini, squash, and broccoli was a little plain.  It was still very healthy and hearty tasting, and I would recommend it to a hesitant vegan eater.

Hadley and Meggie decided to share the "Terrific" and the "Transformed".  The Mexican and Asian mix sounded a little interesting to me, but they loved both dishes!  The almond sauce on the light kelp noodles tasted like a fresh pesto.  And the tacos looked rich and authentic.

Hadley about to feel Terrific

Although we looked over the dessert menu, Hadley had mentioned that she really wanted to try Babycakes sometime during her trip.  She follows the Vegan, Sugar-Free, and Gluten-Free bakery on Instagram, and has be dying to give it a try.  She hasn't had dessert and months (due to her sugar-free diet), and had a craving for some cupcakes.

Meggie with the Transformed

I choose the Larchmont Cafe Gratitude location because it was right up the street from Babycakes.  We headed down there immediately after paying our check.
Hadley tried the special Pumpkin Cupcake.  I didn't get to take a picture because she was so anxious to eat it!  I ordered the brownie with espresso frosting.  It was also very hearty (for containing no eggs, dairy, or wheat flour).  A little dry, but still great for a gluten-free dessert!  Meggie tried the banana bread and gobbled it up.

The three of us had such a great time reminiscing on high school memories, and catching up on the latest news in our lives.  I was truly grateful we were finally able to be back together! What were you grateful for this week?

My Gluten-Free  Brownie with
Dairy and Sugar-Free Espresso Frosting

A Hidden Gem In Kirkland

Over the summer my friend Corinne told me about a new cafe in Kirkland I had to check out.  Located in Downtown Kirkland is the new Deru Market.  The kitchen was originally devoted to catering and take out.  Now, with their recently expanded space, they provide indoor seating.

The espresso bar.

After an intense workout at David Barton Gym in Bellevue, Corinne and I decided to stop by for lunch.  She couldn't stop raving about the turkey sandwich and my mouth started watering, so it was definitely necessary.

The simple, yet versatile
menu.

Deru is located off the main strip of Downtown Kirkland, and in more of the residential area.  It is sandwiched between two industrial workshops, and could be easily mistaken for the back of a factory.  Corinne was pleasantly surprised when she saw that the cafe now has indoor seating and calls itself a market and "eatery".  She thought we were going to have to eat our sandwiches   standing out in the rain.

The inside of the market place is very simple.  White walls with high ceilings and cement floors.  The low hanging light bulbs give it a modern feel, and the shiny espresso machine is eye catching.  Next to the register is a large display case with the freshly made deli salads and baked goods.  All of the salads looked delicious, and the maple glazed oatmeal cookie was tempting.

Freshly baked cookies!

After looking over the menu composed of pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and soup, I decided to get a
combo.  I ordered the half brisket sandwich with a market salad.  The sandwich was delectable.  The brisket was thinly sliced, and slightly smoked.  Although it only had a small amount of meat on it, it was the perfect size for a nice juicy deli sandwich.  The garlicy aioli was spread on the house made focaccia, which was actually my favorite part of the sandwich.  You could taste the olive oil, herbs, and salt freshly added to the bread.

Smoked Brisket Sandwich
(w/o) Beechers cheddar,
arugula, aioli
Market salad

The salad was also tasty.  I like how they used crunchy butter lettuce.  The cranberries and maple dijon dressing were sweet, while the chickpeas added some heartiness.  Corinne stuck with her favorite turkey sandwich.  She really likes the combo of the green apple and famous beechers cheddar.  She tried the butternut squash soup, which she said was very sweet and delicious.

Smoked Turkey Sandwich
Beecher's cheddar, apple, arugula, aioli
Butternut Squash Soup

While we sat and ate our lunch, we watched the ladies next to us as they were delivered a massive piece of the peanut butter chocolate cake.  I could not believe the size of the slice!  It would take at least 3 people to finish.  Not what you would expect from the rationally sized portions of the lunch.  I left the cafe tempted to purchase one of the cookies, but I resisted.  Will definitely be coming back to try the cake.  

Deru market is a great addition to the Downtown Kirkland lunch options.  Eating in the cafe around noon, we watched about 5-6 pairs of women come in for lunch dates.  Definitely a nice new spot for those "ladies who lunch".  The location is a little hidden, but this gem is worth trying.  We just need to get the spread the word!

Corinne enjoying her tasty turkey sandwich.