i have written about eat and two veg before, when i posted on their vegan english breakfast. it’s still the best vegan english breakfast i’ve ever eaten, and it will be sorely missed. this all vegetarian restaurant had tons of vegan options, and it is the only eatery i made it a point to visit on every single trip to london. here is the last meal i ever ate there. oh so sad:

crispy aromatic luck: crispy vegetable protein served with pancakes, hoi sin & plum sauce, spring onion, cucumber & coriander. ₤6.50

we started out with an appetizer and a bottle of red organic wine to share. eat and two veg was a kind of swanky joint with a relaxing vibe and good drinks. i think the last time we were there, we stretched out and settled in for upwards of two hours. our starter was a vegan version of crispy duck, complete with hoi sin plum sauce and thin tortillas to wrap it in. simply delicious.

eatv burger: blend of vegetable protein, herbs and spices on a sesame bun with lettuce, caramelised onions, tomatoes & mayo. served with a mixed leaf salad, coleslaw & fries. ₤9.75

as a main course, we had a couple of eatv burgers and fries. these vegan burgers were thick and hearty, packed with flavor and nicely seasoned. the fries were thin and crispy, american-style, which is super hard to find in london. oh man, this food was so lovely and the wine was so good. i am getting sad just typing this.

anyways, despite a fully functioning website, eat and two veg is now closed. a commenter left the bad news on my old blog post, and sure enough it’s true. according to propertyweek.com, “The two floor unit totaling 3,800 sq ft will be refurbished to re-open as a modern European brasserie in May 2010.” what a fucking shame.

go out and support your local vegetarian/vegan restaurant. they may not be around someday. let’s hope eat and two veg, and doomies, and the vegan spot, and a taste of life all re-open soon….and for now i hope they are at least all playing together up in restaurant heaven.

the decimation of los angeles (okay, well orange county) vegan dining options continues with this week’s closure of that’s amore in cerritos. that’s right, our favorite vegetarian italian eatery has been hit hard by the recession and is being forced to close its doors on wednesday night. come thursday, one of the pioneering restaurants of vegan pizza in southern california, and the only place i know where you can get a vegan cannoli, will be closed for good. no more that’s amore.

decadent vegan cannoli at that's amore

that’s amore came to us at a time when there was practically NO OTHER vegan pizza option in LA/OC, and it is so sad to see them go out like this…especially since they are a vegetarian business. if you don’t have plans over the next few days (or even if you do, you should break them!), head over to that’s amore and get one last slice of amazing vegan pizza plus some authentic italian vegan dessert.

special thanks to the email tipster who sent me this info (which, sadly was confirmed by that’s amore).

that’s amore
13349 Artesia Blvd. Cerritos CA. 90703
Monday thru Saturday 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
(562) 926-2112

it with much regret that i bring you the bad news that one of our favorite restaurants in los angeles , a taste of life, has closed down its storefront. the entirely vegan soul food restaurant has been a staple of LA meatless cuisine, serving up the best milk-free mac and cheese in town, southern black eyed peas, sweet bbq tofu, and amazingly flavorful greens. plus loads of other items such as burgers, sandwiches, lasagna and “secret” off-the-menu delights like fried pot roast and gyro meat. the portions were huge, the prices were decent, and the food was amazing. i know that hundreds of vegans agree with me when i say a taste of life will be sorely missed.

the good news is…you can still get a taste of life’s amazing food in the pre-packaged section at several stores around town, and many of their hot menu items (see the combo pictured above) are available every sunday from their booth at the hollywood farmers market.

before officially announcing all this on the blog, i did get a few emails, comments, and friends telling me that a taste of life had closed down its storefront. hoping it wasn’t true, i contacted a taste of life, and received this statement from the restaurant:

Quarrygirl, what’s up? Long time. Well, I got bad news and good news…Bad news first–sadly the rumor is true. We have closed the restaurant. It just got really slow and of course the area it was in didn’t help. Good news–we are still providing our foods in several ways: Retail, catering, meal plans (coming in November), holiday catering (for the holiday season), personal chef services. Vegetarian/ Vegan consumer trends suggest that people are leaning more towards chilled and frozen prepared foods so we decided to move towards the trend. The economy is tricky. So yes, you can still have your beloved mac and cheese…We still cook out of the kitchen. Thanks for reaching out! Oh, we’re doing cooking classes too starting in November. I’m sure you’ll spread the word. Thanks dear!

they also sent me this handy flyer, with a list of where you can still find a taste of life’s delicious food.

so there you have it. it’s a sad day in the los angeles vegan world, and we are hoping a taste of life finds a way to re-open. until then, don’t miss your chance to get their soul food combo at the hollywood farmers market, and buy their prepared foods (mac and cheese!!!) at your local store. also, if any of you crazy kids plan on getting married, i hear they are great at catering weddings!

a taste of life vegan soul food combo. with some of the best mac and cheese i've EVER tasted.