Back when I first visited Cru in 2007, the vegan spot was a different restaurant. The restaurant served all raw foods with a decidely Asian bent, exquisitely presented to look as delicious as it tasted.

Since then, Cru‘s added cooked foods — and earlier this year, revamped the spot and even switched chefs, with the new Vincent Krimmel simplifying the menu and giving it a more seasonal, locavorian bent.

So after leaving Big Parade LA at noon on Sunday, I stopped by Cru to try out the new menu. The cool raw tomato soup — decorated with a savory cream sauce — was flavorful and refreshing after the long walk.

But the highlight of the meal was the raw Pizza (top photo). Each layer of this live dish had its own distinctive flavor — the fresh raw salsa pomodoro, the savory marinated shitake mushrooms, the rich vegan mascarone, and the mysteriously flavorful vegan Italian sausage, all on a delicious crisp raw crust.

Sadly, the cooked dish I tried was very disappointing. Called Body Ecology, the entree was described as an Austrian red potato salad with sauerkraut and mixed greens. Well, the mixed greens were fine, but the sauerkraut was not fermented enough — and the quinoa-with-potatoes concoction was bland and uninteresting. Perhaps cooked food really isn’t Cru’s thing.

The raw dessert was better, though not much for presentation, especially compared to the beautiful raw raspberry chocolate crepes I had back in the day. The plain, undecorated, and slightly dented, piece of raw Strawberry Cheesecake had a lot of great fruity flavor — but I found it a bit too dense. I suppose cheesecake is supposed to be dense — so those looking for a super heavy dessert may appreciate it.

To give Cru’s desserts a second chance, I picked up a slice of Cru’s Chocolate Truffle Cake from Erewhon last week — but found it even denser, to the point I can’t recommend it. Basically, the “cake” is a big hunk of solid coconut butter — that’s been made more palatable with a whole lot of cacao powder and agave nectar. Simple, clean, and pure? Yes. Decadently delicious chocolate cake? No. Since I can’t handle eating big amounts of coconut butter straight out of the jar, I’ll be steering clear of Cru’s heavy cakes.

But I loved Cru’s raw pizza, and would like to give Cru’s other raw dishes a try. I’m especially curious about the Raw Nori Hand Roll! Want to go Cru at home? Here’s the recipe for the roll, on KCET’s The Public Kitchen.

Earlier: Raw vegan restaurants in Los Angeles

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Can America’s fast food culture embrace local, organic vegan food? Yes — if it’s served up fast and tastes yummy! That’s the lesson from The Veggie Grill, a Southern Californian vegan joint that opened its seventh restaurant last week at the popular Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles.

I stopped by last week — and again this week — to see that the spot’s already popular with diners. The casual restaurant gets a lot of foot traffic from both the Farmers Market and The Grove, because both carnivores and vegans alike can find dishes to love at The Veggie Grill, which offers everything from traditional burgers to comfort food to healthy salads — all with a vegan twist.

I went for the healthy fare, opting for the All Hail Kale salad topped with blackened tempeh. The marinated kale and red cabbage salad was perfectly dressed in a zingy ginger-papaya vinaigrette — and the agave-roasted walnuts were a delicious sweet touch.

Most people, however, opt for a burger or sandwich — which make up the bulk of Veggie Grill’s menu. With faux Chickin’ from Gardein and faux cheese from Daiya, Veggie Grill makes some decadent burgers — like this VG-Cheeseburger my boyfriend ordered, El Dorado style with jalapenos and caramelized onions. I had a big gooey bite — and think it’s a pretty tasty indulgence for meat lovers (though I’m still not a fan of processed faux meats).

The Sweetheart Fries — sweet potato fries with vegan chipotle-ranch sauce — is a must-try side dish. Crispy on the outside yet moist on the inside, they’re a deliciously tastier treat — though obviously richer and higher calories — than the baked sweet potato fries at Greenleaf. The produce at The Veggie Grill is either organic or local (the manager says they’ll often opt local, if the option’s available, over organic, because the company prioritizes reducing food miles), and all the food’s free of high fructose corn syrup and trans fats.

For dessert, the carrot cake’s your best option. The vegan icing doesn’t quite capture the cream cheesiness of traditional carrot cake, but the cake’s been revamped since I last tried it for a moister, denser taste I’ve come to really like. The cookie’s decent — a generously large vegan treat made mostly with organic ingredients. Chocolate pudding’s also available, but is the weakest link, IMHO.

The best part about Veggie Grill — aside from letting lactose-intolerant people like me eat stress-free — is that it makes local, organic, and healthy meat-free eating easy and quick for Angelenos on the go who might otherwise be hitting up McDonald’s and Jack in the Box. Order at the counter and pick between a table inside — where you can take in the reconstituted bamboo flooring and eco-friendly Kirei counters — or out on the sunny outdoor patio. Either way, your food will be delivered to your table in 10 minutes or less.

The Veggie Grill. 110 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. 323.993.3997. Other locations in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Orange County.

Earlier: The Veggie Grill: Tasty vegan dining, now in West Hollywood

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When asked to recommend a good salad spot, I always mention Greenleaf Chopshop in Beverly Hills — where you can get healthy salads made with local, organic greens for just $10. Then just a few weeks ago, I discovered that Greenleaf actually also has a spot in Century City that opened up last year!

This sunny quick lunch restaurant’s a lot like the Beverly Hills counterpart — except it’s open for breakfast and lunch, while Beverly Hills offers lunch and dinner. I stopped by last week and got to try some of Greenleaf Chopshop’s new healthy sides along with its classic big salads — and have a new lunch favorite: The Lemongrass Chicken.

Here’s a salad that brings cool tropical twist to the chicken salad. I loved the mix of mango, grilled pineapple, jicama, and agave nectar-sweetened roasted cashews — tossed with a lemongrass lychee vinaigrette and topped with a generous sprinkling of toasted coconut flakes. As with all of Greenleaf’s salads, the greens come from Scarsborough Farms in Oxnard — while the local chicken’s free-range and free of antibiotics.

For a little more sweet, opt for The Antioxidant Orchard — a tart, fruity blend of dried cranberries, strawberries grapes, apples, and walnuts on a mixed green salad with a pomegranate mustard vinaigrette. (more…)

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L.A.’s locavores are lining up in front of Santa Monica Place today. Why? At 10 am, the doors open to The Market at Santa Monica Place, where local, sustainable, and artisanal delectables await you.

The Market’s like a cross between the prepped-food section of your local farmers market and a posh mall food court. Walk in, and you’ll be greeted with a curated collection of small, indie shops offering everything from organic ice cream cookies to biodynamic hand lotion. Here are ten of my favorite treats to try:

1. Beachy Cream. You’ll be hard-pressed to miss this booth. Not only is it right at the very front of the market, but it’s also run by retro swimsuit-clad girls. Stop by to pick up an organic ice cream sandwich.

2. Groundwork Coffee. You’ve probably already tried the organic coffee from this local roaster, but this new small cafe has a new treat: Organic, fair trade, and gluten-free cookies from Gluten Free Goddess Bakery. Some of these square cookie slabs were a bit too dry, but I liked the moister texture of the chocolate chip flavor.

3. Magical Blooms. This flower shop’s the best place to pick up an eco-friendly letterpress card — made by Elum from eco-friendly cotton rag paper using soy-based inks.

4. The Curious Palate. Get farm-to-table meals at this cafe, which embraces carnivores and vegans alike with its eclectic menu.

5. The Cookie Guru. Love organic, fair trade TCHO chocolates? Get them embedded in an all-organic chocolate chip cookie. This is one eco-luxe, moist cookie, made by a local baker using local eggs.

6. Artisanal LA. Once an occasional seasonal event, Artisanal LA has now become a permanent fixture — at least for a month. Stop by the pop-up booth between now and June 12 to discover new local, sustainable, and handmade products — featuring companies like Raw Bites and Bare Skin Organics.

7. N’ice Cream. Can’t do Beachy Cream because you’re lactose-intolerant like me? N’ice Cream offers both organic ice cream and sorbet cones and cups — I recommend the sweet-and-tart raspberry sorbet flavor (below), which you can get a scoop of free if you stop by between 11 am and 3 pm today!

8. The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories. At the preview party last night, LA Weekly’s Pulitzer prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold and Evan Kleiman of KCRW’s Good Food did a cooking demo for a hungry crowd. Such yummy events will happen all the time at this small school, where you can drop by to take a sustainable cooking class. In fact, free demos are planned all this weekend — like a chef demo with Alex Weiser of Weiser Family Farms and Chef Walter el Nagar of Lagunda del Lago and a sustainable chocolate making demo with Patricia Tsai of ChocoVivo.

9. Benedetta. After a day at the beach, pamper your sand-and-sun roughened skin by stopping by this booth, which offers handcrafted organic and biodynamic skin care. The Neroli Body Lotion is an especially moisturizing skin treat — and the store’s offering free hancials all weekend.

10. Movies on The Deck. Enjoy the outdoors while taking in a couple free screenings of food films this weekend. “Ratatouille screens at 8 pm on Friday, “Julie & Julia” at 8 pm on Sunday.

The Market at Santa Monica Place also boasts local and sustainable treats like beer and wine, charcuterie, and cheeses — none of which I tried, but you may be curious about. Enjoy the artisanal delights all opening weekend — and beyond.

The Market at Santa Monica Place. 395 Santa Monica Pl., Santa Monica. 310.260.8300.

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When I first heard the Bay Area’s famed raw-friendly restaurant, Cafe Gratitude, planned to open up a spot in L.A., I vowed to be first in line to dine at the place and enthusiastically interviewed the founders, Matthew and Terces Engelhart. Well, I was one of the first to dine at L.A.’s Cafe Gratitude when it opened in March — and have stopped by a half dozen times since — but am finally getting around to blogging about the delicious fresh eats!

Though known as a raw restaurant, Cafe Gratitude does also offer dishes with cooked brown rice and quinoa — making the casual spot a good choice whether you crave an all-raw meal or desire a warm rice bowl. For a refreshing but rich starter, try the creamy Thai Coconut Soup — often available as the live soup of the day. KCET’s The Public Kitchen has the recipe, if you’d like to try blending it yourself at home.

My favorite meal so far? The “I am fulfilled” salad, a big garden salad with greens, tomatoes, shaved carrots and beets, and tomatoes — topped with fresh sprouts, creamy avocado and deliciously savory teriyaki almonds. The salad’s listed under the starter section, but the filling dish can make for a light lunch!

I also love the “I am Whole” bowl — which I describe as Californian bibimbap. Get your sea veggies, kim chee, leafy greens, and sprouts all in one bowl — warmed by your choice of quinoa or local brown rice and flavored with with tahini-garlic sauce and teriyaki almonds.

Mediterranean food lovers can go for the “I am Complete” raw mediterranean plate (top photo), which comes with a delicious almond hummus, tangy olive tapenade, and cool mint tzaziki sauce — all fresh and tasty live versions of the traditional bites. I did find the live falafels a bit too dry and nutty for my liking, but enjoyed the rest of the dish.

Prefer to drink your veggies? Cafe Gratitude offers not just one, but two green juices — the all-veggie “I am Healthy” (below) for the sugar-avoidant and the beet-and-apple sweetened “I am Worthy.” Plus, you can get liquid elixirs ranging from wheatgrass shots to rich cacao-hazelnut. Sip them at the bar for a quick pick me up — or get the drinks to go.

Cafe Gratitude is one restaurant where organic is de rigeur. In contast to the ever-growing number of restaurants that hedge by saying they buy organic “whenever possible,” Cafe Gratitude’s bold green menu announces that its ingredients are organic, period — conventional produce simply won’t be served at this casual eatery. The restaurant also sources its food as locally as possible and avoids plastic packaging both at the front and back of the restaurant, making the spot a hot spot for eco-foodies.

Next time I stop by, I’ll finally try dessert!

Cafe Gratitude. 639 Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles. 323.580.6383.

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