LOS ANGELES, CA
Are you ready to feed to your heart’s delight? Indulge in wild artistic expression? And enjoy a cocktail or two in one of the many posh recesses of the city? If yes, let’s get this party started!
Day one shall be kicked off in the early evening, with dinner followed by a nightcap…
6:00 pm. Arrive at Au Lac Restaurant for plant-based cuisine with Vietnamese roots.
Au Lac has been going strong since 1997. Let that quarter century of history speak for the quality and flavors of the food.
To start, try the Salt and Peppered Shrimp: lightly battered vegan shrimp sautéed with red cabbage, jalapeño, and cilantro. Fuel up on fiber with the Norrito Living Salad: cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, jicama, nori, bell pepper, avocado, cilantro, and lime leaf sauce. Next, get your chopsticks ready for the Big Thunnini Roll: maki roll with fresh “no-kill” tuna, avocado, pepino, ginger, wasabi, scallions, chives, and spicy mayo gomasio. And for dessert, go with the chef’s pick or choose from Sticky Rice and Durian, Baklava (!), Choconut X-tasy, or Rainbow Flan.
8:30 pm. Now that you’re happy and fed, hop in an Uber to Death & Co on E 3rd Street.
Here, you can drink in dimly lit elegance for one round, two, or—what the heck—just close the place down. Death & Co is ready to serve you every night of the week until at least 1 am.
To those who shun the night, we tip our hat. To those who shine after dusk, we offer a warm embrace.
Play it safe with a beer or glass of wine, or be brave and trust your evening to Death & Co’s spirit maestros. Here’s a sampling of the cocktail list:
🥃 Road Trip to Venus: RinQuinQuin à la Pêche, Argonaut “Speculator” Brandy, Curry Leaf Soda
🥃 Clandestino: Cimarron Reposado Tequila, St. George Basil Eau de Vie, Kalani Coconut, Green Chartreuse, Orange Bitters
🥃 Cloak & Dagger: Death & Co x Stellum “Dark Matter” Bourbon, Empirical Habanero Spirit, Mal Bien Mezcal, Pêche, Angostura
🥃 Truthsayer: Rivers Royale Grenadian Rum, Red Breast 12yr Irish Whiskey, Maraschino, Passionfruit, ‘Elemekule Tiki Bitters
10:00 am. Ok, you’ve slept the night off. Now it’s time for a pick-me-up courtesy of Blue Bottle Coffee.
Blue Bottle is the shop that first turned me on to oat lattes. To this day, they might still hold the trophy for the creamiest, tastiest milky espresso. Major bonus: Oat milk is now the default in their US cafes.
In downtown, Blue Bottle has a location catty-corner to Grand Central Market—the next stop on our two-day tour—at 300 S Broadway.
🌎-Friendly Tip from Blue Bottle:
At any given US Blue Bottle cafe, we fly through an average 13,000 disposable cups a month. If we’re going to cut back, we’re going to need your help. You’ll enjoy 25¢ off any drink when you bring your own clean, reusable cup. Join us in our commitment to waste less and reuse more.
Lunch at Ramen Hood, Grand Central Market’s Star Attraction
Grand Central Market at lunchtime hums with a special kind of energy. It’s high. It’s fun. And it’s grown, with professionals from at least a hundred different fields melding together in their shared quest for a delicious meal.
12:00 pm. Grab a seat at Ramen Hood for some hot and savory noods.
This all-vegan ramen bar throws. it. down. True rockstars of the global foodie community, Ilan Hall and Rahul Khopkar, reside here. Don’t miss your chance to taste what they’ve got cookin’.
Explore The Broad, Architectural Marvel Housing a Mind-Bending Collection of Modern Art
Time to put some steps in. Head uphill to the giant cheese-grater-looking building on the corner of 2nd and Grand. That’s The Broad, contemporary art museum extraordinaire. Enter and prepare to be blown away, by the space and everything in it.
2:00 pm. Art appreciation hour begins now.
Wander. Observe. Examine. Receive. Reflect. Take your time.
To see the current special exhibition and Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, I recommend making a reservation in advance. Second tip: Save your souvenir money for the museum shop—it’s filled with lustworthy goods. Check out the The Broad’s online store for a peek.
Taste Shojin’s Sublime Sushi Creations Made from Nothin’ but Plants
The next stop is discretely located on the upper floor of the Little Tokyo Shopping Center. You might wonder what you’re in for as you ascend the escalator to the third level of a mostly empty mall. In a way, I think it does much to build the anticipation, like reaching a secret speakeasy behind a freezer door or through a faux facade of a laundromat.
7:00 pm. Shojin invites you for a romantic and curated dining experience.
Come hungry. The best option on the all-vegan menu is the Chef’s Special Tasting, which includes smaller portions of 10 of their greatest signature items, plates, and appetizers.
Drop by DTLA’s vegan donuttery for coffee and rings of sweet, sweet pleasure
Rise and shine! Today is a new day, and this one calls for some Willy Wonka-style fun.
10:00 am. Kickstart the day with a sugar rush by Donut Friend.
Fridays and Saturdays the shop opens at 10, but every other day of the week you can get your fix as early as 7 am. Beware: Donut Friend has much more in-store than just donuts… Housemade ice cream in flavors like Banana Kill, Mint Town, Butter Pecan 08, and Paramoreo. Oat milk shakes. Donut and ice cream sandwiches. And sprinkled sundaes with a side of donut.
11:00 am. Feed your mind with a trip to The Last Bookstore.
For bibiliophiles, The Last Bookstore is a must-see, for its expansiveness, affordable finds, and artistic flair. And in their words:
We’re not really the last bookstore—thank goodness—but we are the largest new and used bookstore in California. Plus, we’re the only one that’s 22,000 sq. feet with a record store, comic book store, 5 art studios, an epic yarn shop, a famous book tunnel,
a mammoth head, and unexpected nooks of funkiness. Also we are in a hundred-year-old bank building, so we have vaults and ghosts.Oh, and we also have tons of books.
1:00 pm. We’re on vacation! Time for a guilt-free dive into sinfully delicious vegan fare by the Vegan Hooligans!
Their creations are truly wild, like the Wak’N’Bacon 2.0: Beyond patty, cheese, bacon, JUSTEgg (optional), and hashbrown sandwiched between two blueberry pancakes.
Come stoned? I think that’d be best. 😉
3:00 pm. Walk off the itis with a stroll down Olvera Street.
Olvera Street has been a favorite destination of mine and my family’s for as long as I can remember. The historic Mexican marketplace features street vendors, cafes, and gift shops. If you’re lucky, you might catch a mariachi band serenading the visitors. Or make your own luck with a midday margarita from El Paseo Inn.
7:00 pm. Step into Beelman’s for the last supper.
It’s been real, serving as your tour guide these past two days, but all good things must come to an end. Our journey through the heart of Los Angeles culminates with dinner and drinks at Beelman’s on Spring Street.
Note: Once upon a time, Beelman’s was all vegan. But on this last visit, I noticed they added a few options for people who just can’t live without meat. At least their choices take up the smallest piece of menu real estate, at the very bottom of the page.
The bar has a rock-and-roll vibe, with framed photos of artists and concert posters covering every inch of wall space. It’s a pretty sweet little spot, offering craft brews, cocktails, and some great beer munchies. Think soft pretzels, tachos (tater tot nachos), chao cheese sticks, and buffalo cauliflower. Main events include salads, bowls, burgers, and dogs. Get some!
THE END.
