RFD (Real Food Daily)... a PSA for our beloved LA Vegans

414 N. La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 289-9910
Sun-Thurs 11:30AM-10PM
Fri-Sat 11:30AM-11PM
SUNDAY BRUNCH 10AM-3PM

Second location at
514 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-7544
Open seven days a week: 11:30AM-10PM

Alrighty, a first for this site...a Vegan restaurant! This is Celeste, the often mentioned wife of Aubrey, and I'm reporting in since I enjoy...let just say...meatless cuisine far more than he does.

As a disclaimer...our trip to this particular place was instigated by the many glowing reviews of it, even people who said they were staunch carnivores said that they loved it and couldn't tell the difference between the meat alternatives. While I believe they really felt that way, it's really just not the same. For the same reason that organic corn fed pork or grass fed beef taste different and better than the grocery store butchers' selections, fake meat would never make me think I'm eating real meat; what goes into each one is entirely different. TOFUrkey will never taste like turkey no matter how optimistic you try to be about it. THAT SAID, this is what I have to say about going to vegan or vegetarian focused restaurants:

These restaurants do vegetables, and they do them good...so eat the vegetables, the tofu, and the tempeh that don't reference being an alternate version of meat, and you'll LOVE it. Go for the flavors you love and mix them up with a specialty item...like Corn Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms...SEE...doesn't that sound tastey? Well it does to me!

I started out with their Nori Maki, a very nice sweet brown rice sushi roll with shiso, tempeh, avocado, carrot, collard greens, umeboshi, tamari, wasabi with pickled ginger and cucumber salad on the side. It's got both chewy and crunchy textures to it. And, be sure to eat with the pickled ginger on the side and dip it in the sauce, cause both add a lot to the dish.

Next was my Ceasar Wrap, and if you look really closely, you can tell that that's it taking up the right side of the plate. Their thin but chewy spinach tortilla is what makes it blend in with the spring greens salad, but that's ok cause it was also filled with ceasar salad, and also had just the right amount of Blackened Tempeh, which was very good and not at all dry.

We know this place is definitely well known among many, but wanted to feature it especially cause several of our friends with dietary limitations have deemed it their favorite restaurant. Even from my own experience of just wanting a salad, then getting some place where their vegetables aren't even worth trying, and from that I can only imagine the frustration of looking at a menu and finding it so limiting for what you're wanting or able to eat. So I hope you can all come here and enjoy!

Free Drink Refills: No
Entree Price Range: $4 to $15