What did I do in LA? Eat tasty food, worked out, watched 2 full seasons of Rupaul’s Drag Race with my best friend, and that’s about it. No complaints 😂
Of course, there’s great food in New York, but WOW do I love the food in LA. There’s no shortage of delicious sushi and vegan restaurants. What more could I ask for in life?
I wanted to note that LA does currently allow indoor dining. My best friend David and I both don’t feel comfortable indoor dining at this time, so we stuck to outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery.
Here are some of my favorite eats from the trip:
LA Food Favorites:
Pura Vita – Vegan Italian Food- West Hollywood
I will forever be dreaming about all the tasty vegan things at Pura Vita. We ended up getting Pura Vita twice while I was there, first delivery and then dining outside.
Everything was great but I especially loved the baked “ricotta” with ciabatta. It is heavenly. Also excellent: the caesar salad, margarita pizza, and zeppoles for dessert. I can’t wait to go back the next time I’m in LA!
Simple Things – Sandwiches + Salads – West Hollywood + Studio City
This cute sandwich and pie shop will always be a favorite. I actually ordered it for delivery as my first meal in LA right when I got off the plane!
My go-to is the shredded chicken bbq sandwich which comes on a pretzel bun, and then a side of tater tots (get it without parmesan to make it dairy-free).
Fresh – Vegan – West Hollywood
Fresh has one of my favorite vegan veggie burgers. Whatever special sauce they put on it, it’s perfect. My friend and I also loved the margarita pizza.
I don’t think they’re open for outdoor dining, but they are currently offering indoor and takeout.
Go Get ‘Em Tiger – Coffee + Breakfast – Various Locations
My friend David got me absolutely HOOKED on the (vegan!) overnight oats from GGET. I lost count of how many times we went to GGET while I was there. We went A LOT.
Order the overnight oats with blueberries — trust me 🙂 I didn’t get a chance to try it, but David also raved about their chai latte.
Salt and Straw – Ice Cream – Various Locations
The best for ice cream! They have rotating flavors every month — and always have a few vegan options.
Sugarfish – Sushi – Various Locations
Sugarfish is now in New York, but it’s still one of my LA favorites. I went to the Santa Monica location and had my sushi by the ocean. It was perfection. And I swear even tastier than when I get it in New York. I usually get the light version of their “Trust Me” box.
Kazunori – Sushi – Various Locations
Another sushi favorite that I order in New York a lot, too. I always get the 16-piece with sashimi.
True Food Kitchen – Healthy + Seasonal Food – Various Locations
I hadn’t been to True Foods Kitchen in a few years. My friend and I had some time to kill in Pasadena while we were there for a drive-in drag show and I was excited to find out there was a TFK there that had tons of outdoor seating. The menu is constantly changing based on seasonal ingredients. We both especially loved the (vegan) butternut squash pizza and vegan cookies + ice cream for dessert.
Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya – Sushi – West Hollywood
Yes, I ate a lot of sushi while I was in LA. Izaka-ya will forever be one of my favorite sushi spots in LA. We ended up doing takeout from them as the restaurant usually has a long wait. David and I ordered a million dishes to share. My favorites were definitely the crispy rice with spicy tuna, creamy popcorn shrimp tempura, and the baked crab roll.
Swingers – Vegan-friendly Diner food – West Hollywood
I was devastated to hear Swingers had closed… but fear not! It’s back and better than ever. This vegan-friendly diner is the best for comfort food and late night eats.
I always get the vegan nachos. I also got a breakfast sandwich with sauteed tofu, vegan cheese, a fried egg, and avocado.