vegansaurus!

First anniversary party at Source this weekend! Mention this post for a 10 percent discount on Friday!  »

Source restaurant in San Francisco (you know the one) is celebrating its first anniversary tomorrow, Friday, March 9, and of course we’re are having a special party platter!

You don’t want to miss this brisket, it is the BEST. Did you have Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s with us? (Here’s a little reminder for you.) Now here’s another special chance to boogie down with a delicious ENTIRELY vegan meal!

Wow, can you believe it’s been a year? I sure can’t! Actually, I’ve only been there about nine months, but I’m still helping to celebrate; by making the strawberry truffles for dessert!* 

Here’s the deal, Vegansaurus readers: Not only is this platter discounted as a thank-you to customers, if you mention this very post, you get another 10 percent off! Though the special is happening all weekend, you only get your reader’s discount on Friday. Clear your calendar! And if you come in before 5 p.m., you’ll probably see me, finishing up the pastries and chowing down on some brisket! You know, just doing me.

In case you needed some more incentive to stop by, here’s a small sample of my work: the living strawberry cheesecake and strawberry snowball! All of our desserts will also be available, as well as the full menu. See you this weekend!

*Yours truly, the pastry chef of Source, is making strawberry TRUFFLES for dessert! You don’t want to miss it. I don’t want you to miss it!

Review: Pressed Juicery in Los Angeles  »

Do you know when the best time to travel is? The dead of winter! Seriously, plane tickets are so cheap. I’ve taken it upon my myself to whisk myself away on weekends (like any self respecting socialite) to eat visit friends near and far. Now, I’m back to report on all my meals from Chicago, to LA, to Reno! But first I gotta get some sleep — I’m not a machine. Jeez! In the meantime (while I’m catching up on SF life), here’s a roadtrip preview!

One of my favorite places I hit up in the last three weeks was Pressed Juicery in L.A. It was the spot I was most excited about checking out; I love vegetable juice, especially when it’s raw, cold-pressed, and unpasteurized. And celebrities go there! I learned of Pressed Juicery from following Hello Giggles, as the editors of that blog are always praising it. [Ed.: Jenny LOVES Hello Giggles!]

I went to the West Hollywood location, which was a long bus ride from Echo Park, but so worth it. Normally I can be kind of shy and nervous, but not when I got to the counter of this Pressed Juicery. I talked the counter guy’s ear off: I told him where I lived and worked, and how I heard about the place; he told me a story about Erin McKenna of Babycakes—all kinds of good stuff. As I felt indecisive about which juices to try, I inquired as to what his fave was, which, as seen below, is Roots 3. I asked for one with beets and he recommended the Roots 3, then told me it happens to be Sophia Rossi’s fave. SOLD!

I’m trying to detox from Reno and am pining for another one of these juices!

Where can I get raw vegetable juice in San Francisco? I always drink the Super 8 at Source and used to down gallons of the Healthy at Café Gratitude. Lately I’ve been hitting up Jamba Juice for wheatgrass shots, but where else can I go? I need reader recommendations, please!

“Blink and you’ll miss it” storefront in West Hollywood.

Pressed Juicery has three locations in Southern California: In West Hollywood at 8714 Santa Monica Blvd.; in Malibu (out of a truck!) at 3939 Cross Creek Rd.; and in Brentwood at 13050 San Vicente Blvd. #120.

How-to, yo: Blanch broccoli!  »

Is it crazy that I just learned how to blanch my vegetables? Yes, yes it is. But I figure, if I didn’t know, and I cook all the time, other people have got to be stumped by this too.

Whenever I cook my veggies, they end up a mushy mess. Don’t get me wrong, I kind of like it that way. However, I believed it was time to learn the more professional method of blanching my vegetables, specifically my broccoli. After perusing a website for help, I decided to ask my boss (Mitchell Fox, chef and co-owner of Source, no big deal) how to blanch my broccoli.

Here’s the lowdown:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add lemon juice and salt to said water (before boiling it.) Lemon juice will help keep your broccoli a beautiful green color.
2. Immerse broccoli in boiling water for 30 seconds. NO MORE THAN 45 seconds!
3. Immediately dunk broccoli in a bowl of ICE cold water to stop the cooking process.
4. Use broccoli in a delicious vegan dish! It’s so green and crisp! Great job!

Broccoli in ice water. Isn’t Instagram the best?!

I used my broccoli to make a healthy mac’n’cheese bake! I took my nacho cheese, added nooch, subtracted chili powder, added soy noodles and blanched broccoli, then baked it off! So tasty! (With a side of sauteed beets and the leafy greens they come with!)

Hostess files for bankruptcy!  »

The Wall Street Journal reports today that Hostess is filing for Chapter 22, which means “restructuring” and also “we’re totally gonna fuck the unions and everyone in our pension plan on this one, investors! Promise!”

As vegans, we’re primarily concerned with our source of inspiration for classic vegan junk food. Thank goodness for Source and our supremely talented Jenny Bradley! For those of you without Source (or Jenny!): What Hostess products are you gonna veganize in 2012?

You can still get Source’s Thanksgiving dinner today. LOOK AT IT! Plus, mention Vegansaurus and get a FREE DESSERT.  »

The delightful quarrygirl sent us photos of her Thanksgiving feast at Source and two things: 1) she said it was AMAZING (yes!) and 2) that’s enough to get us over the bridge and into its delicious arms today. Yes, they are also offering this insane Thanksgiving feast all day today! Ow! And if you mention Vegansaurus, you get a FREE DESSERT! Don’t say we never did anything for you!

Here’s what she ate:

side salad
cup of squash soup
gobble with gravy
savory mushroom stuffing
fresh cranberry sauce
baked yams with marshmallow (dandies!) topping
creamed spinach
pumpkin cheesecake

Here are her extremely motivating photos:

and (bonus!), the most outrageous collection of hot sauces she’s ever seen!

Get over there! And don’t forget to mention us so you can get your free pumpkin spice snowball or live pumpkin cheesecake ON. I’m sorry I keep saying “get your BLANK on!” I think I ate so much yesterday that I lost brain cells, only explanation. I can’t stop! God bless the holidays! Especially when you get to choose exactly what you want to eat!

Thanksgiving Dinner at Source in SF (Thursday and Friday!)  »

So many vegan Thanksgiving dinners, so little room in your stomach! Right? Or, so many vegan Thanksgiving dinners, but OMG you have plans with the family! The friends! Don’t worry, Source in SF has you covered. Not only are they serving a phenomenal Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, they’re serving it Friday, as well! You are so stoked, I can tell.

The ENTIRELY VEGAN menu includes:
     Choice of butternut squash soup or green salad
     ‘Gobble’ with ‘giblets’ gravy
     Homemade cranberry sauce
     Savory mushroom stuffing
     Creamed spinach
     Candied yams (with Dandies marshmallows!)
Plus(!):
     Choice of living pumpkin spice cheesecake or pumpkin spice snowball with orange-pumpkin-cinnamon frosting.

All of this, for a steal, at $19.95 a person. They’re accepting in house reservations, walk-ins, and phone-orders. You probably want to come eat there, because for real - sexiest staff in San Francisco.



Say hi to the baker! She’s been working really hard on making these desserts the best ever! 

Wait, are you still allowed to buy food on black Friday? It’s doesn’t count as consumerism if it’s vegan, right? I kid, I kid. But really, come for the desserts.

Call Source at 415 864 9000 for more details.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Jenny Bradley is the baker at Source (see above note about her being the baker at Source!) and she provided this inside scoop on their thanksgiving!  If you’re looking for other Thanksgiving options in the S.F. Bay Area, check out Meave’s post on that.

Thanksgiving 2011: Where to eat outside of your home in the S.F. Bay Area!  »

We love cooking! But maybe you don’t! Or you find a huge Thanksgiving dinner way too much work. That’s OK! Here is a list of places you can celebrate your Thanksgiving, at restaurants or homes. You can volunteer to work and eat for free, or bring a dish to a potluck, or just show up, eat yourself silly, and roll on home. So many options!

What’s the difference between this and our earlier post on vegan Thanksgiving celebrations? These are happening in the SF Bay Area! We’ll add to this list as we get more information, so please, send us tips!

We also have a list of places to buy your dinner to take home, and where to get delicious baked goods like pies! Happy Holidays!

Wednesday, Nov. 16BerkeleyThanksliving at U.C. BerkeleySee our earlier post for details!10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

San RafaelMarin Vegan Drinks Does Thanksgiving!Sampling Tofurky, $1 vegan cupcakes, $5 drink special is a Spiced/Spiked Cider.6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 19PetalumaNorth Bay vegan Thanksgiving potluck!Bring a dish to share! Mulled spiced cider provided6:30 p.m.

Every day until Thanksgiving Golden Era is offering a three-course vegan special (but they’re closed on actual Thanksgiving!)

Thursday, Nov. 24Berkeley, San Francisco, San RafaelFree Thanksgiving meal at Cafe GratitudeContact the three participating locations to volunteer (they need servers, bartenders, dishwashers, line cooks, and opening and closing crew), or call (415) 824.4652.noon to 3 p.m.

Menlo ParkRaw vegan Thanksgiving food partyHosted by Elizabeth and Charlie of Bay Area Vegetarians; RSVP required.noon

San FranciscoBAV Vegan Thanksgiving CelebrationHosted by Kim and Jamie; RSVP required.2 to 5 p.m.

San FranciscoFive-course Thanksgiving dinner at MillenniumReservations no longer taken, but first-come, first serve places available at the barContact Millennium for more information at (415) 345.3900, ext. 10.2 to 6 p.m. [time is for bar seating only]

San FranciscoPlant Cafe at Pier 3/the EmbarcaderoTwo $60 prix fixe menus, one “traditional” with turkey, and one vegan!Contact Plant Cafe for details via email, or call (415) 984.1973. Reservations required.3 to 9 p.m.

San FranciscoVegan Thanksgiving at Source, including pumpkin spice snowballs by our Jenny Bradley!Contact Source via email, or call (415) 864.9000 for details/reservations.

Saturday, Nov. 26San RafaelPost-Thanksgiving Vegan Food PartyHosted by Alicia of BAV; RSVP required.3 to 6 p.m.

Anywhere in the Bay Area, throughout the four-day weekend!Want to host a vegan Thanksgiving with BAV pals? Contact Tammy of BAV to volunteer!

[photo by Emilie Hardman via Flickr]

Eat these: Gluten-free, soy-free, vegan pancakes at Source!  »

That’s right, this delicious platter is a new brunch item at Source in San Francisco. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. I know the baker and she really likes it when you come say hi and tell her how much you like the desserts and pancakes.

See you there!

Source: a long-overdue review!  »

This is a review in several disjointed parts due to several factors, such as: many of us wanted to review it; and the person who called dibs really dropped the ball. But finally we consolidate the opinions of three Vegansauri. Enjoy!

Source claims to be “a multi-dimensional dining experience,” but I can’t verify that because I was adrift in a delicious lagoon of faux meat and cheese the entire time I was there. Also, how cute is it that the meat analogs are named after the noises the real animals make? Answer: SUPER-CUTE.

The waitstaff was really welcoming and eager to explain everything on the menu; everything can be made vegan! Music to my ears. The owner I met is super-friendly and possibly a bit overzealous, but WHO CARES because the food is delicious. While the friendly, sexy cashier (he totally was) explains the food to you, you can gaze into the mouth of the DRAGON’S FACE OVEN, in which Source makes all its pita, bread, and pizza crusts from scratch. No small feat. 

Disappointingly (for me!) Source doesn’t not serve alcoholic beverages. What they do serve are kombucha-like elixirs made with a fermented substance called Jun. They are made with raw honey, which may or may not jive with you. They also serve raw yerba mate lemonades mixed with strawberry, blueberry, or straight-up lemon! My dining companion ordered the strawberry lemonade and OMG! It tasted like a strawberry daiquiri. So delicious, I was able to forgive the absence of rum.

I also noticed that my water glass kept refilling, as if by magic. Good service here, folks!

Let’s run down some of the food. After struggling to choose a dish on the extremely extensive menu, I went with an avocado oink bits burger, with the homemade cashew-based vegan mozzarella. I couldn’t believe my taste buds. I haven’t eaten a burger in over four years, and this is what I remember it tasting like. Their version is hearty, and even kind of has the look of a burger, thanks to the beets. But not in a gross way, I swear! This isn’t a Boca Burger-like substitution; it’s just, I don’t know, meaty. It’s obviously made with vegetables, yet has that grilled, burger-y taste. My omnivorous dining companion completely agreed: I wasn’t just being a crazy I-haven’t-eaten-meat-in-so-long-these-tofu-dogs-taste-like-the-real-thing-right vegan.

The cheese was so tasty, I wanted double the amount. The avocado and oink bits were a little lacking, but the burger was so delicious and MIND-BLOWING, I totally forgot what I had ordered and therefore didn’t even notice the other parts of my burger were shoved sparingly in the back of the pita. This is saying a lot, because I usually don’t forget things like avocado and vegan bacon.

More food: Buffalo cluck: spicy and saucy. Baked VEGAN spinach artichoke fondue: really on-point with the flavor, but the texture was chunkier than I would have liked.

Fries: super-interesting salt and sauce choices (rosemary salt with spicy BBQ ketchup? Hell yes). Bahn mi pita: Similar to the oink bits burger, the veggies and sauce had slipped to the bottom of the pita and broke the back of it, turning it into more of a salad; also, I wasn’t crazy about the chewier texture of the quack, but then again, I’ve never had real duck, so maybe it’s spot-on. Kraut bow-wow: Most food is made in-house, but the bow-wows are Field Roast apple sage sausages. Fine by me!

Philly cheese moo: OH MAN this is yummy, but I could stand a little more strength of flavor in the “cheese.” House salad: comes piled super-high on a tiny plate, really full-featured with a tangy dressing. Country shepherd’s pie: too brothy and bland, would not order again.

Cluck parm: This is the king of all sandwiches. It’s just so “cheesy” and tomatoey and crusty and GOOD. Get it, girl.

On to the desserts! Twinkees: YUM! Nothing like the Twinkies you remember, no: much richer, softer, and sweeter. It’s like angel food cake with canned icing, so good. Cupcakes: dependent on availability, but it was a pretty good, standard vegan chocolate-raspberry cupcake.