The Choosy Foodie: Los Angeles - Issue #5
100% GF Restaurants, Allergens Galore, & Regenerative Agriculture
Hi all,
The news cycle has been nothing but tumultuous for us Angelenos (not to mention that earthquake…) as of late. And I just wanted to say that I hope everyone is doing “okay” - whatever that may look like for you. Personally, I’ve spent more time on the phone with family. It got me thinking about Valentine’s Day💝 coming up, and I knew I had to share the following with you (because I’m in love with you all, obviously😉):
What you’re witnessing is an unboxing (just not the annoying kind) of Amore di Mona’s gluten free / vegan chocolates🍫. Hands down this is one of the most stunning and delicious chocolate boxes I have ever received. And by received I mean I bought by myself, for myself, for my birthday a couple years ago (cue “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus🎵).
Okay, (never) enough about chocolate!
Let’s get into the main course…
WHAT'S COOKING LOS ANGELES?!
NEW-ISH, 100% GLUTEN FREE RESTAURANTS WORTH THE HYPE:
** Please note I did not check if these kitchen were celiac safe, but I know that they are 100% gluten free, which can reduce the risk of cross-contamination **
Levant Bistro & Bakery🥗 in Echo Park is a relative newcomer that’s taken the GF community by storm. I have nothing but good things to say about this Lebanese restaurant & bakery that’s also completely SF (soy-free). Even Eater LA has taken notice.
Modern Bread & Bagel🥯 in Woodland Hills is also a newcomer & definite stand out. Their bagels are kettle boiled (like the one’s you’d get at a NY bagel shop, which is where this GF chain started out). They also have several DF (dairy-free) and vegan bread & shmear options.
What Else is Simmering...
(restaurant news & photos)- Toadstool Cafe🍄, a new Mario Brothers-themed restaurant at Universal Studios recently opened up its doors. The restaurant is not free-from but the menu is at least marked with GF, Veg, & V options (plus it was too adorable not to mention).
(restaurant news)- The well-known Melrose bar, The Darkroom, is flipping into a vegan sushi🍣& cocktail lounge🍸 called APB (“All Plant Based”). TBD on other free-from options, as I have yet to see the menu.
(market news)- A new Erewhon in Culver City💅🏻 is set to open this month, as the high-end market chain continues to expand regionally.
(food news)- Eater recently released a wonderful piece on how the infamous Sunday market, Smorgasburg, has put aspiring food vendors on the map🗺️.
(product)- This organic, purple rice🟣🍚 (Jasberry) has an incredible antioxidant profile.
(product)- In case you wanted to feel some childhood nostalgia, Laughing Cow now has a vegan cheese wedge🧀 option (available at Whole Foods)!
(product)- Ben & Jerry’s recently released a vegan, gluten-free, oatmeal dream pie flavored ice cream🍦… Need I say more?!
WHAT ARE YOU REALLY EATING?!
THE IMPORTANCE OF REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE:
Regenerative agriculture is way of growing that focuses on building soil health, minimizing chemical use, maximizing diversity, and integrating livestock. This FoodPrint article explains the concept of regenerative agriculture🧑🌾🌱🌽 quite well / more in depth, but I quite enjoyed their overarching definition:
With its focus on renewing soil and working within, rather than against, natural systems, regenerative agriculture is more than a sustainable way to farm. It can heal the damage caused by industrial agriculture and build a food system that’s better for people, animals and the environment.
With that, I thought I’d link the trailer to a phenomenal new online series called Food 2050. Regenerative agriculture is of course discussed, amongst other varying and interesting topics spanning several countries across the globe:
What Else Is There To Digest?
(article)- You might’ve already seen it as a labeled allergen in California, but sesame is now the 9th major food allergen in the US.
(article)- If you have a dairy allergy and are buying new vegan whey protein alternatives, be careful! Animal-free whey may have a “contains milk allergen” label🥛 because it’s made using a process called precision fermentation. As a result, it has the same molecular structure as cow-based whey protein.
(article)- Research is increasingly showing that gas stoves are a public health issue😮💨. How bad is it, and will they eventually be banned?
(article)- A look into the incredible variety of collard greens🥬 & ways to enjoy them has me smiling.
(article)- Once thought to be just something that moistens your food, scientists 👩🔬 have found that saliva actually influences the flavor of food.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
(video)- Volcanic lava bread🍞 is real! This incredible Icelandic rye bread is baked in the country’s volcanic, muddy ground.
(article & images)- A new spot at Universal Citywalk (that has replaced the Hard Rock Cafe), has a full on Willy Wonka restaurant🍭 vibe.
(article & images)- These beautifully crotched food🧶 replicas are both a simple and intricate delight to look at.
(articles)- Kelly Clarkson and The Jonas Brothers have teamed up to launch a vegan BBQ popcorn🍿 (I’m not sure celeb food news is worthy of this newsletter but the flavor sounds interesting & it happens to be GF, so here we are…)
Closing Thoughts…
As always, feel free to hit reply and shoot me an email or DM on Twitter. I’d love to hear your feedback on how I can improve this newsletter to better suit our free-from community.
I’ll be in your inbox next month!
Hugs,
Noam
🙆🏻♀️ website: noamleead.carrd.co
📖 book editor: Happier Being by Dr. Tal Leead
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