Vegan Eats from the Grape Vine to Anaheim
In March I made the trek from Modesto to Anaheim for 2024’s Natural Products Expo West. This year I was accompanied by fellow vegan blogger, Robin from “Vegan Dollhouse”. She develops organic vegan recipes that are so cute, and is from the Sacramento area!
I want to highlight some of the stops we made during our trip to fuel up and stock up on snacks. Expo is an all day event full of food samples, so while we did stop some places to eat, it was more so for the fun of it than necessity. Food is my favorite destination!
Red Dot Kitchen
On the way to Anaheim just off of the Grape Vine is a small mountain town called Frazier Park. Housed here is a quaint vegetarian restaurant “The Red Dot Kitchen” that offers sanctuary from traffic and those looking for a plant-based meal.
Almost everything on the menu can be made vegan, and it offers a variety of choices from pizza, to Indian cuisine, to breakfast foods, Asian dishes, and more. After thoughtful consideration, Robin ordered the Mushroom Stroganoff. I couldn’t decide, so I ordered both the Pakora (Indian Fritters), and Asian Style Spring Rolls. The Pakora was plated beautifully with large pieces of fried vegetables in a crispy and flavorful batter. It was served with a tasty masala and sweet chili sauce, that made for perfect paring. The spring rolls were loaded with julienned vegetables, wrapped in rice paper, and served with a tasty house-made sesame ginger sauce. I had no idea both my dishes were shareable, family-style portions, so I ended up with leftovers!
The Red Dot says they are not a restaurant but a state of consciousness: “Whoever feels to express the Highest Truth, whoever feels to give True Service from the heart to Humanity, whoever yearns to experience Universal Love, whoever strives and works to manifest Beauty, Perfection and Harmony everywhere in everything, and in every situation, these HUMBLE beings are the ones who not only own but ARE The Red Dot.”
Red Dot Kitchen 3221 Mt Pinos Way, Frazier Park, CA 93225
BESTIES Vegan Paradise
The day of our roadtrip to Anaheim, Besties Vegan Paradise hosted a pop-up with Upton’s Naturals giving away Chicago-style Updogs! Besties Vegan Paradise is just that, a paradise market for vegans stocked with vegan toiletries, frozen food, snacks, and more. Everything sold at Besties is from a completely vegan company, and you will only find products from independent vegan brands who never conduct animal testing. Besties routinely hosts pop-up events where they feature products carried in store, and for this event we were invited by the Natalie of Bake and Destroy to try UPDOGS!
Robin and I each had an Updog loaded with yellow mustard, tomato wedges, sweet and VERY GREEN pickle relish, onion, celery salt, and short peppers, all piled in a poppy-seed bun! I don’t think I’ve ever had a poppy-seed bun, and it was amazing! It’s apparently such a Chicago thing that Upton’s Naturals brought their own vegan buns via carry-ons, as they couldn’t find them here! For dessert, we had some of Besties’ swirled soft serve with free sprinkles, and then shopped a bit before hitting the road. I picked up and loved the Besties branded Crunch Bar. It’s just like the Crunch Bars I remember picking up at the Hollywood video as a kid, but this time- vegan!
Besties Vegan Paradise 4882 Fountain Ave Los Angeles, CA 90029
Vegan Pizza
In Garden Grove is a mini shopping center that houses 3 vegan businesses, one of which is Vegan Pizza! Robin and I had some free time one evening after Expo and decided to stop in for dinner. Vegan Pizza is an all-vegan restaurant that in addition to pizza, serves calzones, pasta, dessert, loaded fries, corn dogs, wings, and more.
Robin and I shared a large, heart-shaped pizza, because when we can get cute food, we do! We ordered a half ‘Meat Lovers’ with vegan pepperoni, sausage, and ham for Robin, and half Margherita with tomato, basil, and added garlic for me. The crust was perfect, crispy, and soft, which to me, makes a perfect pizza! The vegan cheese was well melted, and the plant-based meats were hearty and delicious. I wish this spot was local because it would be easy to frequent. If I had room, I would have ordered so many more menu items!
Vegan Pizza 12022 Chapman Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92840
Urthly Vegan Market
Urthly Vegan Market is a new shop taking over the space of what used to be 7 Vegan Market. It’s in the same shopping center as Vegan Pizza, and is right next store to another all-vegan restaurant, Loving Hut. Urthly is a fully vegan market that stocks snacks, refrigerated and frozen foods, locally made baked goods, prepared foods, toiletries, and more. It is near Disneyland and many hotels, making it the perfect stop when beginning or ending a road trip or vacation. It’s my new go-to when I visit the area, as it’s so nice to shop without having to check labels and to be able to stock my hotel room with snacks after I arrive, making less packing for me!
Robin and I collaborated on a post with Urthly while we were in town, so we got to do a little shopping for an in-hotel meal. We decided on a sandwich board, and picked up some vegan croissants made by a local French baker, vegan lunchmeat, cheese, cream cheese, and chips! In addition to the fixings for our board, I purchased an orange and chocolate scented bath bomb created by a local maker and all of the available flavors of Vegan Dude Chips. Vegan Dude Chips is a small business that makes vegan chips similar to flavored Ruffles including; Cheddar & Sour Cream, Sour Cream & Onion, Cheese Pizza, and Pyro Hot. I’d seen the brand on Instagram and wanted to try them. They are all SO GOOD and well worth the wait.
Urthly Vegan Market 12048 Chapman Ave Garden Grove, CA 92840
Loving Hut
Loving Hut is currently the fastest-growing international vegan fast food chain in the world, and was created with “a vision that all beings could live in peace, love and harmony with each other and the planet.” I was first introduced to this chain restaurant in San Francisco, but there are many locations across the country with differing menus, including Garden Grove. This location is next door to Urthly Vegan Market and in the same shopping plaza as Vegan Pizza.
Robin and I stopped in after a long day of Expo for a silent meal before retreating to our hotel. I was in the mood for appetizers (as usual) so I ordered fried Potstickers and ‘Chick’un Skewers’, while Robin wanted something with vegetables and opted for the ‘Broccoli Bliss’ dish. My food was gone in minutes, and I enjoyed every bite. My Gyoza Potstickers were fried and crispy filled with tofu and veggies, with a housemade umami sauce. The skewers were layered with crispy ‘chick’un’ and served with a mouth-watering peanut sauce. The Broccoli Bliss dish was a plate of white rice with strips of soy protein and vegetables enveloped in a sweet and savory sauce. I tried a couple of bites and would order this for myself in the future. It was similar to a vegan version of beef & broccoli. Loving Hut’s menu is vast, including Asian dishes, burgers, Italian food and more. It is the perfect stop no matter what you’re craving!
Loving Hut 12050 Chapman Ave Garden Grove, CA 92840
Which stop have you added to your next road trip?
Be the first to comment