Real Food Daily

(Image credit: Real Food Daily)

414 N. La Cienega Blvd., (310) 289-9910, realfooddaily.com

A true mecca for seaweed-craving, gluten-avoiding, lactose intolerant, and otherwise dietarily finicky Angelenos of every variety, RFD is a bastion of all-vegan, mostly macro fare. For astute people-watchers, this La Cienega spot is ideal. Nestled in with a Ducati dealership and a deceptively never-open, dungeon-gated Sprinkles, it draws from these neighbors an array of vinyl-clad motocross pricks and bulimics who, foiled in their plans to binge on pastries, come in instead to share seven plates between two of them, eating only when the other one goes to the bathroom. Add to that the characters of the waitstaff, and you've got some real fodder for musings on the oddities of human nature. Two pillars of the cast include a mild-mannered, polished-punk-appearing guy who turns out to be my high school best friend's HJNTIY 9th grade crush (Hey Andrew! Good to see you.) and a voluptuous woman who unsneakily fixes her eyes on my waist before syrupy-sweetly suggesting that I add gravy AND dessert to my order. Every. Single. Time. Despite her catty motivations, I agree that it's not a bad idea, and oblige her about half the time.

Ah, but the food. The menu fairly distributes its offerings among well-executed vegan versions of typically omni dishes (salisbury seitan with savory gravy, Mexico City-style tacos) and ultra-macro items (combos of beans, unheard-of grains, pressed salad, and sea vegetables that really might turn you seaweed-craving if you give it the chance). While the joint has topped our list of options for takeout for some time, I think Nick and I would both agree that the place endeared itself to us completely when it proved that it could dish out hangover food with the big dogs. Read closely here: after a night of partying, GET THE NACHOS. Add taco meat. And get the spicy cheese. Alternatively, if you're me, get your fiance to order them. There'll be plenty. And if you're still in need of a little hair of the dog, they serve booze--organic, of course.

A boon to their credentials is that they are the only vegan place I know of that consistently does dessert well. Besides my kitchen, that is...but that's not open for business until I become at least three times as frustrated as I am now about finding a job as a nurse practitioner. So keep your eyes peeled. All in all, the place has something for everyone, and I feel confident in saying that, as long as nobody orders the reuben, it'll be a crowd-pleaser in the company of visiting Midwestern relatives and raw-food-enthusiasts alike.