Restaurant Review: Green Earth

Last week, I visited Green Earth, a 100% vegan restaurant. This cozy, environmentally friendly restaurant, located in Pasadena is dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint. Many people are turned off by the thought of vegan cuisine. However, Green Earth offers an extensive, Asian-inspired menu filled with endless choices for all taste palates.

With options like, quinoa sushi, chick'un sandwiches, burritos, and roasted beet salads...let's just say I wanted to order the whole menu! Since I'm a server myself, I couldn't keep my waiter standing there all night waiting for me to make a decision.  So, I chose the "Three Flavors" rice bowl. Brown rice, pumpkin, eggplant, tofu, sweet basil, red and green pepper, and king oyster mushrooms with chef's sauce. Tell me that doesn't sound delicious!  This dish had the perfect blend of vegetables and flavors.  Maybe one day I will try to recreate this recipe myself.

The night didn't end there.  A girl has to treat herself to dessert once in a while. The dessert menu consisted of organic carrot cake, chocolate cake, almond chocolate cake, cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, and thai banana rolls with ice cream. This is one restaurant that should offer a sampler menu option.  Chocolate cheesecake it is.  So creamy, so delicious, and so chocolatey.

For those of you who don't know what exactly it means to be "Vegan," I have all the answers for you...

What is a vegan diet?

According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, vegans do not consume any animal products including eggs and dairy.  In addition, vegans won't use animal-based products for clothing or hygiene purposes.

Why follow a vegan diet?

Most people choose a vegan lifestyle for ethical or environmental purposes.  For example, some don't want to support the meat industry due to inhumane practices. According to the Environmental Working Group, "If everyone in the U.S. chose a vegetarian diet it would be the equivalent of taking 46 million cars off the road, or not driving 555 billion miles." This statistic is just mind-blowing!

Start by going meatless one day a week.  Join the Meatless Monday movement to reduce your risk of chronic disease and reduce your carbon footprint.

Take the Pledge to go Meatless Monday.

Visit your local vegan restaurant and share your thoughts here on Noms McGee!

New Weekly Post: Restaurant Reviews

Hey guys! Sorry it’s been a little while! Anyways, I thought of this great idea.  Here, in Highland Park, Los Angeles I am in the midst of a growing community.  Between Highland Park and its neighboring towns, Eagle Rock and Pasadena, there are more options, more opportunities, and more freedom! Like, the option to choose something meatless, or the opportunity to try something new, and the freedom to eat whatever you want!  Do you see where I’m going with this? This community is filled with American, ethnic, vegan and vegetarian restaurants.  There are a variety of cuisines on every corner.  So, this is where my great idea comes in…

Each week a restaurant review will be featured on Noms McGee.  We will travel around the world together by eating GOOD food. Good, healthy food that is. The first restaurant I will write about is called, Green Earth, Vegan Cuisine. I will be visiting this restaurant tonight with a camera and notepad in hand. The menu is really exceptional.  Have you ever had “quinoa sushi”? I know you’re just as excited to try it as I am. The main course section of the menu includes the “rice corner,” “pasta lovers,” and “burgers and sandwiches.”  All of which are made of meatless ingredients such as, chick’un breasts, soy steak strips, soy patties, and tofu.  I am the absolute worst at making decisions whenever I go out to eat.  With so many options on this menu I better warn the servers.

I want to extend this opportunity out to all of you. If you live in the Los Angeles area and have any recommendations send me a shout out or if you have any restaurants featuring good, wholesome food in your neighborhood, go ahead and write about it.  Send me an email or comment with your ideas and I will have the pleasure of posting your review right here on Noms McGee.