Last Day in LA LA Land

On my last day in my second favorite city I headed to Chinatown. Mostly because when I saw the huge drive-in line at In-n-Out Burger I felt slightly disappointed I couldn’t partake in such a characteristic LA sociological gathering. But my friend told me that Burgerlords, which was on my hit list anyway, was reminiscent of it and was embraced similarly as a LA it-spot. And they do offer a vegan option, unlike In-n-Out Burger. 

Having had my fill of hipster neighborhoods like Highland Park, I went to Burgerlords’ location in Chinatown. So I got to see all these decorative pagodas. 

When you crave a great veggie burger, Burgerlords hits all marks, as you’ll see.

Just look how perfect this box of lunch is. The cross-section of an all-vegan cheeseburger and a crispy pile of french fries. It almost looks like it is a fake! I decided on a cheeseburger topped with a slice of Follow Your Heart. Now, lest you scream at me that I am eating a packaged cheese, I make the occasional exception. Follow Your Heart is California’s local brand of vegan cheese. I went with it because of the local affiliation, but also–it fits Burgerlords, which practices no pretense.

The great Bruce Lee.

The Last Bookstore is a great stop if you’re near downtown Los Angeles. It’s the state’s largest new and used book and record store, which is no small feat in these times. 

Along with books for sale, there is a ton of book art and photo ops around.

My final LA meal was at Little Pine. With a great all-vegan menu, we decided to share everything.

The Broccoli Arancini: broccoli risotto cakes served with a basil pesto sauce. Deep-fried deliciousness…

The Watermelon Caprese Salad: housemade mozzerella, cherry tomatoes, watermelon, balsamic. This was a wonderfully refreshing salad. 

The Stuffed Shells: spinach & ricotta, marinara, housemade cheeses. Needed some garlic somewhere in that mix, either in the ricotta or the sauce. It was a little bland. And I couldn’t tell if this was topped with the dreaded Daiya. But I miss this dish so it was very enjoyable to devour.

The Sausage & Polenta: housemade italian sausage, herbed polenta, tomatoes, basil marinara. I wasn’t a fan, again, of the cheese garnish. It took away from the dish. 

For dessert, a break from the Italian theme, I got the Milk & Cookies. The cookies were straight from the oven and ooey-gooey delicious, probably the best I’ve ever had. Well done, Moby.