Mini Vegan Food Crawl through LA

Despite being stuffed at Eat Drink Vegan fest (read about that HERE!) a few Saturdays ago, I was ready to eat all the vegan food all over again when I awoke from my food coma that Sunday morning. Naturally, my friends and I decided to do a mini food crawl of vegan spots in Los Angeles, which was pretty much the best and most delicious idea ever! Below you'll find pics of our vegan adventure, which included stops at Donut Friend, Mohawk Bend, Little Pine, as well as the vegan shop Moo Shoes!

Restaurant Review: By Chloe in Los Angeles, CA

I finally got to try the brand new By Chloe that opened recently in the new 365 by Whole Foods market up in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles. Of course, I have been drooling over the original By Chloe restaurants that opened in New York City, so you can imagine how excited I was that we got our very own version here in SoCal!! Since this version of By Chloe is attached to the Whole Foods store, it is a little small, but I think they did a great job with utilizing the space, and there is a variety of seating, from a larger communal-style table, to bistro-type seating and even a few little booths. The design itself mirrors that of the NYC By Chloe restaurant and is fresh, airy, and adorable.

Recap: Abracadaver Productions' Sixth Annual Halloween Market

This year I am thrilled to be hitting so many Halloween events ahead of autumn! I already checked out the 4th Annual Spook Show Halloween Festival at the Halloween Club in March (check out my recap of that event with photos HERE!), and there is July's Midsummer Scream and August's ScareLA Halloween festivals coming up as well! This past weekend was my first time checking out Abracadaver Productions' 6th Annual Open House and Halloween Market, located in Fullerton, California.

Restaurant Review: Zombee Donuts in Fullerton, CA

As I was in the area to attend the sixth annual Abracadaver Halloween Market (read about that HERE!), I knew I HAD to finally make a stop at Zombee Donuts in Fullerton, California. Though this bake shop isn't all vegan, it does offer up a different vegan doughnut option every week. How could I pass on a zombie-themed sweet shop with vegan doughnuts? I just can't believe I've waited this long to visit Zombee Donuts!

I stopped in on a Saturday morning around 10 AM and was immediately delighted by their spooky-chic decor. The store had a lovely gothic feel combined with fun zombie decor! Think the doughnut shop of a gothic princess who also happens to be a fierce zombie hunter! I immediately felt at home, as the vibe was very inviting, plus the service was quick and friendly.

A Visual History of Horror from 1895 to 2016

Still from Satan's Rhapsody, 1917

I've already shared this stunning video on my Facebook page and Twitter, but I love it so much that I wanted to share it here as well! A friend (the lovely Mlle. Ghoul of Unquiet Things) acquainted me with the captivating A History of Horror video that highlights one horror movie per year from 1895 - 2016. The 122 horror films were chosen by creator Diego Carrera based on their striking visual aesthetics as well as the impact they had on the horror genre by the video's creator.

Carrera undoubtedly had some tough choices to make, but I think he succeeded wonderfully in his choices! I haven't seen some of the older films, and I'm hopeful I can track some of them down. With the visuals and the effects Carrera added, plus the mesmerizing music used, and I could seriously watch this reel for hours! Check it out below:

Food Review: Two Tias' Organic Tortillas

This is going to be a quickie, because I mainly picked up these lovely Two Tias' Organic Tortillas because of their packaging. I cannot resist any foodstuffs with sugar skulls on it, okay?! I mean, who could?! I found these at Sprouts grocery store, and though I was enthralled by the packaging, I was even further thrilled when I found them to be vegan! I flipped over the package to check the ingredients (as vegans do), and right smack-dab on the package it said "vegan". Plus they are organic/non-GMO and use simple ingredients (basically just flour, water, and salt). Swoon!

Scare Zones and Mini Haunted Attractions Unveiled for July's Midsummer Scream Halloween Festival

At this July's Midsummer Scream - California's premier Halloween, haunt, and horror festival taking place at the Long Beach Convention Center - visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the Hall of Shadows dark zone, a haunt whose roaming monsters and mini haunted attractions will bring Halloween to life this summer!

I am really excited for these scare zones and mini haunts: they will be like a delicious candy-corn flavored appetizer to the Halloween season, which is right around the corner! And a large portion of Midsummer Scream is devoted to the haunt and mazes - the Hall of Shadows is more than 30,000 square-feet! Along with mini mazes from some rad local home and pro haunts, there is a full-blown scare zone called Toxicity created by Bone Yard Effects (who create the makeup applications and prosthetics for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios every year) and gravity-defying performances from the Decayed Brigade slider team. It'll be terrifying fun all around!

Below you'll find a little more information from the press release on these haunts that are included with admission to Midsummer Scream:

Recap: Eat Drink Vegan Festival 2016 (formerly LA Vegan Beer + Food Fest)

Eat Drink Vegan!

This past Saturday saw record temperatures in the high 90s and low 100s, but that certainly didn't stop folks from heading out in droves to Eat Drink Vegan, or the festival formerly known as the Los Angeles Vegan Beer and Food Fest! In spite of the heat, it was an incredible event filled with tons of vegan food, beverages, products, and lots of good cheer from those attending! I had a blast, and wanted to share a recap of the fest with you!

Food Review: Pure Genius Brownies and Blondies

Pure Genius Provisions kindly sent me some of their brownie and blondie bars to try, and I'm pretty much blown away by how delicious these are! They come in cute little individually wrapped squares and are made mostly with garbanzo beans, making them surprisingly healthy! Don't worry though, they don't taste like beans - just pure indulgent goodness!

These desserts are not only vegan, but they are also gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, and kosher. Pure Genius is also in process of becoming non-GMO certified, so you can soon add organic ingredients to their long list of positive attributes! Additionally, they are only made with natural, good-for-you ingredients like the previously mentioned garbanzo beans, maple syrup, flax, oats, cane syrup, chocolate, and so on - no weird, unpronounceable ingredients here!

10 Must-Try Eats at the LA Vegan Beer + Food Fest

The Los Angeles Vegan Beer and Food Festival is almost here and I cannot wait! This Saturday, June 18th hordes of vegan and veg-curious folks will descend upon the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to eat and drink all the vegan things! I have been drooling over all the photos from last weekend's Portland Vegan Beer and Food Fest (I MUST go next year), and I am so, so excited for this weekend to get here! I've been stalking a lot of the restaurants that will be serving up delicious food in just a few days, and a few have really popped out at me as being "must-try" eats! FYI - I'm in it for the food rather than the booze, so I don't have any beverage recommendations for you (though I am looking forward to kombucha and cold brew!).