Here’s a fun little “would you rather.”
It’s pretty much the question that most Angelinos face on a daily basis. Would you rather drive or ride your bike for 12 miles? What if I told you the cycling route would be a guaranteed 60 minute commute, but you may or may not be in your car for 1-2 hours?
Welcome to my life.
I chose the bike.
My parents are in So Cal this week to see all the new babies in the fam, so on Monday night they took us out to dinnah.
My cousin joined us too, so when picking a restaurant I opted for one that was somewhere between us all.
Kyle driving from his internship in Glendale. My cousin coming from her casa in West Hollywood. My parents heading north from my g-ma’s in Newport Beach. And ME cycling over from Santa Monica.
Final Destination? M Cafe de Chaya on Melrose for a fun vegan dinner outing!
I’ve heard about this place from soooo many different sources lately. Just yesterday I was flipping through the 2011 Best Of LA awards and saw that Bob Harper listed M Cafe as his top LA restaurant choice. Holla!
Other reasons to love it? They are don’t use any refined sugars, eggs, dairy, meat, or poultry (they do have some fish dishes). They have Babycakes NYC desserts. And the chef used to be Gwyneth Paltrow’s personal chef. Sign me up!
Lynn is also a huge fan and she made sure I knew to order the kale salad with peanut sauce before I went. She’s never done me wrong before and as soon as I saw it I knew she was on the money.
I chatted with a few employees – asking for their faves and any recommendations. You see I made a vow last month…when dining out I want to will order outside my comfort zone and try dishes I wouldn’t normally get. Long gone are the days of reordering the same meal time and time again! If a restaurant has a signature dish – even if it’s something I wouldn’t ordinarily choose – it must be famous for a reason. And I should give my taste buds a chance to experience it! Right? Right! Also, I can’t help but feel a bit lame for ordering things I could make myself…that often messes with my head when I browse menus. No more! I will clear my head and feel it out in the moment.
My meal! 🙂
The kale salad was a prime example of me rolling with recommendations…and it totally paying off. I wasn’t in the mood for peanut dressing, but it was fantastic (and then some).
I got the kale salad alongside my main…the Big Macro.
Whole grain brown rice & vegetable burger, special sauce, lettuce, soy mozzarella, tomato, pickles, onion, and sprouts on a house-baked whole wheat bun.
And get this. Since I am “in the know” I asked for my burger “loaded”…which is why mine has avocado and tempeh bacon too. EFF YES.
Jealous? It was everything I wanted and more. With success like this, I should definitely continue ordering this way.
Kyle got the California Club with a side of sesame tofu soba noodles.
A triple-decker of savory tempeh “bacon”, lettuce, tomato, avocado, carrots, sprouts & soy-mayo on house baked toasted sourdough (the alternate bread choice is multi-grain & seed).
And about that noodle side dish…
Kyle thought this was one of the best vegan meals he’s had in LA. The portion was satisfying and the flavors were simple yet delicious. He was especially happy that he could get a real side dish with his main course.
My mom got the Tuna Tataki salad, which was obviously not vegan but had quite the assortment of deliciousness piled on top.
Citrus-soy marinated tuna seared rare, over mixed baby greens with cucumber, avocado, kaiware sprouts, wasabi mayo, and ponzu vinaigrette.
And on the side a beet lemonade.
Yes, you read that correctly. Lemonade with beets. I had a few sips and it was surprisingly delish. It was more tart than sweet and even though it was definitely lemonade-y there was also the distinct taste of beets. Which was (insert shock here) good!
My dad and cousin both got the Hummus & Falafel Wrap. [Aren’t you floored that I didn’t get this for myself????]
Roasted garlic hummus, mixed grain falafel, carrots, radish, cucumber, red onion, sprouts, lettuce & tahini-soy yogurt dressing in a whole wheat lavash.
My dad got a side of zucchini noodle slaw (above), while my cousin got the peanut kale salad (below).
Pretty sure everyone was completely satisfied with their orders.
After quite a bit of chit-chatting it was time for dessert. My cousin’s husband conveniently arrived right as we were perusing the chocolates. 🙂
My dad suggested we order several treats to share (which I suspect had more to do with his indecisive sweet tooth than his appreciation for communal dining). No complaints here!
The chocolate pudding was crazy thick – so much so that it was hard to spoon bites out. Seriously, it was that thick. It was really good though. Really good.
I didn’t try the tiramisu because (don’t think I’m crazy now) I don’t like tiramisu. Kyle said it was good and he wouldn’t have known it was vegan.
The chocolate cake was too dry though. Not sure how long it had been out.
My choice? The biggest cookie in the case.
I had my eye on these as soon as we walked in the place and when I discovered all the desserts were vegan, I picked my jaw up off the floor, wiped away the drool, and then got a cookie to go. Since mine was for later, we got two (so everyone else could sample some).
Truthfully, I ordered it thinking it was dark chocolate. Then I tasted it and discovered it was gingersnap! Ummmm…even better!!!! Any excuse to get more ginger in me is welcomed. Gingersnap and oatmeal raisin (without nuts) are my two favorite cookie flavors. Of all time. And this was a perfectly chewy one. Spicy and sweet and I wish I’d gotten a case of them for the road.
If you’re appalled that I didn’t order any desserts by Babycakes NYC, just know that (a) I own the cookbook, (b) I wasn’t in the mood for cupcakes, and (c) I’m going to NYC in a month and have big plans to do some serious cupcaking. It’s a verb, look it up.
Honestly, I hardly had any room for dessert, but I still dabbled in a few of the other desserts.
Thanks for making the drive and treating us to a great dinner mom & dad!
The good news about Kyle coming to the restaurant separately was that I got a ride home. In a car. Having my bike is great for rush hour, but when there’s no traffic to battle, the commute is far faster by vehicle.
I would like to give a shout out to M Cafe’s restrooms. I arrived in such a hideously sweaty state, I was prepared to be on the stinky side through dinner. Lucky for me, the bathrooms were so nice I was able to take a 4 second sink shower. Kidding (kinda)! As you can imagine, the drive home was way quicker than the ride there.
So have you figured out your answer to my “would you rather” question yet?
Ok, I’ve lived near L.A. long enough without trying food like M Cafe. I drooled over these pictures. I NEEED TO GO!
You guys have such an aray of great restaurants over there, I’m so jealous! There are barely any veggie/vegan restaurants in the UK… although Bristol has one proper veggie restaurant. Just have to persuade Thomas to take me there!
Re. would I rather… if i was fit enough and could cycle and wasn’t afraid of the roads, I would rather cycle for sure! No contest. I have to make the call between driving and walking to my destination quite often since traffic is SOOOO rubbish here. Give me the combo of a shorter commute and physical activity any day! x
I’ve absolutely had that dilemma in LA! Good for you for venturing out of SaMo for dinner, I would always get stuck and refuse to drive anywhere because I got so sick of commuting. And it’s awesome that you’re trying more adventurous ordering at restaurants. It can be so easy to stick to familiar foods or things you know you like, but the bigger risks can have bigger payoffs!
All the food from M Cafe de Chaya looks AMAZING. I’m definitely hitting that up next time I’m in LA.
Oh my goodness, that meal looks AMAZING! I don’t even live in LA or the USA, but I have heard of M Chaya Cafe, and would love with all my heart to eat there…especially after seeing all this delicious food porn you’ve posted here! 😛 So good. Your order, and your Mum’s especially. So glad you had such a lovely evening out! And mucho respect to you for biking all the way there…you’re a beast! (In a good – great – way!) And it made your meal taste even better too, I’d imagine, cause youd’ve been a hungry hungry hippie, lol! <3 xyx
YUM! I am starving after reading this post! Everything looks amazing :)!
I would definitely choose to bike! Sitting in 1-2 hours of traffic would make me crazy!
Oh, and that burger looks insanely delicious….any chance of you creating your own version of it? 🙂
Defiintely cycle and the food looks delish!
I would love to bike to work. I only work 10 miles from my house but it’s not really a bike friendly route right now. (I’m in Atlanta)
That’s the most scrumptious looking veggie burger I’ve laid eyes on! Everything looks wonderful, though…and yes, I am very jealous.
I’m jealous of your biking commute – I’d love to have a reason to get me out the door and on my bike.
Also, holy good looking food. Everything looks incredible. And HOORAY for Babycakes – I hope you ate a cupcake for me. 😉
All that food looks amazing!! Whenever I discover vegan desserts I ALWAYS get one, even if I’m not hungry. I feel obliged! I’m going to be in NYC for the day on Saturday, I wonder if I can convince the boys to go to Babycakes. We’re there for a concert on Governor’s Island, we’ll see!!
And I <3 ginger!!
This is so awkward but I’d love to know what kinda bike seat you have- I stick to short rides because my seat hurts! So awesome you biked there. Have Kyle pick up babycakes for you from downtown!
right? RIGHT?!?!? now you know why i eat there like every other week. i’ve tried everything on the menu so if you need more recs i’ve got ’em!
so impressed you biked there by the way…
and OMG – a babycakes is opening down the street from me on larchmont.
Yum! That restaurant looks awesome. I would love to try Kyle’s side dish and that beet lemonade especially! 🙂 Cupcaking is definitely a verb. lol. My manfriend’s friends always used to call him “cupcaker” when he was trying to get me to date him because he was such a suck up.
Whoa, that;s a veggie burger?! Ohhh I wish, I wish, I wish there was somewhere like that around here!
I just finished dinner in Madrid – yes at an ungodly American hour – and I am drooling over your burger! I LOVE M Cafe! Since moving to Spain, my CA adventures have been adversely effected. I promised my WeHo BFF that I will be making a return soon. But not soon enough. Do you think you can eat at RFD for me? Post it on the blog – so I can live vicariously through that meal too!? 🙂
Bike all the way. I really think if you have the time, go for it. Nice decision. Nothing like getting a little exercise and fresh air before dinner. The food looks great!
mmm that restaurant looks so good. especially the kale salad!! and so fun you got to see your parents ! I guess I would rather bike…potentially 2 hours in a car commuting sounds real rough.
I couldnt read after tuna tataki………………..I heart tataki! (beef and tuna) OMGOONDESS! I made beet, orange, and apple juice the other day……..Ill let you know how I like it when I taste it. 🙂
I miss Cafe M! I used to go all the time when I was at UCLA…nothing quite like that peanut salad in NYC…
Long time reader, first comment! I’m another UCLA alum-NYC transplant 🙂
I’m moving to LA in a few weeks (!!!), and I’ll definitely have to try that place out. Your burger looks insane!
Ummmm, is subway an option? 🙂
Adding peanutty goodness to my next kale salad! I dont know if you ever made it to Stogo when you were in nyc, if not its in the east village, 10th st just west of 2nd ave- to.die.for. Vegan organic ice cream! The jave soy based, hemp based, coconut based, and sorbets that are more amazing than anything. The pistacio last night blew my mind-
I hink its so cute youre friends with lynn! Have fun with the fam
well, there is a subway in LA but it really only goes downtown (and is pretty ghetto). no stops anywhere near me in santa monica. i always miss nyc when it comes to late night excursions because of the subway system. you cant beat the public transportation in new york. i went to stogo once, and i definitely plan on going back again. also lynn recommended lula’s sweet apothecary, which has now been added to the list too. have any other new places popped up that i cant miss???
hooray! where in LA are you moving to?
hi! nice to “meet” you 🙂 we have so much in common, say hi to nyc for me!
yeah, its definitely rough.
I was so choose my bike as well!!! I do everyday 🙂 Not quite that far though… Are your legs feeling the ride everyday? That macro-burger looks terrific! I can’t believe a 12 mile car ride could take longer than the bike ride!! That is insane!
Wow, an hour long bike ride, huh? If I had a pillow strapped to each cheek, I’d definitely sign up for a 60 minute bike commute vs a possible 2 hour drive…hmm, well, I guess that depends on how hot outside it is…and if I have good tunes…wait, do I have a buddy in the car? This hypothetical situation is starting to stress me out…can I get back to you?? 😉
Anywho! I am ALL kinds of jealous looking at your delicious eats! That burg looks insane…like seriously, IN-SANE! And hello?! A chewy ginger cookie? I’m all for that…actually, I can’t discriminate against any chewy cookie, but you just don’t see many ginger ones!
Also, I think I have that dress you’re wearing! Did you get it from American Eagle?
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