When you think “beer” you don’t necessarily think “vegan”—until you go to craft beer bar Tony’s Darts Away.

Tucked away just beyond the busy streets of downtown Burbank, Tony’s Darts Away sits on a quiet strip of Magnolia.  Walking in, a long bar, tables along the wall, and the requisite pool table in the back greet you.  Then you sit down and notice the small things: board games, coloring books for the kids and helpful parentheticals on the menu indicating which beers are not vegan.  That’s right.  Tony’s Darts Away assumes that you’re vegan, not the other way around.

Tony Yanow is one of the leading figures of LA’s burgeoning craft beer movement.  With Tony’s Darts Away and his upcoming Echo Park bar, Mohawk Blend, he’s helping to set the trend focusing on small, independent breweries.  The carefully curated, ever-changing menu at Tony’s Darts Away focuses on California India Pale Ales (IPAs) because, as the bar’s website puts it, “West Coast Style IPA is California’s most singular contribution to beer’s progress.”  That’s how you know how serious they are about their suds.  There are non-IPAs as well for those who prefer less hoppy beers.

If you have trouble deciding on a pint, the incredibly friendly bartender is more than happy to help. The menu is a generous selection of veggie- and vegan-friendly dishes: vegan sausages, including a beer brat and a Mexican chipotle sausage.  There also is vegan chili and our favorite, “Disco Fries,” a poutine with gravy and Daiya Cheddar.  As if that weren’t enough, the bar also offers vegetarian and vegan burgers every second and fourth Sunday of the month.  This Sunday’s burger will be a black bean and red onion patty topped with frizzled onions, avocado, homemade BBQ sauce and Daiya cheddar.

Earth- and animal-friendly beer and brats—what better way to spend a sultry summer night?

Article written by Guest Contributor Tien Nguyen, a freelance writer in L.A..

Image courtesy of Tony’s Darts Away.

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You did it!  You rocked Your Daily Thread’s Meatless in May campaign.  Below is a list of supportive resources to keep you on the meatless path.  Consider:

Phone apps: Good to have on hand.

• Because you can never have too many options when you’re shopping. Download the Don’t Eat That iPhone app ($1.99), which lists over 1,500 additives and ingredients that you may not want in your food. It’s easy to use. The ingredients in red may give you cause for concern. The ingredients in black are generally considered safe and are listed with definitions for easy reference.
• Locavore is a free app for you Android users out there. Locavore will help you find out what lovely veggies are fresh and local to you, no matter where you are. It uses your phone’s GPS to locate farms and farmers’ markets and even gives you some recipes to cook up.
• If you find yourself still yearning for a burger, the 21-day vegan Kickstart app, free for iPhone, is the app for you. Designed for newbie vegans, this app helps you plan your meals, telling you what to eat and how to make it.

Online support.

• National Resource Defense Council. Go to the ‘Smarter Living’ page, click on the map or enter your zip code and enter the current month and you can pull up in-season, local produce. In addition, there are daily posts on food production and on the food page, you can look up chemical names by entering them in the ‘Chemical Index’ box or click on ‘Facts & Tips’,  ‘Shopping Wise’, or ‘Cooking Essentials’.
• Greener Choices by Consumer Reports. The ‘Green Shopping’ tab on the Consumer Reports, Greener Choices website is a wealth of information. It has Buying Guides, topics on bagged salad, BPA updates and genetically modified foods. Also, don’t miss the ‘Eco-Labels’ sections, it will give you a report card on any label you happen to be looking at and help you check out the certifying organization.
• Treat yourself to a Vegkit. New vegetarians reward yourselves by grabbing this free kit. There are several helpful newsletters with veggie recipes, action alerts and nutritional information.

Now go forth and be (ahem) fruitful.

Article written by Guest Contributor, Kris Kahrs, who is a kidlit writer, humorist and essayist and whose work has appeared online as a founding member of The Pen and Ink Blog. Her essay on the pratfalls, pitfalls and spit-up of motherhood, “The Fierceness” was selected by the Listen to Your Mother Show – LA 2011, a national show about topics of modern motherhood. Kahrs is also  the author of two picture books, “The Cautionary Tale” and “Dinosaur House” and is finishing work on her first novel, “Cat of Destruction.”

Images via Etsy users chicalookate and oliveirabags.

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We know you have an unbending organic foodie spirit and have the best spots to eat well mapped out in Los Angeles. We also know that sometimes making the trek to these places, even for your favorite veggie dish, can be a lot of work. Well, journey no further. Here are a few of our favorites from the long list of deliciously mobile eats.

My Organic Oasis

As they say, “If it ain’t organic, it ain’t on the truck.” This rolling oasis serves up vegan smoothies in exotic flavors such as Dragonfruit, Matcha Green Tea and Tripleberry (acai, goji & blueberry) and savory bites like the Jungle Nori Roll and Kale Chips. Feeling more indulgent? One bite of Strauss Organic Creamery Frozen Yogurt covered with chocolate covered goji berries will whisk you away to into daydreams of summer sun.

Rokyo Gourmet Ramen

Small bundles of organic ramen noodles float in an umami broth at this Asian comfort food outpost on wheels. Topped with organic vegetables and slices of all natural, humanely raised beef or pork, Rokyo’s ramen will surely hit the spot with their unique take on this very popular dish. We recommend the Tempura Avocado Special!

Komodo

After an education at Le Cordon Bleu and an apprenticeship with Wolfgang Puck, Chef Erwin Tjahyadi took his talents to the streets with his farm-fresh Asian fusion tacos. Depending on what’s in season, Komodo mixes up their flavor combinations like their spicy Singaporean shrimp with cilantro, and Indonesian Rendang pork with cucumber salad. All entrees are available as tacos or burritos. For a Meatless in May meal, don’t miss their Soi tacos: soy tempeh salad with savory peanut dressing.

Green Truck

Dreaming of a juicy burger during veggie month? Hunt down the impressively eco-minded Green Truck, for the best Mother Truckin’® vegan burger in LA. Their fleet of super trucks is powered by yesterday’s cooking oil and they don’t use any Styrofoam or plastic! For the dedicated carnivore in your life, try the free range Grilled Chicken Pesto Wrap or Wahoo Chipotle Fish Tacos.

Images via Green Wedding Shoes Wedding Blog.

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• Have you added one new veggie to your diet yet?  No? Try the parsnip.  A root vegetable, parsnips can easily be subbed for carrots and potatoes to add a sweet, slightly peppery flavor to any dish.
• Bring veggies to breakfast. Yes, it can be done.  Remember pumpkin?  It’s not just for Halloween anymore.  These delicious pumpkin pancakes by Jessica Harper of the Crabby Cook are to-die-for.
• Bread, soup and pasta, oh my! With these helpers, you will never run out of ideas.  Toss pappardelle with roasted red peppers, toasted pine nuts and truffle butter.  So simple and so good!  Bonus with soups—they can cook all day in the crockpot and be ready when you get home.  Zucchini and corn make a smashing soup.  Corn is the thickener so you won’t need milk, cream or cornstarch to hold it together.  Soups also travel well to the office for lunch the next day.  What’s not to love?

Next week, we’ll explore the bread option in detail; crusty bread with the right spread and veggies makes for a fabulous meal!

Your Daily Thread Giveaway: Before heading to your local farmers’ market be sure to grab your copy of Fresh From The Farmers’ Market by Janet Fletcher for tips on how to select and properly store your finds, as well as some veggie-friendly recipes. To be entered to win a copy of Fletcher’s book sign up for our free daily newsletter, or if you’re already a subscriber, invite your friends to join!

Article written by Guest Contributor, Kris Kahrs, who is a kidlit writer, humorist and essayist and whose work has appeared online as a founding member of The Pen and Ink Blog.  Her essay on the pratfalls, pitfalls and spit-up of motherhood, “The Fierceness” was selected by the Listen to Your Mother Show – LA 2011, a national show about topics of modern motherhood. Kahrs is also  the author of two picture books, “The Cautionary Tale” and “Dinosaur House” and is finishing work on her first novel, “Cat of Destruction.”

Image courtesy of Your Daily Thread Photographer Alexa Wan.

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I was given the opportunity to try out the services offered by Paleta, a Los Angeles company specializing in fresh, local and in season meals delivered right to your door.  With completely customizable meal plans and even cleanses, Paleta has a wonderful assortment of tasty options sure to please any palate.

Owner and Chef Kelly Boyer was kind enough to not only share one of her mouth-watering recipes with us (see below), but also a few helpful tips for your next trip to the local farmers’ market:

• Get there early, or late.  For pre-planned meals, it is better to arrive early for the best selections and highest quality.  However, if you are new to the market and don’t really have a set menu, later trips may lead to discounted products.
• Befriend the farmers.  Introduce yourself and ask questions.  Farmers often love to talk about their produce and may even recommend a recipe or two.
• Green bag it.  Be sure to bring your own recyclable bags; many markets are moving toward plastic free zones and may no longer supply disposable bags for customers.
• Get creative.  Experiment with produce you’ve never tried before.  Food should be fun; at your next dinner party, wow everyone with a rainbow of multicolored carrots instead of the classic orange.

Get the recipe for the Paleta Harvest Veggie Umami Burger here.

And that’s not all, Paleta is offering 15% off any order to all Your Daily Thread readers.  Simply use the code “dailythread” when ordering online.

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What’s even more, Aguacate’s products are certified vegan – fabulous for your skin and our furry friends!

Enjoy a special 20% off online with code: THREAD. We will also pick one new subscriber to win a $20 gift card to use towards your purchase of Aguacate products. aguacateandco.com

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Sara R. | Weekend Editor
Real Food Daily
Favorite Menu Item: Real food meal
Find them in Santa Monica and West Hollywood.

Sarah M. | Green Living Writer
Stuff I Eat
Favorite Menu Item: Organic tofu tacos
Find them in Inglewood.

Angie | Contributing Writer
M Café de Chaya
Favorite Menu Item: Bi-bim bop
Find them in Beverly Hills, Culver City and Melrose.

Connie | Fashion Editor
Bawarchi
Favorite Menu Items: Cashew curry and Sarson ka saag
Find them in Culver City.

Emily | Eat & Drink Editor
Bo De Tinh Tam Chay (Vietnamese)
Favorite Menu Item: Hoan hy xot chua ngot (sweet and sour veggie ribs)
Find them in Westminster (Located at 15352 Beach Boulevard, 92683. Phone: (714) 891-4455).

Native Foods Café
Favorite Menu Items: Scorpion burger and Lavender lemonade
Find them in Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Tustin and Westwood.

Planet Raw
Favorite Menu Items: Macho nachos and Mocha mylk shake
Find them in Santa Monica.

And, while not quite a “vegstaurant,” I’d like mention a cool eatery/tavern that serves up some authentic Greek cuisine from their dedicated vegan menu:

Café Ambrosia
Favorite Menu Items: Homemade vegan loaf and a side of Skordalia (garlic spread)
Find them in Long Beach.

For more local vegetarian and vegan restaurants be sure to visit the L.A. version of happycow.net. We’d love to hear from you—post a comment to let us know your favorite veg finds!

Photos by Julie S. of Yelp and Emily Goldstone

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The Facts:

The production and raising of livestock uses 30% of the Earth’s arable land for pasture, an additional 33% of the land to grow and cultivate their feed and 5,000 gallons of water to produce a single pound of meat (compare that to the 25 gallons of water that to produce one pound of wheat).  Cattle also contribute substantial amounts of pollution to the water supply due to manure, antibiotics and the pesticides used to produce their food.

These numbers  make you want to think twice before taking that extra bite of steak.  In fact if we each chose to go meatless this month, we can individually keep up to 420 lbs of carbon emissions out of the air (for our first campaign with 200 participants we kept over 80,000 lbs of CO2 from entering the atmosphere).

And to help fellow meat eaters along this journey, we’ll be highlighting environmental effects of meat production, great vegetarian recipes, restaurants, protein sources and more.

If you’re worried you won’t have anything to eat, rest assured you will.  Now might even be a good time to try out your  local CSA or other organic produce delivery to ensure that you’re never out of fresh vegetables to cook with.

To join to campaign, simply sign become a fan of our Meatless in May Facebook Page.

The rules are simple for this campaign — “meatless” means no animals (including fish). Eggs and dairy are okay.

Be sure to visit Your Daily Thread and partner sites all month long for tips on living meat free, giveaways and interesting debates on how we can reduce our carbon footprint.

EXTRA EXTRA If you want to support Meatless in May on your facebook page or your own site/blog click her to download Meatless in May banners and show your support!

Blast From the Past: Check out videos and more from last year’s campaign.

YDT Giveaway: Readers who join the campaign will be entered to win a copy of Fresh from the Farmers’ Market.  A perfect recipe book to help you cook up seasonal veggies in a yummy way.

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