I have a new story up on Dinela.com called “An LA Carnivore’s Guide to Veggie Dining.” The biggest delight in writing the piece was the wonderful meal I experienced at Madeleine Bistro in Tarzana. Run by husband and wife team David and Molly Anderson, Madeleine serves fine, animal-free cuisine. Sound like an oxymoron? I was shocked by how tasty and filling the food was. David Anderson is a bit of a vegan genius. A veteran of five-star restaurants, he was the only student in his culinary school class to get an A in butchering, although he temporarily lost his voice from the stress.
My favorites were the artistically presented beet tartar, the grilled lemon rosemary seitan and the chocolate souffle. Don’t ask me how he does the souffle without any eggs or milk. Like I said, he’s a genius. If you’re looking for something a little less fancy, he also makes comfort food, including a surprisingly delicious veggie version of the Big Mac for lunch. I brought the leftovers home to Victor, who is the biggest fan of Fogo de Chao’s all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouse that I know. He devoured the vegan cuisine and licked his fingers.
If you can’t imagine driving to the Valley for a vegan meal, then wait six months. The Andersons are currently securing financing and looking for a space in West Hollywood to launch a new vegan restaurant by the end of the year. The new place will be “bigger, with a bar, more of a scene kind of place,” says co-owner Molly Anderson. It will also have a new name.
The Andersons have no plans to close Madeleine, but they are considering making it a more casual restaurant to fit with its Valley setting. Whole Foods is opening up nearby, and Yoga Works is coming in across the street. So they want to capitalize on the post-yoga crowd. Right now, hungry yogis sporting Hard Tail and mats may feel out of place at a fancy restaurant with tablecloths.
As a fledgling yoga teacher who worries about the environment, I’m trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into my diet. Madeleine makes that easy. When the food is this good, you don’t miss the meat. We swear. – Jenny
Madeleine Bistro, 18621 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana; 818-758-6971.
June 19, 2008 at 5:25 am
Having shared a steak or two with Jenny during her formative years, and knowing her as a world class carnivore, I take a father’s interest in seeing her enbrace these alternatives. In the meantime, where can I get a good STEAK tartar. I’m not that big on beets!
June 19, 2008 at 10:25 am
You never know until you try it, Dad. The beets might surprise you!
June 20, 2008 at 6:27 am
Ted, One word: SCRAPPLE!
June 20, 2008 at 10:24 am
You do like your scrapple, Alicia!
I like the idea of thinking of a vegetarian meal like just one more ethnic cuisine to add to the mix. According to New Scientist mag, one kilogram of beef is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than driving for three hours with the lights on back at home:
http://environment.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19526134.500
I’m not planning to give up meat, but with food costs going up and global warming such a huge issue, it makes sense to eat more veggie meals. On the other hand, I noticed this sentence at the end of the article: “A Swedish study in 2003 suggested that organic beef, raised on grass rather than concentrated feed, emits 40 per cent less greenhouse gases and consumes 85 per cent less energy.”
June 20, 2008 at 3:47 pm
M Cafe de Chaya and Real Food Daily in the Hollywood area also offers some delicious veggie items that a omnivore can make peace with (esp. the former, which also serves fish).
But I’m definitely curious about Madeline’s concept of French-vegetarian . . . if I ever hit that part of LA, I’ll likely check it out.
June 20, 2008 at 5:28 pm
I have eaten at Real Food Daily in Santa Monica for years. We would always go after yoga teacher training, given that many of the students were vegetarians. I have yet to try M Cafe de Chaya but have been meaning to get to Culver City to visit the new location.