While following a vegan diet may prove challenging at times, the growing numbers of vegan eateries throughout the Westside are allowing plant-based meals to become much more accessible and palatable.
Culver City restaurant Sage Vegan Bistro, one of two Sage locations in the area, is defying the general stereotypes of vegan food.
Co-owner/manager Mimi Moss said the cruelty-free vegan bistro offers flavorful and filling dining options.
“My business partner Molly was raised vegan, and I initially became vegetarian when I first moved out to L.A.,” Moss said.
To uphold the high quality of ingredients used at Sage, the restaurant partners with numerous organic farms in order to have access to in-season local produce and utilize a true farm-to-table model.
This way, the food at Sage Vegan Bistro is not only good for the environment, but also beneficial for the body.
The Culver City location opened in September 2013 as Sage’s second location in Los Angeles. The restaurant is designed with a completely different feel to the original Echo Park location, so visitors can enjoy two unique experiences while feasting on consistently healthy food.
“The Culver City restaurant is modeled after a beer garden,” Moss said. “We’ve got a huge, gorgeous outdoor patio. Half the restaurant is outdoors. We love catering to large groups of people.”
From brunch to lunch to dinner, Sage Vegan Bistro offers an extensive menu, with plenty of options to satisfy potentially every palette.
Whether it’s a classic BLTA sandwich, a sushi bowl, mac n’ cheese, or street tacos, the menu boasts an array of both familiar and exotic foods that make it difficult to remember that all of the options are vegan-friendly.
“One of our most popular dishes is an appetizer: the buffalo cauliflower hot wings,” Moss said. “They’re also gluten-free and organic, and they’re incredibly well-loved. I would recommend that to a first-time visitor.”
Moss also cited the jackfruit nachos, soft pretzels, and wood-fired pizza as popular choices as well.
“The hot pizzas and soft pretzels are only at our Culver City location,” Moss said.
The Culver City-exclusive pizzas are made with organic heirloom white flour or buckwheat crust and range from $10.95 to $11.95. Pretzels are served with nacho cheese, habañero cream cheese, and maple mustard and are $9.95 each.
Also available at Sage is an impressive dessert menu, which not only includes favorites like banana splits and brownie sundaes, but also a special kind of ice cream.
“My business partner Molly and I originally started out with a raw organic ice cream shop called KindKreme in 2010,” Moss said. “The then-owners of Sage actually invited us to put our desserts in their restaurant, which is how we ended up eventually running the restaurant.”
The “IceKreme” of course remains gourmet, organic, raw, and vegan, and can be ordered with toppings or in an IceKreme sandwich.
As for Moss, she said she has been drawn to the entire Sage menu.
“I think everything on the menu has been my favorite item at one time or another,” Moss said. “I go through phases since I eat there every day.
urrently my favorite is the Raw Bowl (which consists of kale, sliced apples, pickled cabbage, avocado, raw dill cheese, and cashew alfredo sauce).”
With such guilt-free options, it’s no wonder that Moss as well as many Sage customers have no problem trying out multiple items on the menu. The fun and festive vibe of the beer garden seems to compliment the healthy fare very well, as the crowds of Sage diners are telling of the restaurant’s popularity.
Sage Vegan Bistro is located at 4130 Sepulveda Blvd. in Culver City.
For more information, call 424.228.5835 or visit sageveganbistro.com.
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