It was my 30th birthday this Monday and I decided to go all out, drive to Los Angeles, and have an actual birthday weekend!
Many plantbased shenanigans ensued.
Friday night I joined my LA girl cult at Pour Vous, a lovely little French-themed speakeasy that features delicious champagne, vegan crepes (if you ask for them), and aerial performers.
Here I am sipping champagne at Pour Vous in a floral jumpsuit I snagged on a whim. Jumpsuits don’t usually fit me because I am so tall, but this one miraculously did! It’s a birthday miracle!
My lovely friend Annaliese is the driving force behind a lot of the LA-based events I attend, and arranged for the yummy bday champagne. Hooray!
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Saturday I gathered a group of lovely ladies (and one guy) and headed over to the ever-delicious Sun Cafe in Studio City. I had been craving their vegan mac n’ cheese for weeks, and as usual, it did not disappoint. I even added the tempeh bacon option because it’s my birthday, damn it, and I wanted to be in a food coma.
They serve it in a cast iron pan. Look at it. I want another one right now. It was so good.
As usual, my friends knew me well and brought me champagne, SouthWest gift cards, and general bday cheer. I waddled home sated and happy.
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Sunday was family bday and the Superbowl; I spent the morning preparing food with my mom, wherein I made my famous vegan deviled tomatoes (recipe here)!
Mmmm.
I don’t really care about the actual Superbowl, but it was nice to hang out with my family and some of my best friends; my lovely bff Victoria brought me a bouquet filled with money folded into origami shapes, which was the best thing ever.
And my Dad got me some junmai daiginjo sake, which is my favorite type of sake (the rice is very finely polished and it tastes like rainbows.)
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On my actual birthday (Monday), I drove home to Vegas and went out to dinner at Lakeside, one of the many restaurants at the Wynn that offer delicious gourmet vegan options.
Eggplant dish of the gods – this melted in my mouth and I couldn’t get enough of it.
Truffle arancini – Also melted in the mouth and I almost ordered another plate of them, but I knew that would fill me up too much.
Vegan crab cakes – Mmmmm. I crushed this plate. The flavors used here are phenomenal and would satisfy even the most grumpy food critic.
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All in all, it was an amazing birthday!! Below are some more of the cruelty free, vegan presents I received from my thoughtful friends.
The limited edition Glitter Bunny clutch from Gunas (from my bff bizarro-sai) – I’m obsessed. This is such a lovely little clutch and I am going to be extra careful with it. No drunken nights out for you, little clutch!
My brother and sister in law sent me these vegan cookbooks! Oh She Glows is one of my favorite blogs of all time, and Miyoko Schinner‘s cuisine is everything.
Last but not least – my friend Charity got me a vegan set of bath bombs, lotion bars, and soaps from Lush!
BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER.
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