eLOVate Vegan Kitchen and Juicery In Santa Monica

The Experience Magazine had the pleasure of dining at eLOVate Vegan Kitchen & Juicery on Sunday night. The stylish restaurant is located in a prime spot in Santa Monica, walking distance from many top tourist attractions such as the Santa Monica Pier and the Third Street Promenade. Locals and visitors from around the globe come to sample Chef Roberto Martin’s healthy cuisine. Originally a carnivore himself, Chef Roberto was hired by Ellen DeGeneres to become her personal vegan chef. After experimenting with protein substitutes, the chef discovered that he could make delicious, meat free meals that were lower in calories and healthier. He soon became a vegan himself, and transformed his own family into vegans as well. In 2014 he left his job as a personal chef and opened his own restaurant, eLOVate.

The dining room at eLOVate is comfortable and inviting
The dining room at eLOVate is comfortable and inviting

 

Our meal began with a couple of signature cocktails. The Silk Road Mule is a unique take on the traditional Moscow Mule. It is made with Crop “meyer lemon” vodka, fresh ginger, peach and lemongrass and ginger beer and is served in the traditional copper mule mug. Fresh and perfectly spicy, the Silk Road Mule is a superbly delicious cocktail.

Paired with the Ginger inspired drink was Grilled Carrot Ginger soup with coconut cream. The freshness of the ginger and carrots in the soup made for a fun, fragrant and distinctive flavor.

The handcrafted cocktails are vegan, organic and simply delicious
The handcrafted cocktails are vegan, organic and simply delicious

Next we had the Nachos, Brody Style. This colorful starter was fully loaded with organic ingredients. Fresh made Corn tortillas topped with jackfruit, tinga, black beans, quinoa, chipotle crema, escabeche and home made guacamole. The combination of all of these things created a divine rendition of a southwestern favorite.

The vegan Nachos at eLOVate are out of this world! It's worth a trip to Santa Monica just to try these! Photo courtesy the Experience Magazine
The vegan Nachos at eLOVate are out of this world! It’s worth a trip to Santa Monica just to try these! Photo courtesy the Experience Magazine

For the main course we had the Arugula Pesto Linguine with cashew cream, sun dried tomatoes and vegan Parmesan. It was topped with blackened tofu that was so perfectly seasoned it would easily have passed for a piece of fresh fish. The pasta was offered in gluten free or regular options, we chose the regular version for our dish. The twist on the Italian mainstay was paired with their house cabernet, a 2012 Skyfall from the Columbia Valley in Washington.

And for dessert we enjoyed a pineapple and coconut raw cheesecake with a scoop of vegan vanilla bean ice cream. The flavors of the cheesecake were daring and bold.

For a truly unique dining experience, eLOVate vegan kitchen & juicery is a wonderful hot spot for vegans, vegetarians and those wishing to try healthy, gourmet food.

Check the website for eLOVate here;

http://www.elovatekitchen.com

About Judy Hansen Pullos

Judy is a contributing writer for THE EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE and photographer in Los Angeles, California

View all posts by Judy Hansen Pullos →

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