Eric and I went for a drive this weekend without much of a plan as to where we were headed. We ended up in Santa Monica and Eric asked me to direct him to the address that was mapped in his phone. We pulled up to Real Food Daily, a vegan restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard. He once again did something so supportive and kind. I can’t say enough how lucky I am to have him.
To drink, I ordered their lemonade and Eric got an Oogave cola. The lemonade was delicious and refreshing; I would definitely order it again. Eric really enjoyed his cola and the tagline on the bottle, “All the flavor, all the fun, none of the junk.” They use agave nectar as sweetener. He liked it so much that he bought some more at Sprouts yesterday.
It was really difficult to decide what to order because everything on the menu sounded so good. I settled on the Fettuccini Alfredo because I have yet to try a vegan version of one of my favorite pasta dishes. They make theirs with spinach fettuccini, creamy alfredo sauce, roasted red peppers, broccoli, and toasted pine nuts and it comes with a few small slices of roasted garlic bread.
Man, was it delicious. The sauce was great and the pine nuts on top added just enough crunch. The garlic bread looked hard and dry, but I found it really tasty once I took a bite.
Eric ordered El Bandito Rojo (“The Red Bandit”). It includes corn enchiladas, seasoned tempeh, salsa roja, Spanish rice, black beans, pico de gallo, tofu sour cream, and guacamole. From the looks of it, I never would have known it was vegan. Just look at that appetizing dish.
He said that he would eat vegan more often if it was all like that dish. Then he told me about how other day he went to King Taco with a friend, which is a fast food taco chain in LA that he used to frequent when he was younger. He said the food was just crappy. Now that he is eating less meat, he is becoming more picky about what he does eat. I think this is a good step, especially for someone who has not made a decision to eat less animal products, but is doing so simply because of circumstance.
On our way in, we walked right past the dessert case which had some yummy looking cupcakes, cakes, and cookies, so I knew we would be ordering dessert. We decided to split a Chocolate Gluten-Free Cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing.
The icing was really nice, creamy and not overly peanutty, but the cake was very dry. I couldn’t finish more than a couple of bites. I will be trying something else on my next visit. Right before we left, I saw a plate of nachos being delivered to the table behind Eric. It looked so awesome, I had to sneak a picture.
The staff was very friendly and the environment was nice. The tab added up fast, but they are pretty much in the same price range as the other restaurants in Santa Monica. Try it if you’re in the area! They also have locations in West Hollywood and Pasadena as well.
A Vegan in Progress 
The food looks so tasty! I am planning a trip to Santa Monica, and I have been looking for vegan friendly eateries. Real Food Daily sounds perfect. Thanks for the share.