For our close friend’s birthday, we met her and a group at Venice Ale House, a cute place located right on the Venice Beach Boardwalk.
I checked their website ahead of the visit and saw that they offer “local California wines and a full menu of organic and sustainable food.” Whenever a restaurant mentions organic, sustainable food, I get my hopes up for interesting vegan options and Venice Ale House did not disappoint.
I ordered the Spooni Special Vegan Scramble with tempeh bacon from their brunch menu. This was my first experience with tempeh bacon and it was a total mouthgasm! I never even liked bacon as an omnivore, but there’s something so awesome about that smoky “meaty” texture in a scramble. The scramble came with the aforementioned tempeh bacon, red potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, garlic sauteed onions, roasted bell pepper, black beans, and market greens (I ordered it without avocado). I haven’t had much variety, but this is seriously one of the best vegan breakfasts I have ever had.
Love that tempeh!
After we finished the meal, we walked the boardwalk to people watch. Venice is a crazy place, but a must-visit for any tourist in town!
Happy Birthday, Jessica!
A Vegan in Progress 
I hadn’t heard of this place. Thanks for the tip!