Almost vegan in Los Angeles IV

(See also: Parts one, two, and three)

It’s the final installment of my LA trip! On Sunday morning, the rain we’d feared all weekend finally showed up. Though it only drizzled throughout the day, it was funny to see all the Los Angelinos panic and break out their umbrellas.

A craving for another Jamba Juice smoothie led us to Larchmont Avenue, where we ended up not even going to JJ because we spotted Crumbs Bakery first.



Cupcakes at 10am? Why not?!



Matt ate a chocolate cappuccino cupcake for breakfast. (I don't know what's cuter here, the cupcake or the boy.)



We also bought a mini-cupcake sampler pack of some of their bestsellers.



They were very impressive to look at, and every single one tasted divine. (They were gone by the next morning.)



Across the street, we discovered a small but bustling little farmers market.



After a lap around, I bought a pack of whole wheat pita bread and a container of artichoke hummus for lunch.



Matt indulged me with a trip to Trader Joe’s after that. I’d never been to one, and my degree of excitement was probably a little silly, but what can I say. I had to buy some Spanish olive oil, coconut milk, cocoa powder, and a reusable shopping bag while I was there.



We spent the next several hours walking up and down Melrose, shopping and browsing and coveting. So many of the stores, like Shrine and S&G, were right up our alley. And don't even talk to us about the shoe stores!

After returning to the hotel and getting cleaned up, we headed out to Santa Monica to attend an entertaining little steampunk "show." On our way back out of town, Matt honored another foodie request of mine with a quick stop at Planet Raw.



The menu there fascinates me – they have so many items I’m curious about and would love to try someday – but understandably, it was not a place Matt wanted to actually have a meal, especially after he was nearly sickened by the smell inside. It was not pleasant. I have no idea what it was, but they should really work on that, as it makes eating there far less appetizing. Anyway, Matt held his nose as they made the smoothie I ordered, and we took it to go.

Luckily, the smoothie itself (a Mocha Mylk Shake) was wonderful. It contained nut milk of some kind, cacao, maca, and coffee, and was topped with nut kream and a sprinkle of goji berry granola. It tasted much like a fast food chocolate shake, in a good way. Even Matt liked it.



We met Bobby and Mary and co. at Malediction Society, yet another darkwave/industrial dance night. This one was at Club Monte Cristo on Wilshire Blvd, and it was probably my favorite of the trip. We got back to the hotel late, got up early the next morning, and flew home to KC. Overall, we both had a fantastic time in Los Angeles. I definitely can't wait to go back sometime.

I'll leave you with a bit of randomness—we drove by this place several times, and though we certainly didn’t eat there, we were endlessly amused by the "Crispy Chickenjoy" and "Juicy Yumburger" signs. Enjoy.



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