Sage Vegan Bistro

I went with Mikey into LA the other day for something job-related (for him) and because I was pretty sure I could talk him into lunch at a new place. Unfortunately, things took longer than expected and I had to be at work by 2:45. Yet, I was determined to try Sage Vegan Bistro inside the Kind Kreme in Echo Park.

The setting is pretty small but bright and cheery. The waitstaff was also very friendl, if a little slow. After patiently waiting for ten minutes to have my order taken, it became kind of obvious I was going to have to get it to go. They were very accomodating in that respect.

There were many delicious things I wanted to try (pretty much anything NOT involving eggplant...shudder). I went with the Black Bean and Plantain Burger, shown below, with a side of potato salad. I had never had plantains before, although it's been on my to-do list for awhile. Let me tell you, you will not be sorry with this burger!
The plantains were lightly grilled. They weren't as sweet as bananas. It was kind of like eating a grilled green banana, both in taste and texture. I love green bananas so I loved it. The black beans had pico de gallo atop them. There was also some sort of sour cream on them. The top bun had arugula, jalapeno and a sauce which I believe was a jalapeno/chipotle aoli sauce. The potato salad was made of red potatoes and lima beans and seasoned with rosemary and dill.

The whole thing was so good, I asked Mike for permission to marry it. Seriously, it was probably one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. My only complaint was the arugula...not too fond of it. But the aoli covered up its taste pretty well. The potato salad was seasoned perfectly.


Mikey got the Jack Daniels Barbeque Burger. It was jackfruit seasoned like pulled pork (so he says, I've never had it), covered with Jack Daniels sauce. Carmelized onions were also involved.

He loved it. I need to find jackfruit somewhere because I've been told I need to learn how to make this :)


While I was waiting for my order, I had a line of view of the treat counter at Kind Kreme and eventually I just gave in and ordered a walnut fudge while I waited.

Not bad. I couldn't finish it all because it was extremely dark chocolate-y, so Mikey got a piece and a half.
So there you have it. Sage Vegan Bistro's food more than makes up for slow service. Next time, I will plan better so I am not writing about flavors while in a car.