We're baaaaack!

Hello All!

First-

S O R R Y.

We've been on a serious hiatus, buckling down and being adults. (TOTAL BUMMER) Don't fret, we are coming back swinging!

Super excited to announce that we are in a new city- a city filled with fog, amazing coffee, heaven sent pain au chocolate, and wine country not too far. 

That's right, we are now based in S A N  F R A N C I S C O. 

Major things planned for 2015- we will be up and down the coast of California, bouncing around the Pacific Northwest, and cruising on the East Coast.

Cheers to 2015 (clink, clink)

-Basil & Bite

Wednesday Wake Up

STUMPTOWN COFFEE ROASTERS

It's Wednesday, which means it's that much closer to Friday. If you're anything like us over here at B&B, we need a little motivation to make it through the next couple of days. Here's a little caffeinated hot spot that will make you forget it's "hump day." This is definitely one of our favorite places to visit while in Portland and we were beyond elated to find out that Stumptown Coffee Roasters has made their way to Southern California. We no longer have to search high & low, or order our beloved "HAIRBENDER" online. We could rave for days about their perfected coffee and the level of  detail that goes into this company, but the bottom line is, Stumptown Coffee Roasters embodies "cool." Check it out for yourself, and make dreaded Wednesday's feel like Friday. 

Stumptown Coffee Roasters

American Classics

 (yes, this is the BB burg! )

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

We've tried enough black bean burgers in our lifetime to really know what constitutes a decent veggie patty. Here at Basil & Bite, we are really excited to share one of our favorite spots in downtown San Diego, The Neighborhood. Many of our San Diego friends will agree that this unique gastropub is the perfect place to grab a burger & fries and try one of their 27 microbrews, or dabble in their impressive wine and whiskey selection. The Neighborhood has mastered American classics like PB & J, Grilled Cheese, and popcorn, all with an artisan approach. Now, back to that black bean burger: this simple and straightforward burger, is both well prepared and well seasoned, and most importantly: NOT DRY! There's something nostalgic about being able to order a grilled cheese and fries, or mac & cheese, even a PB & J, and perhaps that contributes to the success of this San Diego favorite. This is a perfect weekend place, and HEY, whadda ya know..it's the weekend, so GO.

The Neighborhood

Basil & Bite

Vegan Wonderland

                                                         

                                                                 

                 

               SAGE

 If you're vegan/vegetarian and living in Los Angeles, you've probably visited Sage or know someone who has. This vegan wonderland features some of the best vegan food on the west coast. Sage has become our Sunday brunch go-to. There's something about the Sausage Florentine and Burrito Mole, that has us coming back and rarely trying anything new. Shakes, smoothies, fresh juices, coffee & tea are the perfect compliment to these perfected dishes. Now, we'd like to tell you about the ice cream sandwiches, but we will have to save that for another post, because those deserve a little recognition of their own! Featured in todays post: Baja Avocado Tacos & GF Bowl of Soul. Like I said, we really like our brunch- but these dishes have found a new place in our hearts, or tums for that matter. Any restaurant that tosses a mac & cheese ball in a bed of quinoa and sweet potato, wins our love at B&B. We could brag forever, but lets face it, our pictures & words won't taste nearly as good, so you gotta check it out for yourself...

SAGE

Basil & Bite

Easy As Pie

Pizzanista

Living in Los Angeles, pizza is easy to come by. No matter what part of town your in, finding a decent slice is a walk in the park. This is why today's featured spot is so special. With so many competitors, Pizzanista has us coming back, completely forgetting about many of the local pizza spots. Nestled in DTLA, we've found ourselves frequenting this spot for $2 tuesdays enough, that an intervention is in order. For you late night Angelenos, they're open until 12am every night but Sunday, and yes, they deliver, and YES, you can order online. Now, lets get down to the food talk. For the vegans, theres more than one vegan pizza option, and you can substitute your cheese on other pizzas. Theres vegan pepperoni, vegan sausage, and vegan bacon! Long gone are the days of drab cardboard pizzas! Pizzanista hit the nail on the head with their vegan options, while also offering vegetarian and meat lovers choices. Kombucha at a pizza place? YEP. You'll also find vegan cupcakes that vary each day too. OH, and did we mention that everything's made in house, and with local produce? That's right, this place is everything & one of our TOP picks!

Pizzanista!

Basil & Bite

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Side Salad No More

Mendocino Farms

Any restaurant with a separate vegan/vegetarian menu always scores extra points in our books. There's nothing quite like having options more than the side order menu. Let's face it, we've all been there, "i'll take the side salad and the baked potato." Mendocino Farms, our new go to for a quick and savory sandwich, has earned MAJOR kudos from Basil & Bite. OKAY, OKAY, so perhaps the plethora of pasta salad samples had a little to do with it! But on a serious note,  this 7-grain vegan burger has us frequenting this establishment more than we'd like to admit. For those of you from LA, know that any place that shares a parking lot with Trader Joes, and is within a block of The Grove, know that it must be NOTEWORTHY. AVO, ONION, TOMATOES, BUTTER LETTUCE, VEGAN PATTY & CIABATTA..I mean seriously, have you started driving there yet? This is also a great place to bring your non-veggie friends, as there is something for everyone. Now, we know this is our first post about Mendocino, rest assured it won't be the last, guess you could say, we're OBSESSED.

Mendocino Farms

Basil & Bite

Donut Cakes

Dark Horse Vegan Donuts

   It seems only appropriate to make our first post about donuts. As self proclaimed donut connoisseurs, it seems safe to say that they hold a special place in our hearts. Featured in this post are the much talked about Dark Horse Coffee vegan donuts. Unlike any donut we've tried, it's less of a typical "donut" and more of a mini cake. A heavy and mildly sweet donut, this sprinkled little cake is a perfect compliment to Dark Horses perfected coffee.

Dark Horse Roasting 
Basil & Bite