Being that yesterday was Friday, I didn't have a chance to blog, so I'm aiming for two entries today. First off, an omni restaurant review: Our go-to restaurant in the Valley that consistently pleases everyone is Gio Cucina Napoletana in Encino. They always have at least 4 freshly-made vegan soups daily (these change based on what's available seasonally), a vegan calzone(!) made with whole wheat flour, a vegan whole wheat pasta dish, and a number of salads that can be veganized by requesting that the cheese be left off. All that, plus they give you fresh bread w/ vegan olive tapenade and little bruschettas while you're contemplating the menu. There's a lovely selection of sorbets on the dessert menu if you're not too stuffed from your meal. It's a tiny, mom and pop Italian restaurant where the staff rarely changes and they greet you with a smile of recognition. This is my absolute favorite Italian restaurant by far.
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4 comments:
Cool, I'll have to try this place out sometime with my meat & cheese loving folks. A while ago I took the parental units to Cafe Carolina in Encino for their anniversary based on many raving reveiws from vegetarians and vegans regarding their many meat and dairy free options. Not only was there hardly anything available that was vegan (one entree and one soup, and the waitress wasn't even sure about the ingredients), but the service was also awful, the portions super tiny, and the overall experience quite negative. The food we did get was tasty, I'll give them that much, but not tasty enough to take the bad taste out of our mouths. Sorry to comment on your review with another review! I'm just happy to learn there's another Italian option in the Valley for me to explore that potentially doesn't suck!
You should definitely take your family to Gio's. It's really the only place that my entire family loves. Everyone can agree on it, which makes life so much easier. I often just get a bowl of soup and coconut sorbet, but the calzone and the whole wheat pasta are excellent. It just depends on my appetite. :) I'll be avoiding Cafe Carolina, so thank you for that review! Let me know how you like Gio's!!
YUM! My prevailing fantasy is to move to Napoli and become a pizza maker, but as there is no chance of that happening in my near future, I think we'll try this restaurant instead.
Ooh, let me know if you ever want to use me as a guinea pig for your gourmet vegan pizzas!!
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