(Photo by Brett Callwood)
Vegan Italian restaurant Julie Goes Green was co-founded by sisters Julie and Shelly (they keep their second names to themselves).
“My sister, Julie, has been in the restaurant industry for nearly two decades now and has successfully created and managed three different restaurants, with Julie Goes Green being her first all-green restaurant,” says Shelly online. “Both Julie and I have been on a plant-based diet for the last 20+ years, and our compassion for nature and animals is the primary reason for our choice of lifestyle. Ever since Julie has been in the restaurant industry, we’ve talked about opening our own green restaurant, so pioneering Julie Goes Green has been a shared dream of ours.”
Located on Palms Boulevard just across the boundary in Los Angeles, Julie Goes Green is a wonderfully quaint, warm and welcoming little restaurant. The owners are environmentally conscious too.
“In addition to not serving any animal products, we try to be more environmentally friendly by using biodegradable containers for our food items, and most of our internal decor is composed of recycled material,” they say. “Moreover, we don’t carry any plastic bottled drinks or use any paper plates because we believe in working-towards a sustainable green future. We hope that doing all this will inspire others to go green and lead more Eco-friendly lifestyles.”
Not everything at Julie Goes Green is hyper-healthy; there’s plenty of fried food on offer, proving that vegans can enjoy the comforts of comfort food along with everyone else. We split the difference and opted for the Buffalo Salad: “Organic spring mix, tomato, buffalo cauliflower, celery, carrot with vegan house ranch dressing.”
There’s the option of a small or large salad, though there’s only a $3 difference so we went for the big one. It was worth it, because the salad is delicious. The spring leaves are airy and full of life, vibrant and more-ish. Similarly, the tomato, carrot and celery dance on the palette–the natural, fresh flavors working together to create a party in your mouth.
But we’re only just getting started, because the buffalo cauliflower is immense. The breading is perfectly crisp, while the cauliflower inside isn’t overcooked. It still has that perfect texture – not quite a crunch, but definitely not soggy.
The buffalo coating is to die for. Spicy enough to make your mouth tingle without blowing your head off. Put it all together, and you have a great salad that’ll make your family, not just Julie, go green with envy.
Julie Goes Green is located at 11140 Palms Blvd., Los Angeles 90034. Contact 310-398-4620, or visit juliegoesgreen.com.
Dining and Cooking