Flore Cafe, home to the beloved all-you-can-eat weekend buffets, is switching up their concept. Instead of being a full-fledged restaurant, they are morphing into a 100% vegan cafe/market hybrid. They now have a small menu of soup, salads, and sandwiches along with an array of vegan goodies including tasties like boxes of mac ‘n’ cheese, an array of non-dairy milks, and a few bulk bins filled with goods like gelatin-free gummy bears. I stopped in today to check it out.
To start off I ordered a juice, instructing the very friendly counter dude just to make his own concoction. He whipped up a perfect mixture of apple, celery, kale, ginger, and carrot that made a very refreshing drink with just a hint of zing that wasn’t at all overpowering.
I’m not a meat analog fan but the philly cheesesteak sounded appealing to me. I was feeling nostalgic for the summer during high school when one of my friend’s worked at Quizno’s and I ate more free cheesesteak subs than I care to admit. The sandwich came piping hot fresh off the grill and did not disappoint. There was shredded fake beef, lots of perfectly grilled onions, the best vegan mozzarella I’ve ever had, and an amazing red sauce that had a bit of spice. I don’t know if The Meet Market makes that sauce themselves but if they do they need to start selling me jars of it by the case! Could that mozzarella have been Follow Your Heart? Whatever brand it is, I need to know stat so I can go stock up on that too. This sandwich was heavenly and after finishing the whole thing I was super stuffed. Definitely plenty of bang for your buck.
In the refrigerated display case there is a small selection of cupcakes made by the owner herself. I think there was a carrot cake one and maybe a strawberry vanilla–I couldn’t really tell you because I stopped paying attention after I heard “peanut butter chocolate torte.” This baby was not so much a cupcake as a mini pie complete with a nutty peanut butter crust, a rich fudgey center, and peanut butter frosting on top. Holy. mother. If you don’t get your hands on one of these treats you will be missing out on what has just topped my list of favorite desserts in Los Angeles. Yes, it even surpasses Scoops, and I fucking LOVE ice cream, so that is really saying something. These tortes are very decadent so I’m saving my second half for tomorrow. At $2.75 a pop, these are really reasonably priced.
In fact, I am really impressed with all the prices at The Meet Market. Their sandwiches are beyond filling and they top out at 6 bucks. Their grocery goods are also affordable. I won’t name names, but I can think of at least a couple similar vegan/health stores that require me to be in a whole different tax bracket to shop there with any frequency.
The Meet Market maintains Flore Cafe’s good vibe and its sunny staff while switching it up a bit–with great results. The best part is that the all-you-can-eats aren’t going anywhere. Will I see anyone else for Southern Brunch on Saturday morning? I will definitely be there this weekend and probably again soon after that!
The Meet Market
3206 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323.667.0116
*For more on The Meet Market, check out Quarrygirl’s take and the menu below
