I know, I know. This is a mostly-vegan blog and yet I’m posting about a place called The Lobster? Frankly, yes. Let’s be honest – there’s only one other person in my entire family who is vegan and luckily for this trip, she lives in California.  But a lot of times I end up eating at restaurants that are not vegan centric. Or even veggie-centric. And that’s when it’s exciting to know you can still eat out with friends!

Take The Lobster –  a seafood restaurant located right on Santa Monica pier – it has great views, white tablecloths, decent service, a nice wine list and I can eat there! This place has become a staple for my aunt and I when I’m visiting. I am a sucker for good wine and a view. The last time we came back in April we ordered just sides – and were blown away by the mushroom ragout. This time around the waiter informed us there was veal stock in the mushrooms. We were both absolutely crushed. Even when I did eat some meat I would have never eaten veal. So learn from my mistake – ALWAYS ask about EVERYTHING. Meat can sneak right into your veggies.

However, this time around everything was meat-free and totally vegan. I ordered the crab and arugula salad – without the crab – and asked the waiter to add on some avocado.

We shared the truffle fries without parmesan and roasted carrots, grilled asparagus and a beet and quinoa side as well. All in all it was delish!

So if you ever find yourself wandering down Santa Monica pier looking for a place to eat, don’t be fooled by it’s name. The Lobster will do just fine.