Los Gatos Brewing Company

In case you can't tell from the title of this post, we took a little trip down to Los Gatos over the long weekend. We went for the nature, the wineries, and for the promise of an epic meal at one of the country's best restaurants (more on that next time) but the hot weather called for a cold beer. So, after scoping the menu for vegan-friendly bites, we entered the Los Gatos Brewing Company. Happily, they made dinner on our first night in town a mighty pleasurable experience.



Pleasure number one: The garlic oil. This is on the table before you even meet your waiter, so you will have to send it back and ask for one without cheese, but this combo of roasted garlic, olive oil, balsamic, basil, and chili flake is very yummy, especially with their crusty bread. A nice start for sure.

Up next we split this mezze platter. We got it without tzatziki (because yogurt is curdled animal puss, duh) and it was scrumptious, not to mention perfect with my unfiltered LGBC Hefeweizen. The hummus was garlicky, the red pepper eggplant spread just spicy enough to make the tongue tingle, and the falafel were crunchy outside and soft in the middle. Perfect plate for whetting the appetite.

As you can see, there are lots of vegetarian entree choices at LGBC, many of which can be easily veganized. I, however, went for one that required no alterations. Gotta love vegan-by-default, right?

You're looking at the Tunisian Chickpea Stew. It was so light, yet so comforting and warm, and the butternut squash was cooked thoroughly without being mush. Love it. Plus, the fresh spinach made me really happy (gotta have my greens!). A real winner, especially as far a breweries go.

We were too full for dessert, but they did have some sorbets on the menu as far as vegan options go. I'd definitely swing in for a meal and a drink again should I find myself in Los Gatos, and you should do the same.

Next up: A 15 course, 4.5 hour meal to take your breath away. Stay tuned!