For Your Morning Vegan Fix
3818 W. Sunset Blvd. (between Lucile and Hyperion)
Phone: 323-953-0611 | map | website

It's sort of neat how each Silver Lake eatery has its own unique set of clientele; I see people here that I don't see at Millie's, nor even at Good (not that we go to Good). Flore is the current occupant in this particular tucked-between-stores space, having a more solid premise than Prasadam before it. It has a notable urban hippie commune feel, which is no surprise considering its vegan menu and deli counter. From time to time we like to wring out our gastronomical selves and get a meatless experience.

It's actually open fairly late (10pm on weekdays) but I like breakfast from Flore. The Blueberry Buckwheat Bliss is an astounding pair of pancakes with crisp edges, almost muffinesque in texture; I'm not a fan of really fluffy blankets of batter anyway. Blueberries and pecans are griddled into it, and it's served with organic maple syrup, soy butter and blueberry/apple preserve on top. The breakfast burrito has Flore's Tofu Scramble in it, with tempeh bacon*, potatoes, cashew cheese and avocado. It's larger than it looks.

Flore makes a relaxed blended ice mocha, and coffee so subtle and gentle that it needs no cream or sugar. They also have organic fruit juices if you're wiser about morning beverages than we are.

Parking is along Sunset or along the hilly streets that sprout from it.

Its little cousin down the street has died off, but it had been reduced to a lackluster brunch buffet anyway. Meet Market is there now, and lots better.

* I like tempeh bacon better than typical veggie bacon or turkey bacon. Those latter two try to be bacon, and fail miserably, only ending up dry, brittle and worthy only as packing foam. Tempeh is a soy product and doesn't try; aside from the shape, it just feels like a flat strip of lentil loaf, which is much tastier than that sounds.