Bring a big appetite to Little Pine

A song by artist Moby includes the lyrics "One of these mornings, it won't be very long, you'll look for me, I'll be gone." The musician couldn't have known then how applicable these words would be a decade later when someone might ask where a young food blogger went off to. The answer, a majority of the time that question is posed, could probably be Moby's restaurant, Little Pine, which is so exceptional it will have you wandering off in a zombie-like state to Rowena Avenue in Silver Lake for a bowl of vegan mac and cheese.

Moby's restaurant was founded on the principle that animals are friends, not food, and to consider including Henrietta the Hen on the menu instead of her own seat at the dinner table is unforgivable. Ok, perhaps this is speculation, but the man did in fact get the words "animal rights" in big, bold, black letters tattooed across the lengths of his arms. So this could be a spot on assumption. Not to digress, the point here is that the menu is entirely vegan, though you would never suspect it was anything but real, velvety cheese in the bowl of noodles or cow's milk butter slathered on the mashed potatoes. The food here, intended pre-COVID for family style sharing, is anything but shareable because the taste and quality are so immense that you'll want to hoard the meal for yourself.

Since it's been mentioned here twice, let's delve into the mac and cheese. To confuse this Little Pine staple for your traditional box of effervescently neon orange Kraft mac and cheese would be a mortal error. Perfectly el dente noodles are topped with the restaurant's signature vegan cheese sauce and peppered with toasted breadcrumbs. It's unclear how such a simple dish could have such an entrancing effect, but it's impossible to stop your fork from plunging into the ever-diminishing bowl with any less enthusiasm than that of an older lady tasked with drawing the numbers for bingo from a spinning wheel.

It's no secret that brussel sprouts often land on the No Fly list that is many people's palate, but made correctly and seasoned appropriately, they can steal the show. At Little Pine, the brussel sprouts are crisped in a bath of olive oil until the edge furl and turn golden brown. A Calbrian chili aioli is drizzled over the brussels before a mess of chopped cashews are dashed on top. The end result is a perfectly tender inside encased in a crispy shell that's coated in creamy, zesty sauce. The touch of crunch added by the cashews really brings this textural experience full circle, leaving you to pity any fool who turned them down over a misguided childhood memory of grandma's steamed mini cabbages. If you're wondering what's going on behind the brussel sprouts, a pair of fluffy stuffed pupusas is hidden beneath an assortment of pickled vegetables. This take on pupusas, a tradition of El Salvador, includes cauliflower dough, black beans, faux cheese and smoked chili jam for a stunning combination.

Though the menu includes a roster of stars rivaling that of the U.S. Olympic basketball team, this post ends with a look at a sandwich that could have even the most adventurous eaters skipping over it: the apple sandwich. In between two pieces of toasted sourdough rests a layering of gala apples, faux prosciutto, smoked gouda, avocado, organic peanut butter, heirloom tomatoes, capers, and veganaise. The combination sounds like a meal a 10-year-old would prepare with a fridge of random ingredients but in reality, these initially cringe-inducing combinations combine for a shockingly delicious experience. The creaminess of the avocado, gouda, peanut butter and veganaise balance out the crunch of the apples and tomatoes, creating a satisfying crunch that plays whack-a-mole with your tongue, hitting every single flavor sensor. After a moment of contemplation that comes with the first bite, each taste after that is deeply gratifying and leaves you with the question "how can this be good?" Rest assured, as frankensteinian as it may sound, this sandwich is delightful.

It's impossible to go wrong with any selection from the menu at Little Pine. The chefs aren't simply filling empty bellies, they're creating works of art that celebrate what nature has to offer. Whether your order includes sun-ripened heirloom tomatoes or smokey vegan cheese, you can be certain that quality was a deciding factor in what goes onto your plate.