Restaurant Review: The Spot

Let me begin with a caveat: I am carnivorous. I devour steak, I inhale chicken and I salivate at the mere mention of bacon and other pork related products.

Nevertheless, I'm excited to hit The Spot, a restaurant that's been doing the vegetarian thing with creativity and flair long before it was in vogue. Word is Paul McCartney makes a stop here whenever he's in Los Angeles — they have the pictures on the wall to prove it.

The interior of the restaurant is charming, with tables clothed in colorful green, red and white accents, making you feel as it you could be in a Mexican café, yet at the same time your grandmother's dining room. There's also a cozy back patio where diners gather beside wood lattice and lush greenery.

The menu is playfully inventive, with a variety of Mexican themed dishes and other interesting creations that incorporate tofu, tempeh and assorted vegetables and legumes.

Good collard greens are hard to find around these parts, but the ones here ($3.95) make you feel like you could pound Popeye and his lowly spinach into submission. It's like a bowl full of health and vigor.

The Texas three bean soup ($4), loaded with veggies, lentils and other beans, could use a couple pinches of salt, but dunk a chunk of the homemade wheat bread served alongside and everything is copasetic.

A trip to The Spot would be incomplete without sampling their "world famous savory sauce." Made from tofu, almond oil and other assorted ingredients, it's slathered over their "steamers," which are assorted vegetables on a bed of organic brown rice ($11.95). 

A variety of smaller steamer plates are available and we go for one called Dear George ($8.95), which is garden vegetables and tofu served over brown rice and covered with the aforementioned savory sauce.  The vegetables are fresh and everything melds beautifully and I can see why the sauce is world famous — you just can't stop eating it.

Our server schools us on the wonders of tempeh, which like tofu is made from soybeans, but has a firmer texture, stronger flavor and also contains more protein. Skeptical but curious, I go with the tamale combo plate ($12.95) that includes a tamale, a cheese (soy or regular) enchilada and a hard taco with tempeh. The enchilada with soy cheese is loaded with vegetables and the sauce is terrific, but the star is the taco. It's a revelation; multiple bites and careful inspection still don't reveal how tempeh can so perfectly mimic ground beef. 

For dessert, cobblers are a great choice.  The strawberry version ($4.95) we choose is delicious — the crumbly graham cracker crust perfectly balances the sweetness of the fresh fruit filling.

A meal at The Spot is a cleansing experience for the body and mind. Established in 1977, the warm ambiance, friendly service and passion for natural health food all make you feel a part of something special. The great thing is, you don't have to permanently retire your steak knives to appreciate a vegetarian meal here, simply relax and enjoy giving your carnivorous side a brief hibernation.

The Spot is located at 110 Second Street. Open daily 10am-10pm. Telephone: 310-376-2355.  Metered street parking.