Julie Goes Green in every way

(Photo by Brett Callwood)

Vegan Italian restaurant Julie Goes Green was co-founded by sisters Julie and Shelly (they keep their second names to themselves). 

“My sister, Julie, has been in the restaurant industry for nearly two decades now and has successfully created and managed three different restaurants, with Julie Goes Green being her first all-green restaurant,” says Shelly online. “Both Julie and I have been on a plant-based diet for the last 20+ years, and our compassion for nature and animals is the primary reason for our choice of lifestyle. Ever since Julie has been in the restaurant industry, we’ve talked about opening our own green restaurant, so pioneering Julie Goes Green has been a shared dream of ours.”

Located on Palms Boulevard just across the boundary in Los Angeles, Julie Goes Green is a wonderfully quaint, warm and welcoming little restaurant. The owners are environmentally conscious too.

“In addition to not serving any animal products, we try to be more environmentally friendly by using biodegradable containers for our food items, and most of our internal decor is composed of recycled material,” they say. “Moreover, we don’t carry any plastic bottled drinks or use any paper plates because we believe in working-towards a sustainable green future. We hope that doing all this will inspire others to go green and lead more Eco-friendly lifestyles.”

We opted for the Italian Salad: Organic romaine lettuce, vegan mozzarella, garbanzo, kidney beans, tomatoes, olives and pepperoncini tossed in Italian dressing.

The only difference between this and a non-vegan Italian salad is the fake cheese. Vegan mozzarella, and all vegan cheeses, can often be where the dishes fall down. Here, it mixes in just fine with the other ingredients. The vegetables are crisp and lively, the beans tasty and plump, and the dressing cheekily delicious. The olives and pepperoncini are the final flourishes in what is a very tasty, and green, salad.

Less healthy but also very yummy is the Fried Zucchini. The generous portion of very large spears are a real treat. Perfectly breaded and fried so as to be crispy and golden but not at all greasy, the zucchini is full of squashy flavor while the coating offers a satisfying crunch and a hint of caramelized comfort. 

Between the two dishes, we received ample proof that Julie Goes Green knows what it’s doing. Whether you want something healthy or decadent, you can get it here safe in the knowledge that nothing was mistreated and the environment was carefully considered.

Julie Goes Green is located at 11140 Palms Blvd., Los Angeles 90034. Contact 310-398-4620, or visit juliegoesgreen.com.