by Pam Shaffer

When most carnivores think of vegan food, they conjure up images of uncooked
kale, mounds of curdled tofu, unsavory vegetable juices and rabbit food.
However, even the staunchest meat eater can find a delectable meal at Follow
Your Heart, where the menu holds a healthy amount of vegetarian and vegan
dishes.

From their homemade soups to their customized deep dish pizzas, FYH
knows how to do vegetarian food right.

Stand out dishes are their tempeh tacos, club sandwiches and braised tofu wraps. The tacos are filled with
fresh lettuce, cheese (soy or dairy), salsa, guacamole, and of course spiced
tempeh. They have a rich flavor and hearty texture, and they make a filling
meal along with the fresh black beans and rice that come on the side.

The club sandwiches are made with crunchy wheat bread and thin slices of wheat-meat
along with vegan bacon bits, the traditional lettuce and tomato plus homemade
Vegenaise.

Vegenaise was created by one of the owners of FYH, and he
certainly knew what he was doing when he made this cruelty-free spread that
beats the taste of mayo any day.

The braised tofu wrap has freshly-cooked
tofu, shredded cabbage, cucumbers, guacamole and a bit of cheese, all wrapped
up in a giant wheat tortilla. The tastes come together to create a burrito
from heaven (this is likely due to the fresh guacamole if you ask
me).

If you have somehow saved room for dessert, FYH serves up delicious
dairy and non-dairy milkshakes along with fresh vegan baked goods.

My personal favorite is their chocolate raspberry cake, which I cart home by
the slice. I rarely tell people that it's vegan until after they have
messily devoured it because frankly, it's fun to see the looks on their
faces. Nothing can match the look of "What? That wasn't bad for me?"

Though it's in the heart of the valley, I'm up for a drive to FYH any time.

Follow Your Heart is located at 21825 Sherman Way Canoga Park, CA 91303 and
is open from 8am until 9pm. There is a market attached where you can shop
for all your organic food needs and peruse neat stuff, like windchimes and
jewelry.

photo by ian broyles