As I mentioned, I’m in Nor Cal for the weekend. Wedding season never ends when you’re in your late 20’s. I spent most of Friday in the car (that I-5 is brutal). But eventually I made it home safe and sound!
Not to self: buy an audiobook for the drive back to LA (recommendations welcome!).
Pre-departure I had a fruity, yogurt, quinoa breakfast bowl.
For those who find soy yogurt a little “off” tasting, try the berry versions…they aren’t as soy-flavored (or however you’d describe that weird after-taste). It’s mostly just with vanilla or plain I think, but I don’t really mind it.
This bowl had strawberry yogurt, which was both delicious and after-taste free, with fresh bananas and strawberries, and quinoa with cinnamon on top.
After I ate, I packed up and hit the road.
Nothing to report about the drive. Glee and Lady Gaga are my go-to playlists for road trips.
I brought snacks for the ride also, but the only thing I bothered to take a pic of was the Almond Honey Crunch.
Four servings? Puh-leeze. The ingredients were conveniently in French (I think?) so I don’t actually know what I was eating – but I do know it was gluten free, dairy free, and kosher! Oh, and really good. Kinda like almond brittle but not as unhealthy or syrupy sweet. Very good.
Since it was already 7 pm when I pulled into my parents’ driveway, I was only home for 15 minutes before we left for dinner.
Patxi’s was my request.
Not only do they have vegan friendly pizza dough, crusts, and toppings, but they have vegan cheese in both soy (Lisanatti) and non-soy (Daiya) options (!!).
It’s nice to see a casual pizza joint embracing vegan toppings. Makes me optimistic about the future of plant-based diets…and allergy awareness as a whole (see below).
The menu indicated that all the dough and sauce were vegan (so I didn’t even have to ask!).
Have you ever tried Chicago style pizza? I’d never even seen authentic deep dish until we went here…uhhhh…holy crust much?!?
We got 3 pizzas for the 4 of us (yes, we were a little aggressive with our ordering).
My parents split the spinach-pesto on Patxi’s pan pizza crust. For info on the four different crust options, see the explanations below.
1. Chicago “Stuffed”
Their flagship pie. A hearty deep dish pizza with a layer of crust on the bottom, followed by layers of cheese and toppings, all covered by another thin layer of crust, topped with our homemade sauce. Prepared and cooked in a deep dish pan. 35-40 minute cook time.
2. Patxi’s Pan Pizza
This lighter deep dish pie features a crunchy cornmeal style crust, with cheese and toppings covered by sauce. Prepared and cooked in a deep dish pan. 25-30 minute cook time.
3. Thin Crust
Classic pizza, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. 25-30 minute cook time.
4. Extra-Thin Crust
Minimalist crust highlights the toppings. 20-25 minute cook time.
Seriously, how insane does that crust look! And that’s not even the Chicago “stuffed” one. Wow. Their pizza had spinach, basil-garlic pesto and parmesan. Sometimes it’s best to go with simple. My dad did some serious damage on this, but they still had one piece left over.
I got the same size pizza as my parents, but it was all for me. :) Piglet.
I opted for the Thin Crust, which was pretty much a normal crust by any other (non-Chicago) standards. I also chose my own toppings, including Daiya cheese, tomato, spinach, bell peppers, and artichokes. Mmmm. So amazing. Daiya is pretty much God’s gift to vegans and/or lactose-intolerant folks. It gets so perfectly melty and tastes delicious. And the crust! Gah. It was so crispy and with the cornmeal on top…man oh man. I was a very happy hippie. My GI tract was pleased as well.
I have pretty much found that keeping my diet no/low FODMAPS throughout the day allows me to eat moderate amounts of wheat/fructans with dinner. I chose vegetables to top the pizza that were on the FODMAPS free list (and steered clear of onions and garlic) and accordingly, the wheat crust was totally tolerable for my digestive system. I think I may have gotten the fructans down!
My sister got a Daiya pizza very similar to mine, but hers was with chicken (and sans bell peppers).
Pah-cheese please!
This restaurant is relatively new to Lafayette, but Kyle’s been to the one in San Francisco before so I’m glad I got to try it for myself.
I really like that they offer other local (Bay Area) goods, like Blue Bottle Coffee, starter bakery, and Bear Republic Brewing Co, etc.
They are also an eco-friendly company.
All of their take-out materials are either recyclable or compostable and all of the restaurant’s food waste is composted. All of their supplies (paper, garbage bags, printer ink, etc.) are made from recycled materials, too.
They buy from local and organic farmers whenever possible, and use a produce supplier who supports sustainability and eco-efficiency.
Props Patxi’s.
The best part about having a huge pizza for just you? Leftovers 🙂
Lunch is served.
Mmm that pizza looks good! I had pizza for dinner last night, though I can imagine its no where near as amazing as the pizza in these pics.
Glad FODMAPS is making your GI system feliz.
Audiobook recommendations (from a psychology nerd):
-Blink, about the instant, subconscious judgements humans make
-Buddha’s Brain, the neuroscience of buddhism simply and clearly written. somewhat self-helpy, but equally scientific and educating.
I’m currently reading both and I like
Have you read (or listened to) The Art of Racing in the Rain or Room. I really enjoyed both of those. The first is not about running despite the title.
What a cool place! Vegan- and eco-friendly?? Very awesome. Supposedly there’s a vegan-friendly pizza place around here, I’ll have to seek it out.
Have you tried coconut milk yogurt? I don’t think it has the same aftertaste as soy.
You are so right about the never-ending wedding season. In two weekends I’m going to what will be my seventh this year! I mean, I like dressing up and drinking free drinks and all, but all the traveling and whatnot gets a little exhausting—and expensive! Long as the bride & groom are happy though : )
Those pizza’s look amazing, by the way. I love all the different veggie options!
Your pizza looks delicious! I have been reading your blog for a couple of months now and I love your efforts towards making your body healthier and working on your IBS. I also suffer from IBS and although not as strong as you are in being able to switch up what I eat entirely, I have gotten better about knowing what works and what doesn’t. Your blog is so inspiring.
I also LOVE audio books and have a ton of recommendations! I recently finished Night Circus, which was perfect for driving and having it read to you. My husband and I listened to The Hunger Games last fall and have since finished reading all the books. I highly recommend this series!
You are in my area of the bay! I didn’t know this place was in Lafayette, I’m going to have to try it out! My favorite food is pizza but being lactose-intolerant I don’t get it very often. It definitely is nice to see some restaurants are offering vegan and gluten free options 🙂
Mmmmm. You’re making me homesick for patxis!!! My fav: deep dish Chicago style with spinach, double mushroom, artichoke, and chicken (and I prefer the soy cheese option to daiya). So happy to hear that this opened in Lafayette!
That place looks amazing and wow, I’m totally craving pizza now!
Omg. That pizza looks amazing! 🙂 I would love to have access to killer restaurants like this!
elissseeeeeeeeeeeee!
first and foremost, i love you. and miss you. and am going to miss you at foodbuzz this year, although i’ll be in europe, so let’s be real. i can’t be that upset. your continual europe recaps are getting me SO excited to go – eep, 23 days!!! also, i am excited to try some of the vegan places in paris that you mentioned.
also, i am totally captivated by this whole FODMAPS thing. while i don’t think it necessarily applies to me, i really think you and my older sister katie have a lot in common. she has MAJOR IBS issues, but she is just way less proactive than you about taking care of them. reducing the amount of gluten she eats was a big feat for me, but i think i might send her some of your FODMAPS posts to see if any of that applies to her. so helpful!
and ugh, i am so jealous of your ability to pack awesome lunches! i have been so lazy lately, that i just end up eating out (which is not awesome for the wallet), so i need to pull an elise and get better about that. i think some sort of quinoa concoction may have to happen this week. really, i just need to stop being lazy. let’s be real.
hope your grandma is doing better, and hope life is treating you well. have fun with your fam in san fran, and love you boo!
<3
holly
thanks for the recs. ill def look into them!
i read the art of racing in the rain a while back, but ive never read room (and ive heard great thing about it), so that might be the winner. depends on length i think.
i havent tried coconut milk yogurt. i wasnt a huge fan of coconut milk or coconut creamers so i was iffy about it. whats the texture like?
i LOOOOVED the hunger games series. i dont know what you thought, but the last book (and the ending) werent as good as the rest of the series…anyways, thanks for the other rec. ill look into night circus for sure.
hey kendall! glad to hear from a fellow east bay reader 🙂
didnt you puke after your last (drunken) patxi’s night??? hahaha
hi love!! congrats on the foodbuzz nom btw. i heart you and know youll have a fabulous time in paris. ill try to have fun in SF even though it wont be the same without my snuggle buddy 🙁
send your sis my fodmaps links. its going great thus far.
Oh, that pizza looks so good, especially since I’m eliminating fodmaps! I’ve never craved bread and apples so much in my life!
It’s interesting that you can tolerate some fructans in the evening if you keep them low during the day. I need to try that! I’ve definitely discovered that fructans are a HUGE problem for my IBS. Aaand, I made the mistake of thinking spelt flour was safe this morning when I made protein pancakes. They were so good, but now I’m feeling terrible! At least I’m learning, though.
Knowing what I can’t eat (even though a lot of them are healthy foods that I love) is so much better than having mysterious IBS flare ups all the time. I used to beat myself up over it, thinking I had over eaten or that I wasn’t as healthy of an eater as I thought I was. The fodmaps diet reminds me not to blame myself!
A little thinner than dairy yogurt, but I know So Delicious has a Greek style out now which I have yet to try. I don’t mind the coconut milk yogurt plain!
Yum yum yum, pizza joy. Woah, I have never seen a crust that MEGA before. I’m totally a thin crust kinda gal. So cool that Paxtis embraces + accommodates vegans/vegetarians (and actually has delicious options, not just a sad looking “green salad”) Enjoy family time!
I always read your blog but I’m usually too lazy to comment (sorry!!).. I love your blog and it’s always nice to know I am not alone in coffee lovers anonymous 😉
It was a bummer you weren’t around a few weekends ago. There was an Eat Real Food Festival in Oakland (eatrealfest.com) you would have loved! It show cased local food trucks and businesses (including blue bottle coffee). Maybe look into it for next year?
I happened to have enjoyed some vegan pizza this past weekend too! It was my first time trying Daiya, and I gotta say, I am way impressed with how delicious it was.
that deep dish pizza looked TOO scrumptious for my ex bulimic mind to encircle. i needed to click away from it. immediately! so, to save me the devastating effort of reviewing the delicious photograph again, could you please tell me, “was the pizza vegan?” my sister lives in chicago, and i’ve told her many times that chicago does not sell vegan deep dish pizzas! but perhaps i’m wrong. 🙂 yes? no? http://www.nicoleandgwendolyn.com
I just finished “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” and it was a very uplifting and well-written book… another favorite is “Netherland” by Joseph O’Neill.
Audiobooks are great, especially when you don’t have a stocked iPod to attach to your sound system! I once drove from Portland to LA with nothing but the radio and I nearly lost my mind. An audiobook would have been quite helpful for that journey.
Mmm…that looks so good! 🙂 I bought some Daiya cheese home with me from my trip to America, adn I am so excited to try it! 😀 xyx
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I am so hitting up Patxi’s when we’re up in the bay area again! And its vegan cheese? Holy help me GAWD! I do miss me some good Chicago deep dish pizza!
Holy pizza crust!! I can’t believe that first one’s not even the stuffed one! Wow! The “thin crust” that you got would be perfect for me…that’s how I always make my pizzas when I’m at home! Good choice on the toppings! I always forget how good artichokes are on pizza!
I’ve always wanted to try an audiobook, but of the ones I’ve previewed, the voices are always so annoying! Haha!
i know!!!! it was a monster of a thing!! i had the same reaction with audiobooks, so ive only done the podcast thing. i think since they are real people not trying to voice characters its ok.
yes!! and its soooo yummy.
i dont live in chicago but im sure theres a place somewhere that makes deep dish pizzas that are vegan too.
this pizza was vegan and it was great.
hi taya! so great to hear from a fellow fodmap-er.
i havent had an apple in nearly a month now and its the weirdest thing. its eye opening that something so healthy that i was consuming daily could be a cause of GI distress.
i completely understand your frustrations – remember not to beat yourself up because its nothing you are doing.
i have spelt flour in the cupboard just waiting for my next experiment. we will see!
please continue experimenting and share your journey with me!
so awesome! definitely will have to track it down next year.
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