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Taran Noah Smith's Vegan Cheese
Remember the little kid on Home Improvement with Tim Allen? He finally grew up. His name is Taran Noah Smith. He owns a nice house in the hills in Sherman Oaks. He married an older woman before Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore made it fashionable. He has a passion for an environmental life. He's vegan. He used to run a vegan restaurant in his house on selected nights.
And while the city stopped Taran and his wife from operating an illegal vegan restaurant in their Sherman Oaks home, they kept going at it by bringing their Playfood brand to a restaurant in Studio City and a mobile kitchen for events. The problem with the restaurant is that it has been sitting empty for almost 2 years now (eek! The rent on Ventura Blvd. has to be killer!). But the rumors of what it would be like sounded great -- open 'til 4 am with vegan junk food like cheese nachos and soft-serve ice cream.
If anyone was lucky enough to taste that cheese, invented by Smith's wife, Heidi Van Pelt (she's the genius chef in this pairing), you know it is addicting. Extremely addicting. And while we wait for a restaurant that will probably never open (same for their website), Playfood has begun to distribute their cheeses in Los Angeles and we're ready to shop.
After the jump are the flavors and where to buy. The list also serves as a nice guide to smaller markets.
Flavors are Cheezy Cheeze (cheddar), Nacheezmo (nacho), Cream Tang (sour cream), Whip Cheeze (cream cheeze). As the product has just been announced, it might take a few weeks for it to hit the shelves at all the markets. Call ahead if you are making a trip just for the cheese.
Mother's Market & Kitchen
2963 Michelson Dr
Irvine, CA 92612
949-752-6667
Sponsored message
Mother's Market & Kitchen
24165 Paseo De Valencia
Laguna Woods, CA 92653
949-768-6667
Mother's Market & Kitchen
225 E 17th St
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
949-631-4741
Mother's Market & Kitchen
19770 Beach Blvd
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
714-963-6667
Nature Mart Bulk Bin
2080 Hillhurst Ave
Los Angeles, CA
323-667-1677
PC Greens
22601 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90265
310-456-0353
Santa Monica Coop
1525 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310-451-8902
Erewhon Natural Foods Market
7660 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-937-0777
Sponsored message
Follow Your Heart
21825 Sherman Way
Canoga Park, CA 91303
818-348-3240
Full o'Life Natural Foods Market and Restaurant
2515 W Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, CA 91505
818-845-8343
Market Gourmet
1800A Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90219
310-305-9800
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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