zCafe Debuts from the Founders of zPizza

Those of you that read this blog regularly are well aware of my affection for zPizza. It's my go-to any time I'm looking for a good vegan pie and don't feel like making one myself. About a month or so ago, zPizza founder Sid Fanarof opened the first of a new concept, zCafe, in South Coast Plaza. When my mom was shopping there recently and called me to ask if she could buy me lunch, I jumped at the opportunity and told her we had to try zCafe. She's also a huge zPizza fan.

Much like zPizza, there's only one item on the menu that's specifically vegan, but much of the rest of the menu can be veganized. In addition to the Laguna Beach Vegan pizza, there are salads, sandwiches and some daily soups that add to the vegan options.

Without hesitation, I ordered the smaller portion of the Laguna Beach Vegan pizza. While it's the smaller of two sizes, it is far from small, and could actually be shared between two people, all for $9.95. Like the Berkeley Vegan from zPizza, this pie is topped with Daiya mozzarella and Gardein crumbles, but is also flanked with a ton of fresh, marinated and grilled seasonal veggies. Sid takes pride in using the best ingredients available, and these seasonal veggies are no exception. The crust and sauce is organic and a gluten free option is also available.

Needless to say, I was supremely pleased with this lunch and my fondness for zPizza and now zCafe has grown even stronger. This was by far and away the single best meal I have ever eaten inside of a mall, and healthy eaters in Orange County owe Sid and his team a hearty thanks for giving us healthier options at South Coast.

Click here to visit the zCafe site.

Click here to follow zPizza on Twitter.