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    Journal

    You're Cordially Invited

    You're Cordially Invited

    Starting this Saturday and continuing every Saturday in March, MooShoes Los Angeles will be joining forces with longtime friend + purveyor of preposterously palatable plant-based frankfurters, Frankens to bring LA a series of celebratory collabs.

    First up—another longtime friend of the store, Cat of Cup My Cakez, who will be offering up a whole host of special, vegan, gluten-free sweets + treats along with her dear dog, Joanie. We’ll be donating a percentage of the day’s sales to Cat for Joanie’s extensive vet bills of late and welcome anyone + everyone to bring your friendly furry pups to help us celebrate— DON’T MISS IT!

    Meet the Staff: Rebecca

    Meet the Staff: Rebecca

    We haven't done one of these in a while!

    Like we mentioned on these pages a bit back (right down there, actually, if you scroll a bit? See it?), despite what you may think due to our highly professional, polished nature, MooShoes is NOT, in fact, a massive corporation run by a distant, aloof board of directors or an elusive, mustachioed CEO who gives everyone the creeps, we're a pretty small group of friends and co-workers (and the two sisters who started it all back in NYC in 2001).

    So we're (slowly) working to introduce ourselves to you via seven-question interviews with each of our staff on these pages and through Instagram.

    Next up, Rebecca, who formerly worked at our NYC store and now calls our Los Angeles store home (not literally, she has her own digs with fewer cats/shoes).

    First off, what do you do when you're not slinging vegan shoes?
    A borderline ridiculous amount of yoga. And walking around LA car-free!
     
    What first led you to lead a more animal-friendly lifestyle?
    As a young yogi, I had the auspices to gain a teacher who was a student of Sri Dharma Mittra—an amazing senior instructor of a beautiful hatha raja yoga method. Additionally, he never shied away from encouraging compassion for all beings all the time, including through one's dietary choices. I decided to be vegan in part to become more adherent to Ahimsa—the principle of compassion (non-harming, non-violence).
    Tell us about a nonprofit or charity or cause you really dig that we maybe don't already know about?
    One I'm pretty proud to work with is an organization called GirlTrek, which encourages more women of color to get outdoors for their mental and physical health. Women can join existing local groups, or they can start their own; leading walks and hikes for their local communities. I've led yoga at their annual retreat, and we can all benefit from getting outside and walking more.
     
    Favorite vegan or vegan-friendly restaurant and favorite thing there?
    It changes a lot; but right now it's the Pollo Mushroom Crepe at The Grain Cafe. For my sweets fans/NYC loves, it's the soft serve at Orchard Grocer.
    Favorite shoes, past or present (ooh, or future!)?
    I've got some older gold toe Novacas oxfords, which are a forever fave!
     
    Can you tell us something not a lot of people know about you?
    I've recently started creating handpoked tattoos, and I have daydreams of making that a legit endeavor.
     
    Favorite animal (or totem animal if you prefer)?
    My patronus is a black jaguar, but cats of all sizes get a lotta love.
    💜

    Meet the Staff: Marley

    Meet the Staff: Marley

    MooShoes started and continues to exist as an intentionally small business. Yes, we've grown a lot since those early days in a defunct Gramercy Park butcher shop in 2001, moving more than once in NYC, expanding to Los Angeles in 2014, and growing our web presence and shipping worldwide, but we're still run by a small group of family and friends. So we thought we'd tell you about that small group of family and friends one by one, via seven-question interviews with each of our staff. We're starting with Marley from our Los Angeles store, who's actually on her way out the door in anticipation of answer number six!

    First off, what do you do when you're not slinging vegan shoes?
    I work as a behavioral interventionist at an elementary school. I also enjoy buying and selling vintage clothes.

    What first led you to lead a more animal-friendly lifestyle?
    When I was 10 years old, a chicken fell asleep on my lap at a farm and I decided to go vegetarian. Eight years later (for my year 2000 New Year's resolution) I went for a full-on vegan diet and never looked back!

    Tell us about a nonprofit or charity or cause you really dig that we maybe don't already know about?
    You probably already know about it, but I'm a big fan of what Physician's Committee is doing.

    Favorite vegan or vegan-friendly restaurant and favorite thing there?
    Little Pine—Tofu Piccata! (all the restaurant's profits are donated to animal organizations)

    Favorite shoes, past or present (ooh, or future!)?
    Still looking for the perfect 60's-inspired lace-up low heel go-go boot... But I'm partial to the quality and design of Ahimsa (great price too).

    Can you tell us something not a lot of people know about you?
    Preggo! Vegan baby girl due 1/1/19! 

    Favorite animal (or totem animal if you prefer)?
    Can't pick just one! Cats, dolphins, hummingbirds, and cows.

    Interview illustrations by raven + crow (you can see more via our Instagram feed)—more soon!

    Moon Honey

    Moon Honey

    Heeeeeeeeeey, you know how someone starts a blog and then they don't use it for literally over a year? So gauche. Who would do that?

    Anyway, we intend to start using these pages a bit more again because why not‽ 

    And to start, we really must tell you about our friends' band, Moon Honey. Moon Honey is really great psych-prog-rock-gotta-see-em-to-believe-em band based Los Angeles, CA. And the two mistress-/master-minds behind Moon Honey—Jess + Andrew, above—are both longtime vegans and all-around awesome people.

    Their new video for their song "Life Has No Meaning" features four former + current MooShoes LA employees, so we pretty much have to share it, right? Right.

    For locals, Moon Honey's throwing a big record release bash next weekend at one of our favorite venues in town, The Echo—get tickets while you can, it's sure to be party.

    We give you "Life Has No Meaning" (in a good way), directed by Rayana Chumthong and Jess Joy.

    Damn Good Food: Krimsey's Cajun Vegan Restaurant

    Damn Good Food: Krimsey's Cajun Vegan Restaurant

    As anyone who's been vegan for very long—and anyone who's been around vegans for very long—we tend to talk about vegan food a lot. Like, a lot, a lot. Too much, some might say, but what do those people know, right?

    One of our favorite more recent additions to the vegan restaurant scene here in Los Angeles is Krimsey's, an all-vegan cajun cafe in North Hollywood. They serve some of the best vegan cajun and creole fare we ever tasted and Baton Rouge native, owner, and the namesake of the restaurant is genuinely one of the nicest people we've ever been lucky enough to know.

    "I opened this restaurant to show people what it really means to be Cajun," Krimsey told us on a recent visit. "It's about treating everyone like family, taking the time to enjoy a meal and the company that comes with it, appreciating the bold and unique flavors of the south, and slowing down long enough to say 'DAMN this food is good!'

    For anyone not familiar with traditional cajun food, Krimsey's represents the culinary traditions of the bayou areas of southern Louisiana pretty thoroughly for such a modest + new restaurant, with a menu featuring an amazing fried heart of palm po boy (below), a hearty roux-based okra gumbo, veggie etouffee—a creamy, spicy stew of bell peppers, onions, garlic, and heart of palm on parboiled rice—and the traditional mainstay, jambalaya (above), in addition to a variety of mouth-watering house-made deserts. They also recently tested out house-made hushpuppies one weekend which—we're happy to report—have now found a permanent home on the Krimsey's menu.

    "We really wanted to get across the communal, welcoming aspect of Cajun culture," Krimsey told us, "putting this into practice by providing shared seating and cozy vibes, elevating it by leaving animals off the menu, and by pouring our souls into the creation of each dish so that it bursts with flavor and heart."

    In our minds (and mouths), they've succeeded and then some.

    LA local or planning to visit soon? See for yourself—Krimsey's is located at 12906 Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood, CA and is open every day except Monday (note that they open early Saturday so you can enjoy coffee and house-made vegan beignets). 

    Krimsey also recently published her first cookbook, which you can buy at MooShoes LA, where she'll also be holding a book party Saturday, July 29th with free tastes of some of the treats from her book.

    Photos of Krimsey by Jessica Ramsey; food and interior photos by raven + crow studio.