Vegetarian Food at Antojitos & Vivo at Universal Studios Hollywood CityWalk
Disclosure: I was invited to a press event to taste Antojitos and Vivo, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Universal CityWalk, adjacent to Universal Studios Hollywood, and one of my favorite local places to go for a night out and enjoy dinner, just opened two new restaurants! Vivo, an Italian restaurant which has been open for a few months has already been my go-to for dinner with the family after a day at Universal Studios Hollywood (you may have seen me post about several times on my Instagram, they have the most amazing pizza and charred brussel sprouts!). The next restaurant that just opened last month was Antojitos Cocina Mexicana, its gorgeous colorful exterior had me eager to try it! I of course was curious how the two restaurants are accommodating for vegans, vegetarians, and those who are gluten-free.
Antojitos
I love the open feel of Antojitos Cocina Mexicana! They have an inside and outside portion, with the bar in the center of the space. There are no windows or doors separating the outside and inside, so is a great space to hang with friends. The art pieces and neon signs throughout the inside and outside add to its fun atmosphere. When I went, I thought me wanting to try vegetarian food items and my friend with me having a corn allergy it would be challenging to eat here. However, I was very impressed with their range of offerings to accomodate any dietary restriction. They offered jicama tortillas, which is basically thinly sliced jicama that is a tortilla substitute. Great for a vegan, corn-free and gluten-free option! They also had vegan chorizo made with Impossible, which tasted incredible! Their cocktails were very refreshing. I’m not a huge margarita person, but my favorite cocktail I tasted surprisingly ended up being their signature margarita, which had a naturally sweet taste versus an artificial one. I took a look at their online menu, and these were the additional vegetarian offerings I found:
- Guacamole & Chips
- Chile Relleno
- Enchiladas Verdes
- Elote
- Ensalada
- Vegan Chorizo Tacos
- Sopa de Tortilla
- Poblano Pepper Tamale
- Cheese Quesadilla
- Cheese + Poblano pepper quesadilla
Those are the items advertises on the menu, but they also can accommodate a vegan diet too!
Vivo
Vivo as I mentioned has become our go-to family restaurant. I love that the atmosphere of this restaurant can be either for a family night out, girls night out or date night since the food is high quality and the atmosphere is very chic! Something I always love being the foodie that I am is that many of the accents such as the light fixtures are inspired by items in the kitchen (whisks, colanders, etc). Okay now lets talk food! First off, they in my opinion have the BEST pizza I’ve had in the Los Angeles area! Their margherita is my go-to. Paired with getting their brussel sprouts as an appetizer and a good glass of one of their many wines and you have the perfect dinner out! Now let’s take a look at some of the vegetarian items:
- Mushroom Saute
- Garlic & Cheese stuffed bread
- Caprese Salad
- Roasted beet salad
- Italian greens salad
- Margherita pizza
- Quattro Formaggi pizza
- Pomodoro Pasta
- Puttanesca
- Roasted eggplant ravioli
- Milanese (eggplant-based entree)
These are just the options ON menu, not to mention the ones the chefs can make to accommodate your dietary restrictions! These are definitely two of my favorite places to dine as a local, and can’t recommend them enough on your next trip to Universal Studios CityWalk!
