Restaurant Review: Trilogy Sanctuary - Vegan Food, Yoga, & More!

Trilogy Sanctuary, located in downtown La Jolla, opened in the summer of 2014 & I have been so excited to check it out. It only took me 6 months, but finally, I did! I usually have a healthy day after New Year’s tradition lunch up the coast in Encinitas, where I eat raw food, pick up the newest version of my favorite calendar, & visit the meditation gardens for intention setting, reflection & centering. But, when a sweet friend suggested a lunch date at Trilogy, I abandoned my solo tradition in favor of a day in good company.

Trilogy Sanctuary is owned by Joe Caldera, a spiritual coach & counselor, & Leila Dora, a yoga teacher & holistic nutrition counselor. Trilogy was born from their desire & passion to share their knowledge & help to spread health, joy, good food, positive spiritual practices & good exercise to the world. Their Sanctuary is part of a plan to help others unite “the trilogy of mind, body, & spirit.”

It is a cafe, a yoga center, a gallery, a restaurant & spiritual center all in one! They offer a variety of yoga classes on their open-air deck (including aerial yoga) or in their indoor yoga studio (see their class offerings & schedule here) as well as workshops on meditation, spiritual development classes, & energy healings. They also host monthly events – from dance parties to open-mic nights & pop-up shops. (check out the event schedule here.) You can even rent out the space for a private event. Of course, I love yoga, meditation & all that spiritual jazz, but what brought me into Trilogy on that brisk January afternoon was their Vegan Cafe & Juice Bar.

Trilogy’s cafe serves a 100% organic, vegan & gluten-free menu. Their food philosophy is that food should be tasty, satisfying & incredibly nourishing for the body, & all of their menu items have been carefully crafted to be just that. All sauces, dips, wraps, tortillas & desserts are made in-house. They offer delicious salads, hearty bowls, healthy wraps & rolls, nachos, tacos, & decadently delicious desserts like key lime pie, cheesecake & raw carrot cake. The juice bar serves up superfood smoothies, acai bowls & fresh-pressed juices. They even offer a variety of guided detox & juice cleanse packages.

When coming to an all-vegan establishment, it is much like being a kid in a candy store. In most restaurants, plant-based eaters have one to two options at best, save for having to request countless substitutions or omissions. So when presented with an entire menu full of friendly options, our heads start to spin with awe & excitement. How to decide? I usually try to pick something I typically don’t make often for myself at home, but even then it is a difficult choice! As we contemplated the multitude of menu items, we decided to sip on some sparkling kombucha, which they keep on tap. So refreshing!

Kombucha on Tap!

One of the first things to catch my eye on the menu was the nachos. Growing up in Southern Cali, I am a Mexican food lover. We really do it best around these parts, & we are fortunate to have Ranchos & Pokez for our meat-free fixes. But, needless to say, Mexican food can be a gut bomb, even when veg.

Vega Nachos

So when I saw Trilogy’s Vega Nachos a whole-food, plant-based & healthy take on nachos I knew I needed to try them. Think of it as a play on “mega-nachos,” veggie style, because holy wow, this was HUGE! And, incredibly delicious. We seriously could’ve shared this & been on our merry way with satisfied bellies. What you see here are delicious dehydrated veggie chips (sweet potatoes & beets) smothered in a “cheezy” sauce & topped with quinoa chorizo, avocado & pico. Absolutely, insanely, amazing. I’ve been thinking about them ever since. Not only are they the most colorful nachos I’ve ever seen, but they were also filled with so much flavor. Definitely, a must when you visit Trilogy!

After munching on those nachos, we somehow managed to still have room for our entrees! My lovely friend ordered the Spring Rolls made with sprouted adzuki beans mixed with quinoa, ginger, carrots, & leeks wrapped in organic brown rice paper & served with a tahini-ginger sauce.

Spring Rolls

I had a small bite & it was delicious. That tahini-ginger sauce (two of my favorite flavors!) took the flavor profile next level. This would make a perfect appetizer to share among friends or as a light meal after some yummy (ahem, nachos!) appetizers.

I was so perplexed about what to order that I asked the chef for a personal recommendation. He highly endorsed the Spectacular Spaghetti Squash. I love spaghetti squash & it is something I pick up often when in season, but I typically prepare it simply with either fresh herbs & citrus, or a simple marinara sauce, so I was intrigued when I read the description on the menu – spaghetti squash with swirls of sweet potato, tomato & onion, smothered in cheezy sauce & topped with amazing eggplant bacon.

Spectacular Spaghetti Squash

Now, this definitely something I wouldn’t prepare at home, so I decided to give it a try, & oh yum! This dish was so rich & decadent, yet practically guilt-free as it is made with plant-powered goodness! And of course, the squash noodles are much lighter & healthier than semolina, rice, or whole wheat pasta. The “cheezy sauce” was warm, velvety & savory, but I found its richness almost overpowered the delicate squash “noodles.” The eggplant bacon added a unique smokiness, & I enjoyed the bright burst of flavor that the fresh chunks of tomato added. Overall, I loved it! This left me inspired to be more creative with spaghetti squash in my own kitchen, & perhaps I’ll get to work on a recipe to share soon.

We were determined to share a dessert when we walked in, but by the time we had polished off the nachos & our entrees we were beyond full & couldn’t imagine putting another bite in our bellies, so we headed out for some pampering & lounge time with a trip to the spa for mani/pedis. All in all, lunch a Trilogy was truly one of my favorite San Diego veg dining experiences & I cannot wait to go back to explore more menu options, maybe take a yoga class, or just chill out on the rooftop deck. It truly is a beautiful place! If you are local, or planning a visit to San Diego, I encourage you to stop by, dine & play. I’ll share more about Trilogy in future visits, which I hope will happen very soon…I am craving the nachos again!

Update: We went back for more at a later date! We ordered the nachos, but they were unfortunately not the same. They replaced the roasted root veggie chips with a flatbread type cracker & it missed the mark. I hope they soon realize the error of their ways.

We did try a couple of new delicious things, however.

Cauliflower "Eggs" Benedict

I had the plant-based take on Eggs Benedict with an open-faced toasted amaranth & millet muffin, with avocado & heirloom tomato, topped with cauliflower eggs & hollandaise & side of wilted spinach. The cauliflower “egg” is an interesting idea & I'm very intrigued. This was delicious but needed a bit more flavor & a whole lotta diablo sauce.

Perfect Tacos

My friend, Erlinde, ordered the Perfect Tacos with a housemade tortilla with quinoa chorizo, sweet potato, eggplant bacon, avocado & chili love sauce. These certainly were aptly named & I am so lucky she was willing to share a bite!