Pura Vida adds flair to vegetarian dishes

Vegan for Vegans.

That's the vision chef Mayra Trabulse follows at her new Las Vegas restaurant, Pura Vida Bakery & Bystro , on Western Avenue in the shadow of Interstate 15.

"The location is very funky," she says of the restaurant, which opened in mid-July and seats about 40 -- with room for more patrons outside "as soon as it quits being 150,000 degrees."

Billing itself as "all vegan, all the time," Pura Vida reflects Trabulse's own vegan philosophy, along with her own background, which the Mexico native describes as "half-Cuban and half-Lebanese."

Pura Vida's cuisine shares a dual focus, blending Caribbean and Southwest fusion influences that bear little resemblance to the wimpy sprouts-and-twigs vegetarianism of yore.

"No, heck no," Trabulse says, rejecting the image of " '70s hippie veggie food" and emphasizing flavorful spins on dishes that appeal to meat eaters and vegans alike.

At Pura Vida, "you're going to get spaghetti," she says, "but not semolina that will make you fat and sluggish." Instead, Trabulse uses "quinoa and whole wheat -- hearty, with lots of basil."

Assuming spaghetti's on the day's lunch board, that is.

Although the breakfast menu remains constant from day to day, Pura Vida's lunch dishes vary, depending on what's in season. One day, it might be Baja tacos with tofu, corn ("not cloned corn") and organic black beans.

Later this month, it might be a chile relleno, which will join the lineup when poblano and serrano chili peppers reach their peak, she says.

Other menu favorites range from the chef's "signature bean salsa and chips," which "is a meal in itself," to the Latin 'Tude Wrap, a Southwest fusion burrito.

And then there's the breakfast dish dubbed "The Wow," Trabulse explains, "because you see it and you go, 'Wow.' Then you taste it: 'Double wow.' "

Pura Vida Bakery & Bystro, 1236 Western Ave., is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays and Fridays (closed Thursdays) and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Waffles and pancakes: Dark Choco Truffle (waffle with organic cocoa), $7.85; Sexy Buck & Flax (organic buckwheat pancakes), $8.75

All day breakfast: Latin 'Tude, My Love (breakfast burritos with black beans, vegan cheese and other ingredients), $9.99

Weekend specials: Aruba empanadas (with vegan meat), $5.50; Chixz Wrap (with roasted tofu), $9.25; jambalaya (with vegan sausage), $11.99

Lunch specials: Vary by day and season and are listed on a daily menu board; $9.99 to $15.99

Smoothies: Berry Bliss, Mango Passion, Chocolate Banana Dream, $3.95 for a small, $4.95 for a large

Information: 722-0108

By CAROL CLING