Please welcome SFist's newest contributor, Laura Beck. Founder of the award-winning Vegansaurus -- a great read for both vegans and rabid carnivores -- Beck is here to add tasty variations to the food voice on SFist. That, and she's an amazing writer. Oh, and if you'd like Beck to check out your vegetarian/vegan creations, Bay Area chefs, do let us know.

Take it away, Laura!

Vegan Slap Yo Mama at Saha

Aside from this dessert's delightful name, The Vegan Slap Yo Mama at Saha (the restaurant in the Hotel Carlton, 1075 Sutter), has a lot to recommend it. First of all, it's a vegan dessert that isn't sorbet. Seriously, if we see another sorbet on a menu in this city, heads will roll. Sorbet is not a suitable dessert unless you are trying to appear ladylike (NEVER!) or have a serious aversion to enjoying life. If you're into being fat and happy, get yourself down to Saha tonight for The Vegan Slap Yo Mama. It's perfectly roasted fruit, date & almond marzipan, and chocolate wrapped in phyllo and baked. Now, please re-read that and then come pick us up so we can Get Down To Business. We've unbuckled our pants already. To eat, perv!

Vegan Roti Bread at Saffron Grill

1) Most of your work since we've known you has been Web and Graphic Design for corporations and small businesses, so what prompted the move over to the apparel, jewelry, etc? What's your balance between the two, and how are you managing it?

My design work stems from being an artist at heart. And, actually, I've been fortunate in these last five years out on my own to not only have corporate web and graphic design clients, but to also maintain a fairly consistent clientele for my custom illustration work, too. Which, I have to admit, is where my real passion lies. For as long as I can remember I've wanted to have my illustrations on products of all kinds, so launching the WilloToons shop has been really exciting for me. Plus, so much of the design work I do is online in the virtual world, and I really found myself longing to design something tangible that I could hand to someone and they can wear or give it to a friend.