LA’s Best Vegan Thanksgiving Feast Comes Courtesy of a French Bakery

It’s a twist few could have predicted: one of the most refined vegan Thanksgiving meals in Los Angeles isn’t coming from a restaurant known for seasonal menus or plant-based innovation, but from a French bakery. In Pasadena, ID-Eclair, the all-vegan pâtisserie led by chef Romuald Guiot, has announced its Thanksgiving Feast for Two—a handcrafted holiday box that proves compassion and culinary craft can share the same table.

RELATED: These Vegan Restaurants Will Cook Thanksgiving Dinner for You

The offering reads like a study in contradiction. Thanksgiving is an American ritual. French pâtisserie is synonymous with butter. Yet somehow, Guiot has managed to merge the two into a celebration that’s both indulgent and entirely plant-based.

A French take on an American tradition

The limited-edition meal includes a housemade vegan turkey, classic herb stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, mushroom-based gravy, and the bakery’s signature bread—either dinner rolls or a crusty baguette. A bottle of wine, available in traditional or non-alcoholic form, finishes the experience.

ID-Eclair

Each component is made in-house using the same precision that defines ID-Eclair’s desserts. “We wanted to make something everyone would love,” Guiot told VegNews. “Whether you are plant-based or not, this meal is really something special,” he said.

The chef behind the change

Guiot grew up in Châlons-en-Champagne, France, in a family of pastry chefs. After three decades mastering traditional French pastry, he left behind butter and cream to create a fully vegan operation in California—a move he once described as both risky and liberating. “There was a lot of worry about going in this direction,” he told Flaunt. “Because it’s forgetting everything I’ve learned for almost 30 years now.”

ID-Eclair

Since opening ID-Eclair late last year, Guiot has gained attention for vegan pastries that rival their dairy-based counterparts in texture and flavor. His croissants and mille-feuille quickly became local obsessions, selling out most mornings.

Expanding into savory territory with La Cave wine bar and the Thanksgiving feast might seem unexpected, but for Guiot, it’s a natural progression. “Vegan pastry taught me patience,” he said. “Once you understand the science, you can build anything—sweet or savory.”

A new kind of holiday tradition

The Thanksgiving box is designed for couples or small households—a precise, compact menu with the elegance of a restaurant meal and the comfort of home cooking. The vegan turkey, made from seitan, is seared and basted to mimic the richness of a roast. (For gluten-free patrons, a mushroom-based version is also available.) The mashed potatoes achieve their creaminess through olive oil and oat milk, while the herb stuffing relies on the bakery’s own baguettes for texture.

“Luxury, for me, is when food makes you feel good in every way,” Guiot said. “It’s flavor, yes—but it’s also conscience.”

It’s an approach that reflects a broader cultural moment. As more households explore plant-based eating, vegan holiday meals have become increasingly sophisticated.

Market data shows that plant-based food sales in the US reached more than $8 billion in 2024, with seasonal meal kits among the fastest-growing categories. What once felt like a compromise now reads as the evolution of the holiday table itself.

ID-Eclair

Pasadena has become the ideal setting for that evolution. “It’s like a European city in LA—small, and everybody knows everybody. People are open-minded. They’re ready to try things and discover something better,” Guiot told Flaunt. His Thanksgiving feast fits that description perfectly: an unexpected experiment that just might become tradition.

For those who order early enough, the box will arrive ready to heat and serve—proof that a vegan Thanksgiving can be as elegant as it is ethical; and that, improbably, the most comforting meal of the season might just come from a French bakery.