When I lived in California, one of my favorite things to do was pack a picnic (and a bottle of wine) and settle in on the beach to watch the sunset. Though I rarely felt like battling L.A. traffic to get to the beach, I was always glad I did once my toes hit the sand and I could smell the ocean.
While I far preferred the rustic beauty of the beaches in Malibu, I often settled for Venice Beach for a few reasons. A.) The people watching is really entertaining, B.) It was the most direct drive from where I lived on the east side, and C.) Poké Poké. The latter is a tiny walkup window on the boardwalk that serves ? you guessed it ? poké. If you?re unfamiliar, poké (pronounced poh-kay) is a raw fish salad, kind of like sushi in a bowl, that?s served as an appetizer or main course in Hawaiian cuisine. Poké Poké has this incredible veggie poké bowl that, to me, was the perfect beach food. It?s super fresh and flavorful with familiar, yet exotic-tasting ingredients. Think kale, brown rice, carrots, avocado, green onion, sesame dressing, and even jalapeño. I?ve missed my poké beach days since moving back to Chicago, so I was really excited when I saw a recipe from Bon Appétit that used marinated watermelon to create a colorful, vegan version.

Of course, I had to make my own to see if held up to the real thing. This vegan watermelon poké bowl is delicious ? and maybe even better than what I used to order at the beach. Once marinated, the cubed watermelon really does look l...