Cafe Gratitude

After a rather thorough Internet search of raw restaurants in Los Angeles I discovered that I had been to most of them. I began asking around to see if there were any I may have missed and sure enough a friend of mine mentioned Cafe Gratitude, a raw Vegan restaurant in the West Hollywood area of Los Angeles.

The atmosphere was pleasant and everyone appeared very cheerful and happy to be there. We sat in the downstairs area and ordered two raw dishes to split. The first one was named "I am Terrific"and it included pad thai style kelp noodles with veggies, basil, mint and topped with almonds. It was a little too crunchy for me as I was expecting more of a pasta taste, but my friend enjoyed it.

The second dish was named "I am Nourished," a wrap made of live curry bread with with seasonal vegetables, avocado and almond pate. That was by far my favorite raw food item I have tasted thus far. The curry bread was nothing like I've ever tasted before and I can't wait to go back to Cafe Gratitude and get another one!

We finished off our meal with two smoothies to share for dessert. We ordered the "I am Luscious" smoothie (almond milk, dates, figs, vanilla beans, and raw cacao) and the "I am Grace" smoothie (coconut milk, almond butter, dates and vanilla beans.) They were both equally as good.

After finishing our smoothies we asked for the check which came to a total of $50.03. Again, this was rather pricier than most restaurant meals but it was absolutely worth it.

Overall, I was very impressed with the entire experience. The wait staff was extra friendly and attentive and the food and drinks were beyond delicious. I would absolutely recommend Cafe Gratitude to anyone who wishes to follow the healthy raw lifestyle.

Leaf Organics

    For a fourth week in a row, a friend and I have been trying out raw food restaurants in the Los Angeles area. Some have exceeded our expectations while others have disappointed. The fourth restaurant we went to is located in Culver City, a small city that is part of Los Angeles. Leaf Organics is near the intersection of Washington and Inglewood and it's easy to see due to its bright green exterior.

   After we sat down we placed our appetizer order of guacamole with kale crisps with our waiter who was very knowledgeable of the menu and its ingredients. The portion was a good size and the kale crisps were a good change from the normal fat-filled tortilla chips that most other restaurants offer.

After devouring the appetizer (we were rather ravenous at this point) we ordered the raw mushroom avocado burger and the raw bombay burrito wrap.

The "burger" was made with a mushroom patty, raw mayo, avocado and onions. Even though it didn't taste like an actual hamburger it was delicious, as was the side salad which accompanied it.

The bombay burrito wrap was even better. It was filled with sprouted lentil croquette with a coco curry sauce and  was wrapped with collard greens. Again, this was a much healthier option that the usual flour tortillas used on most other burritos and wraps.

We were very impressed with everything so far. The service was great as was the food and the atmosphere. I almost felt better after eating everything knowing that my body was getting taken care of rather than destroyed, which is something I would normally do.

We decided to wrap things up with our usual smoothies for dessert. We ordered the protein dream (hemp protein, dates, strawberries, and nutmylk) as well as the kremesicle smoothie (strawberries, mangoes, pineapples, coconut milk and dates). There were both delicious and just the right amount of consistency and ice.

Our bill added up to $48.35. Personally, I considered the amount worth it since we ordered an appetizer, two entrees and two smoothies. I would absolutely go back to Leaf Organics again, and I'm even planning to get lunch there next week. It's a delicious, healthy place and I highly recommend it.

A Better Life

My recent journey on discovering raw food restaurants in the area led me to a place that recently opened on Broadway Ave. in Santa Monica. It's outer exterior would lead one to believe it's more of a coffee shop rather than a restaurant, but a small, homely image is just what the owner may be trying to convey.
The restaurant is named Better Life Cuisine and it only serves organic raw and organic vegan food.

After a sweaty yoga class, a friend and I decided to be healthy and try the place. The menu is over the counter and you place an order and have it delivered to your table. We ordered the pizza primavera, which came with a side kale salad, and the "tuna" wrap.

The pizza primavera consisted of onion bread, a mix of fake cheeses, marinara, basil, mushroom, tomatoes, zucchini, avocado, olives, onions, and "pesto" sauce. It was delicious, as was the kale salad it came with, and we devoured it within minutes.

The wrap on the other hand is not worth recommending. The fake tuna that was used was so salty I felt as if I was shaking a salt shaker into my mouth with every bite. The tortilla that it was wrapped in also had an awkward texture and taste to it.

   After the meal we ordered a Gojilicous smoothie (goji berries, dates, cacao powder, almond milk, ice) and a Rainbow smoothie (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, agave, orange juice). The smoothies were also nothing to rave about since they were too watery which threw off the taste and consistency.

The total cost was $44.10. Again, I am rather surprised as to how much more it costs to eat at a raw food restaurant rather than an average dine-in.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend Better Life Cuisine if you're looking for taste quality and a restaurant experience, but if you're looking for something quick, easy and healthy to eat then this would be the place for you.

It's a Rawvolution!

Los Angeles has become a very health-friendly city in recent years. Certain neighborhoods have even taken it a step further and began to open more Vegan, Vegetarian and Raw food restaurants than ever before. Santa Monica is one neighborhood that has largely focused on the availability of healthy food and the promotion of health and wellness overall. 

The second raw food restaurant I chose to visit was Euphoria Loves Rawvolution located on Main Street in Santa Monica. A friend and I decided to split two entrees again with smoothies for dessert. The menu offered a variety of items to select from and we began with the Superfood Salad, which included kale, avocado, flax oil, tomatoes, nori, and Dr. Shultze's Superfood. Along with this we ordered a Cocophoria sandwich that consisted of coconut jerky strips, lettuce and tomato.

The salad was rather tasty and the kale went well with the dressing as well as with the rest of the vegetables. The only problem I had was that there was a lack of kale and it was mostly arugula, which is a bitter green that didn't go so perfectly with the rest of the salad. 

The sandwich (even if it didn't look so appealing) was really delicious. The coconut jerky was surprisingly good and the sauce that it was tossed with was a good compliment. 

After devouring these two plates we ordered a couple of smoothies as dessert. My friend ordered a strawberry smoothie with coconut water and I did the Electrolyte Lemonade which was said to be liver cleansing (much needed after my weekend).

 The strawberry smoothie tasted exactly like 20 blended strawberries would taste, but the lemonade was very light, refreshing and perfectly sweetened. I would definitely go back and order it again.

We then proceeded to grab the check which was a bit cheaper than the last one. Without tip it was $46. 64, a rather reasonable price for high quality and healthy food items. It is pricier than most restaurants around that area but it is very much worth it.

Overall, the experience was a pleasant one. The interior of the restaurant had a cool, comfortable feel with a lot of plant life and couches for tables. The lighting was dim and the service was great. I will definitely make it a point to go back there and try a few more raw food menu items.

The Raw Food Diet

   
   There are several different ways to define the raw food diet, or "rawism." The most basic definition is the practice consuming uncooked, unprocessed and mostly organic foods as a part of daily life. Raw foodism can then be broken down into raw veganism, raw vegetarianism and the raw animal food diet.

 The past few years have brought about numerous celebrities such as Demi Moore and Alicia Silverstone claiming to follow this diet while promoting health and weight loss.

Due to an increased demand for raw food availability, a few restaurants have chosen to open up in the Los Angeles area and only serve food that caters to this particular diet. 

Here is where I come in. I have been rather curious about this specific lifestyle and always wondered what these restaurants would serve on the menu as well as how the food actually tastes. Thus, I will be reviewing a few raw food restaurants in Los Angeles based on taste, price and overall service.

The first restaurant I chose for dinner was Planet Raw, located in Santa Monica. It was a clean and cozy establishment with dimmed lights and a colorful interior. A friendly hostess sat us down by the window and an even friendlier waitress came over to take our drinks and food orders. We began our meal with Spring Rolls that contained avocado, kelp noodles, herbs, cabbage, Brazil nuts and were wrapped in a coconut wrapper. 

The appetizer was surprisingly delicious! The sauce it came with was perfect for dipping and the rolls were light and refreshing. We then ordered two entrees to split between my friend and I. One was the Medicinal Salad which contained organic herbs, seaweed, veggies, croutons and was tossed with a ranch (no dairy) and olive oil dressing. Another entree was the mushroom and kelp pasta dinner which was also tossed in a thick creamy sauce. 

                

The salad was also fairly tasty even though there was no way to tell what was what in it, but the mushroom kelp dish wasn't exactly what we had expected. The flavoring was too much as well as the "cheesy" sauce that accompanied it. That is definitely one dish I wouldn't recommend. 

Service at Planet Raw was very on point as the hostess and the waitress were extremely polite and always around when needed. My friend and I ordered vanilla and lemonade smoothies to go after which we took the check. It was rather pricy at $83.85 without tip and even without any alcohol, but I would still recommend this restaurant to others based on the health factor and the overall ambiance of the place. I guess while eating healthy may be good for your waistline it's definitely damaging to your wallet!