I am … ADVENTUROUS [raw seasonal soup]. 4.5/5. Strange but delicious. Like a cross between gazpacho and a Goan curry. Good textural contrast between the creamy soup and the diced cucumber and avocado.
I am … BOUNTIFUL [quinoa pasta shells with tomato-cashew-cream sauce]. 3.5/5. I certainly prefer bronze-extruded wheat-based Italian pasta, but this al dente quinoa pasta is not bad. As usual, this dish has good textural contrasts, with big chunks of cauliflower and shreds of kale. I like how chopped kalamata olives add bursts of flavor. The main weakness of this dish is the quinoa pasta.
I am … AWAKENING [raw key lime pie]. 4/5. Avocado and coconut cream provide a satisfying base for this tangy dessert. The nut crust was too thin for my tastes, and the coconut “meringue” was forgettable.
Did they add cooked food to their menu? When I went nothing had been heated over 118 degrees or whatever number their pseudoscientific belief system thought was the magical point for preserving enzymes. Lukewarm mush and some weird crunchy dehydrated things, lots of room for improvement compared with the raw vegan stuff I had at Juliano’s Raw Living Foods 20 years ago.
alkiegourmand:
as far as i know, all the main-dish food i’ve ever been served at Cafe Gratitude has been cooked. none of it appeared to be raw nor undercooked.
I’m not the person who made the comment. But I do know that many of the dishes are raw and many are cooked. I’m a fan of raw food generally–I think some chefs do an amazing job bordering on Michelin-star quality–but I tend to like the cooked food better at Cafe Gratitude.
i like COOKED food with only a few exceptions (sushi, ceviche, green salads).
if i had run into their raw stuff, i probably would have run the other way.
I am … VIVACIOUS [kale chips]. 3/5. Kale chips are a delight, but I think Cafe Gratitude’s kale chips are too small and crumbly. I don’t understand why Cafe Gratitude crumbles them up so much, particularly given that they’re served with dips.
I am … LIBERATED [pad thai kelp noodles (raw)]. 3/5. I have enjoyed shiritaki noodle dishes in the past, but Cafe Gratitude’s version isn’t my favorite. The main problem with this dish is that there is way too much shredded kale, which makes the dish un-noodle-y and unsatisfying. (I would prefer no kale at all. My basic thinking about kale is that it’s better cooked and too leafy uncooked.)
I am … RAPTURE [sic, I think?] [seasonal raw layer cake (carrot cake in this instance)]. 4.5/5. Wow. Rich, moist, delicious carrot cake with good textural contrast from walnuts. It may not be as satisfying as the best cooked carrot cakes, but it’s much better than average carrot cakes. And it’s it’s own raw, unique thing. That’s one big reason I’m a fan of raw cuisine: It’s unique; more than an imitation of cooked cuisine.
I am … Thriving [cooked soup of the day; white beans with kale and carrots]. 3.5/5. Simple but wholesome. Accompanying buckwheat crackers had a delicious sour flavor.
I am … Warm-hearted [grilled polenta with mushroom ragout, baby greens, and pesto]. 4.5/5. Tasty. Solid cooking on so many different fronts makes this dish impressive.
I am … Gentle [banana bread]. 2/5. Cafe Gratitude’s breakfast baked goods are bad across the board. The problem is not that they’re vegan, but rather that they’re gluten free. They all taste far too grainy and dry. The banana bread may be the best of them because the banana adds some much-needed richness. But it’s still an atrocity.
I am … Serene [cinnamon roll]. 1.5/5. Quite bad. At this level I wonder whether I’d enjoy Starbucks’ pastries more, though I’ve always considered those to be crimes against humanity. Certainly worse than making a terrorist wear underwear on his head.
Glad you enjoyed the Warm Hearted. I don’t go to Cafe Gratitude often (and thus don’t have an extensive knowledge of the menu), but it’s my favorite dish.
I am … MIGHTY [raw bar with five kinds of seeds, almonds, goji berries, coconut butter, and chocolate]. 4/5. I’ve had this dozens of times and I keep coming back to it. My only gripe is that coconut butter yields odd (not exactly bad) notes in this bar and other raw “baked goods” I’ve tried. Great for a meal replacer.
I am … KIND [quinoa bar]. 3.5/5. Good. I like the crunch. I could take it or leave it.
I am … JOY (sic, I think?) [the name surely comes from the candy bar Almond Joy; I think they should have named it “Joyful,” though “I am Joy” is more profound…]. 3.5/5. Good. Again, I could take it or leave it.
Thank you. I had never had it before, but I ordered it at your recommendation. Before, I worried that this dish was overreaching for a restaurant like this, but they did a great job with everything. I love Cafe Gratitude and everything they stand for. Except they should get out of the baked goods business.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a baked good there. My partner did once have some sort of pizza or flatbread there, though, and it was… not good. Maybe it was gluten free? It was dry… like desert dry. I think he also once had some sort of BBQ dish… it wasn’t bad, but it was odd (I can’t really remember more than that).
I do think the place is pretty good overall, though.
They have two kinds of pizzas–a raw one and a cooked gluten-free one. I had the raw one several months okay and thought it was just okay. I haven’t tried the cooked one because I anticipate it sucking. Gluten-free is so stupid and just feeds into people’s health delusions.
I have had a bbq tempeh brunch dish at cafe gratitude. It was too sweet and not one of my favorite menu items.
Yo soy supremo [breakfast burrito]. 3.5/5. Impressive presentation. The overall quality is obvious. But it didn’t feel very cohesive. The whole wheat tortilla was stuffed with loose beans, potatoes, spinach, cashew cream, coconut bacon, avocado, and pico de gallo. I think it would have worked better as a bowl, without the tortilla. The flavors were okay, but a little too tangy–especially the accompanying pickled vegetables.
There has been plenty of press over the years about the owners and management being rather involved with Landmark Forum. Which could be the basis for all of the affirmative menu descriptions:
I truly hate this fucking place. Cashew cream is one of the most disgusting inventions in American history. I went back on a date recently because I was with a vegan (first bad sign) and got the pad thai one. Honestly the worst pad thai I have ever had, including a version my college roommate made with spaghetti noodles while drunk. The very worst part is that this atrocity is $15. I am miserable.
Healthy food is an acquired taste. Real pad thai is one of the unhealthiest things you can eat. It is pointless to compare raw shiritaki noodles coated in almond paste to cooked rice noodles fried with eggs in lard and sweetened with palm sugar.
I think cashew cream can be great. The best I’ve had recently is at Bar Ama. I’d eat that over “nacho cheese” for sure.
Sincere question here: has anyone ever seen calorie counts on Cafe Gratitude’s dishes? we all have different definitions of “healthy” food, but I do wonder about how many calories there are in dishes that rely heavily on calorie-dense ingredients like cashews, coconut, grains, avocado, etc. I generally eat a pretty vegetable-heavy, high protein, low refined carbs diet, but personally, if I’m going to indulge in a 600 calorie dessert, I’d rather have a really delicious version made with butter and sugar and wheat flour than a pretty good vegan / raw / gluten-free version. I realize the equation is different for those who follow a vegan or raw or gluten-free diet all the time.
I have not seen calorie counts, but I don’t question what you say about calories. For example, the highest calorie menu item at Tender Greens–by a pretty wide margin–is their “Happy Vegan” salad. https://www.tendergreens.com/files/Nutritional%20Card_48384.pdf
That said, I think that the food at Cafe Gratitude is very healthy. One just has to remember that it’s not diet food; moderation is still essential.
