Restaurant: Euphoria Loves Rawvolution
Type of cuisine served: raw vegan
Location: 2301 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA (map)
This place is located right down the street from the Farmers Market. Main street is a busy little strip with lots of cool little shops to check out. You’ll find lots of people walking and riding their bikes around.
Contact: (310) 392-9501
Hours: 11:00am-2:30pm, 5:00pm-8:30pm.
Ambiance
In the morning this is a place where you walk up to the counter, place your order, seat yourself and they will bring your food out to you. It is very casual. There are books and products conveniently placed for you to check out. It has lots of private seating and communal areas to mingle. In the evening, you are seated by a host and the lighting is dim and sexy. I sat on a couch that reminded me of a comfy day bed that had a coffee table in front of it next to an open window. It was set up in a way that invited people to come, sit nearby and strike up a conversation which is exactly what happened.
Parking
This can be a bit of a pain if you are not familiar with where to park. Make sure you know all the parking rules. Some places in Santa Monica on Sundays you can park for free, but evidently this was not one of those places. Keep your change on hand if you want to park nearby. While I was inside the restaurant I enjoyed sitting and looking out the window, however not so much when I saw someone giving me a parking ticket…yikes! Better believe I won’t make that mistake again.
Staffing/Service
The restaurant had just opened a few minutes before I arrived since I went just after yoga class and I was looking for a new yummy healthy breakfast spot. I was greeted as soon as I walked in by a young woman who was straightening up the books and retail items. I asked her what to order since it was my first visit. She was friendly and took the time to share her favorites on the menu. I then walked up to the counter where another lovely woman took my order. I was a little confused by the set up since there was a jar for tipping on the counter, but then they brought my food to me. What am I supposed to do? Do I leave a tip in the jar or on the table? I guess it doesn’t matter as long as you just tip.
Menu
The menu was very simple, black and white. I didn’t look over it much since I merely asked what was good. I like trying the popular dishes recommended by the staff whenever I am new to a place.
My Order
Reishi- Shilajit Ormus Tea
I tried the tea according the the recommendations of the two girls working. The tea was served in an over sized mug and had a strong healing flavor, not very sweet at all which is just what you would expect from a medicinal drink. I was fascinated by the tea and went home to look up more information about it’s health benefits, especially with ormus in it. Here is what I found about Reishi-Shilajit Ormus Tea. I like knowing why I am drinking or eating a particular meal and what kind of effect will it have on me.
Buckwheat Granola with Tangy Probiotic Coconut Yogurt
Tangy is right, and oh-so creamy. I have never had coconut yogurt and I am inspired to make some at home one of these days. It seemed like a richer version of a dairy based yogurt, or maybe my memory of it since it has been years since I have had dairy based yogurt. I loved the crunchy buckwheat granola, chewy bits of sweet raisins and freshly sliced strawberries which was just enough to slightly sweeten this dish. I probably would have preferred it sweeter, but I enjoyed it tremendously. I even wondered what it would taste like if I had taken miracle fruit beforehand since miracle fruit blocks our sour taste bud sensors temporarily. Just for fun I’ll have to go and try it again after sucking on miracle fruit. I bet it would taste like the sweetest yogurt ever.
Portion
This was just enough to satisfy my hunger, yet not enough to share.
Price
My order was under $15
Recommendation
I would totally suggest people check this place out and have the items I ordered. I loved that I was getting a healthy dose of probiotics in my yogurt since it is not something I have regularly, nor do I have tea like this. This meal definitely had the intention of health. It was filling without having a sluggish effect on me. I noticed that my digestion was not irritated by the meal which is one of the things I am paying attention to these days. The cleaner my diet becomes I want foods that do not leave me feeling weird afterwards. I like feeling good after I eat and this place definitely did the trick. Again, this is another place I am going to love becoming familiar with as I try all the items on the menu.
Support
I feel good knowing that I am supporting great places that have ethics and health behind it. I prefer to dine in places that are not large chain restaurants that have a ton of ingredients and preservatives that are not focused on feeding me optimal fuel for my body. When you find places that have your best interest and health in mind it is worth supporting them.
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Restaurant: Cru
Type of cuisine served: organic, raw & cooked gluten free vegan (menu)
Location: 1521 Griffith Park Blvd, Los Angeles, CA (map)
Contact: 323-667-1551
Hours:
Mon-Sat open for lunch 11am-4pm, and dinner 5:30pm-10pm
Sunday brunch 11am-2:30pm, and dinner 5:30pm-10pm.
Ambiance
Cru is a casual restaurant with a nice intimate low key vibe. It’s decorated with warm cozy colors and a stained polished concrete floor. The lighting is dim, soft, warm and inviting which had me feeling very comfortable. The seating was simple with a long cushioned bench along the wall with simple sleek chairs across the tables. Each table had a candle votive and simple vase with charming Gerber daisies that my friend couldn’t resist putting behind his ear! The restaurant was fresh, clean, and well maintained. Even the bathroom was clean, which always gives me creepy vibes if I go into a restaurant bathroom and it is a wreck. It always leaves me wondering how the kitchen must look behind closed doors. It can be very unsettling, but in this case I was happy to see it was tidy and clean.
Service/Staff
We were greeted and seated right away. There are some raw restaurants where the service is less than stellar or the restaurant seems understaffed. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the attentiveness as well as the prompt service. Not only was the food served in a timely manner, but the servers were very approachable and friendly. They really took the time to go over any questions that we had. It was so refreshing.
We were greeted and seated right away. There are some raw restaurants where the service is less than stellar or the restaurant seems understaffed. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the attentiveness as well as the prompt service. Not only was the food served in a timely manner, but the servers were very approachable and friendly. They really took the time to go over any questions that we had. It was so refreshing.
Menu
While overlooking the menu I enjoyed a warm cup of chamomile tea. The menu was easy to read without having too many complicated choices. They keep their menu simple and sweet. My friend and I weren’t really hungry at the time, but since we were in the area we decided to get the order to go. We shared the following:
Kale Apple Lime Juice
This approx 12 oz. nourishing juice was very refreshing with a nice subtle sweet, crisp, clean flavor. The ingredient ratios were perfect, not too strong, not too sweet, not too tart, just right.
Deep Green Salad (pictured above)
We ordered the large to share which was a very generous & filling portion. The salad consisted of kale, tomato, avocado, sprouts and sunflower seeds. The chili lime dressing was outstanding. The menu showed that this dish came with sunflower seeds, however ours came with pine nuts which I prefer anyway. I loved the different textures and all the flavors mixed well together.
Asian Noodle Bowl
Kelp noodles topped with sprouts, chopped almonds, radishes, cucumbers and drizzled in the prefect amount of almond, chili sauce. This dish was so good! I really like spicy food so I might have asked for a side of minced jalapeno or some more chili, but to the regular guest it was perfect as it is. I will definitely be back to have this one again and again. No joke I am still thinking about this dish days later!
Pesto Ravioli
I wish I had a photo of this dish, it was truly beautiful. The wrap was made of white, thinly sliced root veggie (I wish I knew what it was, perhaps jicama) stuffed with herbed cashew cheese and topped with a pumpkin seed pesto sauce. It was wonderfully accompanied with a spicy arugula salad. I really savored the flavors in this dish. I suggest you eat this dish really slowly to get the full effect of the herbed cashew cheese!
Portions
The portions were so generous that we were able to share all the dishes and even save half of it to enjoy the next day. All the dishes were very filling.
Price
Organic raw food is always going to be a bit pricier than a standard cooked restaurant considering the labor and quality that goes into the food, however the value matched the prices.
Overall
One thing this restaurant seems to do well is to let the flavors merry together so that the dishes are full of flavor without seeming like the dishes were rushed. You could tell each dish was made with love and care and isn’t that what you want when you go out to eat? BTW, I tend to eat very simple fare (mostly mono foods) most of the time and my tummy can get a bit upset with all the complicated food combinations however I did not experience any “weirdness” with the combinations. Perhaps because we passed on the desserts.
Recommendation
I highly recommend checking Cru out. The only drawback I experienced was parking. We had to walk a short distance to the restaurant, passing a small pack of gated in yapping Chiwawas. 😉 but I know that I will definitely be back to try other menu selections. I will definitely have to munch on those amazing Asian noodles again too! This is a place that you can bring raw curious people to as well especially since there are gluten free cooked dishes on the menu as well.
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See More Related Posts on Conscious Relationships
Read MoreI spent the day recently at Glen Ivy Hot Springs and while I was in the steam room the conversation got onto raw food. (gee, imagine that…) As the group was talking about their different experiences or lack of knowledge on the subject completely, someone shared one of their favorite raw recipes. It was so simple I didn’t even need to write it down. I decided to make it and see how I liked it. It was a broccoli salad. Now, I am not a huge fan of raw broccoli, but I knew I had a ton of it in my fridge from last weeks share from my wholesale organic produce buying club. It turned out pretty good so I thought I’d pay it forward. I have no idea what the ratios were so I will post my approximates, and feel free to modify it to your liking.
BTW, I am not a culinary artist or a great photographer, but I thought you’d like to get an idea of what this looks like.
Broccoli Salad
Broccoli (chopped small or food processed) -I used 1 bunch
Dried cranberries -I used one handful
Sunflower seeds- I used 1 handful of walnuts since I was out of sunflower seeds
Apple (chopped or food processed)- I used 2 small apples (one granny smith, one fuji)
Toss with the following dressing
Raspberry Vinaigrette
A couple handfuls of raspberries (mine were frozen from late summer)
2 T lemon juice (I prefer to use lemon or lime rather than vinegar)
1/2 C water
A handful of walnuts (I prefer to use whole foods rather than oil for my fat in dressings)
Blend in the Vita-mix till smooth, toss all ingredients together.
This recipe has a holiday vibe to it with the walnuts, apples, and cranberries. It’s crisp, sweet, tart, crunchy and creamy. Plus the broccoli is in season right now so this makes a perfect winter broccoli coleslaw salad.
This recipe is also in alignment with the 80/10/10 diet if you keep your nuts down to a very small quantity, but there is no salt or vinegar or spices that 811’ers tend to steer clear from.
BTW, this keeps really well in a glass storage container if you are traveling, out working or running errands. There is no mixing or messing with putting things together, just a fork and voila!
If you have any variations of this recipe or if you try it, please let me know how you enjoyed it.
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