by Thomas McCabe

Lydia’s Lovin’ Foods
31 Bolinas Road
Fairfax, CA 94930
(415) 258-1559 (415).258-9866

A bright and cheery place, Lydia’s Kitchen is a popular restaurant that serves an appealing selection of raw and healthy cooked foods. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable and the staff members are friendly and enthusiastic.

The raw dishes that come out of the kitchen at this eatery are not only very tasty and amply-portioned, but they are also reasonably priced. Dine-in and take-out service are offered, as are full catering services.

This cafe is connected with the Lydia’s Organics line of packaged organic food items and Lydia’s Lovin’ Foods company.

Ten different garden-fresh salads and raw Green Soup are excellent meal-starters here. Several types of Lovin’ Burgers, made with quinoa are available, as are an assortment of side dishes and sweet and savory crepes.

More than a dozen raw entrees are on the menu at Lydia’s Kitchen. These dishes are imaginative, flavorful and creatively presented. The Collard Wrap is made with cabbage, red bell pepper, carrots, cashew ‘Cheez’ and cilantro wrapped in collard greens. The Sanwish features a sunflower seed and vegetable bread topped with avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion and cashew ‘Cheez and the Ocean-Friendly Nori Roll contains almond pate’, cucumber, avocado, lettuce and sesame dill sauce wrapped in raw nori.

The Coconut Curry Special here is a delicious dish made with cauliflower, carrots, celery, peas, broccoli, and red bell pepper in a live coconut curry sauce, served with raw ‘rice’. A Mini Curry version of this tantalizing dish is also available. Mexican Flair is the name of another entree at Lydia’s Kitchen. This entree contains a nut and seed pate, avocado, ‘Kreemy’ chili sauce, Salsa Fresca, lettuce and raw rice.

Lydia’s Kitchen’s Middle Eastern Plate features stuffed non-organic Dolmas grape leaves, with a great coconut almond hummus. This dish is served with a Greek salad. Kreemy Pizzaz, Goddess of the Sea Nori Roll and Mediterranean Zucchini Zoodles are some of the other raw entrees served at this Marin County restaurant.

A great way to try several different raw dishes at Lydia’s Kitchen is to order their raw sampler plate. This plate features an ever-changing assortment of some of the raw specialties served at this Fairfax, California healthy eatery.

An interesting side dish here is their raw ‘rice’. Prepared with cauliflower, cashews, cabbage, parsley, lemon and herbs, this ‘rice’ is a wonderful accompaniment to any of the tasty raw entrees served at this restaurant.

A favorite raw menu item at Lydia’s Kitchen is Lydia’s Cereal. This flavorful raw cereal is served with fresh almond ‘melk’ and is available plain or with fruit. Raw cereal flavors include Vanilla Crunch, Grainless Apple, Sprouted Cinnamon and Berry Good. These raw cereals are also 100% sweetener-free.

Some of the raw beverages served at Lydia’s Kitchen are Almond “Melk”, made with sprouted almonds, vanilla and agave, Green Smoothie, which contains fresh squeezed orange juice, berries, bananas and Lydia’s Green Power, Berry Smoothie and the Raw Power Shake, which is a tasty amalgamation of almond ‘melk’, cacao nibs, maca, figs, blueberries and Lydia’s Green Power.

A nice selection of raw desserts are served at Lydia’s Kitchen. The raw macaroons are made with coconut, vanilla, agave, sprouted almonds, cacao and coconut oil, the raw brownies here contain almonds, figs, walnuts, dates, vanilla, maca and cacao nibs and their cinnamon rolls feature walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, cashews, coconut nectar, almonds, lemon, raisins and pear or apple.

Other raw desserts served at this restaurant are chocolate chip cookies, fruit pies, Green Powerballs and raw “Cheez” cakes, which are made with almonds, dates, cinnamon, lemon, Irish moss, cashews, walnuts, agave, coconut and apple. Lydia’s Lovin’ also serves several different flavors of raw chocolates. These scrumptious chocolates are available in goji berry filled, mint chip, raspberry filled, cayenne chip and Super Nugget varieties.

http://lydiaslovinfoods.com

By Thomas McCabe

Grezzo Restaurant
69 Prince Street
Boston, Ma 02113
(857) 362-7288

Located in Boston’s North End, Grezzo Restaurant is a very popular raw foods restaurant that is known for consistently featuring fresh and creatively - presented organic raw vegan cuisine. This 28 - seat eatery offers a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere that is accentuated by candlelight. Referring to themselves as a vegan raw and living food restaurant, Grezzo regularly utilizes fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables and seeds as the basis for their delectable gourmet raw dishes. They do not use dairy, animal products or animal - derived products here, nor do they use honey, maple syrup, cooked vinegars, nutritional yeast, canned food or processed ingredients.

The lunch menu at Grezzo features soups such as Winter Melon Stew and Mushroom Tea and salads that include Sea Vegetable and Baby Arugula varieties.
Some of the outstanding raw entrees from the lunch menu at Grezzo are BLTA Italian Bread Wrap, made with eggplant bacon, Greek Pizzeta, “Free - Range” Chicken - Less Salad, Kelp & Wild Mushroom Bistro Burger, Gnocchi Carbonara and Land and Sea, made with mushrooms, ricotta and kelp.

The dinner menu at Grezzo Restaurant offers a large selection of toothsome raw food delights. These include Spring Vegetable Maki, Pickled Asparagus Salad, Zucchini Cannelloni, Seaweed Salad and Vietnamese Coconut Soup. Among the other acclaimed raw dishes on Grezzo’s dinner menu are Wild Rice Jambalaya, Native Tomato Ravioli and Star Anise Crusted Papaya Steak. In addition to their regular menu items, Grezzo Restaurant also features nightly specials and periodic menu - changes, in order to capitalize upon the freshest ingredients available.

Be sure not to overlook the desserts at this Boston, Massachusetts raw foods restaurant. Each one of the exquisite desserts at Grezzo is an edible work of art, garnished with fruits, flowers, nuts and more. Just some of the incredible desserts offered here are Hemp Seed Brownie, Apple Pave and house - made gelato. A range of alcoholic and non - alcoholic drinks is served at Grezzo, as are a wide variety of vegan and biodynamic wines and sakes. Standout alcoholic drinks include Dirty Tomato Water Martini, Chai Mudslide, Lemon Drop Martini and Winter White Sangria. Some of the great non - alcoholic drinks at Grezzo are Kombucha, Green Drink, Chai Frappe and Juice of the Day.

Open seating is featured at Grezzo, but reservations are accepted. All menu items are also available for take - out service.

By Thomas McCabe

Beets Living Food Cafe
1611 W 5th Street, Ste 165
Austin, TX 78734
(512) 477-BEET (2338)

Cuisine Type : Raw, Organic Foods

One reason that hungry diners in the Austin area are so fond of Beets Living Food Cafe is the fact that the raw foods served there actually taste good. Excellent customer
service, a nice decor and atmosphere and moderate prices are other reasons that contribute to the popularity of this restaurant.

This cafe is large, clean and spacious, with a modern, attractive decor. The entire menu here is comprised of raw food items and the various dishes are creatively -
presented.

Breakfast lunch and dinner are served at Beets Living Food Cafe, with breakfast items available all day. Breakfast items here include Buckwheat Granola, a tasty mixture of sprouted buckwheat, dates, raisins, flax seeds, apple and sesame seeds with almond milk and Oatmeal made with sprouted oats, apple, dates and cinnamon glazed apples, also served with almond milk.

Appetizers at this bright and cheery raw foods cafe include Chips, Salsa Y Nacho Quezo, Guacamole, Zucchini Hummus and Nori Rolls. The attractive nori rolls are filled
with the customer’s choice of ‘Mock Tuna’ pate or avocado, with sprouts and julienne vegetables and a tamari dipping sauce. The guacamole is delightful and is served with raw corn chips.

The chips and salsa appetizer here features raw corn chips with a lively salsa made of tomatoes, red onion, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro served with a raw ‘quezo’ made with cashews, miso and carrots. Zucchini’s versatility is exemplified by this cafe’s zucchini hummus. Essentially a traditional - style hummus made with zucchini, this item is served with assorted vegetable crudite and a sunflower flatbread option is also available.

More than half a dozen types of salads are served at Beets Living Food Cafe. These include Kale Salad, a generous serving of kale, sweet peppers, green onions, raisins,
avocado and hemp seeds, Tex - Mex Cabbage, with cabbage, green onion, tomatoes, peas, garlic and sun - dried tomatoes and Rainbow Salad, which contains mixed salad greens, cucumber, sprouts, red cabbage, carrot, seeds and avocado slices.

A very good raw curried carrot soup is also served at Beets Living Food Cafe. This smooth and flavorful soup is a popular menu item here and is made with carrot juice,
cashews or pine nuts, orange juice, ginger, garlic, miso, lemon and other ingredients.

Raw entrees at this Austin, Texas eatery include Cha - Lu - Pas, Pizza Rustica, Portobello Fajita Plate, Just - A - Good Burger and the E.L.T. The Cha - Lu - Pas are corn tostadas topped with salsa, lettuce, olives, guacamole and cashew sour cream. Pizza Rustica features a sprouted sunflower seed crust, tomato sauce, almond nut cheese, peppers, mushrooms, onions, fresh tomato, basil and olives.

The Portobello Fajita Plate is loaded with portabella mushrooms, red onion, sweet peppers, chiles and garlic, served on romaine leaves with guacamole and salsa. Beets
Living Food Cafe’s Just - A - Good Burger is an appealing ‘burger’ made with sprouted sunflower seeds, carrots, celery, parsley and onion, served with romaine lettuce,
tomato slices, sprouts, secret sauce and veggie chips. A raw flatbread option is available, with a small additional charge in place. The E.L.T. here contains eggplant ‘bacon’, lettuce, tomato, sprouts and avocado served on sprouted almond sunflower flatbread with a cashew dijonaise.

Seven different types of smoothies and a range of other beverages, such as herbal iced tea, goji lemonade, vegetable juice blends, chocolate almond milk, orange, apple and carrot juices, as well as whole coconut are served at this healthy - eating cafe.

Beets Living Foods Cafe offers an ever - changing selection of delicious raw desserts. Cookies, cakes, chocolates, pies and Beets’ I - Scream, which is a raw ‘ice cream’
made with nut milk are among the raw desserts that are usually available.

Various types of raw foods - oriented classes and events are held at this healthy eating spot in Austin. Beets Living Food Cafe also sells a nice selection of products online. The web site for Beets Living Food Cafe is http://www.beetscafe.com/location.html .

By Laura Burdick Sherman

Gourmet Greenhouse
5809 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood FL 33021
(Behind Costume Shop on 58th Street)
(954) 518-0551
Open: Tues – Sat 11 am – 4 pm

Greenhouse Gourmet is one of those little gems you wouldn’t find in a million years unless someone knew someone who visited. Off in an obscure section of Hollywood, this amazing little Garden of Eden respite offers a plethora of serenity, spiritual ambiance, health related classes, metaphysical objects and trinkets and delicious raw cuisine. Guests are invited to stroll the labyrinth, a bucolic green space cordoned off from a small parking lot by a white picket fence. The minute you cross into restaurant/spa/store private patio, you are escorted into a magical land of healthy raw, vegan and vegetarian cuisine and a fresh breath of air.

Restaurant and shop owner and holistic practitioner Barbara A. Simons, PhD said she created the upstairs eatery as an adjunct to healing therapies. The food and ambiance show the same careful thought and attention. Chef Jason Rapp often works the kitchen and tables, with Chef Maria Nagy interchanging at times. A turnstile filled with sprouts for sale shows how serious the restaurant is about ensuring healthy eating.
The only entrance to the restaurant is through the store, but it’s an inviting relaxing space filled with soothing scents and good vibes. Once upstairs, the dining room has the feel of a cozy, relaxed homespun kitchen. Chef Jason Rapp talks rapidly but it’s clear he has spent many hours of thought and trial into each dish. Rapp said he interchanges with Chef Maria Nagy and they try each other’s dishes in efforts to offer the very best. A cookbook sits perched nearby, and flipping through the recipes, it’s hard to resist picking up a copy ($29 on site or at amazon.com).
Complimentary crackers and homemade humus is served for every patron and the crunchy vegan crackers are surprisingly addicting. Hummus comes in many flavors, but only the garlic hummus deviates from a raw diet since the garlic has been heated.
Exotic choices of soups come both chilled and warm. The raw Chilled Cream of Strawberry is smooth, creamy, with tasty particles of strawberry, and although the creamy is evident, the dish is completely raw. Vegetarians can enjoy warmed exotic versions such as Cream of Pumpkin, Mushroom or Tomato Basil. All soups run $3.75 per cup or $4.75 per bowl.

Salads abound aplenty and offer a colorful inviting appearance. The Raw Salad Explosion ($4.75) was extremely fresh and the mixture of sweet and salty and textures between leafy spinach, mixed lettuce, watercress, and crunchy pine nuts, carrots, figs, sprouts, grape tomatoes and orange zest provides the kind of variety not easily found in a strictly raw salad. A Chinese Mandarin “Chicken” salad offers another interesting option.
Entrees abound, but two dishes in particular stand out. The Yellow Squash Spaghetti and Almond Flaxseed ‘Meatballs’ with a side salad ($8), apparently created by Maria to mimic the textures of the meat version, seems as creative as any raw dish could taste. The meatballs are so filling, yet flavored in such a way that each bite entices you to try another. This dish earns a definite nod. The Chinese Mandarin Salad with sliced almonds, Mandarin oranges, and bamboo shoots on a bed of mixed greens ($4.75) is about as pleasing a dish as you might request. Fresh is the operative word here, with veggies standing out for their crunchiness and clean taste.

Vegetarians can eat to their hearts content here. The Stir Fried “Pork” and vegetables is a tasty slow marinated citrus “pork spare rib” pieces (tofu) stir fried, with perfectly cooked brown rice and mixed vegetables is a definite try ($8). Quinoa comes in many colors and flavors and the red Quinoa Caliente is a delightful side dish. There are plenty of other vegan and vegetarian choices as well, so no one needs to leave this establishment anything but thrilled.
Dessert is amazing and the Vegan Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce ($3.75) is a must have for those wishing to deviate from a strictly raw diet. Fruit juices, coffee, tea, iced tea and bottled waters are available beverages as well.

From start to finish, Greenhouse Gourmet is one of those places where you can’t believe you never found before and can’t wait until you return again.

by Thomas McCabe

The Raw Deal
603 South Broadway
Menomonie, WI 54751
(715) 231-3255

Cuisine Type : Organic, Vegan Raw

A relaxed and comfortable vibe is present at this large and spacious vegan and raw foods cafe. This is the type of place where you can enjoy a cold or hot coffee or tea beverage, while reading, indulging in a board game or partaking of the free WiFi that is offered. Couches, stuffed chairs, artwork and reading material are on hand at The Raw Deal and customers are welcome to enjoy the surroundings.

Since 2006, this family operated eatery has been serving an interesting assortment of organic, vegan raw foods made with the freshest ingredients available. When possible, local ingredients are utilized at The Raw Deal. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served here, with a nice selection of raw items offered. The staff members are friendly and seem to really like their jobs. Customer service is very good and prices are very reasonable.

Many people think that the smoothies and organic juices served at The Raw Deal are the best to be found in Menomonie. Made with the freshest of fruits and vegetables, these beverages are always refreshing and delicious.

In addition to straight apple juice, carrot juice and orange juice, several delightful juice combinations are on the menu at this raw foods deli. These include Ginger Lemonade, Beet Me Green, Cran-Apple and Stalking Apples, which contains apples, pineapple and celery.

The interestingly named smoothies made at The Raw Deal are available in a host of flavorful ingredient combinations. One of the smoothie varieties featured here is named ‘I Date a Nut’. This smoothie contains dates and coconut. Another smoothie here, with strawberries, pineapple and kiwi is named Strawkiappleberry.

Other smoothie varieties at this Menomonie, Wisconsin raw foods cafe are Pina Colata, Goki Berry, with blueberries, kiwi and mango, Coconut, Tropics, which contains pineapple, banana and mango, Berry Banana and the Nutty Monkey, a wonderful concoction made with banana, vanilla, almonds and dates.

Fresh-roasted coffee, teas, wine and beer are also served here.

The constantly evolving raw foods menu at The Raw Deal always features tasty and imaginative dishes that can make a raw foods lover out of the staunchest carnivore.

Just some of the flavorful raw dishes that can often be found at this restaurant are raw lasagna, raw hummus, raw spaghetti, raw cabbage rolls and raw enchiladas.

The raw desserts produced at this restaurant are very good. Among them are Raw Chocolate Pie, raw cookies, raw cheesecake, raw brownies, raw pastry bars and much more.

Art exhibits, live music performances, beer and wine tastings, discussion groups and other events are regularly held at The Raw Deal.

The Real Deal also features an online store. Many of the items that are sold at the restaurant can be conveniently enjoyed in your home when ordered through their web site.

www.rawdeal-wi.com

By Thomas McCabe

Sun Cafe
3711 Cahuenga Boulevard
Studio City, California 91604
(818) 308-7420
Open Monday through Saturday 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
Cuisine Type : Raw Vegan Organic

This award winning raw food and vegan restaurant is a very popular spot that consistently serves some of the tastiest raw and vegan dishes available in the Los Angeles area.

While the menu lists a mixture of raw and non-raw items, many of the non-raw dishes can be prepared raw and are listed thusly on the menu. A relaxed and comfortabe atmosphere is featured at Sun Cafe, portions are good-sized and service is fast and friendly. The staff members are enthusiastic about the foods they create and serve and are very knowledgeable concerning raw foods. The decor is soothing and prices are moderate.

Raw appetizers at Sun Cafe include Lettuce Leaf Tacos, made with SunChorizo, pico de gallo, green onion, avocado, pecan pieces and cashew cheese and the Mezze Plate, which contains marinated beet salad, cashew ricotta, olive tapenade, kale salad, vegetable sticks, tzatziki and flax crackers.

Sun Nachos here are available raw and raw soups are usually available.

Several tasty and aesthetically pleasing raw salads are served at this enjoyable eatery. The Kale Salad features massaged kale, pecan pieces and tomato in a basil ranch dressing and the Marinated Beet Salad is served with quinoa atop baby greens.

Sun Cafe’s Spinach Salad is made with baby spinach, sliced apple, raisins and garlic pecan cheese and balsamic dressing. Their Kale Colossus is a large mixture of kale salad, pico de gallo, marinated pepper, mushroom and onion, raisins and sliced bananas.

Most of the sandwiches at this cafe are available raw. Sandwich choices include Italian Sandwich, Sun Burger and Portobello Sandwich.

The selection of Specialties features a raw Lasagna Bolognese, raw Pad Thai and raw Marinara or Pesto Kelp Noodles. Sun Cafe’s raw Lasagna Bolognese is made with zucchini ‘noodles’, portobello, baby spinach, cashew ricotta, SunChorizo and marinara and is fabulous.

Raw Pad Thai here is a creative and flavorful dish that contains kelp noodles, red cabbage, cashews, tomato, basil and cilantro. Three types of pizza pies; Pesto, Mexican and Supreme varieties are also available raw at Sun Cafe.

When it comes to beverages, this Studio City cafe serves some of the tastiest smoothies and shakes in Los Angeles. Their Strawberry Superfood Shake features strawberry, cashew, agave and goji. The Mint Shamrock Shake is made with spinach, cacao, agave, banana and cashew and the Blueberry Kale Smoothie contains blueberry, goji berry, pineapple, kale and apple.

Fresh juices, such as Apple Carrot, Green Juice, Lemon Ginger and Power Root Juice contain the freshest of juices and are available with shots of spirulina, acai and hemp seed. Fresh coconut, iced tea and other beverages are available.

Assorted varieties of raw cheesecake are served at Sun Cafe, as are various types of raw cookies and dessert specials.

Sun Cafe offers several different cleanse and detox programs. These include a 28-day Ejuva Herbal Detox, a raw vegan cleanse as well as three day and five day juice fasts. Catering and company delivery of food items are also provided by this raw food and vegan restaurant.

http://suncafe.com

By Thomas McCabe

Oasis Living Cuisine
134 Lancaster Avenue
Frazer, PA 19355
(610) 647-9797

Located in the western section of Pennsylvania, Oasis Living Cuisine is a wonderful raw food cafe that also features an on - site retail store. At this clean, attractive and modern eatery, patrons can dine on raw wraps, raw, gluten - free organic salads, raw pizzas and tasty raw side dishes. A special treat offered here is an extensive assortment of hand made raw chocolate items.

Counter service is featured at this bright and cheery cafe, with the seating, or dining space located downstairs from the counter area. All of the menu items are made to order at this raw food spot, prices are reasonable and service is very good.

The House Salad at Oasis Living Cuisine is a large garden - fresh mixture of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and carrots. This salad can also be ordered as a side salad. The Hotel Salad here contains lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, beets, avocado slices and sunflower seeds. A Hummus & Chips plate is also available

Raw wraps at Oasis Living Cuisine include Nori Roll, made with nori, carrots, zucchini and tomato, ‘Meetball’ Sub, which contains ‘meetballs’ made with walnuts and sunflowers in a flax wrap with Brazil nut parmesan and zucchini cashew creme and the Raw Sandwich which features Brazil nut pate, lettuce, tomato, carrots and a cashew dressing.

Some of the other raw wraps on the menu here are the Avocado Flax Wrap, with avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and a spicy cashew dressing in a flax tortilla, the Collard Wrap, which consists of a fresh collard leaf filled with avocado slices, raw hummus, cucumbers, carrots and tomatoes and the Raw Enchilada, which features spicy sunflower seed pate, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes and spicy cashew creme served in a choice of fresh collard leaf, nori or flax tortilla.

Several different types of raw pizza are on the menu at Oasis Living Cuisine. Among them are Living Pizza, with marinara sauce, zucchini, cashew creme and Brazil nut parmesan, Hummus Pizza, Spicy Garden Pizza and Banana Nut Pizza, made with sliced bananas, sunflower seeds and almond butter.

Other tasty dishes at this casual and relaxed restaurant include their Walnut Burger, Stuffed Avocado and their Zucchini Parfait, which is made with sliced zucchini and marinara cashew sauce.

A nice selection of smoothies, shakes and fresh organic juices are offered here. Smoothies, such as Orange Creme, Mixed Berry Banana and Green Smoothie are made with raw fruit. The raw vegan nutmilk shakes served at Oasis Living Cuisine are available in flavors such as Coconut Creme, Mint Chip and Chocolate Banana, with a range of boosters available. Almost a dozen types of juice drinks, including ‘cleanses’ are also on the menu at this raw foods establishment.

The high quality raw chocolates made and sold at Oasis Living Cuisine are luxurious, decadent and delicious. A wide variety of raw chocolate products are normally in - stock here, as are several other flavorful raw sweet items.

A nice selection of hand made raw organic gluten - free products are available at Oasis Living Cuisine’s retail store, online and at local natural food stores. These include chocolate fudge, macaroons, kale chips, salad dressings, raw chocolate bars, candied almonds, spicy falafel crisps, cocoa grahams, sunflower seeds and chocolate cookies.

Cash and most major credit cards are accepted at Oasis Living Cuisine. Their web site is http://www.oasislivingcuisine.com .

By Thomas McCabe

Simply Natural Cafe
8267 Sunset Strip
Sunrise, Florida 33322

Cuisine Type : All Organic, Vegetarian, Raw and Non - Vegetarian

Located in a town named Sunrise, this clean and attractive restaurant serves a large and varied all - organic menu. Although most of the dishes served at Simply Natural Cafe are vegetarian and / or raw, several different poultry, meat and seafood dishes are also on the menu. Prices here are fairly reasonable and the creatively - presented food items are amply - portioned.

From the neon natural food signs on the front windows, to the bright and cheery decor and excellent customer service that is always provided, this all - organic restaurant exudes a sense of friendly vitality that makes dining there a pleasureable experience.

A nice assortment of raw options are regularly available at Simply Natural Cafe. Proper raw food handling and preparation techniques are observed here, in an effort to consistently present healthy and vibrant food choices.

Several tasty raw soups and appetizers are great meal - starters at this south Florida organic restaurant. Raw soups here include Avocado Soup and Raw Cucumber and Tomato Soup. Among the raw appetizers that are offered at Simply Natural Cafe are Raw Tabbouleh and Raw Hummus.

Salads at this popular restaurant are packed - full of fresh, organic ingredients. Among the salad choices on the menu here are Mango Salad, with mangoes, cucumber, onions and tomatoes and Avocado Salad, which contains avocado, sprouts, tomatoes, red cabbage, cucumber and carrots on a bed of baby greens.

The selection of raw entrees and main dishes served here includes an array of raw versions of standard American menu - favorites. A wonderful raw lasagna is produced at this organic eatery, as are raw pizza, raw ravioli, raw burger, raw taco and raw stuffed portabello mushroom. A raw platter and raw un - stir - fry are also available.

Simply Natural Cafe also offers a tantalizing assortment of sumptuous raw desserts. It’s hard to believe, but the exquisite desserts presented at this organic eatery are made without or flour, sugar, wheat, salt, milk, soy or preservatives.

Raw dessert choices here include Coconut Cake, Pumpkin Pie, Carrot Cake, Key Lime Pie and Chocolate Mousse Cake. Raw ice cream, breads, cookies and crackers are also served at Simply Natural Cafe.

A large selection of fruit juices, vegetable juices and smoothies are on the menu at this healthy eatery. Some of the juices include coconut water, organic carrot juice, home - made lemonade and wheat grass. Among the smoothie flavors that are offered here are Tropical Forest, with orange juice, frozen berries and frozen bananas, Orange Sunshine, which features orange, banana and cranberries and Super Body Power, which contains blueberries, acai, pomegranate, pineapple and banana.

In addition to their juice and smoothie selections, Simply Natural Cafe also serves tea, coffee, espresso, cappuccino, Turkish coffee, organic beers and organic wine.

This organic restaurant also operates a health food store / nutrition center next door to the restaurant

Dine - in and take - out service of all menu items is provided at Simply Natural Cafe, as are catering services. Wireless Internet is also available.

By Thomas McCabe

Omar’s Rawtopia
2148 South Highland Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84106
(801) 486-0332

Cuisine Type : Raw, Live and Organic

Billing itself as the only raw foods bar in Utah, Omar’s Rawtopia has been in business since 2005. A large and creative menu of organic and raw appetizers, main dishes, combination plates, desserts and beverages is offered at this popular eatery, with moderate prices in place. The brainchild of chef / owner Omar Abou - Ismail, Rawtopia is a very popular restaurant that regularly draws raw foods enthusiasts from near and far.

Utilizing the sprouting method of preparing food, this 100% organic restaurant creates delicious and aesthetically - pleasing healthy dishes by using dehydrators, juicers and other types of equipment. Staying true to raw foods preparation methods, all menu items at Omar’s Rawtopia are prepared at temperatures no higher than 105* F.

A relaxed, casual and comfortable atmosphere is featured here, with dine - in and take - out service of all menu items provided. The staff members at this Utah raw foods and organic restaurant consistently offer excellent service and portions are quite generous.

Only the freshest organic ingredients available are used in the preparation of dishes at this establishment and all of the creatively - inspired dishes are well - presented.

Appetizers at Omar’s Rawtopia include Creme de Broccoli, which is a lovely almond soup, Tabouli Bite, Seaweed n’ Noodles and Almond Hummus Bite, made with live almond hummus.

Among the main dishes served at this raw foods restaurant are Bean Burrito, made with tahini and sunflower seeds, macadamia nut sour cream and collard green wrap, Nut Burger, Hummus Pizza, Seaweed Salad, Raw Pasta, with zucchini noodles and a great tomato sauce and Sweet Basil Seaweed Roll, which is a nori roll filled with hemp seeds or macadamia nut rice, veggies and a wonderful curried almond sauce.

A nice assortment of combination plates at Omar’s Rawtopia feature various appetizers and main dishes presented together. Some of the tasty combination dishes at this organic and raw foods restaurant are Falafel / Seaweed Salad, Sweet Basil Salad / Lebanese Wrap, Tabouli / Hummus and Bean Burrito / Falafel.

Desserts are no mere afterthought at this organic and raw foods restaurant. Several decadently - flavorful raw creations that are sweetened with agave nectar, yacon syrup and various fruits are on the menu at Omar’s Rawtopia. These include Fruit Chocolate Moo, which is a Brazil nut crust, chocolate pudding and fresh fruit, Cereal Bowl with Hemp Chai, Chocolate Fruit Creme Pie and Date Ball.

Some of the delightful beverages served here are Ginger Aid, which is lemonade mixed with ginger, cayenne pepper, goji berries and sea salt, Hemp Milk Chai, Chocolate Goji, Lemonade, Orange Juice and Fruit Smoothie.

All things considered, Omar’s Rawtopia is a healthy, refreshing addition to the dining landscape in the state of Utah.