I ventured back to Santa Cruz for the long weekend to spend some time with my family. There was much catching up to do: the grandkids had just started a new school year, my son had completed his first month on a new job, and my daughter-in-law, the veteran teacher, was back in the classroom. That, and the cool, foggy coastal climate gave me a welcome break from the scorching temps in Ojai. As always, we poked around town looking for new places to eat.
Like moths to a flame, we gravitated once again to Asana, that hole-in-the-wall eatery where I got hooked on their Lavender Love milkshake earlier this year. But we were dismayed to find that Asana is no more, replaced by a new restaurant named Cafe Gratitude, an organic vegan restaurant specializing in gourmet raw and cooked foods. Skeptical, we sat down and studied menus that were lengthy and somewhat difficult to decipher. Every dish is named after an affirmation, to wit, "I Am Transformed" is two handmade corn tortillas with cashew cheese. The word "live" is used liberally in the menu, as in live sandwich, live spinach, or live cracker.
I ordered the "I Am Complete" and the server smiled and replied, "You are complete." And around the table it went: "I Am Transformed," "I Am Hearty,""I Am Elated," until it was laughable. Our little guy, a picky eater, whose only hope for an acceptable dinner hung on what was billed as macaroni and cheese, was devastated when the bowl that was set down in front of him contained slivers of raw zucchini topped with a cheese made from ground Brazil nuts. So much for "I Am Comforted." A strike was declared by both kids, so in desperation we ordered them mint chocolate chip milkshakes, only it wasn't ice cream and the chocolate chips were raw cacao, and the mint was actually a green vitamin-mineral concoction.
By the end of the evening, I think each of us was thinking, "I am Frazzled." For a first visit, the gratitude gig is fun, but on subsequent visits it would soon become annoying.
Started in 2004, Cafe Gratitude has grown to a collection of 4 restaurants in the San Francisco area, 1 in Los Angeles (where it is a mecca for the Hollywood set), and another couple tucked into Whole Foods stores in the Bay Area, all using organic produce from their farm in Vacaville, California. But there's more: books, DVDs, food supplements, clothing, classes, and food items, all available online. Limited to California locations now, the restaurant franchise is bound to spread across the country, and Whole Foods could be a catalyst. So watch for it. And get your groove on by repeating this affirmation: I Am Forewarned.
Like moths to a flame, we gravitated once again to Asana, that hole-in-the-wall eatery where I got hooked on their Lavender Love milkshake earlier this year. But we were dismayed to find that Asana is no more, replaced by a new restaurant named Cafe Gratitude, an organic vegan restaurant specializing in gourmet raw and cooked foods. Skeptical, we sat down and studied menus that were lengthy and somewhat difficult to decipher. Every dish is named after an affirmation, to wit, "I Am Transformed" is two handmade corn tortillas with cashew cheese. The word "live" is used liberally in the menu, as in live sandwich, live spinach, or live cracker.
I ordered the "I Am Complete" and the server smiled and replied, "You are complete." And around the table it went: "I Am Transformed," "I Am Hearty,""I Am Elated," until it was laughable. Our little guy, a picky eater, whose only hope for an acceptable dinner hung on what was billed as macaroni and cheese, was devastated when the bowl that was set down in front of him contained slivers of raw zucchini topped with a cheese made from ground Brazil nuts. So much for "I Am Comforted." A strike was declared by both kids, so in desperation we ordered them mint chocolate chip milkshakes, only it wasn't ice cream and the chocolate chips were raw cacao, and the mint was actually a green vitamin-mineral concoction.
By the end of the evening, I think each of us was thinking, "I am Frazzled." For a first visit, the gratitude gig is fun, but on subsequent visits it would soon become annoying.
Started in 2004, Cafe Gratitude has grown to a collection of 4 restaurants in the San Francisco area, 1 in Los Angeles (where it is a mecca for the Hollywood set), and another couple tucked into Whole Foods stores in the Bay Area, all using organic produce from their farm in Vacaville, California. But there's more: books, DVDs, food supplements, clothing, classes, and food items, all available online. Limited to California locations now, the restaurant franchise is bound to spread across the country, and Whole Foods could be a catalyst. So watch for it. And get your groove on by repeating this affirmation: I Am Forewarned.
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