Raw Zucchini Spaghetti
When I feel that my body is in desperate need of a reset button, I go raw. Thankfully, the raw vegan movement in L.A. is quite possibly the largest in the country, so there are many raw restaurants and vendors to choose from. Here they are in order of preference:
Euphoria Loves Rawvolution (Santa Monica, hippie vibe, best bang for your buck)
Cru (Silver Lake, tied with Euphoria. More upscale atmosphere and slightly more expensive than Euphoria)
Santa Monica Coopportunity (organic grocery store with a huge raw food selection)
Real Food Daily (located throughout L.A... They have a few raw dishes available on their vegan menu)
Leaf Organics (located throughout L.A.)
Juliano's Raw (Santa Monica)
Greek Pizza
I'd been on a raw food diet for years, so raw food is nothing new to me. Newbies to the raw scene should be aware that enjoying a raw food meal requires a paradigm shift of the taste buds. If you go to a raw restaurant expecting something that tastes exactly like "pasta", a "burrito", "cheese", "pizza", or "nachos", you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Nuts and seeds are the main ingredients in their "cheeses", "milks", "crusts" etc. So that means while there's no dairy, grains or soy on the menu, people with nut allergies should be cautious.
Raw Collard wrap at Real Food Daily
In my opinion, Euphoria loves Rawvolution in Santa Monica is the best bang for your buck raw food in L.A.. If you don't mind the hippie atmosphere (and name), give this place a try for their generous portions and good prices.
For our first visit (out of 3 so far), we ordered:
Coconut water
-Young Coconut: You drink the water inside and then eat the deliciously sweet, soft meat with a spoon.
Warm "Hot Chocolate"
-Hot chocolate: I had to laugh when I sipped this because it was served luke warm. Duh. If it were any hotter, it would be considered cooked!
-Zucchini pasta with marinara sauce and mushrooms: Wow, the flavor in this dish blew me away, and the portion size was generous.
Green Dragon Roll
-Green Dragon Roll: Isch don't think so! Just a bunch of green veggies wrapped in nori. It was $8, and not worth the price IMO. I make my own version of this at home and it's cheaper and tastier.
-Desserts: Almond chocolate (like a Reeses pieces), Mint Chocolate, and Coconut Ball. All were excellent, and guilt free. I love raw food desserts!!!
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