Tasty food without nasty chemicals: Cafe Gratitude
By Caroline Mooser
Bland, boring, gas-inducing food may come to mind when thinking of a vegan diet. This assumption couldn't be further from the truth after experiencing a meal at Cafe Gratitude.
Each square inch of the "I Am Sensational" buckwheat crust pesto pizza with olive tapenade, cashew ricotta, chiffonade basil, cherry tomatoes and micro greens is saturated with flavor. The "I Am Elated" enchiladas, which combine the "I Am Bueno" spinach tortillas with a sun-dried tomato, chile and pumpkin-seed pate, are also a testament that vegan food is nothing but gourmet goodness.
Located in San Francisco, Cafe Gratitude's premise that food is medicine and medicine is food invites guests to enjoy a mindful, reflective and profound eating experience.
The names of the dishes are self-affirmations that remind guests to appreciate themselves, others and the food they are eating. After guests order the "I Am Festive" macadamia-crusted, cheese-stuffed green chiles rellenos and the "I Am Sassy" virgin margarita, the server confirms their order by replying, "You are festive and sassy!"
Later on, servers present guests with the question of the day, which may be, "In whose presence are you most alive?" or "In what way has the universe dealt you a royal flush?"
Musician Michael Franti, a regular at the cafe, reviewed the restaurant in owner Terces Engelhart's recipe book. "I spend a lot of time on the road and eat in a lot of restaurants, but every time I return to San Francisco I go to Café Gratitude to recharge -- not just on the amazing food, but also on the energy of the staff and the practice of abundance that (owners) Matthew and Terces bring to everything they do."
The cafe, which opened five years ago, is working to become 100 percent sustainable. Produce comes from its two farms in Hawaii and Vacaville, Calif., and the cafe buys all its dates from a local date farmer who has the restaurant to thank for the majority of his business.
Engelhart, who not only owns but founded the restaurant, explained the importance of a vegan raw food diet. "If you think you cannot afford the extra money that organic foods can cost, consider that we are going to pay somewhere, either up front for high-quality food or in health care for the stress the body endures by having to deal with the toxins we ingest, as well as the health care of all the farm workers and the cleaning up of the environment," he said.
While experiencing food in its purest form, guests can also be content to know their "I Am Pleased" nut milk ice cream, garnished with "I Am Decadent" raw chocolate sauce, is just as satisfying as a Dairy Queen Blizzard.
Cafe Gratitude has locations in Berkeley, San Rafael, Healdsburg and San Francisco. Check www.cafegratitude.org for the complete menu.
Contact Caroline Mooser at cmooser@scu.edu.