I Am Obsessed. With Cafe Gratitude.
We love food-- all sorts of fare. Words like "vegan" "raw" and "macrobiotic" sounded scary to us until... until recently. Hearing about Cafe Gratitude twice in two days and being mere blocks away after my first ever acupuncture appointment (more to come on that), it just all seemed like the right moment to investigate the fuss. In a sleek, modern space on Larchmont just West of Melrose, Cafe Gratitude was a delight from the moment I clapped eyes on it. The friendly and hip staff guided me through the menu of raw and cooked vegan food, smoothies and beverages all with different "I Am.." titles. I selected the "I Am Magical," a veggie burger served in a wrap with "coconut bacon" and I added some sort of vegan "cheese" that was DELICIOUS. And the "I Am Effervescent" drink made with ginger, lemon and sparkling water was refreshing and zingy.
Here is another thing, some of you (myself included) might be envisioning a mega-hippie scene where everyone has dreadlocks, smells of patchouli and sneers at you in your neon J Crew pants. Nope! This is truly a place where people are happy, grateful, non-judgey, stylish and hip. They're just a little healthier. And they serve organic wines and beers!! Cheers.
Cafe Gratitude has six locations in the San Francisco area, the spot on Larchmont in Hollywood I visited and to my utter delight, I learned they are opening an outpost in Venice on Rose and 5th this June! Hurray. I am gratefully hooked.