Cafe Gratitude

What a busy day! We started the day with breakfast at Cafe Gratitude. On our way to the cafe, Shel's emergency cell phone rang. It was her dad. We decided not to answer the phone, assuming that the call was not in fact an emergency. About a half hour later, the phone rang again. Does a second phone call constitute an emergency? Maybe, but we were not so sure. A voice mail, however, would remove all doubt.

It turns out it was a semi-emergency. Shel's dad had parked the car on the street, as the garage was full. Some unskillful person had slashed the front tires. Doh!

Shel had the 'I am Vigorous' live macadamia nut porridge, a chunky blend of young coconut, macadamia nuts, apples, vanilla and cinnamon. Jason had the 'I am Sustained' steamed quinoa with fresh fruit, cinnamon and a touch of agave. We split the 'I am Eternally Sweet' chocolate milkshake, a frosty vanilla nut milk shake made with soft serve vegan ice cream. We finished the meal with the 'I am Amazing' lemon meringue pie, a tart lemon pie with coconut meringue in a macadamia nut crust.

It was our first raw dining experience, and it was great. The restaurant had 'I am Present' stenciled on the front steps. The paintings on the wall also helped us to remain in the eternal present. The environment even helped us to weather the unpleasant tire-slashing experience: it is only suffering when you don't want to feel the pain.

The food was terrific, and very filling. Like Medicine New-Shojin Eatstation, Cafe Gratitude proved to be a unique dining experience.