A growing 100% organic, plant-based restaurant chain, Cafe Gratitude offers healthful vegetarian foods in a positive, modern, and friendly ambiance. I was recommended to visit it by a friend, who lauded the positive atmosphere, and was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the vegetarian fare was.
Inside, Cafe Gratitude is happy, positive, and clean, with natural tones and casual furnishings. The mood is set by the positive adjectives not only listed on the menus ("I am...") and boards, but also the employees, who are content and wear shirts that say "love" and other terms. Mindfulness, health, and wellness permeate the entire environment.
The first time I went to Cafe Gratitude, we began with the Connected (9 USD), an appetizer composed of guacamole and handmade crackers. The creamy, lightly seasoned guacamole went well with the nutty, crunchy flaxseed cracker and a slightly acidic, sprouted cracker.
I also had a drink of Luscious (8.5 USD), which was composed of almond milk, figs, date, raw cacao, and vanilla bean. With the raw cacao, the large smoothie was quite fragrant and chocolatey, and was naturally sweetened by the figs, date, and vanilla bean. Creamy, with some slight grittiness and texture from the figs and raw cacao, it was a very filling and intriguing drink.
And for my entree, I had the Whole (14 USD), a macrobiotic bowl with sea vegetables, braised Garnet yams, adzuki beans, sauteed kale, homemade kimchee, sea whip, black sesame seed gomasio, garlic-tahini sauce, teriyaki almonds, sunflower sprouts, and local brown rice or quinoa (you can pick both as well). It was truly a hearty bowl, with healthful ingredients and a slight Asian twist which helped to combine all the disparate ingredients together. I especially liked liked the teriyaki almonds, which provided some savory crunch, and the sea vegetables, which had a pleasant bite and were accented nicely with the other ingredients in the bowl.
On another visit, we tried the Mucho (14 USD), a Mexican bowl composed of black beans, guacamole, seasonal pico de gallo, nopalitos, fresh corn, cashew nacho cheese, toasted pepitas and chopped romaine. For the base of the bowl, we picked both local brown rice and quinoa. This was yet another filling bowl of quality ingredients that went very well together--crunchy, soft, creamy, sweet, salty, spicy, tangy, nutty all in one bowl.
The first time I went to Cafe Gratitude, we began with the Connected (9 USD), an appetizer composed of guacamole and handmade crackers. The creamy, lightly seasoned guacamole went well with the nutty, crunchy flaxseed cracker and a slightly acidic, sprouted cracker.
I also had a drink of Luscious (8.5 USD), which was composed of almond milk, figs, date, raw cacao, and vanilla bean. With the raw cacao, the large smoothie was quite fragrant and chocolatey, and was naturally sweetened by the figs, date, and vanilla bean. Creamy, with some slight grittiness and texture from the figs and raw cacao, it was a very filling and intriguing drink.
And for my entree, I had the Whole (14 USD), a macrobiotic bowl with sea vegetables, braised Garnet yams, adzuki beans, sauteed kale, homemade kimchee, sea whip, black sesame seed gomasio, garlic-tahini sauce, teriyaki almonds, sunflower sprouts, and local brown rice or quinoa (you can pick both as well). It was truly a hearty bowl, with healthful ingredients and a slight Asian twist which helped to combine all the disparate ingredients together. I especially liked liked the teriyaki almonds, which provided some savory crunch, and the sea vegetables, which had a pleasant bite and were accented nicely with the other ingredients in the bowl.
On another visit, we tried the Mucho (14 USD), a Mexican bowl composed of black beans, guacamole, seasonal pico de gallo, nopalitos, fresh corn, cashew nacho cheese, toasted pepitas and chopped romaine. For the base of the bowl, we picked both local brown rice and quinoa. This was yet another filling bowl of quality ingredients that went very well together--crunchy, soft, creamy, sweet, salty, spicy, tangy, nutty all in one bowl.
And I had the Fabulous (14 USD), a raw lasagna composed of squash blossoms, heirloom tomatoes, cilantro pumpkin seed pesto, fresh
corn, summer squash noodles, cashew queso fresco, salsa verde, and raw cacao
mole. Although this dish was completely raw, the dish itself melded very well together, with layers of different flavors and intensity--creamy, smoky, bright, green, sweet--coming from the varied ingredients. I felt the portion size was a bit small, but the dish was enjoyable nonetheless.
Cafe Gratitude's organic, creative dishes and cozy, fresh atmosphere make it a great place to visit for the health-conscious or just someone willing to try a fun spin on vegetarian food. I was quite surprised, and new seasonal specials only continue the innovation.
Cafe Gratitude
639 N Larchmont Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Tel: (323) 580-6383
Cafe Gratitude's organic, creative dishes and cozy, fresh atmosphere make it a great place to visit for the health-conscious or just someone willing to try a fun spin on vegetarian food. I was quite surprised, and new seasonal specials only continue the innovation.
Cafe Gratitude
639 N Larchmont Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Tel: (323) 580-6383
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