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By According to Kim

Café Gratitude (Larchmont) - Organic live onion sesame bagel with cashew cream cheese, nori “lox”, tomato, onion, capers and sprouts. This is not your typical vegan restaurant that you probably associate tons of alfalfa sprouts, tempeh, seitan, and other soy “protein” substitutes with. It’s all organic and more about delicious nut cheese, seasonal veggies & fruit, kelp noodles, quinoa, brown rice, with dishes like the zucchini lasagna and my absolute favorite, the polenta cakes with sautéed spinach, mushrooms and basil chiffonade topped with cashew nut cheese. As for their desserts and smoothies, they are truly delicious. My favorites are the “I AM COOL” which is a mint, chocolate chip smoothie made with mint and cocoa nibs, their Quinoa Crispy Treats, and pretty much all their pies and cakes. Your body and your cholesterol level will thank you. Try it, you will feel satiated and even forget that you’re in a vegan restaurant!

By The Beauty Palette

I’m in LA so frequently that my friends joke that LA is basically my second home. Happily, LA is one of the few cities that blows NYC out of the water when it comes to organic, local and healthy food. Since I travel to the West Coast so often for work, I’ve tried it all. So after hours and hours of arduous juicing and dining, here are my picks for healthy eats and drinks in LA; otherwise known as: places I go to in between my regular pilgrimages to Umami Burger…

Cafe Gratitude – I think of Cafe Gratitude as One Lucky Duck‘s prettier, brighter LA counterpart. This raw, vegan oasis has a really varied menu, which means that it can fulfill any sort of craving you may have. I personally love their garlic-tahini kale chips (I Am Vivacious) and their almond thai kelp noodles (I Am Terrific). Yep, all of the items on their menu are actually affirmations. It just doesn’t get more hippie than Cafe Gratitude but I think that’s okay because the positive, relaxed attitude is reflected in their staff who are always super cheerful and willing to answer my millions of annoying questions!  

Cafe Gratitude LA - 639 Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

There’s always a new place in town that everyone raves about and right now, for the more health conscious amongst us, it’s Cafe Gratitude down in Venice.

Here’s what they say on their website: ” Cafe Gratitude is a collection of 100% organic vegan restaurants specializing in gourmet vegan cuisines. We strive to create a menu and environment that supports health and sustainability for both our community and the planet. We practice business through a term we call “Sacred Commerce”, where we provide inspired service, honest and transparent communication, and express gratitude for the richness of our lives.”

Read the full article here

Stepbrothers Ryland Engelhart and Cary Mosier opened their organic-vegan-raw specialty restaurant in the Bay Area in 2004 then expanded to L.A., first in Larchmont in March 2011 then in Venice in July 2012. 

Colin Farrell and Anne Hathaway are among those taking in the communal and sustainable vibe at Larchmont, and “all the Arquettes come in,” says Mosier. Insiders consider it a hotspot for courting indie and new talent, and it’s an especially popular pick when power-lunching with actor clients on rigid diets.

The most popular dishes are the “I Am Whole” macrobiotic sea-vegetable rice or quinoa bowl and (ironically for Hollywood) a curried-lentil dish called “I Am Humble.”

Read full article here.

Join pastry chef Sarah Engelhart as she teaches you to make Cafe Gratitude signature desserts.

The class includes a step by step demonstration of how to prepare delicious organic, vegan, gluten free desserts. Each participant will receive written instructions, recipes and samples.

The class menu will include the preparation of the the following:

I AM BLISS- Chocolate creme pie
I AM CREATIVE- Pumpkin pie
I AM DEVOTED- Coconut Creme pie.

LOCATION: Cafe Gratitude VENICE, 512 Rose Ave, Venice CA 90291

DATE: Sunday January 13th, 2013

TIME: 9am-11am

COST: $45 per person

Pre-registration required. Register by calling Cafe Gratitude Venice at 424-231-8000, or stop by in person!

HAPPIEST MEAL: “The ‘I am Fortified’ (sautéed seasonal vegetables and kale with brown rice or quinoa) at Café Gratitude on Larchmont Boulevard in Los Angeles, with about 12 pieces of their key lime pie.”

HAPPIEST WORKOUT: “In L.A., a long hike in Griffith Park . In New York, a ‘hike’ over the Williamsburg Bridge up to Union Square. And, in New Hampshire, a hike with my parents in the woods behind their house. So, basically, hiking.”

HAPPIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY: “Eating homemade doughnuts with my parents and brothers on the breakwater in Kennebunkport, Maine, watching the boats as the sun came up.”

HAPPIEST WAY TO SPEND THE WEEKEND: “Hanging with my husband and writing.”

HAPPIEST MUSIC: “Van Morrison always makes me happy. My dad always played his music in the car when I was growing up.”

HAPPIEST JOB: “The one I currently have — acting. I’m doing what I said I wanted to do when I was 4 years old — it doesn’t get much happier than that!”

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secret, more than once I received the suggestion to eat here and I happily followed…

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