Cafe Gratitude makes the top 5!!!

The new contender for the top 5 vegetarian restaurants is Cafe Gratitude, but #1 is still Millennium.
580 Geary St, San Francisco (415) 345-3900

It's expensive. It's fancy. It's genius. It's worth it. I can't believe what they do is completely vegan...their flavors are so complex and have so much depth. My favorite dessert is the Chocolate Almond Midnight - I was in heaven when we went to Millennium for a friend's birthday and his birthday cake was a whole Chocolate Almond Midnight cake!

Chocolate Almond Midnight (found posted on Bayareaveg.org)

Makes one 8-inch cake; serves 12]

Cashew Crust:

1/3 cup unsalted cashew nuts
3 Tbsp. Sucanat (sugar)
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. sea salt

Chocolate Mousse:

2 cups (16 ounces) nondairy chocolate chips
24.6 ounces extra-firm low-fat silken tofu
3/4 cup Sucanat
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. sea salt

To make the cashew crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8-inch round springform or false bottom pan. In a food processor, grind the cashews until they resemble find meal. Add the Sucanat, oil, and vanilla. Process again until well combined. In a small bowl, stir the flour and salt together. Add the cashew mixture and mix into the flour, beginning with a spatula and ending with your hands. Press the crust into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light brown and dry.

To make the chocolate mousse:

In a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate chips. In a blender or food processor, combine the silken tofu, Sucanat, vanilla, and salt. Process, then add the melted chocolate and blend for 2 minutes, or until very smooth and completely combined.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil the sides of the cake pan above the prebaked crust. Pour the mousse mixture into the pan and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then run a paring knife around the inside of the pan. Let the cake cool to the touch, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Unmold just before serving.

Serve with raspberry sauce [2 cups fresh or 10 ounces unsweetened frozen raspberries, thawed; 1/4 cup Sucanat. In a blender, combine the raspberries and Sucanat. Then blend to a smooth sauce. Will store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.


In the #2 spot is one of my new favorites: Cafe Gratitude.
2400 Harrison Street, San Francisco
1336 9th Avenue, San Francisco
1730 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley

I like it because everything I have had is so impressive. How do they manipulate the flavors and textures??? They have amazing tiramisu. Their milkshakes are good (so far I've had the mint chocolate chip one and almond butter cup?). For appetizers, I had the nachos and samosas. The samosas were really good and spicy (they are as close as the real thing as i could possibly think raw ingredients can get). The first time I went, I got the pesto pizza?! and it was okay...but the second time I went, I got the sampler plate and that was good. I like Cafe Gratitude because I always feel satisfied and clean. The food is healthy and you feel healthy when you leave.


The #3 spot is Madeleine Bistro in Southern California:
18621 Ventura Blvd, Tarzana, CA 91356 (818) 758-6871

Seitan. Their seitan is so juicy with rosemary infused goodness. Anything with their seitan is good. I liked their beet appetizer dish - that was fancy and crazy. Beignets - french doughnuts are usually more square dipped in powdered sugar, but Madeleine beignets are round doughnuts with raw sugar served with spiced apple compote to dip in...yummy! It's a nice place, the only downside is that it is in the boonies of LA- so we only go really on the way to Woodland Hills to visit my family. The owner/chef is the guy who pretty much invented Real Food Daily's menu.

#4 is Follow Your Heart in Sherman Oaks, CA (So Ca):

This place definitely has a place in my heart - I like the relaxed and low-key grocery store/restaurant. They have good breakfast/brunch/lunch food. I like the club sandwich (which I always confuse with a "BLT")

#5 goes to Real Food Daily (also in So Ca):
Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly hills

Salisbury seitan is always good (but once, and just once a server tried to give it burnt). But other than that, the RFD Burrito is consistently good.