Santa Monica is Amazin' Y'all

[RawHeaven]

okay so I don't know if I can go ever back home...Santa Monica offers fresh, living food EVERYWHERE, happy smiley people, warm weather, the beach, sharing good times with loving friends. Woo.

went to Euphoria loves Rawvolution this morning for breakfast

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g203/crystalsbones/DSC00237.jpg

had a delectable raw cacao shake with maca and a number of other things in it. stallin' cause i can't remember exactly what it's called. ha! but it was heavenly. i also got a matt with cheese burger to go and had it later for lunch. YUMMY! the staff is oh so kind and cool. love the vibe in Rawvolution. Also saw Matt A walking his dog this morning on my way there in the car, but he was on his cell phone. i didn't want to appear like a fanatic raw fan, so I let him be. :p

this raw journey just keeps getting better and BETTER!

me dancing....

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g203/crystalsbones/DSC00225.jpg


rAW LoVE Y'all,

Crystal

[Theogirl]

Give me Santa Monica! Oooh, I'm so jealous! What I wouldn't do for just a raw restaurant in our city!

[spicyfull]

So Happy you had a RAW Blast............

[jacsam]

Wow....enjoy it all!!

[Eva]

Thanks for sharing Crystal!!

[Seren]

Wow I wanna go there!!! xxx

[RawHeaven]

Oh I hope everyone that wants to go gets to go!

[RawHeaven]

I'm still here in SM and winding down to travel on to my next destination. I made the mistake of going to Rawvolution for an early dinner this evening with some non-raw friends and they totally messed with my "euphoria". LOL. "Waa waa waa, I don't like this, it's too this, it's too that. How can you eat this stuff?" Oh my goodness, you'd be so proud of me that I just smiled, ignored their complaints and savored my mushroom burger with onion bread that was OH SO GOOD.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g203/crystalsbones/DSC00254.jpg

The marinated mushrooms were by far the best, better than any cooked mushrooms I've ever had. I also had that chocolate shake again. I don't think I will go to a raw restaurant with others unless it's with my raw comrades or at least open minded folks. It can be a bit frustrating and ruin the vibe. They just don't understand...but I still love 'em.

Tomorrow morning I plan to go to Juliano's finally.

Peace,
Crystal

[lalakis]

Juliano's is AMAZING. I ate there everyday when I was in L.A. for a week. You MUST go there!!!! And Juliano himself is usually in there hanging out on a daily basis.

[RawHeaven]

Juliano's is AMAZING. I ate there everyday when I was in L.A. for a week. You MUST go there!!!! And Juliano himself is usually in there hanging out on a daily basis.

You are so right about that! It was amazing. I just came back and had nachos with flax crackers.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g203/crystalsbones/DSC00255.jpg

The dish and sauces they used were phenomenal and melted in my mouth. Endives were included with a nut cheese...oh my God it was soooooo gooooood. I hope to one day be able to blend flavors like that! WOW. I'm glad I got to go and I will definately go back the next time I'm in town. I'm leaning away from gourmet raw as it tends to be too rich for me now, but the meal I had was just great. A good balance...not too heavy. Unfortunately, Juliano wasn't in there when I went in. :(

[RawHeaven]

Hmmm...I should've probably posted this thread in the restaurant section????

Oh well.

[gritsnla]

Where is the drooling icon? Looks yummy. Lucky You!!
Grits

[gingincal]

So glad you got to go to Santa Monica! Thanks so much for posting your pics. I haven't looked thru my Juliano uncookbook lately...think I need to revisit it.

[Riiiya]

oh my sounds fantastic! i am planning a california trip later this year (saving up for it now) and will MOST DEFINITELY visit some raw restaurants!!! maybe even meet up with some rawfoodists from this forum :D wooho glad you had a blast!

[carolg]

You could be bumping into my friend brigittemars.com as she does head that way often. Her daughter leads yoga classes there, rainbeaumars.com. Rainbeau works with Adidas for their yoga clothing line. Rainbeau is traveling all over the world--no kidding as she just got back from China. They are great friends with Juliano. I'm not sure where else they eat, but will ask Brigitte when I see her soon.

Those with raw restaurants near them are super lucky. Boulder, CO has not found enough generated interest although very progressive city. Actually can't find one even in Denver. Patiently waiting.
carolg

[dogmd]

Next time you come out here...give a raw sista a call!:D I would love 2 join you!

[kaleidoscopeeyes]

Hey - I live like ten minutes from Marina Del Rey!

[Betsy]

Don't forget to skate on the Strand!! whoo Hoo, is that ever fun.


Fill up on raw goodies then hit the Strand from Santa Monica and skate to Redondo Beach pier, fantastic and so fun!!

[BeadedGraces]

I am so jealous too!!!! I wish there was a RAW outlet of somesort here...i live in a small little suburb town...however Dallas not being that far from me...I have yet to find a Raw restarant...surely there has to be one somewhere! Tall the pics look lovely!

[Davylp25]

So RawHeaven, you said the cheeseburger was yummy at Rawvolution... But what was it like? Details? Like the textures? Did it taste very cheeseburger ish? I live in Los Angeles, and have eaten there, but never tried to cheeseburger... Let me know if u see this...

[RawHeaven]

Those with raw restaurants near them are super lucky. Boulder, CO has not found enough generated interest although very progressive city. Actually can't find one even in Denver. Patiently waiting.
carolg

Carolg, I hope you get a raw food restaurant in CO soon. I'm surprised Denver doesn't have one. I will look for Brigitte the next time I travel there. Her job sounds cool. It is fun and inspiring to travel though...business travel can become monotonous even if it's global, but it's still cool.

Regarding Raw restaurants, you know I used to frequent Cafe Gratitude a lot in SF when I lived there and it was fun going to Juliano's and Rawvolution, but I believe the more raw you become, these places become less novel. It's a treat more than anything else to me now and I hardly frequent them unless I go to another city. That said, I definately think everyone who is raw should get to experience going out to eat and being social without worrying about what you're eating or what you're going to eat etc. This is part of the experience held more importance to me then eating the actual food.It was just so great being with like minded people; both the staff and other diners. I've experienced a warm and open environment in all of the raw restaurants I've been in...it's hard to describe but it's a much different vibe then you get in a non-raw or even vegan restaurant.




So RawHeaven, you said the cheeseburger was yummy at Rawvolution... But what was it like? Details? Like the textures? Did it taste very cheeseburger ish? I live in Los Angeles, and have eaten there, but never tried to cheeseburger... Let me know if u see this...

Davy, I haven't had a "real" cheeseburger in like 20 years so I really don't know the difference in flavor. But if I compared it to my old veggie burger with soy cheese, I would say the Matt with Cheese was very good. Not only was it good, I didn't experience indigestion and other digestive problems I had eating soy products. :D I did like how they blended the spices, nuts and flavors. I also tried the mushroom burger a couple of days later that I liked better. But I'd definately recommend both. You should try them. If you don't like your food too rich, skip the mock cheeseburger though.



Don't forget to skate on the Strand!! whoo Hoo, is that ever fun.

Fill up on raw goodies then hit the Strand from Santa Monica and skate to Redondo Beach pier, fantastic and so fun!!

I wish I would've read this while I was there....:(. We kept it pretty simple.


Next time you come out here...give a raw sista a call!:D I would love 2 join you!

I definately will girl!