Delights of the Garden in DC - still open?

[mandy11]

Hello all - this is my very first post on here so bear with me. :o

I picked up a book on raw food and after turning a few pages decided I'd like to give it a go. I want to start by trying it out in a restaurant and found 2 in Washington, DC - Java Green, which I read great things about on this forum, and Delights of the Garden. I'm having a hard time finding details about the latter and am wondering if it still exists bc I read this: "Imar Hutchins was co-founder of Delights of the Garden, a Washington, D.C. restaurant formerly famous for its raw vegetarian cuisine."

So does anyone have a lead on this place?

[spicyfull]

Give this a try and see if it is listed.........Have a RAW Day.

http://rawfoodrestaurantguide.com

[evegan]

It's not listed in that guide. Neither is Java Green.

Java Green is very nice for salads and smoothies, but they don't make other raw foods. Still, when I was in DC, it was nice to have it there.

[RawLibrarian]

Just about the only places I know of in DC with raw food are:

Senbeb (http://www.yelp.com/biz/senbeb-cafe-washington). I have been here a couple of times--it's walking distance from the Takoma Metro station which is close to where I live. I agree with the review in the link--it is not really a restaurant (although there is a very nice patio in back, where you can take your food to eat it on-site in good weather). I have had raw pizza here and raw lasagna with sides of broccoli salad and kale salad. I thought they were excellent. They also sometimes have nut mylk with cacao and coconut--fabulous is the word!

Everlasting Life (http://www.everlastinglife.net/). I have only been to the location on Georgia Avenue. Again, this is not a restaurant; it is a health food store with carryout. Excellent smoothies, and they do have some raw salads.

My personal feeling is that DC can't hold a candle to places on the West Coast when it comes to raw/vegan dining options. I just got back from Portland, Oregon, and there is simply comparison between the two cities in terms of raw/vegan options.

[Blazin'Jane]

Raw Librarian, did you go to the Blossoming Lotus in Portland? I love to go there, but I live in MO, so don't very oftern!

[Blazin'Jane]

Raw Librarian, did you go to the Blossoming Lotus in Portland? I love to go there, but I live in MO, so don't very often!

[Sweet lips]

Delights of the Garden closed some 10 years.

[VibinOnLife!]

If you are still in Glen Burnie, MD, you might want to try the Yabba Pot in Baltimore, MD. They have raw vegan and regular vegan options. And they also get together and do 30 raw challenges every month.

2431 St Paul St
Baltimore, MD 21218
410-662-tofu (8638)

As for Everlasting Life, they do have a couple of raw salad, but it's pretty much a cooked vegan restaurant. If you do go there, I would recommend their Capitol Heights, MD location, just because it's larger and has more options available.

However, if you are like me and are very careful about what you eat, I'd say watch out for them. They use regular sugar for their sweets, soy in almost everything, and braggs liquid aminos. I don't do any of these.

Pretty much the only raw foods that they have are a carrot salad, which has soy milk in it I believe, a kale salad with braggs liquid aminos and nutritional yeast, and raw cole slaw. Every now and then you might find a spinach salad with braggs liquid aminos and sesame seeds. But that's pretty much it. They specialize in fried tofu burgers, vegan mac n'cheese, cooked greens, cooked nutloaf, and lasagna...etc.

Unfortunately, we don't have much in the way of raw in the DC Metro area.

[andra]

Yes, but did you see the front page of the Washington Post on Sunday? The article about the group of people, organized by one woman in Bethesda, who are trying to open a raw restaurant in DC? It was a GREAT article and I wish them luck and success.

andra

[VibinOnLife!]

NO! I had no idea! I will be soooo happy if this happens! But I must admit, I'd also be a little sad because I just moved to Baltimore County! But I could go there on the weekends.

It's funny, my parents had a restaurant when I was young, and I actually thought about opening a raw place. But I remember very well all of the work that went into cooked foods! And one of the hardest things was keeping produce fresh and not wasting it all. And our produce wasn't organic.

I'm not even particular about having a gourmet-like atmosphere. If we can have a place where we know that the food is live, organic, and prepared with love and attention, I don't care if it's just mounds of goodness on my plate! It doesn't have to have a flambe cream topping with mint leaves, or a souffle on the side! HAHAHA!!! :p

[RawLibrarian]

Raw Librarian, did you go to the Blossoming Lotus in Portland? I love to go there, but I live in MO, so don't very often!


Yes I did, and it was terrific. Wonderful food; my husband, who is not a raw foodist, liked it a lot.

[RawLibrarian]

Yes, but did you see the front page of the Washington Post on Sunday? The article about the group of people, organized by one woman in Bethesda, who are trying to open a raw restaurant in DC? It was a GREAT article and I wish them luck and success.

andra


I wish her luck too ... but she simply MUST get someone as a partner who has restaurant experience. Restaurants have a very high failure rate. It's an extremely tough industry and having someone with experience and know-how is essential. I would definitely go if it does open.

[andra]

I think in the article it mentioned that she has partnered with somebody with restaurant experience and also a lot of people who are interested in the concept have joined together.....so it is now a big group of people trying to get this place launched. The main woman spent months traveling the country with a notebook, eating at different raw restaurants and taking notes. Even though I live in Northern Virginia, I will travel to DC to support the place.

andra