California???

[GratefullyGreen]

I don't really know where this post goes...so sorry if its in the wrong spot!

Moving to California in May!! Does anyone know what location in California is most conducive for a raw foodist- as far as work and like minded individuals/ also restaraunts?

Thanks for your help :p

[shakalover]

although i've never been to them, i think there are a number of raw food places in san francisco. there's probably also a number in the l.a. area.

[Guydiane]

Ashley
where in california are you moving to

[cattzeye]

Hi Ashley,

I live in Southern Cali, San Diego specifically. I have found living here very conducive to my raw lifestyle. The weather here is mild, and we have lots and lots of fresh produce to choose from. Plenty of farmer's markets, natural and health food stores, co-ops, and several raw food restaurants. There are lots of people here into vegetarianism, veganism, health, spirituality, etc.

What brings you to California?

Christine

[Boysenberry]

Hi, I have lived in San Diego and Northern California as well. I found that most coastal communities in California are very raw friendly. I don't know about inland, as I haven't lived there. :) Hope you love it as much as I did.. do.. I miss it. Been away awhile ...

[CAdreamer]

Stay away from Central CA unless close to Sacramento. The weather is conducive to a long gardening season, but the quality of the air is horrid. Otherwise, we couldn't find anything to support the raw lifestyle, except for the abundance of food and choices. No raw food groups, etc. I think coastal and large cities would be the best for finding groups of people who are likeminded.

I was going to try to get a group started, but we moved to Central OR...I may have to get a group started here too !!

[jesdenm]

I also live in San Diego and have found some wonderful people as well as Raw food places to eat out here.

For example: Once a month there is a raw food meetup at Balboa Park that brings together raw foodists. I have found two cafe's specializing in Raw food.

Not able to give any advice regarding Northern CA or even Mid CA, but I enjoy being here.

[watersole]

Hi! Just moved back to NY after being in LA for four years. I went raw while in CA, and it is very raw friendly. Ate at Juliano's Raw restaurant (reallly good) and there are plenty of other restaurants too. Plenty of Trader Joe's and Whole Foods about, and co-ops. Santa Monica in particular has many raw options. Loved having good quality fruit available all the time. It is going to be rough this winter for me! :)

[Lady Green Jeans]

Southern CA is very conducive to a raw food diet.. Lived 10 years in LA and 15 years in San Diego area minus a year and a half in Portland, OR, which also boasts a tremendous vegetarian community. Now reside in the Inland Empire I guess. Farmers' markets do abound as well as coops and health food stores.

Cost of living for groceries, etc. same as most areas--housing is considerably higher is San Diego--hence my current location.

Love Southern CA--great place to be healthy and raw.

Wishing you a smooth move to a great climate!

Kathy

[TA]

I would agree that the San Francisco Bay area, including San Jose area is really hot right now. The Santa Monica area is great; there are some great restaurants, farmers markets and potluck groups up there.

I live in Orange County, there are two restaurants that serve raw food here and maybe 4 farmers markets on various days. There aren't any potlucks going on right now that I'm aware of.

HTH

T.A.

[Sasha1200]

I live in San Francisco/Oakland and it's very easy being Raw Vegan. There are a handful of great raw restaurants in SF/Oakland. You can go to a farmers market any day of the week. You should check out Cafe Gratitude if you are interested in a career in raw. It's a popular SF raw cafe that is opening in Berkeley. I would think they have some openings...

[RawRobin]

I also live in San Diego and have found some wonderful people as well as Raw food places to eat out here.

For example: Once a month there is a raw food meetup at Balboa Park that brings together raw foodists. I have found two cafe's specializing in Raw food.

Not able to give any advice regarding Northern CA or even Mid CA, but I enjoy being here.


Hey jesdenm!

I live in SD too (East County). When are the raw food meetups at Balboa? Sounds like fun!

RawRobin

[karotw]

Hi Ashley - I'm in Orange County and can say that there are certainly a lot of raw food resources around here. Health Food Markets, Raw Restaurants, Farmer's Markets, etc. Los Angeles, also, has a lot to chose from (specifically Santa Monica). . .

I've also lived in San Francisco (this was before I was raw), and I know there are a huge number of Farmer's Markets there, as well as Health Food Markets and Raw Resaurants (I'm quite fond of Cafe Gratitude).

Hope this helps,
Karen

[GratefullyGreen]

Thank you all for your advice!!!! I think i'll be moving to San Fran in May with a friend. Wow, Cafe Gratitiude looks awsome~ hopefully, i'll be lucky enough to get a job like that. This move is scary- small town east coast girl moves to west coast city- but i know it will be worth it if it supports my raw lifestyle! Looking forward to the west coast!!! Sasha - are you in college by any chance???


So Excited,
Ashley

[audreyfotoart]

KarotW, where in Orange County are there restaurants? I live in Upland, not to far away and just getting started on eating raw. Would love to try a raw restaurant.

[VeggieMel]

I think San Diego and San Francisco are the best places for raw foodists followed by Los Angeles. Some of the smaller cities in between aren't as condusive, but it's all relative. I live in Southern Orange County, and sometimes I feel hard pressed to find restaurants where I can eat raw. This is a very carnivorous, cooked area. Even finding good vegetarian/vegan restuarants isn't easy. We have Au Lac in Westminster (raw and cooked menu but not very close to me) and Good Mood Food in Huntington Beach. We also have a locally run health food store chain called "Mothers" which is excellent and farmer's markets.
Of course, Alissa is in Laguna Beach, and I believe she has potlucks from time to time. I haven't made it to one yet but someday soon.

[Sasha1200]

hey ashley

i found the website for cafe gratitude...it's an awesome place =)
http://www.withthecurrent.com/cafe.html

and i graduated from college several years ago and fell in love with the bay area. you'll love it here! let me know when you get into town and maybe we can get a group of folks from the board to meet up for lunch or dinner at one of the raw restaurants in the bay or we can do a potluck =)

Lan aka sasha1200 (sasha is my cat's name! hehehe)

[karotw]

Audreyfotoart - VeggieMel noted the two best Raw Restaurants in OC - Good Mood Food Cafe and Au Lac. Mother's Market does have a few raw options on their menu and there is a little place in Laguna Beach call "The Stand" - I have been there yet (going next week), but folks on this board have said it's good. There is a vegan place in Costa Mesa call Native Foods - they also have a couple of all raw items on their menu.

Oh yeah, there is also a place in Huntington Beach called the "Living Temple" they sell all sort of alternative books and stuff and from time to time will have a raw food faire - where the public can come in and try various raw foods (some free, some for a cost).

Hope that helps,
Karen

[jesdenm]

Hey jesdenm!

I live in SD too (East County). When are the raw food meetups at Balboa? Sounds like fun!

RawRobin


I just PM'd you.

[GratefullyGreen]

Lan aka (Sasha1200),

If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for work??? Someone suggested that I try being an Au Pair in California so that I can learn my way around the city. I really would love to just pack up my car and move now. I am 22 years old, living in Plattsburgh, Ny and I HATE it here!!! People say its not where you are, its who your with. Well, in that case I want to be with like-minded individuals in California- the weather will be warmer (and maybe I won't want to stay in bed all day). I am just having a really hard time here because to get fresh fruits and veggies i have to drive 15 min & my choices are extremely limited. Although, thats not what is really bringing me down. It's the lack of interest in health. Its rare to find people who are on the mind, body, soul level of total body wellness. I have been studying nutrition intensively for 3 years. I think I would do well in California because i'm a hard worker and i'm bright. P.S. I seriously don't mean to brag. I just feel like i'm in a rut. I have no ties here (not close with many people/ bad family situation)
I just need some support i suppose. People tell me if i go with no plan i might end up dead :eek: yikes!!! If anyone has a room or a floor I could rent out that would be awsome - just pm me or give me suggestions!!
Thanks so much for reading and allowing me to be part of this amazing community.

Healthfully yours,
*Ashley*

[tracyinfo]

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is pretty easy to be living on a raw food lifestyle. There are a number of places to eat 100% raw. There are a number of grocery stores that carry fresh (not dried) raw prepared foods. They are Rainbow Grocery(in San Francisco), Trags (in San Mateo), Earth Beam (in Burlingame) to mention a few. There are 3 restaurants in San Francisco (1 raw and 2 that are 99% raw). There are 3 restaurants in San Francisco. In the east bay, there are at least two raw restaurants. Coming in January 2006, there will be a raw food restaurant in Burlingame called QueSeRaw SeRAw. Check out queserawseraw.com

Blessings.

[RawTruth]

I would agree that the San Francisco Bay area, including San Jose area is really hot right now.I'd really like to know what raw events there are in San Jose; my daughter's lived there since January and has been unable to find any.
I live in Orange County, there are two restaurants that serve raw food here and maybe 4 farmers markets on various days. There aren't any potlucks going on right now that I'm aware of.There are LOTS of raw activities happening in the OC -- a very busy scene, actually. There are quite a few potlucks going on. In fact, there was one on Monday in San Clemente, there's one this Sunday the 3rd in Huntington Beach, there's one next Friday the 9th in laguna, and there's always the Sunday night at the Light House in Santa Monica (or is it Saturday night? I forget right off the top of my head). There are undoubtedly more in the L.A. area, but that's a bit far for me so I don't really know of them. There are two very active raw mailing lists also.

[tracyinfo]

There is a Palo Alto Raw Food event monthly. There is a yahoo group - SFBayAreaRaw@yahoogroups.com - that has monthly meetings. I've been to two of them and both have been great hosts! Not to mention wonderful food.

Blessings.

[RawTruth]

Well, in that case I want to be with like-minded individuals in California- the weather will be warmer (and maybe I won't want to stay in bed all day). I am just having a really hard time here because to get fresh fruits and veggies i have to drive 15 min & my choices are extremely limited.Ashley, if you want to be warm, you might want to consider Southern California rather than Northern. Additionally, there are tons of restaurants here with more opening, literally, almost every month.

In San Diego, as far as I know there is currently just one - Cilantro Live which is in Chula Vista and opening another in Del Mar, though Coleur Alive has a raw menu in addition to their cooked one.

In the Orange County/Los Angeles area, there are a number of choices: Au Lac in Fountain Valley (arguably the best -- for me, it's #2 after Cafe Gratitude in SF), Good Mood Food Cafe in Huntington Beach, Leaf Cuisine in Culver City and San Fernando Valley, Taste of the Goddess in West Hollywood, Jade Cafe in Silverlake, and Juliano's in West L.A. In Costa Mesa, Avante Cafe has a raw menu, in Long Beach, Zephyr has a raw menu, in San Fernando Valley, Madeline Cafe has a raw menu. In Laguna Beach, Taco Loco does raw food on Wednesday & Friday nights (currently on hiatus until January), and Bikram Yoga studio does raw take-out.

Additionally, The Living Temple in Huntington Beach hosts a Raw Festival once a month at which four raw chefs offer meals, an organic tropical grower sells amazing and unusual fruit, Pure Food Network sells untreated young coconuts and durian. The Living Temple also sells raw products including coconut & olive oil, cacao, hemp seeds & powder, raw snack food and lots more, and also has regular talks by raw food personages such as Alissa, Victoria & Igor Boutenko, Doug Graham, Paul Nisan, David Jubb, Gabriel Cousens, Tonya Zavasta, and the list goes on and on.

There are raw food classes offered by at least five people that I can think of off the top of my head, and many, many more raw chefs. There are two weekly raw delivery services that prepare a week's worth of meals for you. Farmers markets abound with one or more somewhere within driving distance every single day of the week. There are Whole Foods or Wild Oats close to most communities, in addition to Henry's and Mother's. Even several of the regular supermarket chains have a decent organic produce section. There is never a problem getting fresh greens, vegetables, and fruits.

There is a wide diversity of ages, personalities, and lifestyles among those who are raw here, but most all are united by this exciting and life-saving choice that they've made. I have met more open and warm people in the last year I've been raw than, perhaps, in the last 5 - 10 years combined.

While I can only speak for the LA/OC area, I have no doubt that there's possibly as much going on in San Diego and in the Bay Area as I've described (at length!!) above. I do have a raw cousin in SD, though, who is just reaching out to meet others there and I know there's not nearly the amount of restaurants. And, my daughter lives in the Bay Area and hasn't had as much luck finding raw folk as she'd thought. However, this doesn't mean that they're not there!! She's just so busy with school that she may not have pusued it enough. Others here will undoubtedly give even more details about SF than you've received already, no doubt (like Tracy).

Best of luck to you, Ashley. What an exciting adventure awaits you. You sound so motivated and open to opportunity!

[Revvell]

Lan aka (Sasha1200),
California because i'm a hard worker and i'm bright. P.S. I seriously don't mean to brag. I just feel like i'm in a rut. I have no ties here (not close with many people/ bad family situation)
I just need some support i suppose. People tell me if i go with no plan i might end up dead :eek: yikes!!! If anyone has a room or a floor I could rent out that would be awsome - just pm me or give me suggestions!!
Thanks so much for reading and allowing me to be part of this amazing community.

Healthfully yours,
*Ashley*

Hi Ashley,

I came out to California from a small town in Ct. when I was 21. You're doing a lot more planning and making more connections than I did ~ as there was no internet 35 years ago. During that time I made many bad choices. Looks to me as though you are making many right ones.

As far as ending up dead ~ well, that's going to happen eventually anyway. Question is, are you living in the meantime?

Go for it!!!! Sounds to me as though you've got plenty to gain and nothing to lose.

I also vote for SoCal if you are looking for warm. San Francisco is one of our favorite cities and we plan on living there ~ or at least visiting more often yet, we will definitely keep our home here in SoCal. You can't beat the winters here.

Revvell