New Raw Restaurant Opens in Southern California -- and it's worth the trip!

[Vegan Princess]

Ok I didn't have time to hit 118 degrees. But I'm definately going when I'm down over Labor Day. I did eat at Cilantros twice - once in Carlsbad and once in Hillcrest. I loved the Hillcrest decor. And I just have to say their ice creams are out of this world. I shared a banana split with my mom and it was incredible!! I enjoyed all of my food. Especially the thai salad. It has all sorts of julliened veggies along with green apple and young coconut strips, tossed in a spicy almond butter sauce. Mmmm. I also hit the Greenery and posted a review in my thread about the Greenery.

Cindy

[RawTruth]

What ... you shared the banana split? That was my appetizer a few times!

[Vegan Princess]

Had to share it - I ordered a full coconut for the coconut water, a half order of the thai salad and an order of the tacos. I was STUFFED! And I brought 3/4 of the thai salad home.

Cindy

[the_lab_rat]

Oh man, Cilantro's ice cream is SO GOOD. I had a sundae with the coconut ice cream and carob ice cream... I wanted it to never end

Which is why I must return when I'm down there this weekend! Gotta try that banana split this time!

[RawTruth]

It's a close call, but I like Cru's ice cream better. Cilantro's has that slightly gritty nut-milk texture to it while Cru's is utterly smooth and creamy.

Hey, how 'bout you do your own taste test -- stop at Cru, then, by the time you get to any of the Cilantro Lives, you'll be hungry again. LOL. Works for me!

[kiki_louis]

i had the really(or is it called super?) green smoothie and it was very good. my mom had another drink, i don't remember the name but it was soooo delicious. it tastes better than rice pudding, and that was one of my favorite things back when i was a vegetarian. i am looking forward to going again, i'd like to try the tamales but all i crave lately are green smoothies! i'd also like to try the chocolate smoothie, it sounded delicious. the decor is gorgeous and i liked that they were playing one of my favorite cds, the postal service- give up.

[Vegan Princess]

I *finally* got to eat at 118 degrees!! I think it's my favorite place so far (including many of the places in LA, all places in SF and almost all places in NYC). I really enjoyed the interior (modern/minimalist). The food was excellent and the presentation was very gourmet. My mom and I split 3 appetizers and were very full...but of course we made room for dessert. The appetizers we tried were the nachos, pizza and deviled tomatoes. Their pizza was the best raw pizza I've tried! The nachos were fantastic. The tomatoes were good, but not out of this world good like the other two dishes. For dessert we got the vanilla bean gelato with berry puree and the peaches and creme. Both were delicious. There are SO many things on the menu that look amazing. I absolutely can't wait to go back and I know it will be a regular part of my trips down to San Diego, even though it's an hour drive. Oh and all this wonderful food plus 2 fresh coconuts as drinks only came out to $50. I would say 118 Degrees is on par with Pure Food and Wine but for a third of the cost.

Also, I had no idea what The Camp was. Imagine my surprise when I found a store selling vegan shoes and purses and t-shirts. I was elated! There is another (cooked) vegan restaurant, a bikram yoga studio and a number of other cool shops. Plus it's less than a mile away from South Coast Plaza.

[dalimeindacoconut]

Hi Rawtruth, my mom lives in Newport. Had to meet someone for lunch and was looking for a raw restaurant figured there had to be something in Newport or Corona Del Mar. Couldn't find anything. Walked into a couple local hotels they had no idea. Called the operator asking for any raw restaurants in the area, called 'RAW' in Santa Monica, no one knew anything. Finally called 'Mother's' in Newport and they referred me to 118 degrees. They need to get listed in the yellow pages so the operator will know to look under 'raw'. I was so happy that I was relentessly committed to finding a raw food restaurant. My friend loved it. I loved it. I will definitely be back. Their chocolate drink was delish.