Cafe Gratitude   

One expects relaxed atmosphere, new-age art and warmhearted service at an organic vegan restaurant, where every dish is titled with feel-good affirmation. The surprise, however, is that Cafe Gratitude's small-sized plates, colorfully trussed with veggies and nut-based pates, are creatively prepared and tasty. With few exceptions, such as the "I Am Thankful" coconut curry soup, dishes are prepared primarily with raw food. "I Am Passionate" pizza, for instance, is a micro-green salad tossed over sun-dried tomato sauce and nut cheese heaped on buckwheat flatbread. It's good, but it doesnt really taste like pizza. Cafe Gratitude's strengths are its desserts, smoothies and fresh-pressed juices. The exact recipe of the "I Am Ravenous" cake special changes daily; however, the delicious coconut praline cake we tasted had a chutney-like consistency and proved itself a worthy vegan version of German chocolate cake. Likewise, Cafe Gratitude soaks, blends and presses almonds and brazil nuts to create two kinds of vegan milk, out of which it makes scrumptious drinks like the "I Am Loved" latte and the "I Am Luscious" vegan chocolate shake. The "I Am Wonderful" juice made of watermelon, lemon and mint is also wonderfully light and not-too-sweet. The "I Am Effervescent" ginger ale and "I Am Charismatic" carrot juice are also house specialties. Warning: This food, rampant with nuts and coconut milk, is not low fat, and it's rich. Unless you have a vegan stomach of steel, we recommend coming for breakfast, lunch or just a drink; eating too much, too quickly may result in a feeling titled "I Am Nauseous."