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cafe gratitude is becoming a favorite
9June 8th, 2011cafe gratitude, LA restaurantscafe gratitude in larchmont village hasn’t been open very long, and it’s already one of the best spots to eat in los angeles. the almost all vegan restaurant (one of their drinks contains honey) has a massive menu with something for everyone—raw food, cooked food, gluten-free stuff, salads, soups, tacos, sandwiches, bowls, booze, desserts, you name it! i hit up the small restaurant a couple nights ago for dinner with my friend milque, and our meal was fantastic. the cafe bustling, service was friendly and the food was delicious.
i’m gonna spoil this blog post by starting with dessert, because it was honestly the highlight of the evening.
i am adoring - tiramisu: nut flour cake soaked in espresso with vanilla “whipped cream” & chocolate frosting. $8
as we’ve mentioned before, the menu items at cafe gratitude are all named with positive affirmations. while it makes for a somewhat awkward ordering process, the food doesn’t suffer, so i can’t complain. for dessert we got a slice of “i am adoring”, cafe gratitude’s vegan tiramisu, which was shockingly good. i’d heard people rave about this cake before, but i wasn’t prepared for its awesomeness. it was perfectly spongy with layers of creamy coffee-flavored frosting and a dusting of cocoa on top. if you haven’t tried it yet, the tiramisu alone is reason to check out cafe gratitude.
i am transformed taco plate: two handmade corn tortillas with brown rice, beans, salsa verde, guacamole & cashew nacho cheese. served with a side salad with fig balsamic dressing. $11
for the main course, milque went with one of the many cooked options: the “i am transformed” taco plate. it came with homemade tortillas loaded up with rice, beans, and salsa all smothered in homemade cashew cheese. incredible! she also got an “i am energized” green smoothie to wash it all down…
i am energized - green smoothie: alkalizing green smoothie with kale, cucumber, celery, lemon, cilantro, avocado, and jalapeno. $8
i was in the mood for something a little more hard, so i went with an amber ale from eel river…
eel river amber ale. $5
this isn’t my favorite beer in the whole world, but i really appreciate the option to drink at a vegetarian restaurant. surprisingly, in LA it’s pretty hard to come by! and cafe gratitude doesn’t just serve beer—they’ve offer wine and sangria as well. cheers!
i am whole - grain bowl: sea vegetables and kale, steamed quinoa or local brown rice, house-made kim chee, carrots, and sprouts with tahini-garlic sauce and teriyaki almonds. $12.5
for my main, i got what i always get at cafe gratitude: the “i am whole” with brown rice and the sauce on the side. i love this thing. it’s so simple, but it’s gotta be one of my favorite meals in town. i love bowls, and this one is exceptional—high quality brown rice, loads of exotic (to me, at least!) sea vegetables, homemade kim chee, carrots and sprouts, along with a rich and flavorful tahini-garlic dressing. i know i should probably branch out and try something new, but the “i am whole” just really hits the spot.
we left cafe gratitude feeling replete. nothing like an evening of top notch food, drinks, and good company. i have a feeling this place will become one of my regular haunts.
cafe gratitude
Tags: bowl, larchmont village, tacos, tiramisu
639 N Larchmont Blvd
Los Angeles, California 90004
11am-10pm
9 responses to “cafe gratitude is becoming a favorite” 
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The dessert looks terrific!! And those tacos look great too.
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Cafe Gratitude is my absolute favorite restaurant! <3 I'm there at the very least once a week.
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Silverlakerunner June 8th, 2011 at 13:26
So many Vegan/vegetarian options in L.A., it’s mind boggling. I wish I could drag my meat eating partner to one of these, but he aint having it. Here’s the actual link to the L.A. location, btw:
http://www.cafegratitudela.com/
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lastofthepirates June 8th, 2011 at 18:33
I love the I Am Energized smoothie. One of the best green smoothies I’ve had anywhere. Hope they open a sister joint on the westside.
On a side note, has anyone watched any of the Vegan Black Metal Chef? ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeZlih4DDNg&feature=player_embedded ) Genius!
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i’ve been disappointed the last few times i went, but i think i need to order something that’s not salad!
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VeganInLA June 13th, 2011 at 10:34
I finally tried the LA location and the food was quite delcious.
I just wish they were honest is calling themselves vegetarian instead of vegan. Besides the one drink with honey, one of the desert options had it also.
We enjoyed all of the food and the staff was really nice and accomodating to our requests. The disturbing thing was the waitress had feathers from a murdered bird woven into her hair. I assume a lot of the staff are not vegetarian but it was still kind of odd to see there.
I wish I could live off the cheesy potatoes. I’ve heard about them and am so happy we tried them. We were tempted to lick the plate.
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Interesting article from the East Bay Express about Cafe Gratitude and their connection to the Landmark Forum
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/i-am-annoyed-and-disappointed/Content?oid=1370662
I am Annoyed and Disappointed
Café Gratitude espouses a raw food diet and a philosophy of self-transformation. But some current and former employees say it’s left a bad taste in their mouths.
By Sam Levin
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Article in the Los Angeles Times Food section:
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-0714-cafe-gratitude-20110714,0,732323.story
Dining: Café Gratitude in L.A., for the vegan Stuart Smalleys of the world
The vegan and raw Café Gratitude in L.A. has a positive, flower-child atmosphere. Even if that’s not your thing, the food is inventive, delicious and wholesome.
By Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times
July 14, 2011
Gauri Radha गौरी राधा June 8th, 2011 at 09:36