{"id":238215,"date":"2016-01-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-01T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/dining-on-feel-good-adjectives\/"},"modified":"2016-01-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-01-01T08:00:00","slug":"dining-on-feel-good-adjectives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/dining-on-feel-good-adjectives\/","title":{"rendered":"Dining on feel-good adjectives"},"content":{"rendered":"

Por Frank Sabatini Jr.<\/p>\n

If there is one dining revelation I\u2019ve come away with from 2015, it\u2019s that vegan restaurants are hotter than ever. In just the past few years, we\u2019ve seen places like Veggie Grill, Native Foods, Plumeria, and more recently, Kindred, emerge with meals that no longer taste as though you\u2019re eating live house plants and the macram\u00e9 hangers that go with them.<\/p>\n

Caf\u00e9 Gratitude in Little Italy<\/a> is among the newest in the bunch, attracting as many carnivores as vegans with its lengthy menu of hearty, creative fare served within an anti-industrial atmosphere resembling a Williams-Sonoma store.<\/p>\n

\"Pastrami<\/a>
Tempeh pastrami sandwich (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sleek marble and light wood flow warmly throughout the corner-lot space, which to my knowledge, marks the neighborhood\u2019s first-ever kitchen that doesn\u2019t harbor a single molecule of animal fat. And nobody\u2019s complaining, not even the eager-nosed dogs catching remnants of cauliflower steak and tempeh chorizo from their owners seated on the pet-friendly patio.<\/p>\n

Since launching in Berkeley 10 years ago, Caf\u00e9 Gratitude has spawned several locations throughout California, including its San Diego outpost that debuted in July. The menu companywide uses every imaginable adjective related to wellbeing for naming the dishes.<\/p>\n

Written big and boldly at the top of the menu is, \u201cI am \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

From there, your eyes drop down to words like \u201cecstatic\u201d if choosing roasted Brussels spouts in maple-miso glaze, and \u201cmagical\u201d if opting for the double black-bean burger topped with cashew-macadamia nut cheese.<\/p>\n

\"Caf\u00e9<\/a>
Caf\u00e9 Gratitude, in the Broadstone building in Little Italy, has a pet-friendly patio (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Or perhaps you are \u201cconfident\u201d enough to order the aforementioned cauliflower steak. Such self-assuredness paid off as our forks glided through this thick pan-seared filet mantled by bright-orange romesco sauce, juicy sun-dried tomatoes, olive tapenade and pine nuts. With so many robust flavors and textures occurring on the plate, we consumed every spec with gusto. Even if you\u2019re not a fan of cauliflower, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll easily plow through this.<\/p>\n

My quasi-vegan companion chose a second appetizer rather fitting of his personality, called \u201cvivacious.\u201d It equated to a bowl of baked, dehydrated kale chips served with a choice of dipping sauces. We asked for all three: cashew nacho cheese, which was pleasantly tangy; cashew ricotta that we agreed was bland; and garlic tahini, which we voted the tastiest in the lineup.<\/p>\n

Even without the sauces the chips were delightfully satisfying, however, much like potato chips, but far more frail. Handle with care or else they\u2019ll turn into smithereens.<\/p>\n

From the salad category, and at the risk of sounding vain, \u201cI am\u201d more \u201cdazzling\u201d than the Caesar salad that falls under that promising descriptor, at least when wearing a glittery party hat with a gin martini in hand. Despite capers and avocado strewn throughout the romaine lettuce, the faux-Parmesan dressing made with Brazil nuts didn\u2019t add the zest I\u2019ve encountered in other vegan renditions of the salad. Creamy, yes, but it was near flavorless.<\/p>\n

While sipping fermented \u201ceclectic\u201d kombuchas \u2014 blueberry and ginger \u2014 we proceeded to a dish called \u201cdevoted\u201d that our non-vegan waiter ranked as one of his favorite menu items.<\/p>\n

Lovely and comforting, it featured a soft, crumbly loaf made of lentils and butternut squash, plus mashed heirloom potatoes draped in shiitake gravy, saut\u00e9ed greens, creamy polenta and pickled beets. The dish reminded me of Thanksgiving dinner with all its homey flavors, but without needing to plop onto a recliner afterward.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The lentil-squash loaf plate (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We also tried the \u201chonest,\u201d a tempeh pastrami Reuben on our choice of slow-fermented ciabatta bread that was among the high points of the sandwich. The spicy red sauerkraut and cashew Russian dressing were also noteworthy, adding necessary savor to the faux meat, which lacked the peppery, briny flavor we expected from it.<\/p>\n

Better yet were side orders of lip-puckering kimchee and curried lentils, which was the spiciest dish to land on our table.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The luscious egg- and cream-free carrot cake (Photo by Frank Sabatini Jr.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This particular companion and I are normally not big dessert eaters. But we were swept away by the sugar angels with the two we tried, a chocolate-mint cheesecake that dissolved on our tongues from the heat of our mouths; and carrot cake as luscious as any that relies on eggs and cream cheese. How the chefs get it to taste as good, if not better, is beyond me.<\/p>\n

Adding to this dreamy ending was a turmeric latte that we shared. Next time I\u2019ll get my own cup filled with hot, frothy almond milk tinted golden yellow from the turmeric. The corporate chefs obviously know that the spice releases its best anti-inflammatory properties when blended with black pepper or the oil thereof, as served here. The flavor was bewitching, and the effect was noticeably soothing.<\/p>\n

Caf\u00e9 Gratitude celebrates \u201caliveness\u201d with its spritzers, elixirs, teas and smoothies just as much as it does through clean, solid food. The liquid menu, which also includes some decent wines and beers, is a thirst-quenching feast intended on leaving you feeling \u201cbrave,\u201d \u201cactive,\u201d \u201cblissful\u201d or \u201ccharismatic,\u201d as some are named.<\/p>\n

\"Screen<\/a>For us, after a relaxing round of eating and drinking here, we adopted two adjectives that aren\u2019t on the menu \u2014 \u201csated,\u201d and \u201cwilling\u201d (to return).<\/p>\n

\u2014Frank Sabatini Jr. es el autor de \u201cSecret San Diego\u201d (ECW Press), y comenz\u00f3 su carrera como escritor local hace m\u00e1s de dos d\u00e9cadas como miembro del personal del ex San Diego Tribune. Puedes localizarlo en <\/em>fsabatini@san.rr.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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