There is heaven on Earth. They have disguised it under the name Austin, Texas, and the inhabitants are all being quiet about it and hoping no one notices.
Really though, my raw roadtrip became a raw pilgrimage when I got to Austin and realized I’d reached the equivalent of Texas’ Mecca for healthy eating.
First of all, as soon as I arrived I kidnapped my poor, diet-coke addicted sister to find a raw food restaurant.
“What do you mean a raw food restaurant? There’s no such thing!” So sorry little sis, but there is, and there are more in your city than probably the rest of the South altogether. We went to Beets Cafe and I sighed in relief knowing I could eat anything on the menu without worry.
Even the water is extra good for you...
As soon as we sat down we were served a jug of water, which turned out to be ionized, a process which may or may not be super good for your health. Beets Cafe is not taking any chances though-absolutely everything in this modern spot is sleek with a modern, clean, and simple vibe.
My sister was almost as shocked at how good our appetizer was as my mom was when I made a similar dish at the beginning of this raw food expedition. She wasn’t as impressed with the dehydrated eggplant in her ELT (eggplant, lettuce and tomato sandwich–with sprouted almond sunflower flatbread), but she’s more used to soda than sprouts.
What really made the Raw Road trip legit was my final stop before heading home at the Whole Foods on Lamar. I wanted to hide in the aisles and live there like Natalie Portman in that Wal-Mart movie.
A few perks of the Whole Foods here in heaven:
-The Green Cafe, which serves raw, vegan, and organic menu items made fresh
-The entire SECTION for raw food, including the Raw Revolution Bars I couldn’t find in ANY of the other cities I visited
-A produce section that subtly reminds one of a lush rain forest, full of exotic fruits and things you can’t even name
-All of these items, marked “specialty” in every other city, are so ho-hum here they are dirt cheap. The goji berries I would have paid $17 in Houston were $6 here. No joke.
I came home from my raw roadtrip to find 2 parents who were very relieved that our raw adventure is over, but glad we did it. I’ll be back with a full report–and that ‘Why Raw?’ bit I promised last post!
