The Top List of Raw Restaurants - Fort Lauderdale, FL
By Laura Burdick Sherman
Gourmet Greenhouse 5809 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood FL 33021 (Behind Costume Shop on 58th Street) (954) 518-0551
Open:Tues – Sat 11 am – 4 pm
Cuisine Type: Raw Foods
Greenhouse Gourmet is one of those little gems you wouldn’t find in a million years unless someone knew someone who visited. Off in an obscure section of Hollywood, this amazing little Garden of Eden respite offers a plethora of serenity, spiritual ambiance, health related classes, metaphysical objects and trinkets and delicious raw cuisine. Guests are invited to stroll the labyrinth, a bucolic green space cordoned off from a small parking lot by a white picket fence. The minute you cross into restaurant/spa/store private patio, you are escorted into a magical land of healthy raw, vegan and vegetarian cuisine and a fresh breath of air.
Restaurant and shop owner and holistic practitioner Barbara A. Simons, PhD said she created the upstairs eatery as an adjunct to healing therapies. The food and ambiance show the same careful thought and attention. Chef Jason Rapp often works the kitchen and tables, with Chef Maria Nagy interchanging at times. A turnstile filled with sprouts for sale shows how serious the restaurant is about ensuring healthy eating.
The only entrance to the restaurant is through the store, but it’s an inviting relaxing space filled with soothing scents and good vibes. Once upstairs, the dining room has the feel of a cozy, relaxed homespun kitchen. Chef Jason Rapp talks rapidly but it’s clear he has spent many hours of thought and trial into each dish. Rapp said he interchanges with Chef Maria Nagy and they try each other’s dishes in efforts to offer the very best. A cookbook sits perched nearby, and flipping through the recipes, it’s hard to resist picking up a copy ($29 on site or at amazon.com).
Complimentary crackers and homemade humus is served for every patron and the crunchy vegan crackers are surprisingly addicting. Hummus comes in many flavors, but only the garlic hummus deviates from a raw diet since the garlic has been heated.
Exotic choices of soups come both chilled and warm. The raw Chilled Cream of Strawberry is smooth, creamy, with tasty particles of strawberry, and although the creamy is evident, the dish is completely raw. Vegetarians can enjoy warmed exotic versions such as Cream of Pumpkin, Mushroom or Tomato Basil. All soups run $3.75 per cup or $4.75 per bowl.
Salads abound aplenty and offer a colorful inviting appearance. The Raw Salad Explosion ($4.75) was extremely fresh and the mixture of sweet and salty and textures between leafy spinach, mixed lettuce, watercress, and crunchy pine nuts, carrots, figs, sprouts, grape tomatoes and orange zest provides the kind of variety not easily found in a strictly raw salad. A Chinese Mandarin “Chicken” salad offers another interesting option. Entrees abound, but two dishes in particular stand out.
The Yellow Squash Spaghetti and Almond Flaxseed ‘Meatballs’ with a side salad ($8), apparently created by Maria to mimic the textures of the meat version, seems as creative as any raw dish could taste. The meatballs are so filling, yet flavored in such a way that each bite entices you to try another. This dish earns a definite nod. The Chinese Mandarin Salad with sliced almonds, Mandarin oranges, and bamboo shoots on a bed of mixed greens ($4.75) is about as pleasing a dish as you might request. Fresh is the operative word here, with veggies standing out for their crunchiness and clean taste.
Vegetarians can eat to their hearts content here. The Stir Fried “Pork” and vegetables is a tasty slow marinated citrus “pork spare rib” pieces (tofu) stir fried, with perfectly cooked brown rice and mixed vegetables is a definite try ($8). Quinoa comes in many colors and flavors and the red Quinoa Caliente is a delightful side dish. There are plenty of other vegan and vegetarian choices as well, so no one needs to leave this establishment anything but thrilled.
Dessert is amazing and the Vegan Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce ($3.75) is a must have for those wishing to deviate from a strictly raw diet. Fruit juices, coffee, tea, iced tea and bottled waters are available beverages as well. From start to finish, Greenhouse Gourmet is one of those places where you can’t believe you never found before and can’t wait until you return again. Estimated price per person $10 - $12
By Thomas McCabe
Café 118° 153 East Morse Blvd. Winter Park, Florida 32789 (407) 389-2233
Open Monday 11:30 am - 5:00 pm Tuesday - Thursday 11:30 am - 9:00 pm Friday and Saturday 11:30 am - 10:00 pm Closed on Sundays
Cuisine Type: Raw Foods
Café 118° is a very popular raw foods restaurant that consistently serves the finest Living Cuisine dishes in the Orlando, Florida area. A bright and cheery place, Café 118° has become a favorite lunch and dinner destination spot for many local residents and tourists alike. Known for their use of the highest - quality, locally - grown organic ingredients and high standards of integrity, this raw foods restaurant regularly converts even the staunchest carnivores into believers and devotees of raw and living cuisine.
The staff members here seem like they really enjoy what they are doing and they always provide great service. A pleasant and friendly atmosphere is present at Café 118°, with comfortable seating and a soothing decor offered. A host of delectable and creatively - presented raw dishes here include juices, smoothies, entrees, salads and desserts. The karma here is very positive and the vibe projects a sense of healthy vitality and community.
Tasty and healthy raw juices served here include Super Green Juice with Lemon & Ginger, Local Orange, Raspberry Agave Lemonade, Green Tea Lemonade, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Beet and Green Apple, Coconut Water and Pineapple with Celery and Mint.
A large assortment of raw smoothies are available at Café 118°. Among the smoothie varieties, here are Strawberry Pearfection, Banana Berry Bliss, Venus Verde, Sundae Drive, Divine Cherry, Rain Forest Rapture, Goji Gold and Tropical Mint.
An array of inventive raw variations on traditional dishes are regularly presented here. The main raw dishes, or raw entrees served at Café 118° include Avocado, Mango and Shiitake Maki Rolls, Portobello "Steak" with South American Potato Salad, Chile Rellenos, with Monta - Raw Jack Cheese, Bell Pepper Sauce and Mole, Crispy Vegetable Summer Rolls with Macadamia Dressing and Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce, Spicy "Bean" Burrito, with Salsa and Guacamole, Shiitake Mushroom Lasagna and Spinach and Beet Ravioli with Cashew Ricotta and Pear Wine Sauce.
Among the impeccably - fresh garden salads served at Café 118° are Mexican Chopped Salad, with Avocado, Sweet Corn, Tomato, Chili Chips and "Queso Blanco" and Arugula Salad with Avocado, Hemp Seeds, Pignoli Parmesan and Sun - Dried Tomato.
A range of exquisite raw desserts here include Chocolate Hazelnut Tart with Macaroon Crust, Pumpkin Tart with Pecan Crust and Whipped "Cream", Raspberry Parfait with Vanilla Bean Cream and Dark Chocolate Sauce, Mango Cheesecake with Macadamia Crust and Lime Whipped Cream, Mocha Pudding with Cacao Nibs and Agave Caramel and Dark Chocolate Pudding Cake with Cinnamon Glazed Cherries and Cherry Ginger Syrup.
Several flavors of delicious raw ice cream are also served at Café 118°. Ice cream flavors here are Banana Almond Butter Cup, Cacao Mint Chip, Cinnamon Maple Crunch and Coconut Macaroon.
If you're a fan of raw foods, or have never even tried them before, you would be hard - pressed to find a better raw foods restaurant than Café 118°. Because it is affiliated with a raw foods culinary institute, only the highest standards of food safety and quality are practiced here. This delightful raw foods restaurant is highly recommended.
The Top List of Raw Restaurants - Fort Lauderdale, FL