206167 Thu Dec 18 15:11:36 -0800 2003 7 18 Manhattan 0 1098685 Does anyone have any tips for places where people can do the vegan raw foods shtick? I found a tip for Green Paradise (609 Vanderbilt Ave, betw. St Marks & Bergen St Brooklyn, NY, 718-230-5177) in ChowNews, but am wondering if there are any other venues either dedicated to this or else incorporating it as part of their menus. ciao Thu Dec 18 15:11:36 -0800 2003 0 Jim Leff 1 1098689 quintessence is the "quintessential" raw foods restaurant in manhattan, i believe. i went with a friend who was a rawfoodist (at the time! she has since, um, come to her senses?). it is on 11th street, i think, east of 2nd avenue somewhere. they do a lovely job, but it is really a peculiar palate to get used to. also, interestingly, days ago a new store opened on 3rd street, betw a and 1st, which appears to specialize in raw food products--books, food etc. i didn't see a name on the front, but it is where "the bee and the buttercup" used ot be. Thu Dec 18 15:23:55 -0800 2003 1098685 0 jerusha 2 1098710 I have a cousin who eats there regularly with his wife and two young kids. Longtime devout vegetarians making their way towards the raw route - they love this place. Thu Dec 18 16:09:07 -0800 2003 1098689 0 Heidi Claire 2 1098733 Here's my experience at Quintessence, from about a year ago.... I went to NYC's raw food restaurant, Quintessence, the other night. The menu had more phrases in quotes than the Zagat's guide: "refried beans," "ravioli," "cheddar cheese sauce." I don't understand why a restaurant that goes out of its way to avoid meat, dairy and all things cooked feels like it has to replicate things that they don't want to eat. that aside i went in with an open mind and left unimpressed. Since they can't cook the beans and chickpeas (just soak them till they "sprout"), they're still sorta hard so they mash them. they also had mashed cauliflower, plus avacado, almond and various other purees. The result was like baby food. Their loaves or other attempts at bread-like foods were super-dense. Apart from salads (which were good), those are your texture options: dense or mushy. A few of the dishes used raw nori which is very hard to chew, let alone bite through. The desert we had -- a "mud slide" tart with carob, dates, various nuts -- was actually quite good and the only thing i'd think about eating again. all in all, the food was not bad, but not especially good. our raw food friends who took us there were all "mmm" and "ahhh," which leads me to believe that when you decide to go raw you must lower your standards as to what tastes good. i will say that the times profile of that raw food restaurant in SF sounded really good, so maybe it was just the limited abilities of Quintessence. Thu Dec 18 17:10:50 -0800 2003 1098689 0 billp 1 1098690 there is quintessence on 10th btn 1&A, as well as caravan of dreams on 6th st off 1st ave. Thu Dec 18 15:24:42 -0800 2003 1098685 0 emma 1 1098696 Check the Grace Heaven Salon (the salon on East 3rd st. and Ave. B) website. I remember the owner Jane recommending some of this Raw food stuffs there sometime Thanksgiving. There's a small restaurant in the East Village specializing on this but,I do not remember the name nor it's address. I'm into Slow food but, don't think will be into Raw foods anytime soon...as the food didn't look appetizing. Thu Dec 18 15:28:49 -0800 2003 1098685 0 Nyufoodie 1 1098726 Not sure if Lifethyme market qualifies, but they have tons of prepared raw food items which you can either eat upstairs or take away. For a nicer sit-down meal, I agree--either quintessence or caravan of dreams. Thu Dec 18 16:45:41 -0800 2003 1098685 0 EMA 1 1098761 i have passed a new place a few times, which is called bonobo (someone recently referred to it in a discussion here). it looks casual and appears to be cafeteria style. it is on east twenty-third. west of park avenue south, but east of all of the chain restaurants on the strip on the south side of 23rd near madison park. quintessance has already been mentioned. there are two other locations besides the one on east 10th. (that one is across the street from the russian baths by the way.) they are on the upper east side (78th i believe, btw. 1st and second) and on the upper-west on the west side of amsterdam in the low nineties. they may be going out of business or closing some of their branches to phase their way into becoming more of a meal-delivery outfit. caravan has some specifically raw foods stuff (not just, you know, salads). i wasn't crazy about it--quintessance is better. integral yoga has raw foods pies at the counter in the back (where they have the juice bar). i think they are made by the same outfit that does the ones at lifethyme but i may be wrong. anyway, one, a fairly garlicky plantain/avocado, was terrific in my opinion. angelica kitchen has had nods to the raw foods "movement" on their menu for a few years. one, a cashew curry spread, i like, although not as much after the first try. another, a raw lasagnia appetizer, i found even better. i don't know if they still have the lasagnia, although the cashew spread (or "dip") is on the standard menu, i am pretty sure. Thu Dec 18 22:38:09 -0800 2003 1098685 0 epicure-us