I chickened out!
I had a post all ready to go for today. It was pre-scheduled last night, which I often do with posts. But while I slept, it bugged me. I realized that the post made me sound preachy and the whole tone was just so negative.
Plus, I decided that the week before Christmas isn’t exactly a good time for such a controversial post. Talk about squelching Christmas cheer :(. So I’ll publish the controversial post sometime in January. For now, you’re stuck reading about my most-recent restaurant outing:
The other day, I returned for lunch at Bliss Raw Cafe.
I was back for seconds, only a week after my first trip to the raw restaurant. This time, I dragged along a new brave soul—my daddy! Above is a photo of his “Bliss Burger.” I wasn’t wild about this. But to be fair, I dislike sunflower seeds (which made up the base of the burger) so I was biased against it from the start. Poor burger! However, Daddy Dearest loved it.
Then again, he has no tastebuds ;).
For my own meal, I was so psyched to go for the Coconut-Kale Enchiladas… until the waiter brought a Primavera Bowl to a fellow patron. It looked so good that I changed my order on the spot! (I’m impulsive like that.) Primavera Bowl, it was.
Sadly, this was nowhere near as good as their Raw Lasagna.
It was just… bland, seriously lacking in the sauce department. Not bad, but not outstanding. I ate the dish anyway, since it did have a whole lot of yummy veggie action going on: zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrot, mushrooms, garlic, etc. (I asked for a plate, as it was difficult to eat the overflowing abundance of vegetables out of such a small bowl.)
I should’ve stuck with my first choice of the enchiladas. No matter: I’ll have to go back to Bliss Raw Cafe again. And next time, I am definitely getting those enchiladas!
Have you had any negative restaurant experiences?
And if you find a certain restaurant dish you like, do you order it every time?
If I have a bad experience at a new restaurant, I probably won’t go back. But if I enjoyed the restaurant on a previous visit, I’ll usually give it another chance. Bliss will get another chance; their Raw Lasagna was so good!
Fi says
Gingerbread-do it! 🙂 I’m the same, I’ll give A usual hotspot another chance if it’s not great, I really want to go to a raw cafe! And how can u not like sunflower seeds? They’re amaze balls! Each to their own I guess. Xxxx
Laura @ Meet Virginia says
Sorry that your lunch was a bit of a letdown! How about this: next time I am in Texas (which I have never been – haha!) I will meet you at Bliss! I have always wanted to go to a Raw cafe!
I’m anxious to know what your controversial post was about! But it gives me something to look forward to! 😉
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I’m going to hold you to that. Get your booty down here so we can go! 😉
Kat says
No matter how they taste both the burger and primavera look delicious. I really want to go to a raw food restaraunt but I don’t know of any where I live.
How am I supposed to decide between pumpkin and gingerbread!? I think I’ll go with pumpkin.
Emily Elizabeth @ Kisses for Breakfast says
I definitely have had my fair share of negative restaurant experiences. I have celiac disease so I have to have a gluten free meal and many tims I have had my salad served with a side of bread.
I vote for gingerbread!
Tara says
gingerbread!!!
whitney says
Yum! I wish I lived near a raw cafe. Wait, not I don’t… I’d be broke! 😛
And I’ve been wondering, what kind of camera do you use? Your pictures always turn out wonderful!
Whitney
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Oh girl, you just made me soooo happy! I’ve been trying to take better photos, lately (paying attention to lighting, background, and rule of thirds, etc). I just got a new Nikon D 5000, and I love it for stilllife photos without flash. But for snapshots, I still love my little Kodak :).
jenny at Rice n' Jeans says
I would really like to try a raw food meal at a raw food restaurant but alas I am only a teenager and do not have enough money for it. Do you know any places in new york (since you have visited a couple times) that sell moderately priced good raw food?
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I do know a few that have good raw dishes… but not so much on the prices :(. I look at raw food restaurants as a rare treat: not something I’d be comfortable shelling out the $$ for every day, but every once in a while. It’s just like people who go to fancy steak restaurants, or buy $100 bottles of wine. Something to be enjoyed as a special treat occasionally, but not all the time.
As for the good raw foods in NYC: Lifethyme Cafe and Westerly Market have some good pies, cakes, and savory dishes. And Quintessence is good.
Julia (The Veggie Side) says
Pumpkin!!!!!
I always seem to have a hard time deciding what to order at restaurants. I’m so worried that I’ll order one thing then wish I would’ve ordered what the person sitting next to me has. (I guess it’s a good excuse to keep going back right?) 🙂
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Haha when I go somewhere with my parents, I always try and sway their order towards something I want to try, so I can taste theirs and see if it’d be something I’d want, myself, in the future. 🙂
Pure2raw twins says
that burger is something we would love…we love sunflower seeds!!
Sorry your pasta dish was no good. I hate when I order something it comes out different than I expect, but then again being a chef it is hard to please everyone. Because one dish one person would love and then the next not so much.
BroccoliHut says
I have a terrible habit of ordering the same thing at restaurants. If I find something I like, I look forward to enjoying it again and again! However, I’ve been trying to branch out more recently:)
bitt says
That’s great your dad enjoyed the burger. Adventurous eaters are good to have in the family.
I am not as big of a fan of raw pasta as I am of raw lasagna. Just the texture is different for me.
I had a really TERRIBLE restaurant experience the other day. Luckily it was just one of the courses out of 4. And at the end. But made a bad impression.
Amber Shea @Almost Vegan says
YAY, more Bliss! “Stuck” reading about it? Now, I’m all for controversy, but I’m more than happy reading about a raw restaurant meal. 🙂 I have not had the Primavera bowl… I keep saying I’m going to try those enchiladas, but still haven’t!
It sucks we weren’t able to meet up this weekend, but hopefully in a couple months we’ll make that happen!
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Ok, new plan: we go to Bliss and get enchiladas together! 😉
Amber Shea @Almost Vegan says
Oh, hell yes! Deal 😀
Claire says
1) GINGERBREAD!
2) I’ve not had any bad restaurant experiences, however in the pre-vegan days I was dared to eat an oyster (which wasn’t a problem as I rather love them) however this was taken to the next level of drizzling a little dark chocolate ontop of another oyster … this is not something I’d recomended.
3) The single lady cookies are oh-so-tasty! I made one for myself, then had to make more for my sister and mum. Congratulaton Katie, another of your recipes is a hit in my household!
thefruitpersuit (Sabine) says
It’s so funny to see that whenever we drag ‘normal’ eaters to vegan/raw/vegetarian places, they will always order the things that at least sounds normal to them, ie burgers ;). your dad looks so cute though!
Namaste Gurl says
I’m not very open- minded when I got to restaurants I enjoy– let’s just say I order my usual every time and never “branch out”. I’ll get there 🙂
Char says
That burger looks sooo delicious.
xoxo
michelle says
Sadly I almost never like what I get in restaurants but when I do I’ll order the same dish forever. Your dads burger looks amazing though
Pixie Vincent says
I had to laugh out loud when I read that, “then again, he has no taste buds”! 😀 I have a husband and a son like that. The only difference is the son will eat ANYTHING (maybe having something to do with being 17 and “starving”) and my husband is relatively picky. Although…to be fair…hubby ate the green smoothie I put in front of him the other day and the Bottomless Pit begged for blueberries to be whizzed in his to hide the color. LOL
Rebecca L says
I have to say- You are rad/ I am new to this journey and I an trying to get my family to “buy-in ” on this healthy lifestyle. And without you-It would be much harder
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Aww thank you 🙂
Anonymous says
gosh you look like your dad!