Ravishing Raw » New York

Raw Food Tour Through New York 7

Marie-Claire — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:17:57 +0000

I have always valued the old saying “Save the best for last”. This is how I learned eating the back end of asparagus first and enjoy that smooth, soft, delicious, melting top as the last and ever lasting memory of this delicacy. Another delicacy I saved for last is…

PURE FOOD & WINE and ONE LUCKY DUCK

When you travel to New York and are raw – or even not raw-, Pure Food & Wine is a “must have experienced” culinary adventure! I am looking for the right superlatives now but the only satisfying one is the experience itself. So just get over there and order the best raw meal you had in times or maybe even since… ever!

Pure Food & Wine has a warm glow. Red as wine seats, a slightly mysterious, sexy atmosphere and a waiter who didn’t mind asking in the (closing) kitchen if they wanted to make an extra effort for a visitor from Belgium who didn’t make it in time… That was last year. I was so happy when he walked in with a stunning raw meal of which I have been dreaming of ever since.

So when I returned this year, my first thought in the city was returning to this amazing restaurant. I was not the only one… The weather was nice and the place was loaded. But no worries. There is always a saving angel around the corner!

You may call yourself One Lucky Duck when you have the privilege of taking a bite in the best hemp seed burger on this planet! Wow! I couldn’t help myself from moaning each bite and oh how I would love, love LOVE to have that recipe!

I overate in the deserts but I HAD to try their lemon bar, their famous moonie I read about and another chocolate treat I couldn’t resist. This One Lucky Duck is the take out of Pure Food and Wine around the corner. It is only a small place but you can sit down at one of the few tables with heavenly food if you are… lucky.

Chelsea Market at 75 9th Avenue (between 15th and 16th Streets) is the hippest place I saw in a while. Although it is huge it has a nice vibe, there is a lot to see and discover, no matter what you are looking for AND they have a lucky duck over there too!

You need a quick bite, an organic juice? Simply walk in, grab your choice, sit down and eat while watching people walking by. I couldn’t resist their T-shirt and am looking forward to reading and try out some recipes in my new Sarma book. (I was hoping the hemp seed burger would be in there but no!) This MUST be their best kept secret to lure foreigners back to their place and you know what? I don’t mind…

Raw Food Tour Through New York 6

Marie-Claire — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 19:34:13 +0000

I made acquaintance with this lovely store through my friend who wrote down the name and asked me how I would pronounce it. He was surprised that I had it right from the first time because you can give it a twist. Just try yourself…

LIVE LIVE

Another alive food store where you can purchase all your raw goodies and superfoods is Live Live. I love the name! Simple, easy to remember, to the point, sharing a beautiful message and vision. I wish I had come up with it myself as this was around the time I was looking for a name for my business myself.

The open space is very inviting and calming and oh, how nicely every product is put down with great care! It is just lovely to look at them. Nice packages, other choices than I saw before what makes it even more interesting to investigate them.

The owner is a very helpful, friendly man to whom it is nice talking to. His own Live Live brand is offering superfoods and green powders, something to keep in mind for when I want to extend my own offers on my online store in the near future.

It never gets boring to spend time to your health in these kind of places! They offer natural beauty and if you never taste Brad’s Raw Chips before and have been looking for them, then this is your chance.

Raw Food Tour Through New York 4

Marie-Claire — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:29:35 +0000

Even while driving or walking through the city you will bump into natural markets where you don’t expect them. This one was a nice extra with a lot of organic choices!

LIFETHYME NATURAL MARKET

LifeThyme Natural Market reminded me of my favorite Westerly place; they offer everything to keep you healthy and raw. Each time I visit the green department of no matter what organic supermarket in New York I am pleasantly surprised by the enormous offer in organic vegetables and fruits. When I compare this to any supermarket in Belgium, I can only welcome the enthusiasm of these city natives. Why? Organic supermarkets can only exist and survive through their loyal consumers.

So I am wondering even more what is happening in Belgium where people seem to be pretty conscious about health and where the trend is to eat more fresh food. This is such a great evolution! But… where do we have to purchase these healthy foods? Two cities further away?

I am also experiencing it as a problem of integration. Our bio products are still labeled as a “side” product for a small minority, so not really interesting for expended departments in supermarkets or even natural supermarkets on their own. Therefor it also becomes a viscous circle of demand and offer and as long as there isn’t enough choice, people won’t be motivated to sell more organic produce.

I wish I could say that every city in Belgium has one substantial supermarket which is providing all these rich segments of organic foods. Our supermarkets offer ‘bio’ products, but mostly those have the look of overtime vegetables and fruit. Certainly in smaller health food stores. Or the offer is so restricted that you have to spend time looking for them between the usual produce.

You can only tell that they are “bio” when they are wrapped in plastic and labeled “bio”. Where is the logic I often wonder. Where is the logic of people having to beg for more organic foods in their regular supermarket? Who is responsible for this lack of consciousness? If even regular requests of a client aren’t been taken seriously?

Craving for a salty snack, chips, cookies? You can easily make the right choices here and grab those tasty kale chips. Remember that whatever bad food is teasing you, you can choose for the healthy version of it and enjoy its delicious taste without any guilt!

Hungry while shopping? You know what that means; you will load your basket with everything you weren’t planning to buy. I love these smoothie bars where you expect them the least! The smoothie of your choice is made fresh while you are waiting, you get new inspiration watching someone else making it, bye bye hunger and you can keep going if you have to run off to work. This town offers healthy fast food everywhere!

Oh and they have all these organic seeds, beans and grains… not always easy to find! LifeThyme surprised me pleasantly with their complete offer from foods to live made smoothies to organic body care at 410 6th Avenue (between 8th and 9th).

Raw Food Tour Through New York 2

Marie-Claire — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:15:58 +0000

Even if you haven’t planned your day and you are out of vegetables and fruit, you can find organic produce very nearby your place in New York. If you are staying in a hotel room you can have a daily visit to get some greens and make a salad or a smoothie with a personal blender. I saw very handy, small packages with green powders, enough for one smoothie. So if you are traveling to New York, you don’t even have to bother taking your superfoods.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET

I knew of the many outstanding Whole Foods Markets in New York but when we discovered this huge, clean building which seemed very new, I was stunned by their green mission on all levels.

It was exciting to wander through the wide paces and see all the green departments. Everything is available here, from organic and locally grown produce to superfoods, wheatgrass powder, ecological cleansing products, kitchen tools, bamboo cutting boards and organic body care. And oh, I even found my favorite probiotics there!

It was amazing to see how all healthy choices one can make are displayed here. Even if shopping in small stores can be more personal, I liked spending time here because it is so synoptic and clear where you have to be for what you are looking for. These Whole Foods Markets are all over town, no matter where you are living or staying. What a lovely motivation for whomever is choosing to eat raw or healthy while traveling or living in a city.

It isn’t difficult to make healthy choices in New York, despite what many people might say. Yes, the prices are higher than when you walk into a McDonalds and order your hamburger. But there is no price on health, the most valuable good we own.

Raw Food Tour Through New York 1

Marie-Claire — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 20:28:02 +0000

My trip to New York was in one word… ravishing! Even though my favorite store Westerly was closed due to renovations and Raw Soul is no longer active as a restaurant I was delighted by the new places I discovered and the known ones I re-visited.

I was sitting in a Starbuck cafe drinking a mint tea, looking at people passing by and thought; “Let me count how many people on ten are overweighed.” I was shocked that the number was “ten” during that next minute. How ironic and sad to see this in a city were magnificent whole food stores are within reach behind every corner, where organic and raw foods are for sale in many supermarkets and lovely specialized stores, where communities are organizing themselves to sell organically, locally grown produce at affordable prices.

New York is full of opportunities to make healthy choices. My dear friend guided me through town from South to North so I could write about these lovely places. This healthy raw food tour will show you where to go if you are living in this wonderful city. Or if you are raw and visiting New York but don’t know where to go to, then be my guest and put your teeth in the juiciest, biggest apple you ever had…

THE ORGANIC AVENUE

“Welcome to the Space of Love” it says on the blackboard at the door of 116, Suffolk Street. And oh my, you do feel welcome between all the lovely bottled juices, alkaline water, superfoods, friendly smiles, the beautiful bar, the inviting wooden table. The space is grand, clean, simple, tasteful, peaceful and perfect for the many events the Organic Avenue organizes. In April for instance, you can join them for a three day long workshop with James Russell. I wish I was there!

I talked to the lady of the house and when she heard that I am a raw food coach she invited me to organize one of my events at her place. I was, AM thrilled and so looking forward to giving my first raw food workshop in New York.

But a lot more is going on at the Organic Avenue. They make gorgeous juices and smoothies. You want to do a cleanse but have no juicer? Order your cleanse and it will be delivered right at your door in a cool box. You can’t get confused; the bottles are numbered and you don’t have to worry about anything. It can’t get much easier than that!

The Organic Avenue has charming cafés and shops all over town, you can check out the locations here, they are within everybody’s reach. My dear friend who guided me and I enjoyed a wonderful mint smoothie in a cute bottle and went off to the next stop.