Beets Raw Foods Cafe

I met a friend for dinner last week, and we both wanted healthy, so we met at Beets Living Foods Cafe. I didn't really know what to expect, but upon walking in, I immediately liked the modern lines and styling. It's also a large physical space, with ample parking, once I figured out where it was! (They're on West 5th Street between Mopac and Lamar, on the ground level of the 5th Street Commons building; drive (slowly) past the restaurant, then turn right, and go straight back; you can either park in the covered/indoor lot and take the back door into Beets, or behind the building.)

My friend had been a couple times before, so she told me about a few of her favorites, and I had the waitress tell me some of hers. I picked the nori rolls and a small Asian salad, and my friend had the carrot ginger soup (one of her and the waitress' favorites) and a large Asian salad; the salads can be prepared mild or spicy, and I went for spicy.

M's carrot soup came first, and it was really good! Nice ginger flavor, especially since I find ginger often gets lost in dishes like that. Couldn't help but wonder how it would be warmed up! (Remember, this is a RAW foods experience!)

Our salads were next. These have cabbage, kelp noodles, sea veggies, carrots, green onion, cilantro, radish, broccoli, and a sweet spicy miso dressing. Tasty, crunchy, the dressing was good; all very fresh.

But wait! What happened to my rolls? I had to ask about them because since they are listed as an appetizer, I thought they had been forgotten.... the waitress said they take a long time to assemble, so they were coming. This would have been nice to know up front, but oh well.  They did finally arrive, and I will say they were gorgeous, though difficult to eat.  Because of all the little julienned pieces, you really had to put the whole thing in your mouth or risk everything falling out. These were carrots, red cabbage, sprouts, and a "mock" tuna, made from some sort of almond paste, I believe.

And I was instructed to leave room for dessert. They have a case full of different options, but my friend definitely had her eye on the chocolate cheesecake. I got a brownie with mint chocolate chip ice cream. The ice cream  is made from a nut milk blend, and sweetened with raw agave nectar. The brownie had cacao nibs, dates, and I can't remember what else. I liked the ice cream, the brownie was ok... bit different texturally than what I am used to. The cheesecake however, was AMAZING! I didn't catch what was in it, but the texture was silky smooth, and the flavor was great. Almost better than any "real" cheesecake I've ever had.

It was a good meal, and I left feeling satiated. However, within an hour of getting home, I was totally craving a hamburger....