The best thing about Leaf is the variety! Wow. I love their desserts and have had several of their wraps and salads.  I think the owner, Rod Rotondi set out to do a great thing by making raw, living foods more accessible and very affordable.

KEY: $ – cheap n easy. $$ – modestly priced. $$$ – gettin’ up there. $$$$ – expensive!

PRICE: $$
FOOD: Desserts are nothing short of amazing! The wraps and salads can be a little overwhelming for a newbie, tasting maybe a little too ‘healthy’ but you’ll get used to it. Standouts include the Cinnamon Roll (breakfast) Hummus, Chocolate Brownie and the simple fact that you can get a young thai coconut to drink with a straw!
VIBE: Casual to nice. You could go here in shorts or have a casual business meeting here.
LOCATION: Culver City and Sherman Oaks, CA
HOURS: Mon – Sat: 8am – 10pm. Sun: 10am – 9pm.
SITE: www.leafcuisine.com

I have brought several of my non-raw foodie friends here as it’s just about the only option for folks in the valley. They devoured those desserts and were blown away by the fact that it was a raw apple pie they were eating. One friend fell in love with their house specialty kale salad and loved their crackers, too.

This is the type of cafe that you order at the counter and then they bring you your food at your table. Service can be a little slow as raw foods are not microwaved or simply thrown onto a grill, so be patient! I’m thrilled to see this restaurant offering their cuisine as ‘to-go’ foods in places like Whole Foods and other shops. Getting more people to eat raw by having it already made for them is a step that needs to happen and in a very big way. Big kudos for that!

When I think of the beach, the hippies and laid back vibe of Venice, California, I think of Euphoria Loves Rawvolution. Yep. This cafe on Main Street is chockful of mellow surfer energy and offers a nice blend of great tasting raw foods with a casual atmosphere.

KEY: $ – cheap n easy. $$ – modestly priced. $$$ – gettin’ up there. $$$$ – expensive!

PRICE: $$
FOOD: Lots of delicious choices! Stand outs include: Dogtown Wrap, Green Dragon Roll, Pizza, and Chocolate Coconut Haystacks.
VIBE: Casual. Flip flops and shorts are welcome.
LOCATION: 2301 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405.
HOURS: 9am – 9:30pm everyday.
SITE: www.euphorialovesrawvolution.com

We’ve been here on a number of occasions and most dishes were quite tasty. A wide range of entrees, drinks and desserts is available ranging from raw pizzas to raw ‘wraps’ and everything in between. My only disappointment has been a Raw Hot Chocolate. How many favorites do I have? Several as we’ve been here a number of times and it’s one of my favorite casual restaurants to visit in Venice Beach. I love the hippie vibe and being able to eat raw foods in a restaurant is still a treat!

Owner Matt Amsden is well known for both his book and his raw delivery service here in LA, Rawvolution. If you’re a rawbie in a hurry, what a great way to eat healthy!

In some circles, Juliano is heralded as the ‘King of Raw’. His restaurant attracts an array of Hollywood stars and wanna be stars. Usually, that means that the food is awful. But in this case, it’s the opposite.

KEY: $ – cheap n easy. $$ – modestly priced. $$$ – gettin’ up there. $$$$ – expensive!

PRICE: $$$
FOOD: Excellent. It’s hard to go wrong here. Standouts include the “Burgers”, the Springrolls, the Chezcakes and their well-known “Orgazmatron”.
VIBE: Casual, but the nicer side of casual.
LOCATION: 609 Broadway Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405
HOURS: Call for hours. 310.587.1552
SITE: www.planetraw.com

Located at the corner of 6th and Broadway in Santa Monica just walking distance from the 3rd Street Promenade, “Raw” offers a very diverse menu of raw concoctions. Ranging from elixirs to entrees and raw vegan sushi alongside many beverages including organic wines. There is something to enjoy here whether you’re a new rawbie or a vintage raw foodist. The coconut curry wrap used for the springrolls is outstanding and an accomplishment all its own for its delicate flavor and texture. For an entree, I love just about any salad but Bam gets a Burger nearly every time which are served with delicious raw versions of ketchup and mustard as well!

Juliano does things right from a restaurant perspective. Each dish is presented in a gourmet fashion and the flavors are carefully chosen. But this place isn’t just about amazing raw food. It also has a cool, mellow Southern California ambiance and a nice one at that. The staff are courteous and helpful and there’s a large array of yummy items you can get “to go” as well. I recommend sitting on the patio if it’s available!

The menu is downright humongous and Juliano knows that. So he’s created a sampler plate for those of you who get overwhelmed with the choices. Don’t worry, it is all truly raw and you will be delighted with the tastes!

If by the time you leave you are thinking you want to make some of these dishes, they do offer classes. Or you can go to your local bookshop and pick up Juliano’s book, “Raw”.