Cru-awakening

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Am I becoming a hipster?

No.
And here is why:

1. I wear prescription glasses because I have bad eyesight.
2. I do not have an iPhone.
3. I have never been to Portland.

However, I must say that I walk the hipster line finely. Not just because I love Shiba Inus, or because my husband and I recently bought a Prius (an older 2001 edition, mind you, which actually de-hipsterizes it) but because I went to my first RAW restaurant last night...and...I... LOVED IT.

This probably isn't much of a surprise to anyone. After all, I have been slowly scaling the tower of RAW for awhile now, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. So it was only a matter of time before I decided to give my dear husband a break and seek out some professional raw dishes to curb my appetite. I also didn't make him accompany me while I did this. (Double break!)

crusilverlake.com

 My sweet friend Anna did join me (God bless you, Anna!) and the two of us visited Cru in Silverlake. This was one of those moments where I actually loved living five minutes away from SoCal's hipster haven- the first place to find political angst, shoulders bearing bra straps, or... to my delight, anything&everything raw.

I even drove the Prius there, to set the mood.

Basil Limeade

True to form, I had spent days looking over the menu online, yet once seated with the menu in hand, still had no idea what to order. I was stumped. So many choices. So many things I have yet to make (cashew cheese, squash flatbread, coconut sour cream) but currently lack the funds or dehydrator necessary to do so.

Finally, after Anna settled on the Vegetable Lasagna (a delicate terrain of thinly sliced zucchini, pesto, marinara, cashew cheese, and marinated portobello mushrooms. topped with coconut cream and served with mixed greens tossed in a pumpkin seed pesto) I chose the Taco Salad (rubbed kale, pumpkin seed chorizo, salsa, guacamole, Peruvian mojo sauce and cashew sour cream. served with dehydrated flax & corn chips) and we both ordered a glass of fresh Basil Limeade.

I spent a few minutes eyeing the minimal, yet colorful, decor, and even though the place was smaller than I'd anticipated, the tables were large and well spaced, and a good amount of natural light flowed in through the open door and windows. I had a feeling I could be very happy there.

Then, in between conversations of Jesus and coconut oil...it arrived.

Taco Salad

 And...it delivered!

This dish was wonderful. Call me Fabio, but I honestly could not believe this was an entirely raw meal. My taco salad was perfectly seasoned with the spicy heat of the pumpkin seed chorizo blending excellently with the cashew sour cream. The kale too was delicious. I don't know what it was "rubbed" with, but it was just the right amount- not sopping in dressing but also not scraping the roof of my mouth. And I devoured the chips. Yum. It took all my restraint to save half (a quarter?) for lunch. Cafe Jetta get ready!

Anna's lasagna also did not disappoint. It was incredibly fresh, and the cashew cheese and marinara were a great compliment to the soft crunch of the zucchini and mushrooms. The portion size was also perfectly un-Italian/American.

All in all, I give Cru 5 stars. If I had a rating, which I don't, it would be the highest I could give as a self-proclaimed food critic. I'd have to subtract a point for the price ($20 for the salad + limeade) but I give it a bonus point for the fact I actually left the restaurant feeling full without being in pain. My stomach likes to rebel after most meals (maybe because it is smaller than I usually imagine it to be) but I always have some sort of ailment after I eat. This hasn't been the case since eating raw. 

Thanks, belly.

Cru, we'll be back.

*Note: this post is meant to be a critique of food and not of hipsters. I love my hipster friends, and I confess I am not cool enough to be like you. Also, I would live in Silverlake in a heartbeat if it would mean living in this building right next door to Cru:

Complete with balcony, secret garden & fountain.