california monster salads

santa monica, ca

website

it really is a monster salad. no one needs to eat this much kale at once. but if you wanted to - you would first choose which salad mix you want, choose your toppings, then choose your dressing. the usual. and as usual, i chose a bunch of toppings that i like separately but taste terrible together. there is nothing particularly special about this place except the size of the salad. which no human could possibly finish in one sitting anyway. eh.

calafia cafe

palo alto, ca

website

one thing i'm looking forward to in california is eating more healthy, more tofu, more fresh fruits and vegetables. i've heard bits and pieces about the "slow food" movement, "farm to table" and "ethical eating." i don't think its possible to know exactly where your food came from or whether it was treated ethically in the process of getting to your plate, but it's nice to know that people are making an effort. the most important question, however, is does it taste good? for example, i highly doubt my favorite chinese noodle shops know what "slow food" is, but i don't care because their food is delicious. noodle on that.

in that spirit, vanita and puri took derek and myself to calafia at town and country. they have a nice selection of freshly squeezed juices and smoothies. vanita (being the more adventurous one) got the "green-eyed lady" with zucchini broccoli arugula celery and garlic. derek and i (being wimps) each got a "c boost" with orange grapefruit and kiwi. for our entrees, both vanita and i got the tofu scramble (pictured) - a surprisingly tasty mix of turmeric & cumin scented tofu, mushroom, spinach and carrots served with hash browns. of course, derek's dish looked yummier (hashbrowns topped with sautéed mushrooms and spinach with two poached eggs, melted swiss cheese and lemon hollandaise), but i felt good eating something healthy (for a change).

josie's

3rd (37/38)

website

neal joined me for dinner recently at josie's, an organic healthy-ish restaurant located in murray hill. josie's is one of my favorite places to eat because it is guilt-free. the food is natural, organic, low-fat, non-fried, simple, and tasty. the vibe reminds me of california - clean lines, bright colors, a juice bar.

i love to order the grilled veggie plate, the pasta with turkey meatballs, grilled salmon, pumpkin ravioli, grilled chicken with brown rice, and potato/broccoli dumplings (pictured in a tomato and white truffle coulis). derek doesn't like this place, possibly because its a little on the bland side. but i think everything is delicious, especially for people who love veggies and free-range poultry.