Raw New York

Every so often, interesting requests randomly appear in the SalliVates.com mailbox. Recently, I've been asked to locate "yogurt pucks", to procure a list of sea salt distributors, and to go on a date. Although I haven't been able to fulfill these particular requests, I am about to gladden the heart of a California reader. Her E-mail of last week was so intriguing that I felt compelled to rise to her challenge:

"Dear Salli,

I am a raw-food vegan who will be visiting NYC for the first time. I eat fruits, nuts, vegetables and sprouted grains, but no meats, dairy products or foods heated above 118 degrees. Are there any places I can eat?"

After verifying that the writer was serious (how does one live without chocolate and fondue?), I set off on a mission to see if she could find nourishment in New York.

First, I walked over to Eat Raw, a store which trumpets its cause right in the name. In addition to offering natural skin care products, Eat Raw sells crackers, cookies, nut butters, dried fruit and walnut-tahini "truffles". Unfortunately, I found the onion "Essene" bread and apple crunch bars very difficult to chew. I had better luck with the "Raweos", which tasted more like macaroons than Oreos (and that's a good thing).

Next, I took the F train to the East Village and strode into Live Live, where the proprietor was astonishingly thin! Looking at him, I immediately craved a huge plate of fettucini alfredo, but I squelched the urge (I was on a mission, remember) and bought a $6 package of "mac & cheese" instead. This concoction was a bar of macadamia nuts, kale, and red pepper; disturbingly, it was somewhat reminiscent of macaroni and cheese. I was reminded of astronaut food, and indeed, one of the brands offered at Live Live is "Moon Foods".

Next door to Live Live is NYC's only raw foods chain: Quintessence. With three locations, Quintessence has been detoxifying New Yorkers since 1999. Their philosophy is: "Treat your body like a temple and it will be heaven again." (Personally, I find it pretty easy to feel heavenly; I just pop a Knipschildt truffle into my mouth.)

I invited an adventurous companion to Quintessence for a raw foods adventure. We began our meal with the vegetable chowder, a delicious green puree thickened with nuts. The cold soup was perfect for the summertime. We were then to find that "raw" doesn't necessarily mean "quick"; our stomachs growled as we waited for our entrees. Our waitress patiently explained that my squash "spaghetti" was in the dehydrator. When it finally arrived, the "spaghetti" al pesto was interspersed with tasty marinated mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, but I couldn't get past the crunchy vegetal texture of the "pasta". My companion ordered the "round-the-world" platter: a sampling of hummus and falafel, malai kofta, "ravioli", a Japanese hand roll and a salad. The sunflower-seed pate in the hand roll played the role of a tuna tartare filling, and the raw hummus was actually very good, if a bit grainy.

Naturally, the highlight for me was dessert: a coconut cream pie had a sweet nut crust, and it was festively drizzled with carob syrup in an approximation of chocolate sauce. No, carob is not chocolate, but at least it looks like it.

(I am ashamed to admit that I ended the evening with a trip to Il Gelatone.)

Eat Raw: 426 15th St., Brooklyn, (718) 210-0048. Live Live, 261 E. 10th St., (212) 505-5504. Quintessence: 263 E. 10th St., (646) 654-1804.