My friends and yoga students have been trying to get me to go to the Present Moment Café - an organic living food café - for at least half a year. Finally, I was able to make it and enjoy it with both. Now, you might think that because I am a yoga instructor I am a vegan or a vegetarian. And, you would expect the raw food followers and those who are vegans and vegetarians to come by and spend a moment at this specialized café. But, let me tell you, this meat-eating-heat-seeking kind of eater truly loved the whole experience.
The doorway into this quaint eclectic café opened into a peaceful oasis. There are beautiful plants and flowers displayed on the bar and tables making you feel a part of nature and the cool green walls are covered with local art. The one in front of me could be described as small town Salvador Dali. But, they all seemed to make me want to sit and think. The funny thing is you feel like you have all the time in the world to do just that when you settle into a table.
There is a rounded bar on one side of the room with barstools and a selection of organic beers and wines. A comfy seating area is also available for dining or just hanging out with an overstuffed couch and chair around a coffee table.
My friends and I settled into a simply set table with a white tablecloth and were given the menus. We ordered an assortment of blooming teas and fresh squeezed fruit and vegetable juices. I chose a chilled glass of coconut water ($4) often called the elixir of life because the list of health benefits is as long as your arm to savor while I perused the menu.
They offer a number of raw organic juice blends including Rooted in Courage a mixture of raw carrot, beet and ginger juices ($5) and End of Paralysis which is celery, cucumber, kale and lemon ($5.50).
Raw and living foods are a whole new thing for me - and difficult to fathom. The restaurants website describes their philosophy like this: You will be offered a wonderful menu of delicious, live, vegan, organic and unprocessed food that remains as nature had intended. All of our menu items are rich in flavor, live enzymes and nutrients.
But, looking at the menu it is hard to tell. They have tacos, burritos, even a burger. But, none of the menu items have meat, fish or dairy and none of the items are cooked!
We ordered a tasting of the miso soup. They will give you a taste of anything on the menu just to be sure you like it. When I took a spoonful, I noticed it was warm. I was told it gets the heat by being whirred in the blender. It was dotted with fresh crispy bits of red pepper, earthy shitake mushrooms and crunchy raw sesame seeds.
They usually offer three to four specials a day and I went with a special from the chalkboard. It was a play on one of the regular menu items - the Sunlight Burger - which is an open-faced walnut, sunflower, almond and carrot zucchini burger served over a slice of tomato with caramelized onions and topped with pine nut provolone. My special burger was similar, but had macadamia nut cheddar and their version of onion rings on top and had a chalkboard price of $11. The Sunlight Burger is on the menu for $12.
My plate arrived and was beautifully arranged. A fresh green salad sat piled beside my burger that had a melty cheddar cheese topping that was crowned with crispy onions coated with a finely chopped nut combination and were crisped in the dehydrator. It was amazing. The burger had a coarse yet smooth texture with flavors that truly popped in your mouth. The different nuts all with different crunches and flavors and the veggies smoothed it all out. The macadamia nut cheese had a creamy cheddar - truly dairy - flavor and the salad was a clean accompaniment. It was also served with a flax seed chip - pressed flat like a corn chip and crisped by the dehydrator - again layers of flavors that amazed and tricked the palate.
One of my friends ordered the Viva Burrito ($10) which was a dehydrated red tortilla filled with pine-nut-chili and walnut pate, guacamole, coconut sour cream and a jalapeńo vinaigrette. The tastes had so many layers that when you took a bite, you just had to sit and contemplate all of the ingredients. Even when I looked at a list, it was hard to imagine that this meal came from those ingredients. But, then I allowed myself to indulge in the flavors and be taken in by them one by one, each taking their own place on my palate.
Another guest ordered the Tacos of Life ($10) similar to the burrito, but served on two romaine shells. In this variation of the dish, we were able to marvel in the beauty of the three components and taste them separately all of them drizzled with the coconut sour cream. The Pine-Nut chili had a subtle garlic flavor with a hint of heat at the end that made you want to go back for more. The salsa is beyond organic with bright fresh flavors. And, the walnut pate is meaty and rich with depth. It calls for a fork and knife for the first half of your meal but, you can pick up the shells after that and eat your taco with your hands if you like.
They also offered Zucchini pasta - strings of raw zucchini piled up like gorgeous al dente pasta and tossed with alfredo sauce or marinara sauce and served with a green salad. It looked delicious and might be what I have to order next time.
All of the items, from the way that they are arranged to the way they taste, are clearly carefully crafted and prepared with love and skill. The flavors are all fresh and taste healthy and wholesome. Their menu invites you to: Feel the benefits of the original diet that enriches your body, mind, soul and our planet!
Although the meals are so incredibly satisfying and filling, we still had to try a dessert. We ordered the Chocolate Marble Torte with Drunken Banana ($7) to share. The torte was creatively and beautifully displayed on a rectangular plate with two small wedges of torte framing an arrangement of drunken slices of organic banana. The torte was creamy and chocolaty - smooth like a chocolate mousse and rich like a flourless torte. It is made with raw cacao with a hint of chili and cayenne and the crust is made with pecans and agave. The bananas are made drunk by being poached in rum.
Mother Natures MilknShakes are also served, including combinations of fruits, almond milk and agave nectar. ($6.50)
We traveled for 45 minutes to get here, and we would be back. You don't have to be a raw foodist or a vegan to appreciate the meals they craft and present, you just have to be a fan of good food done right.
After savoring all of this beneficial and delicious fare, soaking in the peaceful and fun atmosphere and enjoying coffee-shop indy sounding tunes in the background - it was finally time to make our way back into the real world. But, we would do so with a different outlook.
The Present Moment café is just that, they focus on the present - the now - making each dining experience a moment to remember!
The Present Moment Café is at 224 West King Street in St. Augustine. They just expanded their hours and are open Monday through Thursday, 11am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday, 11am to 9:30pm. They accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express. Contact them by phone: 904.827.4499 or by their website www.thepresentmomentcafe.com
|
