RAW footage

Things got pretty ugly around my parts today.

I’d like to promote a PSA for all sisters of all pregnant women out there:

Do not — I repeat — DO NOT, take your pregnant irritable sister to a delightfully delicious raw vegan cafe unless she is aware of the situation before hand. Tampering with pregnant ladies’ food is not something to be recommended, as I have learned first hand. 

Yesterday, Mommasita asked my sister and I out on a little Mother/Daughter date for the afternoon. Our plan was lunch and then Whole Foods. I take that back — my mom and my plan was lunch and Whole Foods. My sister had no say in the situation. Poor girl — she had no idea what she was getting herself into when she got into the car at noon today.

My mom and I have been wanting to try Borrowed Earth Cafe for almost a year now, but never made it out there until today.

Borrowed Earth Cafe is a 100% organic, raw, and vegan cafe settled in the quaint downtown area of Downers Grove. It is nestled away along streets filled with unique shops, restaurants, and is across the street from an authentic old time movie theater.

Upon entering the cafe, we were greeted by a lovely hostess (it was only her 4th day!) who let us have our pick of tables, a few of which were already taken by other diners. We chose a table by the window (perfect lighting) and were immediately brought a large carafe of water and menus.

We (meaning my mom and I) had a really hard time deciding what to get because we wanted to try everything.

My sister, on the other hand, had a hard time deciding what to get because she didn’t want to try anything.

My mom and I are both gluten free and vegetarians (she is also soy free), and my sister is nothing of the sort. Our eating habits couldn’t be more different, so I knew it was going to be an interesting dining experience for her.

Remember how she’s pregnant? Yeah, she didn’t find this lunch situation quite as humorous as my mom and me. We were told more than once that it was not a good idea to mess with her food.

Whatever  - more for me.

We began with two appetizers.

Stuffed Mushrooms: “Mushrooms stuffed with pine nuts and a delicate blend of spices and herbs” (from their menu)

Cheese Perogies: Bite-sized crescents of jicama wrapped around a blend of nut “cheese” flavored with garlic, nama shoyo (raw soy), lemon juice, and bell pepper (from their menu)

I really liked both of the appetizers. The mushrooms were by far my favorite, but the perogies were really good as well. The filling in the perogies was very rich, and I could have done with less filling.

Kirstin was not quite sure about the food that was set before her.

Gotta love those candid shots…

My reaction was (obviously) a more realistic one, as I have never been a picky eater in my life. That, and I also enjoy eating cuisine such as this.

For my entree, I ordered the Earth Burger. It was a veggie burger made out of walnuts and carrots. The “bun” was a raw flax cracker. It was served with a side salad, topped with their amazing green dressing (made from green onions, agave, salt, and pepper), and jicama fries.

I destroyed this burger. It was great. It was a little difficult to bite into, as the “bun” was a crunchy crackers, but the flavors were outstanding. I really enjoyed the raw catsup that it was served with as well.

My sister ordered the Planet Pizza. The crust was buckwheat and flax seed, which was then covered with kale, nut “cheese”, and marinara sauce. On the side, she got three side salads: kale, beet, and what I think is Swiss chard.

Since this is my blog and it is my opinion that matters, it was delicious. In fact, her leftovers are sitting in my fridge right now. I’m pretty excited about this. The pizza had a little bit of a bitter taste, which I am sure is because of the kale.

My mom ordered the special, which was the Spaghetti Pasta Bake — which I think is funny because it’s not made from spaghetti, pasta, and it is not baked at all.

Out of the three entrees, I enjoyed this one the most. It was amazing. The “breadcrumbs” (walnuts) and flavors throughout the dish reminded me exactly of the way an authentic Italian meal would taste.

We were also told we had to save room for dessert — which really we didn’t, but we made room for it.

Meet my new obsession: the Turtle Cheesecake

I think I died and went to Heaven when I took my first bite. This cheesecake is made primarily of cashews and agave and is frozen to resemble a real cheesecake. It was amazing to me how close to a cheesecake this tasted. This dessert did not stand a chance, especially because the pregnant diner decided this was an acceptable dish to eat. The chocolate sauces that were drizzled across it were perfect for scooping up on top of our delicate large bite sized pieces.

Overall, I really enjoyed my dining experience. Would I eat raw every day? No. But it was fun to try, and I would definitely eat raw every once in a while. I left feeling full, not stuffed like other places I have eaten a large meal at. I also did not experience any bloating or stomach problems that I usually get in the late afternoon. A little pricey (thanks Mom!), but it is understandable with all of the organic food and the nuts that make up the dishes.

6 hours later, and I’m still not really hungry. It’s dinner time — and I’m not eating. Who am I? Usually by now if I have not eaten, it’s gotten pretty ugly.

And I’m not even pregnant.

Question: Have you ever tried raw food before? What were your thoughts?

Tagged as: Borrowed Earth Cafe, organic, raw food, restaurant, restaurant review, vegan restaurant in Downers Grove