Editor Pick
Cafe Gratitude
- May 22, 2007
- Rated 2 of 5 by
tigressa from alameda, California
This is a very, very weird place. Sometimes my friends call it Cafe Attitude. Despite the fact that the food is often fantastic, I just can't get myself to go there much. It's too weird, and I don't mean good, twisted, interesting weird and unusual like I'm often drawn to. Just weird weird.
It's a raw food vegan spot which draws heated mixed reactions. You'll either love it or hate it. The catch for me is that all the servers must take Landmark trainings (an off-shoot of EST) before they can work there. It sometimes gives a really creepy, cult-like atmosphere. The service, in any case, even when the waitperson is friendly and "normal" is still usually slow and scattered. You just can't go here unless you have an hour or more to spend.
But the real hitch is I just can't get beyond the names of the food. They all have fake "affirmations" so when you get something like their very good large salad you have to say, "I'd like the I AM ABUNDANT", and then you often have to have a zombie waitron say, "Yes, you are Abundant! And would you like a cup of I AM GOOD along with that?" It would be funny if it was all tongue-in-cheek but it's usually not. Strange to say this as someone who believes in affirmations and positive thought, but I don't think forcing them down people's throats along with their food is the point.
If you want to brave the "affirming" experience, do be sure to have their vegetable-packed miso soup for $6. It's very good. Their desserts are probably worth the trip as well if you have an hour to spend while they figure out how to cut a piece of vegan coconut creme pie and put it on a plate. As I say, the service is mind-boggling.
It might be slow because they have to ask you between courses in a sing-song Mr. Rogers voice things like "And what are YOU grateful for today?" You HAVE to answer, depending on the rigidity of the server, before you can get your food. I said I was grateful no one would ask me that question again today.
She didn't smile.
Oh well.
The pie was good.
From journal A Hill-Walking Adventure In San Francisco