Living on the Raw at Horizons.

With changes up ahead for Horizons, I want to make something something clear. Do I think of Grilled Seitan when I think of the restaurant? Yes. But mostly, I think of Mushrooms. 

As much as I turn into a stuttering fool around a plate of Pacific Rim Grilled Tofu, it's the vegetable sides and appetizers that leave me whipped. While the larger plates are dreamy and satiating in their own right, we almost always order a side of exotic mushrooms or drool over the sauce or vegetables that accompany those entrees. Often we eschew mains altogether and compose a meal of various appetizers.

With that in mind, and because I've been on such a raw kick lately, we decided to finally request a raw meal (which they'll put together with advance notice). Was I expecting it to be a great experience? Yes,  but I had no idea...

Two giant wooden slabs of variations on cucumber were set before us. Yes, that board below was all mine. From the left - cucumber pasta, radishes, cucumber salad roll, cucumber melon balls, cuke gazpacho. Much more exciting than any salad, with "pasta" that was rich and light at the same time and a decadent herbal soup.

Course #2 brought out a clean, crisp, and crunchy veggie roll.

For our next course, a Zucchini, Tomato, & Cauliflower Lasagna with Basil Brazil Nut Pesto and Tomato Water. Consider this the Grilled Seitan of Raw Food, if you will.

Imagine a just picked summer tomato, the most potent basil, zucchini that is supple as a noodle, cheesy cauliflower, and buttery macadamias all molded together. This is fantasy.

Mr. Vedge cut into his very neatly, because he does things like that. He declared his opinion on raw food (he's into it, but not all the time) forever changed.

We were already full - lots of water-packed veg to thank. Being full on raw is a different experience, you don't feel weighed down, you just feel energized. You can probably walk on water.

We polished off some Mushroom Tacos with dehydrated mushrooms (you'd never know they weren't cooked) with avocado and salsa.

I was highly anticipating Kate's dessert. She always comes up with amazing combinations and her desserts are so visually striking. The last thing I expected was a Cacao & Brazil Nut Ice Cream served along with some sliced dragonfruit and mandarins. The texture of the ice cream was much different than her other recipes, thicker and nuttier, but we both loved that. Whenever I talk about raw food, it sounds dirty.

The most surprising thing was a tiny dish of Chia Seed Pudding! With a deceiving goji sauce on top. I like chia for breakfast, but for dessert? That works, too. I turned to Mr. Vedge and saw a pleased chia pudding eater demolishing every spoonful.

This is one of those rare meals that we'll never forget.