{"id":2890,"date":"2015-05-03T09:26:18","date_gmt":"2015-05-03T14:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~reviewing\/?page_id=2890"},"modified":"2015-05-03T09:26:18","modified_gmt":"2015-05-03T14:26:18","slug":"health-food-cafes-become-easier-to-find","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=2890","title":{"rendered":"Health food cafes become easier to find"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted May 3, 2015<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n

By JULIE ROLDAN<\/p>\n

With the enormity of the fast food industry and ever-growing obesity rates in America, health food cafes have begun to stage a counter-revolution. Business trends indicate they are popping up everywhere, making it easier than ever to eat healthy.<\/p>\n

In the Coral Gables\/South Miami area, they have become especially prevalent. After all, having a year-round bikini body doesn\u2019t come from eating McDonald\u2019s every day, does it?<\/p>\n

However, the popularity of healthy eating and specifically health food-oriented cafes doesn\u2019t appear to have a longstanding history in South Florida. Just as recently as 2010 the Miami New Times<\/em> reported vegan restaurants as \u201crare,\u201d and claimed they catered mainly to the \u201cgranola-munching, Birkenstock-wearing demographic.\u201d The article struggled to name five restaurants with this \u201cstyle.<\/p>\n

The next logical question, then, lies in the how. How have these cafes begun to build an empire? It seems, as it is subtly evident in the following establishments, they are banking on looks: the look of the food, the look of the menu, and the look of the establishment itself. They match these looks with interests of growing populations of hipsters, providing an environment that is appetizing and aesthetically appealing\u2014a place where you feel \u201chip.\u201d<\/p>\n

For this reason, these restaurants could be easily mistaken for a quick fad, sneaking their way into acceptance through the pseudonym of health food only to progressively move toward strictly veganism. However, veganism may soon be considered the ultimate form of health food thanks to new supporting information.<\/p>\n

\u201cCowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret\u201d is one example of this information. Directed by Kip Anderson and Keegan Kuhn, the documentary goes one step further in explaining the detrimental effects of animal agriculture on our entire planet, pointing to veganism as not only the only health option, but as the only<\/em> option for a healthy, sustainable society.<\/p>\n

In addition, Internet personalities of veganism have been thriving. \u201cThe Banana Girl\u201d appeals to younger generations of women looking to lose weight.<\/p>\n

Essentially, the expectations of the growing health food establishments consist of: varieties of raw fruits and vegetables presented in different ways, a lot of whole-wheat ingredients, and anything that can be claimed as \u201cunprocessed.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new restaurant, Temple, goes all the way to declare itself vegan. GreenLife Miami Organic Bistro is sticking to the more preliminary stages, claiming simplicity of organic, unprocessed foods with vegan options. Meanwhile, Green Gables Caf\u00e9 offers extremely vegan options and extremely non-vegan options, while keeping it all under the health food umbrella.<\/p>\n

For those who like to stroll around the Sunset and Red Road area where South Miami and Coral Gables come together, Temple has smoothies fit to replace your regular Starbucks coffee in-hand while shopping.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s not all they have for the snacking type. What sets Temple apart from the other cafes are the little vegan protein bars, and the little \u201cshot\u201d bottles, or as they refer to them, \u201cElemental Elixirs.\u201d These elixir \u201cflavors\u201d include ginger, wheat grass, aloe, and more. They\u2019re great if you\u2019re looking for a specific health need, or simply if you\u2019re someone who appreciates the \u201cfun-sized\u201d things in life.<\/p>\n

I wish I could express the same appreciation for the food; however, as much as I wanted to like it due to the unique ambience of Temple, it was too over-the-top. In other words, when they say vegan they mean it. Their salads aren\u2019t for the casual healthy eater. In fact, the pungency of the flavors was so notable that it prevented me from wanting to return.<\/p>\n

Their attempts to be \u201csavory\u201d are simply overdone. For example, the \u201cHeart & Soul\u201d salad has everything from beets to fennel, and oranges to edamame. Just because these taste good on their own doesn\u2019t mean you should throw them all in a salad and expect it to be a masterpiece, Temple.<\/p>\n

But enough about the flavor failure of the salads. I would hesitate to try any of the \u201cPots,\u201d for fear they may blow up my taste buds (in a strictly negative way).<\/p>\n

The smoothies are average at best, but undoubtedly more pleasant to get down than the other menu items. \u201cKale to the Chief\u201d even goes as far as to capture the essence of the word, \u201cyummy.\u201d On that note, \u201cRecover Story,\u201d puts a much-needed twist on a classic smoothie, adding mango and pineapple into the mix of banana and vanilla protein.<\/p>\n

So, it turns out the drink options offer a bit of redemption for Temple. This also includes the \u201cWonderful Waters\u201d options, which appear to be a rip-off, but surprisingly taste as refreshing as they sound.<\/p>\n

As I mentioned earlier, the ambiance of Temple is incomparable. It\u2019s as if you took the everyday outfit of a hippie\/vegan\/philosophy major and turned it into restaurant decor. I would even go as far as to say I felt more \u201cin the element\u201d sitting in this cafe than the recently opened Mellow Mushroom.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the owner seemed less confident than I was when I complimented his establishment.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally\u2026?\u201d he said, with a subtly surprised expression.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, the attitudes of the cashiers were in stark contrast \u2014 highly confident and knowledgeable about their food. That didn\u2019t end up being entirely necessary, for the menu includes little symbols to show which item has which health benefit.<\/p>\n

If you aren\u2019t at the extremist end of the healthy eating spectrum, but still like to see your body function at a fairly optimal level, perhaps the new GreenLife Miami Organic Bistro is a better option.<\/p>\n

This cafe has opened up in a familiar spot for hipsters, next to the beloved Pasi\u00f3n del Cielo coffee shop in the heart of Coral Gables. The location could prove advantageous for the recently opened establishment, or it could backfire.<\/p>\n

On one hand, it\u2019s convenient for all of the office people looking for a new spot to relax for a half-hour at lunchtime and it\u2019s in a spot where it cannot remain undiscovered. On the other hand, the question is whether or not these office dwellers will want to trade in their daily latte with custom chosen coffee beans for a cup of understated, yet equally as tasty Jaguar coffee.<\/p>\n

If anyone is looking to eliminate their coffee habit altogether, though, look no further. The drink options at this place blow Temple\u2019s little \u201cElemental Elixirs\u201d out of the water. Although there may not be as much variety, think quality over quantity. The freshly bottled juices are nothing if not ethereal. Moreover, they taste as though they were just made before you walked in the door. They have it all, even the superficial, yet clever names.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019d like a FCK Cancer 1, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re feeling a little uncertain about saying the above juice name out loud, not to worry. You have the option to satisfy your Kombucha addiction instead! It\u2019s difficult enough to find good Kombucha even in grocery stores. Thankfully, GreenLife carries the same brand as Fresh Market and multiple flavors of it.<\/p>\n

As far as food is concerned, there is definitely a little room for improvement. At this point in time, I would recommend the food to someone who is more concerned with eating healthy and less concerned with thoroughly enjoying his or her food. This is, admittedly, an extremely small percentage of people. However, at least I would recommend it in the first place as opposed to Temple.<\/p>\n

Where Temple errs on the side of making their food TOO flavorful, GreenLife errs on the opposite side, making everything a few steps under the level of greatness. The food is simply, \u201cokay.\u201d I would eat the tuna salad or a breakfast wrap again only if it\u2019s convenient for me to do so. Essentially, GreenLife is one of those places whose Instagram pictures set the bar too high; the food is much more disappointing in person.<\/p>\n

Although the element of simplicity doesn\u2019t exactly work for the food, it does work for the ambiance. Unlike Temple, it\u2019s not as blatantly hipster or Asian-infused. Instead, its appearance resembles what I would imagine Chipotle would look like if the space was cut in half and they eliminated the assembly line. In essence, there wouldn\u2019t be a problem if you decided to hang out in GreenLife and write a paper. But then again, Pasi\u00f3n del Cielo is right next-door\u2026and they have couches.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been critical of these cafes, which is a little unfair considering they are just starting up. They are both in the first year of existence, and both have exciting and unique things to offer the health-conscious community.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there is a mecca in our midst for Temple and GreenLife to learn from. Green Gables Caf\u00e9 has been doing it right for over five years now, and should continue to be considered the go-to health food spot.<\/p>\n

Unlike Temple and GreenLife, Green Gables is not in a prime location. It\u2019s not next to any shops you would casually walk by on a regular basis. Instead, it sits wedged between large office buildings. Nonetheless, it is definitely worth looking for.<\/p>\n

The food options for vegans, vegetarians, and simple fast-food haters are more than plentiful. The variety is evident within the \u201cBurgers\u201d section of the menu alone; including a black bean veggie burger, a vegan burger, a turkey burger, and a burger salad. As far as the vegetarian and vegan choices are concerned, they are so delicious that even meat-eaters can\u2019t resist a bite.<\/p>\n

If you have yet to give up omnivore tendencies, include a pulled turkey breast sandwich or a light Albacore tuna salad sandwich in your next order. Don\u2019t be concerned with the lack of name creativity, either. The actual taste of the food makes up for it. While the salads are no \u201cHeart & Soul,\u201d they do have the flavor power to speak to your soul implicitly (especially the citrus cilantro).<\/p>\n

Arguably the best thing about Green Gables Caf\u00e9 is the guilt-free dessert irresistibly sitting at the bottom of the menu. The whole-wheat chocolate cookies beat Nestl\u00e9 Toll House 10 times over; and the carrot cake and pecan brownie taste like mom\u2019s home-cooked specials. That\u2019s not even half of the dessert menu.<\/p>\n

Despite it\u2019s admirable qualities, Green Gables would do well to improve their drink menu. GreenLife\u2019s Kombucha and Temple\u2019s smoothies sound infinitely better than the \u201clemon water,\u201d which tastes exactly how it sounds\u2014bland. Yet, the \u201clemon water\u201d is simply not enough to belittle the greatness that is Green Gables Caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n

With the prices in a similar range for all of the caf\u00e9s, this one unarguably offers the best value for the price as well as the widest variety. It\u2019s a great lunch spot, a great take-out spot, and a great breakfast spot as well. Now, if only it were open on weekends \u2026.<\/p>\n