Review: Raw Chicago

About 5 years ago, my Dad went to the doctor because he wasn’t feeling well. He came back diagnosed with nearly every disease you can think of; diabetes, polyps in his stomach, gallbladder infection and pancreatic issues to name a few. It was a scary time for the whole family. The doctors recommended for him to have  his gallbladder taken out. After doing some research and talking to some friends, my Dad decided to take matters into his own hands and completely transform his life.

Now, my dad healthier than ever. He is essentially lowered his diabetic risk (his sugar levels have never been lower) and cured all of the other ailments that were plaguing him just 5 years ago. I bet you’re wondering how the heck he did that.

My Dad elected to go against western medicine and he checked himself into Hippocrates Health Institute and based on their recommendations, he became a vegan.

He’s been a vegan ever since and has never looked back (and as a bonus, his gallbladder is still intact and better than ever).

Now, while I am totally thankful my Dad made these lifestyle changes, I think I personally would have a difficult time on his diet (considering most of what he eats is raw food).

This “can’t do” attitude changed when I discovered “raw” in Chicago’s River North Neighborhood.

“raw” is a small vegan, raw food store on the corner of Dearborn and Huron. While the majority of what they sell is prepared raw food, they also have supplements, condiments, juices and ice-cream (yeah, raw ice-cream).

I headed over there this week to take a more in-depth look at what “Raw” has to offer. Not only was I totally impressed, I feel it’s so good, you NEED to go.

Since the menu is pretty large, here are the 3 things you MUST try when you go there:

1) Raw Raviolis ($12): I bet you though all pasta had to be made with egg! Nope! These “raviolis” are made from delicate turnip rounds and stuffed with an incredible cashew cheese. The “pasta” is served with a delicious (and a little spicy) marinara sauce and parsley relish.

Honestly, the texture of  the dish had a little crunch that I found made it more enjoyable. Taste-wise, I honestly thought I was eating pasta with cheese. It’s also worth mentioning that you get a TON of ravioli when you buy these. There is easily enough there for two people to split.

2) Empanada Platter ($14):  Am I in Mexico? Wow, are these delicious! I can’t believe these are raw. While the dish is a little on the spicy side (don’t eat this if you can’t take heat), it’s complex flavor really does transport you south of the border.

They start with their chipotle lime nacho “dough” and stuff it with sun-dried tomato pate. It’s served with a side of corn chutney, tomato salsa and (get this) a cashew sour cream. I think the stand-out of this dish is honestly their cashew sour cream. I swear I can’t tell the difference between this and the real thing.

Side-note, you can actually buy just the sour cream for only $6. I’m pretty sure this will be a staple in my apartment…

3) Polly’s Brownie ($7): Seriously, this “brownie” blows my mind. It’s made from avocado (insane) and raw chocolate. I swear to you I felt like I was eating a huge piece of decadent fudge. If this is the kind of thing that Polly makes, I think I want to be her best friend.

If you go to Raw and can only get one thing, you MUST try this (and for only $7, you might wanna stock up).

I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what this place has to offer. Along with what I just mentioned, “raw” is known for their Spaghetti (made of zucchini) and “Meatballs”, Fresh Spinach Lasagna and a decadent Tiramisu. Take a look at these pictures below and tell me you couldn’t eat a raw diet…

Yeah…I know it all looks incredible. So all of you who think you couldn’t be a vegan, head over to “raw” and let them change your mind!

Love always,
Erica