PuraVegan OPENS! and "Forks Over Knives" Hits St. Louis May 27th! JOPLIN ANIMALS need your help!!

Raw Vegan Pizza (Pi) from PuraVegan
307 Belt St., St. Louis, MO. (314-282-5834) Tues-Friday 5-8pm, Saturday 11-6, Sunday 11-3, Monday closed for classes

Finally, PuraVegan was able to get all the red tape "taped" and open their doors!  My other Post "Cosmic Eats"  talks about the peeps, atmo, and has the slideshow & more pictures.  That was a sneak peak, so I was stoked that they finally opened "for real".  I went with a veggie friend on their second day open & they had an incredible menu!  I have a feeling the menu will probably be  changing a little here & there though, according to what people like and also availability of certain foods.  PuraVegan (and my cheerful friend) certainly livened up a very dreary Sunday morning though (I feel like I live in Seattle now, but without the abundance of all the cool shops). 

A dreary day was brightened by yummy green food....


Tucked away in the DeBaliviere Neigbhorhood, just off of Pershing.
Between Union & Debaliviere.

Yes, Yoga Classes in adjoining studio in  JUNE 2011!


Great place to eat after class!

Things to know about PuraVegan.  They serve "living" or "raw" food.  That means that their food (even their crackers, pizza crusts, everything) has not been subjected to temperatures of more than 105-115 degrees.  There is major dispute about what is considered "raw" in the living foods community, from 105-115ish temps, but if you eat cooked food, you get the idea.  This stuff wasn't "cooked" in the traditional sense.  Some people (it can get crazy) also differentiate between "raw" and "living".  A sprout is still growing, so it is "living".  Coconut Sap may just be raw.  Um, here it's just uber fresh food.  

PuraVegan is Gluten Free.  But that doesn't stop them from having delicious food and using other amazing grain or grain like foods, like sprouted quinoa and buckwheat (which is a fruit), flax or hemp.  In fact, their pizza crust was partially made from zucchini.   So basically, if you are celiac, you are probably safe to eat anything on the menu.  If you are gluten intolerant, this is your place.

PuraVegan

"Raw Vegan"

PuraVegan is Vegan.  Obvious from the title, right?  Yeah.  But some "raw" foods people eat raw milk, raw cheese, and yes, even raw meat.  AJ & Leah aren't those type of raw food people.  Aj and Leah are big time animal lovers and don't eat anything with a face.  So you don't care about the animals?  Fine.  But you may care about cholesterol and animal products are the only things that have it.  Eliminate animal products and then you are not ingesting any cholesterol. 



Raw Kale Wrap.  


They create crispy crackers, pizza crusts, and breads using a dehydrator.  Yeah, maybe you have heard it is all about the enzymes...and part of it may be (or it may not be....).  But, when you cook food you are losing nutrients & more importantly you are actually creating harmful substances like acrylamide, advanced glycoxidation end products (AGE's), heterocyclic amines (HCAs), and PAH's.  Also, if your food has pesticides on it, it's not like they have really tested what happens to the already poisonous substance when it's "cooked".   Apparently your white blood cell count increases after cooked meals.  Cooking food also raises the glycemic levels.  A raw white potato (for juice) or dehydrated white potato chips may have a very low GI, but fry or bake those babies and it's an entirely different situation.  Raw foods tend to be more alkaline as well.  Not that you shouldn't ever eat "cooked", but it is certainly a good idea to include more raw food in your diet regardless of how cooked, vegan, raw, S.A.D. you are!!  If you want to read more about real science & the raw diet, read Becoming Raw.  You will not find a more comprehensive book about the pros & cons of eating raw that this.  It even talks about Seaweeds & Heavy Metal contents!!  Stay away from Hijiki!!



This dish had sprouted Quinoa! And had avocado!


The cheezes are typically made with nuts or seeds.  Raw foodists usually use vegan probiotics or "ferment" the cheezes either with time, miso, or lemon juice.  All of these will give a "sharper" flavor.  Desserts can be simple (food processor) or more elaborate.  I am a huge fan of Raw Cheezecakes made with Coconut Oil & Cashews.  Pastas are made from using a "Spirooli" (or something similar) to create "noodles".  You can use anything, but usually Zucchini makes a good neutral base.  Beets, Celery Root, Turnips, Parsnips and Kelp Noodles are also fair game.  Cheeze Sauces from nuts (usually) as well.  Raw food is usually bursting with flavor because there isn't anything in there that isn't "real".  Grains & Beans aren't as heavily used.  But many do sprout lentils & even chickpeas to make raw hummus! Quinoa, Amaranth,  Buckwheat, and Millet make great gluten free sprouted "grains".

Raw Vegan Pi.  Crust made with Zucchini & Seeds (I think).  Nut Cheeze. Marinara. Olives & Tomatoes.  This was AWESOME!  Aj kept saying their "Raw Tacos" are awesome as well.

On the menu that day:

Main
Raw Pad Thai (12.00)
 Zucchini, Red Bell Peppers, Nut Sauce, Onions, Sundried Tomatoes, Olives, Cilantro, Red Cabbage.

Raw Pi (12.00)
Raw Pizza Crust topped with Marinara, Ricotta, Tomato, Spinach, Olives, & Bell Peppers.
Dawgs-n-Jicama Fries 
Version of an old S.A.D. classic served with diced onions, tomato, mustard, and Raw Catsup.

Green Goddess Salad (10.00)
Green Herbal Dressing, Spinach, Kale, Cherry Tomatoes, Dandelion, Carrots, & Bell Pepper.

Spiced Root Salad (15.00)
Daikon Radish, Pineapple Ginger Dressing.

Lasagna (15.00)
Zucchini, Carrots, Spinach, Tomato, Basil, Pine Nut Ricotta, Marinara.

Raw Mexi-Tacos (12.00)
Organic Spices, Walnuts, Carrots & Tomatoes served on Purple Cabbage or Corn-Flax Wrap.

Raw Burger (13.00)
Blended Walnuts, Mushrooms, Zucchini, Carrots, Celery, Organic Herbs & Spices. Topped with Tomato, Lettuce, Red Bell Pepper, Carrots, Red Onions, Avocado Homemade Raw Cashew Cheese.

Rawfredo Pasta (12.00)
Zucchini noodles, Spinach, Red Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Raw Alfredo Sauce.

Sunrise Pasta (12.00)
Yellow Squash Noodles, Carrots, Bell Peppers, Green Onions, Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce.

Quinoa Kale Wrap (10.00)
Sesame Lemon Dressing, Tomato, Avocado, Green Onion, Nut Spread Wrapped in Collard Greens.

Marinated Kale Salad (10.00)
Red Bell Peppers, Red Cabbage, Green Onion, Carrots, Tomato, Sesame Lemon Dressing.

Sunlower BBQ Burger (13.00)
Made with Veggies & Sunflower Seeds.  Topped with Lettuce Onion, Tomato, Avocado.

Raw Pi.

Drinks
Organic Teas (2.50)Choices: Yerba Mate, Peppermint, Chamomile, Blueberry, Pomegranate, Green.

Organic Cosmic Coffee (4.50)
Your Healthy Decaf Coffee Made with Reishi Mushrooms.

Desserts
Raw Fruit Cobbler (6.00)
Mixed fruit topped with Spiced Date Nut Crumbles and Cashew Whip Cream.

Omega Banana Cookies

 Macaroons.

PuraVegan is going to have Yoga next door.  This is amazing.  Just like Jivamukti in New York, my mecca, Yoga Studio with adjoining Vegan Cafe.  PuraVegan one upped them though, they are all raw.  Think Jivamukti started all raw, but they did eventually integrate simple, wholesome cooked foods. And seriously, I think the yoga instructor (who was working in the kitchen) had on a "No Fur" shirt on.   I kid you not.  And she was adorable, without pretense. 

Raw Pi.

PuraVegan is growing a hydroponic garden in their basement.  So just when you don't know if your fresh greens have E Coli on them from a neighboring Factory Farm,  (yes, it's Meat Production that causes this nasty stuff, they can identify the origin by the type of E Coli) they just grow their own.  They are just embarking on this project but I look for some hydroponic workshops and the like to pop up eventually.

Raw Vegan "Bread"

PuraVegan will be having Raw & Vegan Cooking & UnCooking Classes.  So you are interested in trying some stuff at home, but it is all totally new to you.  God, I remember when I had NO idea what raw food was and was pretty perplexed by all of it.  It took one visit to Pure Food and Wine to forever enchant me.  That bill was steep, but I don't think I ever would have gotten what raw food can be without a visit to that place.  While Pure Food & Wine dishes tend to be more "Sex in the City" Uber Trendy, real raw food people have to make dishes that they can prepare in less than one week.  

Loved the crust!

PuraVegan is the place to get acquainted with types of raw, vegan diets and get down & dirty trying some new stuff out.  This is not a stuffy atmosphere that eschews alcohol, bananas, and people who can't complete 90 day juice fasts.  No, these are real folks, who eat.  I have to throw that in there, because there are some raw foodies that live on very little food and have throbbing 3rd chakras 24/7.  While I wish I had a throbbing chakra, I am happy eating raw pastry and I just don't think I personally will reach the Chakra Throbbing Fasting Enlightenment in this lifetime.  There is more than green juice & sprout salad at this place!  But there also is green juice & sprouts at this place as well.....so yeah, they accommodate everyone.

Raw Vegan Macaroons.

Macaroon.

Macaroon.

Omega Banana Cookie

Green Juice.

Oh, Yeah, I was going to start a 3 day juice feast, meaning intake lots of green juice, on Sunday.  Well I had to push the start time back to 1:30 because I had to get more than just a juice at PuraVegan.  But their food is pretty "detox" friendly anyhow.  Of course, I did dessert too!!

Smoothies & Elixirs
(Aj mentioned that they might be focusing more on "Elixirs" in the future though...these are just the offering for the day I was there!

Power Meal Replacement (15.00)
Power Meal with bananas & apples and 34 grams of protein.

Green Machine (8.50)
Organic Spirulina, Dandelions, Bananas, Spinach.

Super Maca Banana (10.00)
Maca, Banana, Walnuts.

Chocolate or Strawberry Cacao Smoothie (9.00)

Organic Hemp Boost (10.00)
Bananas, Blueberries

Super Seeds (10.00)
Flax Mango, Bananas, Super Seeds

Juices-all 16 oz.
Blood Booster (Beets, Carrots, & Fennel) 8.50
Beta Boost (Carrots) 6.00
Spinach Kale, Celery (7.00)
Apple, Carrot, Ginger (7.00)
Kale, Celery, Apple (7.00)
Beet, Carrot, Apple, Ginger (7.00)

I also want to mention the Forks Over Knives opens this Friday, May 27, 2011 at Plaza Frontenac.  This movie could save your life or the life of someone that you love.  If you already know all of this stuff, it is still an awesome movie to take your friends & family to see.  Perhaps this will open up some new doors for people and at the very least justify a more integrative approach to medical care.

Omega Rich Banana Cookies.

Also, the Animals of Joplin really need your help.  There are a lot of people helping people, and that is wonderful, but a lot of those people have fur kids and their fur kids have been displaced.  I saw a child on Anderson Cooper last night whose only concern after their family had lost their entire home in the tornado, was to locate their family dog.  They had to close the basement door before the pup would agree to go downstairs.  This makes a case of having a "plan" in the event that you actually have any time to prepare.  I just put our dog & cat kennels all in the basement and in storms we keep them in a room by the basement door, just in case we have to round them up quickly and head downstairs.  The kennels would provide at least a little bit of protection from falling debris as well.   Thankfully, that pup had a happy ending.  But there are countless animals in Joplin that need food, water, & medical care. Here are some links to help these animals.  If you guys know of others who are helping the furkids of Joplin (or other animals), please leave the info in the comment section!

Joplin Humane Society 
They have been overwhelmed with animals displaced from the deadly tornadoes.
Pet Supply Drive to Help Joplin Humane Society Facebook Page
Humane Society of United States




Video below is from previous post...the "Sneak Peak" of PuraVegan.