A Rawmazing Meal at Rawbert's Organic Garden Cafe

On Saturday evening, I ventured to a quaint vegan raw food restaurant in Beverly, MA called Rawbert's. The inside was cute and small and the decorative plants gave it an earthy feel. It was early on a Saturday night, yet the cafe was packed. Luckily, a man was just finishing up his coffee and we only had to wait a few minutes for the table to be cleared. The menu was pretty large, featuring mostly raw items with a few cooked dishes interspersed. There was pretty much every cuisine represented, from Italian to Mediterranean to Thai, although each re-imagined as a raw dish.

We began the meal with the Hummus With Onion Rye Bread appetizer ($9).  When it came out, I have to admit I was a little frightened. There was a big glob surrounded by veggies that did not at all resemble the creamy hummus I am so used to.

Nevertheless, the hummus was delicious. It was very thick and had a rougher texture. The hummus tasted very beany and had a slight nutty flavor. The vegetables were sliced thin to resemble chips and were very crunchy and crisp. They went very well with the hummus. The onion rye bread also had a hard, grainy texture, but was softened when dipped into the hummus. I really enjoyed the appetizer and appreciated the twist on the traditional Mediterranean dish.

Next, our entrees came out. I ordered the Nut Butter 'Squash' ravioli which were red beet shells filled with squash in a cashew alfredo sauce and garnished with tomatoes and rosemary walnuts ($16).  My parents both ordered the special of the day a zucchini pasta in tomato sauce with 'meatballs' ($17).

As I dug into my ravioli I was so impressed with how something made completely from vegetables and nuts could taste so rich.

The beet shell was sweet and crisp to contrast the smooth and creamy squash. The squash had a slightly nutty flavor and was not overly sweet as squash can sometimes be. The alfredo sauce was my favorite part of the dish and was so decadent. I completely soaked the raviolis in this to get every last drop.

I tasted the spaghetti and "meatballs" dish and it was also very delicious.

I was surprised by how closely the zucchini resembled spaghetti and was just as slurpy. The tomato sauce was so sweet and chunky and complemented the zucchini pasta really well. My favorite part of the dish of course was the "meatballs". They had a savory taste, yet were very sweet from the sundried tomatoes. I also loved how they were very soft and easy to bite into, yet were cohesive enough so as not to fall apart.

Lastly, even though the food was filling (as raw food typically is), we managed to save room for dessert. Rawbert's has a changing selection of raw cakes and baked goods behind their glass case, so I went over for a peak. I was glad to see something chocolaty and ordered the chocolate mocha pie ($8).

The pie was very good and was creamy but not too rich. The chocolate flavor was very strong and further enhanced by the chocolate syrup drizzled on the pie. It was very heavenly and I would definitely recommend getting this pie if Rawbert's has it on hand.

I really enjoyed this meal and this has quickly become one of my favorite raw food restaurants. The dishes managed to be creative, tasty and very healthy. I love that I felt satisfied and energized after eating the meal and found myself craving the food not too long after (especially the alfredo sauce and chocolate pie). We used a $25 dollar restaurant gift certificate and ended up spending less than $60 for the three of us. This is a great deal considering it's raw food and very high quality. If you are looking for a healthy, delicious meal, this is your place. I can't wait to go back.