Some Really Good Food At Real Food Daily

I was lucky to be invited to the Real Food Daily pre-opening party to celebrate their launch in Pasadena. My friends and I ventured to their brand-new storefront and dined on their chic patio. Included in the free dinner was a choice of four drinks, two appetizers, four entrees, and two desserts.

We began with the Power Green Smoothie.

The name was quite deceiving since the smoothie was purple, not green. It was very delicious and had a fruity flavor. It was slightly creamy and very refreshing.

Next, I tried the Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie.

This smoothie was very decadent and very creamy and frothy. The taste of chocolate was very dominant, while the strawberry flavor was more subtle. I enjoyed that this was not too sweet and was very refreshing.

Next, our appetizers came out. I first tried the Not-chos.

The nachos were delicious and one of my favorite items at Real Food Daily. I constantly find myself craving these. The nachos were loaded with savory beans, meaty seitan chunks, creamy jalapeno cashew cheese, salsa and guacamole. The chips were freshly made and crunchy. There were so many lovely flavors and textures going on. This dish was pure perfection.

Next, I tried the lentil-walnut pate.

The pate was wonderful. It was very beany and nutty, which gave it a salty, bitter flavor. The texture was very thick and worked well with the crispy crackers.

Next, I tried the Mexico City Tacos.

These tacos are another favorite of mine. The crispy taco shell was loaded with savory pieces of mildly spiced tempeh, hearty beans and a layer of creamy cashew sauce. The avocado topping added a rich flavor. The accompanying rice and jicama salad were lightly spiced and delicately seasoned.

Next, I tried the Lasagna.

The lasagna was so scrumptious. There was a layer of herbed ricotta that was very creamy and perfectly salted. The sweet tomato sauce was a lovely contrast to the bitterness of the vegetables. The accompanying bread was lightly toasted and coated with a garlicky pesto sauce.

Next, I tried the Fly Away With me Tonight.

This dish was magnificent. The seitan was juicy and mildly spiced. The rice and beans were very hearty and savory and were well-seasoned. The pesto sauce was creamy and had a lovely garlicky taste. The sweet potatoes were luscious and succulent. The beet topping added an extra sweetness to the dish.

The last entree we had was the pizza, with tempeh bacon.

We had requested mushrooms on the side but unfortunately, they baked it in. Neverthless, the pizza was phenomenal. The cheese was very creamy and the vegetables were crunchy. The tempeh bacon added a lovely crispy, smoky flavor to the pizza that took it over the top. The actually would have preferred that they used daiya on the pizza, since the cashew cheese was a little odd.

Lastly, we had some dessert. We first had the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake.

This cake was amazing. The cake was very moist and had a rich chocolatey flavor. The frosting was sweet and had a lovely peanut butter taste. The chocolate ganache was very decadent and slightly moussey.

We also ordered the Strawberry Cheesecake.

This cheesecake was spectacular. It was very creamy and was so divine. The top tasted like a strawberry whipped cream, while the bottom was more salty to balance out the sweetness.

Overall, the meal was fantastic. Everything we ordered was superb and the flavors and textures were perfect. I was so thankful to have received an invite to this event, since Real Food Daily is one of my all-time favorite restaurants. I cannot wait to return soon.