Cacao Tree Cafe

I am so lucky to live near so many incredibly delicious health-focused restaurants.  There's Om Cafe in Ferndale, Seva in Detroit (and Ann Arbor), Inn Season in Royal and Cacao Tree, also in Royal Oak!  Today I had the great pleasure of going out to lunch with my dear friend, Liz, at Cacao Tree.

Cacao Tree is an almost 100% raw vegan restaurant (cooked soups, quinoa and legumes being the occasional menu exceptions) that offers scrumptious dishes made from mainly raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds.  The results?  Culinary magic.

The interior of Cacao Tree is very small but the open counter space/food preparation area, coupled with the many windows (and stained glass fixture) gives the cafe a sense of openness and luminosity.  Dining guests can sit at the counter, at the window or at one of the few small tables.  The last is where Liz and I chose to sit.

Cacao Tree has an extended menu of juices, smoothies, fresh young Thai coconut water, wheat grass shots, superfood powders, appetizer-y things, main entrees and specials.  Menu staples are their walnut meat burrito/taco, their falafel and hummus wrap and their Mexican salad, to name a few things.  Specials have included things like dehydrated cauliflower buffalo wings, raw dolmas and zucchini noodle and mushroom stroganoff.

Every time I go to Cacao Tree (which would be a lot more frequently if I was richer and lived slightly closer to Royal Oak), I always have intentions of trying something new and venturing beyond my falafel comfort zone but I never do.  There have been a few times when I've ordered a daily special and have not regretted it but nearly every time I go, I crave my good 'ol fashioned falafel wrap.  I also bring hot sauce with me EVERY time because to me, that makes it.

Today, in addition to my wrap, I also ordered the Inner Warmth smoothie, which I've had before.  Liz said she was going to order one and I though, You know what? I think I will too!  I was so glad I did.  The smoothie was delicious and totally filled me up.  As I said to Liz, because I don't go to Cacao Tree all that often (see above), the times I do go, I gotta go big or go home!

So I did.