Life Alive: Urban Oasis and Organic Café
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Last week I stumbled upon a restaurant SO UNBELIEVABLY AMAZING that I went back the next day to order the same exact meal all over again. I couldn’t stop thinking about how delicious it was!
The restaurant is called Life Alive, and it’s official…
I’ve definitely discovered my latest addiction.
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Now, the funny thing is, this is actually the first REAL vegan/vegetarian restaurant I have ever gone to. Crazy, right?? It’s especially crazy when you consider there are A TON of veggie-lovin’ restaurants around me (just one of the many perks of living near Cambridge), but I honestly haven’t had the chance to test many of them out ever since moving to the area a little over a year ago.
Call me crazy, but I just can’t seem to convince my omnivore friends or omnivore boyfriend to muster up the courage to eat vegetables for dinner! But honestly, I suppose I don’t really blame them for hesitating. If not done right, vegetarian and vegan dishes can easily come up short on flavor and presentation. Life Alive happens to be one of those veggie- friendly restaurants that WILL NOT disappoint in either of these areas. In fact, I’m certain it CAN and WILL blow anyone’s taste buds out of the water…meat-lovers and veggie-lovers alike! Still need some extra convincing? It’s just as easy on the wallet as it is on the stomach .
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Life Alive’s Mission:
To Feed the Vitality of the World…one meal at a time.
“We are here to renew your energy and connection to life by soulfully serving you the most fantastic, vibrant, organic, therapeutic, whole food you could ever imagine in an inspiring environment that honors local artisans, the community, and our global ecology.”– Life Alive
Life Alive strikes a unique balance between whole, “good-for-you” dishes and effortless, fast-food convenience. This idea is what strikes me as most important– the notion that in this crazy busy world…it IS POSSIBLE to make healthy choices and to fill up our bodies with nourishing food! The ordering system actually works much like that at Panera Bread– meaning customers wait in line and order from the many menus displayed behind the counter. Once you place your order, you choose to sit either upstairs or downstairs (on some nights there is even live music playing downstairs) and you are given a number to display on your table. The wait staff then brings your meal right to your seat. The system is incredibly easy, however, picking what to eat is almost impossible! Everything just looks TOO DARN GOOD.
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This is how Life Alive breaks down their menu:
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- Warm Meals: Different variations of veggies, greens, seeds, nuts, tofu, and sprouted legumes served over short-grain brown rice, quinoa, or a mixture of the two.
- Cool Meals/Salads: Homemade hummus served atop mixed greens and variations of veggies, nuts, and fruit.
- Warm and Cheesy Wraps: Variations of veggies, cheese, protein, and dark greens nestled in warm-tortilla wraps–these can be made with or without cheese and eggs depending upon your dietary preference. They also carry Daiya vegan cheese option.
- Soups: Check to see what the soup of the day is
- Sides: Garlic, carrots, celery, cucumber, peppitas, raisins, sunsprouts, sesame sticks, dried pineapple, dried cranberries, goji berries, apple slices, flax oil, hijiki, greens, broccoli, corn, dates, banana, beets, avocado, shredded cheddar, sun-dried tomato, tamari almonds, raw cashews, hard-boiled egg, brown rice, tofu, sprouted legumes, shiitake mushrooms, quinoa, Daiya vegan cheese, lemon-garlic chickpea hummus, red lentil hummus, winter squash hummus-seasonal.
- Simple Snacks: Fun items like granola, peanut-butter and jelly wraps, celery and peanut butter (etc…).
- Juices: Fresh pressed juices with ingredients like carrot, apple, cucumber, ginger, beet, kale, celery, lemon, wheatgrass, spirulina, honey, cayenne, garlic, apple cider vinegar, aloe, and maple syrup.
- Smoothies: Life Alive offers an extensive variety of these thick, frozen, fruity, and creamy drinks which make for a great snack, dessert, or lighter meal (the organic chia-amond milk used is made in-house every day).
- Simple Beverages: Organic teas, detoxifying lattes, hot chocolate, and wheatgrass shots.
Looks pretty YUM, huh?
After much deliberation, I finally decided on THIS salad.
My roommate ordered Life Alive’s signature dish–a warm meal called “The Goddess.”
I promise you WON’T be disappointed!
Life Alive Website
Ashley,
Life Alive sounds (and looks) wonderful! I think we should go there next time I’m in town for a visit okay? Let’s make it soon! When you are out this way I will take you to my favorite vegetarian restaurant. It is the Garden Grille in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. I’m sure you’ll like it. Yum!
YES we MUST go there when you come to visit! Let’s make a plan for that soon. I know you will love Life Alive just as much as me .
You know I’m ALWAYS up for trying new and healthy restaurants, so I definitely want to check out Garden Grille too. Yay! It’s going to be a healthy and fun summer!
Try the Red Lentil Restaurant in Watertown. It’s also vetgan-vegatarian. The food is delicious!
Oooh! That sounds wonderful I will definitely have to get Robbie to try it out with me sometime…and if he chickens out…you and I will just have to go together!