How would you like to go to a restaurant that’s
dubbed guilt-free eating? Does one such place exist? It sure does and I’ve got
the inside scoop just for you!
Health conscious food lovers have it bad when it
comes to finding something delicious and healthy. Two passionate food lovers
decided to do something about this dilemma. I give you: Avanti Café. Avanti is
a cozy little restaurant. The service is personable and the ambiance is ideal
for a small group. Located in a strip mall 17th Street near Orange Ave in Costa Mesa, this
little spot is brilliant when it comes to local, organic and seasonal
ingredients.
The Avanti "Hot" Taco
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| Hot Taco plate |
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| Fresh fruit bowl starter |
I went at the right time, during brunch. Their brunch special is only $13 for any entree, which includes tea and a fruit bowl for appetizer. I tried their hard-shell taco, recognized as one of the best tacos in OC Weekly. Now coming from the most southern end of San Diego and growing up surrounded by taco shops at every corner and my mom making a lot of Spanish inspired dishes, I get very picky with my tacos, let alone Mexican cuisine. Though a friend of mine who is good friends with the chefs told me these tacos are to die for. What’s my verdict? I think I died and went to heaven. I’m a meat-eater; I fill my taco to the brim with every fatty filling out there. But this taco just hits the spot. You are served two tacos and after your last bite you have the feeling of satisfaction. You won’t want more tacos not because it wasn’t good, but because you’ll be full- and not the bloated food coma full. It’s like the three bears; some taco joints make you feel too stuffed. Others didn’t feed you enough. Avanti’s tacos are just right. Needless to say it was a appetizing.
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| Avanti tables are Eco-friendly |
Avanti’s greatest challenge is not in the
food nor the service, but the association it has been categorized into. I’m not
saying the word “healthy” because we all know there are a few restaurants out
there that have conquered healthy AND delicious. I’m talking about two other
words. There is resistance from meat eaters of vegetarian and vegan joints. The
resistance comes from the typecast impression associated with the words “Vegan”
and “Vegetarian”. And that’s a real shame because there really are people who
block out eateries for being vegan or vegetarian type. Remember the taco’s I
told you about? Well that dish is vegan and gluten free. Avanti
is heavily supplied with vegan dishes that are truly indulgent for the
non-vegan. Let’s get one thing straight; I’m a medium-well
steak, baked-potato and corn slaw kind of gal. So the fact that I enjoy the
food here should tell you something. Non-vegans will hardly notice the lack of
meat and will overcome that resistance of certain places because Avanti is friendly. It's not your average Vegan joint, it's better.
I got a chance to meet Mark and Tanya, the founders
and head chefs of Avanti Café. Every dish is hand crafted by Mark and Tanya and
you can truly taste the love they put into every bite. I’m getting to know more
about the restaurant and their amazing story. I’ll be going there quite often
so fair warning; you’ll see multiple blogs about these guys. I promise to try
something different each time though!
Avanti is one of those
hole-in-the-walls that are worth finding. Like the old saying, don’t judge a
restaurant by it’s location (in a strip mall) or food type (Vegan/Vegetarian), It
really is a surprise. It’s worth the traffic and
worth every penny. Try
walking in sometime.
Visit Avanti at http://www.avantinatural.com/
259 E. 17th St. Costa Mesa, CA 92627
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