Avanti Café: Eat Well, Live Well

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

Hot Taco plate

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.

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

Healthy Eating. Happy Living.

In this day and age, when our stomach tells us it's time for some food, we're always faced with that dilemma: should I choose healthy or delicious? But why should we sacrifice one or the other? There are eateries out there that are more than willing to provide both healthy AND delicious. That's where I come in. I am here to help you find those places that will make you more than satisfied while savoring every bite without having to feel sluggish and guilty afterwards. My three-part checklist includes: healthy, delicious, and happy. To those of you who have restaurants/home town eateries near and dear to your heart (I sure do), fear not! I plan to blog about healthy eateries as well as finding healthier options at our favorite restaurants.

Join me (and my blog) for healthy eating and happy living. It's about time we have fun being healthy :)