Whenever I’m traveling with others, I always consider their eating preferences before choosing a restaurant. Since my palette is accepting to most flavors and textures, I’m down to eat anywhere as long as the eatery offers fresh, delicious, quality-controlled meals.

One of my coworkers highly favors “raw” and “vegan” cuisine, so I searched for restaurants in NYC that offered just that. A few places came up online, but one stood out from the rest!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars, Caravan of Dreams won my restaurant pick of the weekend!

Before I start raving about my dining experience, let’s briefly explain what “raw” food really means.

The Raw Food diet consists of raw foods that are whole and live, nutrient-dense, uncooked and unprocessed. Raw Food followers believe that the body operates at its optimum by eating this way. Cooking foods and altering their state can cause toxicity in the body.

The Vegan diet consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, and is free of animal products like meat, eggs and sometimes even dairy depending on the type of vegetarian diet (octo, lacto..etc).

Personally, this foodie prefers to have it all! Whether it’s raw veggie slices or a piece of deep fried chicken. Moderation is key! Plus, I can’t imagine giving up my Mommy’s mouth watering lamb dinners, complimented with a side of stuffed grape leaves.

Ok… Let’s start drooling over the meals I ordered at Caravan of Dreams!
The restaurant was located on 405 6th Street in New York City, on a quaint block surrounded by other similar unique eateries. The cute earthy looking waitress walked us through a romantically dim room to our corner table in the back. Another thing that attracted me to this spot was that they featured live music. That night, Mr. Piano man rocked out some tunes that set a fun mood while I munched away.

The menu was quite extensive and offered appetizing tapa-like dishes, soups, entrees and even fresh mouth watering juice blends.

It was hard making a decision, but I think my ladies and I picked some excellent choices to share!

Here’s what we ordered

Warm Quinoa soup with sprouted bread

I’m usually good at pinpointing flavors and ingredients in dishes, but this was a bit tricky. Visually, I thought that it would taste like lentil soup but I was way off. It was almost like a light fine barley potato soup with very little lingering flavors. Unlike most soups that fill you up before your main meal, this one put just enough in your belly to hold you over until the dish was served.

For our Main Courses, we decided to order three vegan entrees and share the yumminess

CARAVAN FEAST: Grilled carrot polenta, ali-oli, grilled tempeh, tahini, blanched vegetables

OMG! This one was out of this world… Laid on top of sauteed kale greens, this triangular hot piece of carrot polenta was so moist and flavorful. What made it even more delicious was the glop of cool garlic tahini that resembled the texture of whip cream that offset the warmth of the polenta.

Can I say it one more time… OMG!!!!

SHIITAKE STIR FRY Kombu noodles, vegetables, sesame, tamari, balsamic vinegar

Mushrooms are not only delicious, but they’re anti-cancerous and immunity boosters so I try to order them when I can.

The shiitake mushrooms were lightly tossed in balsamic and served among these weird looking “Kombu” noodles which I found out were made of seaweed. Similar to tofu, they sucked the flavors around it and added a different texture to the meal. It almost tasted like tougher linguine. This dish also had chopped broccoli and red cabbage making it even more nutrient dense.

If you’re on a low carb diet, this dish is perfect!

Last but not least…..

GINGER CURRY STIR FRY with sautéed vegetables and seitan

Ginger and curry are amazing anti-inflammatory spices that also boost immunity. The pungent spices have also been shown to aid in weight loss so of course they’re on my favorites list

The ginger, curry glazed seitan (wheat rubbery fake meat) is topped on a bed of soba wheat noodles and veggies.

Even though this dish was yummy, I would suggest ordering something more exotic since you can find this combo at most vegetarian Asian spots.

After every bite was devoured, my belly still felt light, yet satisfied. I highly recommend this Vegan/Raw eatery to everyone even if you’re a carnivore like myself Just because it’s vegan, doesn’t meant that you’re not getting your recommended daily allowance of protein. In fact, I got more than enough. The Quinoa, Seitan and wheat noodles all contained enough protein to help with building and recovering my muscles.

When it comes to food or life, I prefer to open my eyes and taste buds to all it has to offer. I want a bite of it all! (in moderation of course)

Bon appetite!

It’s travel time again for me!

Last week, I spent a few days in New York City, and in the next few months I will be flying to Chicago, Las Vegas, California and just added to my itenerary…. Nebraska!! While visiting each of these cities, I’ll try my best to seek out unique attractions and dining experiences to share with you.

First stop: New York City

Last week, I attended the International Esthetics Conference at the Jacob Javits Center where businesses showcased the lastest in skin care technology. The Esthetics Show attracted thousands of skin care professionals and business owners looking to gain new knowledge on skin care services and innovative technology to boost business and sales.

After three days of walking the show aisles and collecting information, I narrowed down my favorite findings to share with you!

PURE INVENTIONS: White Tea & Blueberry

Beautify your skin from the inside with Pure Invention’s tea extracts. This little bottle fits perfectly into my purse and provides 60 servings of anti-oxidants (White Tea, Blueberry & Elderberry Extract).

If you missed my post on the recent weight loss and health benefits linked to White tea then click here to read more.

A recent study published in the journal of Nutrition and Metabolism revealed exciting results regarding white tea and weight loss. White tea showed to “inhibit adipogenesis and stimulate lipolysis-activity”, meaning that it stops the development of fat cells leading to a decrease in fat storage.

LING’S Moisture Plenish (Cell repare)

This hydrating serum was formulated by the 50 year old Asian Beauty Queen and celebrity facialist LING Chan. From Hong Kong to New York, LING has transformed many faces and lives. Not only does she continue to produce amazing products, but also donates to charities worldwide. I love LING! Read more on her inspiring story by clicking here.

Oh! A drop of this Hyaluronic infused serum is the perfect moisture boost before applying your moisturizer. Love it!!!

BODI PURE: BODY POLISH

This next product is manufactured and sold by a lovable husband and wife team. Yin Yoo and his wife have created a great line of body line products targeted to spas and nail salons. My favorite product of theirs is the “Body Polish”, a blend of hydrating baking soda particles that exfoliate my skin while infusing a moisture to my skin. I always feel baby smooth and soft after every bath. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

MEG 21 BRIGHT & FIRM Eye Treatment

This silky soothing eye treatment was unexpectedly discovered through diabetes research at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. MEG 21 contains a patented ingredient called Supplamine that targets the harmful effects caused by Glycation (when sugar binds with proteins and leads to inflammation, wrinkles, sagging and more).

This little cute jar lasts me around two months and helps give my eye area an energizing boost, reducing puffiness and dark circles while adding moisture.

CIRCADIA’s PHERADORE

I’ve read and watched so many educational programs on the role of pheromones and attracting the opposite sex. Pheromones are also responsible for feeling calm and cool, something I’m all about. This next product was created by skin expert Dr. Pugliese of Circadia. PherAdore is a yling-ylang scented roll on scent that contains four genetically engineered pheramones that should be applied twice a day on areas like the upper lip, around your nose, neck or even the wrists. The gentle scent can easily be combined with your favorite fragrance.

Whether this product truly works, I still love the ying-ylang smell. Roll it on, and instantly feel attractive

Like I mentioned earlier, I have a few stops in the next few months and I’ll do my best to seek out new findings for you. If you stumble upon any interesting products, please feel free to leave a comment and share with the rest of us skin junkies.

xoxo

.