Raw Raspberry Cashew Cheesecake
@ The Plant: Café Organic

The Dish:

My dear friend Karina tipped me off on this special cheesecake, and I couldn't wait to go back for another slice. While the taste is intoxicating and the texture utterly smooth, the ingredients in this seemingly sinful dessert are actually quite healthy, mixing together coconut and cashews into a flurry of flavor. For those with dairy or wheat sensitivities (or for those just on the prowl for something new), this dessert is a great option. And did I mention how beautiful it is? The top, imprinted with spirals of raspberry puree, qualifies it as a true piece of art, almost too lovely to eat. Yeah right. Eat it all! It's good for you.

Key Ingredients: Young coconut, cashews, pecan-date crust, fresh berries, blackberry pepper sauce

The Place:

Occupying a rustic building on Pier 3, The Plant: Café Organic is a lovely spot to spend the afternoon sitting on a heated deck overlooking the Bay. If you decide to sit inside, there's a gorgeous living wall designed by SF green-thumb superstar Flora Grubb and a stylish bar: the perfect perch for trying a specialty organic cocktail. With solar panels on the roof and much of interior coming from recycled resources, it's obvious that The Plant isn't just trying to make stellar food; they're determined to provide a dining experience rich with sustainable and conscientious elegance.

The Plant also has locations in the Marina and Financial District that serve a more limited café style menu.

Other Menu Musts:

Don't just stop by for dessert; have a whole meal! If you want to try a truly special main dish, go for the classic Plant Burger, a hearty and delectable patty made with: lentils; mushrooms; cashews; bulgar wheat; and beets (that's right – it's a PINK burger!); topped with roasted onions, aioli, and fresh veggies. Completely filling and guilt-free goodness.

Recommended By:

Ariel is a San Francisco foodie and photographer. She shoots and makes videos for the SF Bay Guardian, most of which are focused on all things edible. When she's not working in The City, she's traveling the world with her husband, Sam, eating stinky tofu from food carts in Taiwan or devouring freshly baked chocolate croissants in the mountain villages of France.

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