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The Raw Revolution
Larkspur, California – Take a look at the menu
at the year-old Roxanne’s –one of the hottest
new restaurant in America – and you might well
be dining anywhere in the modern world. The ever-popular
gastronomic hits are all there: Sushi rolls, hearts
of Romaine Caesar, Thai curry, lasagne terrine, Mediterranean
platter.
But comparisons to any place you have ever eaten, or
ever will, stop right there. For Roxanne’s –
situated in Marin County, just north of San Francisco
-- is a totally revolutionary new world concept. The
owner, Roxanne Klein, goes beyond vegetarian, beyond
anything you might have sampled before. She and fellow
devotees call it “living food,” for no ingredient
is heated above 118 degrees, on the belief that a living
foods diet leads to a longer, more energetic life.
Take a look at the slight, blonde, 38-year-old Roxanne,
mother of four, and you need no other coaching to believe
in her theory. Her eyes sparkle, her face beams, her
skin shines, her posture is perfect, her earnest demeanor
is convincing. She has been a living, living foods advocate
for the past five years, and that means no beans, no
pasta, no rice, no dairy, no eggs, not even tofu.
But we’re here to talk about good food, and that’s
where Roxanne is more than revolutionary. I was a longtime,
committed, vegetarian but gave it up in the 1970’s
because fare such as Walnut Cheddar Loaf was not getting
me anywhere. We knew so little back then. And much like
today, too many proponents of a healthy diet focus more
on a fear of food than the more positive aspects of
flavor, pleasure, enjoyment.
Roxanne takes what she believes and coaxes her fresh
ingredients into fare that is beautiful, exciting, flavorful,
satisfying. This is not hippy-time carrot sticks and
celery or lists of ersatz fare designed to make you
feel superior to the rest of the world. As always, the
proof is in the eating, and a meal at Roxanne’s
is as pleasurable as any well-prepared, well-conceived
meal. To say that you won’t even notice that the
food is raw is not a criticism, but a compliment to
the chef’s who took the time to create such lovely,
satisfying fare.
From the sushi rolls with fresh wasabi to the marinated
olive and tomato pizza, on to the Thai yellow curry
and the tortilla soup of fresh corn with cilantro, avocado
and tortilla strips you love every bite. The food is
vibrant, colorful, layered with flavors, textures, aromas.
In short, you don’t miss a thing (well, except
that little slice of crusty, toasty wholesome bread.)
Perhaps the best thing about this modern, elegant one-of-a-kind
restaurant is that it does not preach. It teaches by
example and let’s you decide on your own. Every
thing is set up for you to love it: The former coffeehouse,
now a clean, elegant, warm and modern fine-dining establishment
seats just 64 diners, and reservations are hard to come
by. There are no signs telling you that the flowers
were organically grown, the tablecloths and napkins
are woven from natural hemp, the lighting is made from
recycled glass. No one shouts at you that much of the
food here comes from the Klein family’s three-acre
organic garden that includes figs, plums, pears, peaches,
tomatoes, melons and edible flowers. You just sit down
and enjoy.
For perhaps 99% of us, the living foods concept is
new and not one we are quick to swallow or even digest.
But the staff is incredibly knowledgeable and they seem
to be equal partners in this new learning curve. It
all succeeds because the professionally-trained Roxanne
has worked hard to get where she is. Combining an equal
passion for good health and flavor satisfaction, she
spends hours and hours on each dish, slicing, dicing,
juicing, blending, dehydrating, but never taking the
soul or character out of the food. Couscous may be made
from parsnips and pine nuts, blended to a couscous consistency.
Noodles use in her pad Thai may actually come from ribbons
of coconut. Ice cream, with a super-satisfying consistency,
may well be made from nut milk. Some 25 different seasonings
may go into her vegetable tajine, and food is served
on warm plates, to help release natural aromas.
Wine, alas, is part of the living foods diet, because
it is a fermented, not a cooked food. And the wine list,
created by master sommelier Larry Stone, is one to behold.
New world and old world wines are all there to enjoy,
sip, and savor.
Roxanne’s
320 Magnolia Avenue
Larkspur, CA 94939.
Tel: 415 924 5004
fax: 415 924-7294.
www.roxraw.com
Dinner only, Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday.
All major credit cards. Menus at $29, $38 and $47, not
including wine or service. Taste of Thailand menu, $69,
not including wine or service. Tasting menu, $100, including
wine but not service.
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