My BeEarthDay was Monday August 5. 58 and Life is Great! I am filled with Gratitude. I wanted to do something different: I usually travel out of the country for my birthday, however this year, I stayed home. My daughter Via Rosa chose this restaurant: ALTHEA. Chef Matthew Kenney plant-based fine dining. Located on the 7th floor of Saks Fifth Avenue on the Magnificent Mile.
BTW, Vegan is a different category from Plant Based.: Vegans will eat Oreos ( now made vegan, without animal products and not so much toxic stuff) but a Plant Based Diet person might eat meat or eggs. I am def a plant based vegan….LOL!!! I eat Oreos sometimes, and sometimes, while out and about, might eat a pastry that was made with eggs. But overall, plant based vegan.
The restaurant is on the 7th floor of Saks Fifth Avenue! I haven’t been there since I was a young girl. My Dad used to love to shop there. It looks alot different! Lol! The view is nice and the food is incredible!
Golden Milk Spice Tea. Of course, I thought it would have been made with coconut milk. I was wrong. It was super gingery and black peppery. I chose to add some Agave and it became super yummy.
The lady sitting at the table next to us was wearing the most fascinating shoes, and her suit also. However, I could not stop staring at these shoes. Are these real gems or just rhinestones? I dunno, but perhaps when I am 85, I will have a pair of shoes like this..LOL!!! My daughter was very embarrassed when I took this photo. I wanted to compliment her on the shoes when she was getting up to leave, However, she looked right through me as if I wasn’t there, so I said nothing.
We wanted to order this because it got great reviews. Then decided not to get it, because of our budget. Then the waittress said they were treating us because IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!! Kimchi Dumplings, Beet Sauce and Ginger Foam. Please don’t ask me how they make foam out of ginger. This was so delicious. Will order this again…
Aaaahhhh, the Mushroom Tacos! When we were getting on the elevator, some ladies were getting off. They were taking photographs of the sign! They were raving about the food. Especially these mushroom tacos! Now, we know why!!! The food @altheas is delicious and filling, yet everything is so light. We were amazed at how much we ate, we felt full, yet not stuffed. I especially love how it is plant based as opposed to vegan: vegan can mean lots of meat substitutes. Plant based means it came from the earth, not processed to be something that it is not…every dish was a work of art, and all senses are involved in the experience, not just taste..
Now the Crab Cakes were outta this world. I have not tasted any other crab cakes, so I have no way of comparing them to cakes made from dead sea creatures or fake sea creatures. I have only tasted these, and will be ordering them again. Why don’t we meet there for lunch? I cannot tell you what they taste like, because I have never tasted anything like them!!! Lol! I recognized green onion, but that was all.
Plant-based Gnocchi. WOW! And the sauce was so yummy. I am not really a foodie. In fact, I am not at all. However, looking at these photos, I am recalling the fun and joy that we experienced at this restaurant. Maybe because I was there with my favorite vegan and/or plant-based chef, Via Rosa, which helped make everything taste even better. I also learned how to pronounce Gnocchi.
And now for the Main Entree: RAW PLANT BASED LASAGNE. It looked like a piece of wedding cake. I did not want to cut it or mess up the artwork. The “cream cheese” looked like little clouds. The SAUCE? Magnifico!!! You really have to be there…this is Chef Matthew’s specialty. You have to try this. The menu is seasonal, so that means we will go at LEAST 4 times per year.
Dessert was also on the house. The waittress brought out with candle lit, but i guess i was do excited it went out before the photo was taken. The Banana Cream Pie, also raw, stole out hearts. Magicsl is best way to describe the experience. The ice cream tasted good, but was not creamy enough for our tastes.
All in all, we will definitely be going there every season….I have a feeling that it’s always yummy season at Althea!
Stay tuned for more reviews from Light Being Wellness Center. One Love!
Light Being Wellness Center 