Re: Healthy Vacations???

March 28, 2004

My niece tells me that Washington & Oregon have many good restaurants,

organic healthy foods. She is from Minnesota originally and wonders where

we could possibly go out to eat around here. I have never visited that far

West but plan to some day just because she has interested me in trying out

some of those restaurants. Jane

Healthy Vacations???

Hi All,

I just returned from a week of vacationing in Orlando, Florida and

eating mediocre food. The best meal I ate all week was some spaghetti

that I made! The best snack was kefir I brought from home! We had some

pretty good oranges (not organic), but I was very disappointed in the

strawberries (also not organic).

All of the resort food was fake, junky and greasy. Thankfully, the

prices were reasonable...not great, but at least I didn't feel I was

breaking the bank to eat badly! (I don't mind spending good money on good

food but hate to spend alot on bad.) I suspect they use the cheapest

ingredients to keep the prices down and the cost of living being lower down=

there helps too.

We were so ready to get back to our wonderful food and water at home

(of course, there wasn't much here to speak of when we arrived). I had

frozen some raw milk and cream and had some eggs and butter, but no

vegies or fresh fruit on hand. So off to the store!

By the way, if anyone has any vacation ideas where good food is more

readily accessible, please send them my way. I'm obviously visiting the wro=

ng

places...Thanks.

Kathy

March 28, 2004

Kathy and all

If you ever go to Orlando again I recommend visiting and lodging

in the actual city of Orlando. Most people don't even know it but

there is a complete old city there looking for all the world like Des

Moines or Lincoln albeit with palm trees. There are quaint parks,

walking paths, old trees and historic buildings. It's cool.

The best food we have found include Thai, Vietnamese and

Japanese restaurants and the sushi is usually fantastic. Look for

Cuban and Mexican places too but get a recommendation from a

local. The downtown area abounds in health food stores too.

We AVOID THE TOURIST STRIP LIKE THE PLAGUE. I think it is

also a horrible place to take a child. Go to the ocean. In fact,

along the route to Daytona Beach there are many good fruit

stands and we can often find organic produce. We gorge on the

big juicy papayas drenched in lime juice and the monster

avocados. Of course, oranges and grapefruit abound as well.

We always feel somewhat healthy after a fix of sunshine, salt

water and fruit binge in Florida.

The best Florida food for the buck can be found in the Keys. We

usually stay in Key Largo where there are many great cafes and

small restaurants. So far, there aren't too many plastic chain

places. We usually get fresh fish every night, which is most often

top-notch and we are on the search for the World's Best Key

Lime Pie. At many of the lodging places you will see feral key

lime trees and you may eat your fill. The Hawaiians often dont

eat groundfalls but the Floridians feel it's safe. These limes are

unlike any lime you ever tasted and bear no real resemblance to

what passes for such in the stores here. There are no

commercial key limes sold.

Happy Travels,

Will

March 28, 2004

I've had pretty good luck in New Orleans and Seattle.

Either way I eat my fill of oysters.

Raw oysters, crawfish, beer and wine are a complete diet, aren't they? They

boil the crawfish

with fruits and vegetables... ;-)

March 29, 2004

Hello Jane!

You wrote:

" She is from Minnesota originally and wonders where we could possibly go

out to eat around here. "

-

Did a search on MSN search engine for " Twin Cities Minnesota

Restaurants " and clicked on the category " Vegetarian "

-

These are the ones I recommend:

-

Ecopolitan Restaurant

100% organic vegan raw cuisine

2409 Lyndale Ave S, Mpls

It is just south of the Wedge Co-op

(612) 87 GREEN

-

Cafe

300 1st Ave N, Mpls

www.cafebrenda.com

(612) 342-9230

-

French Meadow Bakery & Cafe

2610 Lyndale Ave S, Mpls

(612) 870-7855

-

Good Earth Restaurant

The Galleria, 3460 W 70th St., Edina

(952) 925-1001

-

Good Earth Restaurant

1901 W. Hwy 36, Roseville

(651) 636-0956

-

The Good Earth Restaurants have lemonade that I always have:

-

Liquefy an organic whole lemon with the peel, four organic golden

delicious apples, and distilled water to cover.

March 29, 2004

Jane,

I have been thinking that I'd like to visit the Pacific Northwest. I hear

Seattle (or

is it Portland?) has a great fish market. Thanks for the tip!

Kathy

> My niece tells me that Washington & Oregon have many good restaurants,

> organic healthy foods. She is from Minnesota originally and wonders where

> we could possibly go out to eat around here. I have never visited that far

> West but plan to some day just because she has interested me in trying out

> some of those restaurants. Jane

> Healthy Vacations???

>

> Hi All,

>

> I just returned from a week of vacationing in Orlando, Florida and

> eating mediocre food. The best meal I ate all week was some spaghetti

> that I made! The best snack was kefir I brought from home! We had some

> pretty good oranges (not organic), but I was very disappointed in the

> strawberries (also not organic).

>

> All of the resort food was fake, junky and greasy. Thankfully, the

> prices were reasonable...not great, but at least I didn't feel I was

> breaking the bank to eat badly! (I don't mind spending good money on good

> food but hate to spend alot on bad.) I suspect they use the cheapest

> ingredients to keep the prices down and the cost of living being lower

down=

>

> there helps too.

>

> We were so ready to get back to our wonderful food and water at home

> (of course, there wasn't much here to speak of when we arrived). I had

> frozen some raw milk and cream and had some eggs and butter, but no

> vegies or fresh fruit on hand. So off to the store!

>

> By the way, if anyone has any vacation ideas where good food is more

> readily accessible, please send them my way. I'm obviously visiting the

wro=

> ng

> places...Thanks.

>

> Kathy

>

March 29, 2004

Will,

I had a feeling you would be knowledgeable on this subject...Want to hear my

sob story? (Not waiting for an answer...) My two requests were to go to the

beach and eat some good seafood. As circumstances had it, we didn't get to

do either. Add to that the fact that the in-laws visited and it truly became the

vacation that wasn't!

At least my oldest got to see Kennedy Space Center. Otherwise is was mostly

the commercial Disney thing. It wasn't for me 5 years ago and it is even less

for me now. Next time we go to the Keys! I also love authentic key lime pie!

Kathy

> Kathy and all

>

> If you ever go to Orlando again I recommend visiting and lodging

> in the actual city of Orlando. Most people don't even know it but

> there is a complete old city there looking for all the world like Des

> Moines or Lincoln albeit with palm trees. There are quaint parks,

> walking paths, old trees and historic buildings. It's cool.

>

> The best food we have found include Thai, Vietnamese and

> Japanese restaurants and the sushi is usually fantastic. Look for

> Cuban and Mexican places too but get a recommendation from a

> local. The downtown area abounds in health food stores too.

>

> We AVOID THE TOURIST STRIP LIKE THE PLAGUE. I think it is

> also a horrible place to take a child. Go to the ocean. In fact,

> along the route to Daytona Beach there are many good fruit

> stands and we can often find organic produce. We gorge on the

> big juicy papayas drenched in lime juice and the monster

> avocados. Of course, oranges and grapefruit abound as well.

> We always feel somewhat healthy after a fix of sunshine, salt

> water and fruit binge in Florida.

>

> The best Florida food for the buck can be found in the Keys. We

> usually stay in Key Largo where there are many great cafes and

> small restaurants. So far, there aren't too many plastic chain

> places. We usually get fresh fish every night, which is most often

> top-notch and we are on the search for the World's Best Key

> Lime Pie. At many of the lodging places you will see feral key

> lime trees and you may eat your fill. The Hawaiians often dont

> eat groundfalls but the Floridians feel it's safe. These limes are

> unlike any lime you ever tasted and bear no real resemblance to

> what passes for such in the stores here. There are no

> commercial key limes sold.

>

> Happy Travels,

> Will

March 29, 2004

,

I wouldn't complain about that diet!

Kathy

> I've had pretty good luck in New Orleans and Seattle.

>

> Either way I eat my fill of oysters.

>

> Raw oysters, crawfish, beer and wine are a complete diet, aren't they? They

boil the crawfish

> with fruits and vegetables... ;-)

>

March 29, 2004

> Hello Jane!

>

> -

> Ecopolitan Restaurant

> 100% organic vegan raw cuisine

> 2409 Lyndale Ave S, Mpls

> It is just south of the Wedge Co-op

> (612) 87 GREEN

Just be aware of sticker shock if you go to Ecopolitan. I know, I

know, it's all organic but it's quite pricey if you're on a limited

budget.

~Joe

March 29, 2004

> Just be aware of sticker shock if you go to Ecopolitan. I know, I know,

> it's all organic but it's quite pricey if you're on a limited budget.

> ~Joe

Not to mention the palate-shock. I'd much rather overspend my money somewhere

that knows how to

make food taste good like Lucias, 3 Muses, Heartland, etc. They'll run your

wallet dry too, but

it will taste infinitely better, and you can actually get something other than

reconfigurations of

sileage on a plate.

Sorry, I like to exaggerate for effect sometimes. I really don't hate the

Ecopolitan. It's much

better than Perkins or some other slop-on-a-plate place. I guess I have 2

issues with the

Ecopolitan: I disagree profoundly with the Howell-type food enzyme theories of

health and

nutrition that their cuisine seems to be based on, and I also disagree with

vegan

ecopolitics...although I often tend to wind up being friends with vegans. Based

on the maybe 3

times that I've eaten there, I honestly don't think that their food tastes that

great though.

They're still on my list of places to consider when it comes time to eat out,

but it's a long list

and they're not exactly near the top.