Peace Through Food

By Audrey Rock
Cohezion Communications

It might be considered something of a sacrilege to post this after my lazy-mom Pizza Hut shout-out.  After all, raw-foods purists are serious about making a difference in the way they live, they way they eat, the way they treat the environment, and even about the way they treat people around them.  That's probably why chef/owner of Omar's Rawtopia, Omar Abou-Ismail, serves all his dishes "with love."  Seriously.  It's on the menu.  Take, for example, his Creme de Broccoli, as listed:
Creme de Broccoli ... $8
A creamy seasoned broccoli almond soup, topped with onions,
bell peppers, avocado, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, sprinkled
with Rawtopia's seed cheese, and love.

Awww.  How can you resist it?  I couldn't.  So when somebody I love became a raw foods/vegan/organic devotee for 100 days, it was my right, responsibility, and privilege to accompany him to dinner at Utah's only raw food bar in Utah.  And I'll tell you a secret:  it was delicious.  And filling.  Abou-Ismail's dishes are fresh, yes, and raw, entirely.  But he manages to make everything he serves completely palatable and filling. We dined on Asian Salad, hummus pizza, chocolate fruit-creme pie, and a green fruit smoothie with I-don't-know-what in it, but it was divine.   As a raw-foods virgin (er--not sure how else to put it--) I fully expected to leave hungry and unsatisfied.  But somehow, between the avocados, nuts, sprouts, fruits, love and other delicious stuff, I found myself completely satiated. 

The place has it's own earthy charm.  Housed in a humble little sliver of old building in Sugarhouse and populated with nature books and ads for yoga lessons, it's just....nice.  Our server could not have been sweeter, or more knowledgeable, about raw foods and the dishes.  This was an educational, pleasant, and enlightening experience. And yes--I did truly begin to question the way I eat, think, and live.  

Therefore, I give my full endorsement.  I will be back to visit Omar and enjoy his delectable little slice of purity in the middle of Sugarhouse.  :)  

www.omarsrawtopia.com

Address
2148 Highland Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Phone: 801-486-0332

Hours
Mon-Thurs Noon-8pm
Fri-Sat Noon-9pm
Closed Sundays