Dr. Weil and the True Food Kitchen...eat to LIVE...don't live to eat!

Dr. Weil has been a person I've admired for sometime.  His work is amazing not only because it is innovative and fresh, but also because it is REAL, and that is what I'm all about.  There is no magic 'bullet' but there are many ways for a person to be their healthiest.  We think more about the kind of gas we put into our vehicles than what we into our bodies!

If you want to know more about Dr. Weil, I suggest you visit his website: http://www.drweil.com/  There, you'll be able to read about his research, his anti-inflammatory diet, and his beliefs.  He created a food pyramid, much like the ones we all learned about in elementary school, but this one is a bit different, so I suggest you glance at it when you get a chance.

We should not wait until illness strikes to do things differently in our lives to promote good health.  Like caring for our cars, our homes, our precious possessions, it is in the CARING and not the FIXING that does the most good.

Recently, I decided to do more reading on Dr. Weil and learn more about the foods he suggests.  Dr. Fuhrman is another person I look to for advice on what to eat to be the most healthy.  You can visit his site and learn more about a recent 'get-away' he hosted in CA and showed attendees what foods were not only delicious, but highly nutritious.  http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-food-dr-fuhrmans-health-getaway-part-1-the-meals.htm

Dr. Weil has created two restaurants in the US.  One is in AZ and the other is in CA.  I recently visited his restaurant in Newport Beach, CA and this particular blog is about my findings and research on this magnificent place. True Food Kitchen  is pretty special.  First of all, it's in a location in Orange County, CA that is known for its amazing food, colorful people, and fabulous climate.  It's located in the Fashion Island shopping complex which overlooks the Pacific Ocean...not bad for starters, huh?

If you're standing in front of True Food Kitchen, this is what you look at: Fashion Island

The restaurant is large, open, and airy and there are plants, succulents, water features, and fire pits.  The waiters and waitresses where very 'zen-like' outfits of t-shirts with yoga-inspired pants.  The colors are brown, white, and green.  Outdoor seating is soft and comfortable and there are overhead heaters to help take the chill of California nights near the coast. You can have sparkling or still water that they 'create' on the premises or ask for tap water.  Besides water, you can ask for a special treat: ask your waiter to have several vegetables and/or fruits squeezed especially for you.  Cost: $5.00.  I had kale mixed with pineapple, apple, lemon on one occasion and a similar mix but added carrot on another occasion.  They are refreshing, delicious, and full of anti-oxidants!

One of the first things I tried was the hummus.  It arrived with fresh heirloom tomatoes, red onion, olive oil, and basil.....so yummy!! It was accompanied by pita bread. Oh yes...and goat cheese!

                                                         

The hummus salad....OMG, I can just taste it now!!

We also tried the heirloom tomato and watermelon salad.  I know this sounds like an odd combination, but let me tell you....it was mouth-watering!! On the salads, the chopped chicken salad was also a highlight. It's fresh and tasty ingredients were highlighted by a combination of colors and textures that were both satisfying and delicious.  

There are several kinds of pizza.  We tried the wild mushroom pizza.  It is loaded with juicy mushrooms that have a woody taste--almost smoked.  The pizza is chock full of garlic and tuscan kale as well.  It was a wonderful combination and the crust was thin and light--just the way I love it!

We tried the spaghetti squash casserole which was given some rave reviews but found it to be uninspiring and rather bland.  It was good, but I wouldn't fly back to Newport to order some.  I have better recipes for spaghetti squash, in my opinion.  That, however, was the ONLY negative on the food front of anything we tasted. 

The outdoor seating and assembly station for water glasses and small plates

The panang curry was another 5-star dish! The bowl of fresh vegetables, noodles, and sauces was the perfect combination.  It was plentiful and so yummy...I can't even tell you!! Bravo on this one Dr. Weil for sure!

My second favorite was Organic Ricotta ravioli.  This dish features maitake mushrooms which have extraordinary health benefits.  It is also infused with kale and red pepper.....more ingredients that are vitamin packed and so healthy! The sauce was just delicious and paired with a kale salad, this dish was exceptional.  The kale salad, by the way is unbelievable.  It has changed the way I look at kale in salads.  Dr. Weil offers the recipe online, so check it out.  It is simple and flavorful. 

The kitchen at True Food Kitchen - open and clean!

The menu for lunch and dinner is very similar.  A few heartier dishes are added for the dinner hour, but for the most part, the menu is the same.  

Here, we try the panang curry and organic ravioli

Note that the anti-inflammatory diet menu 'triangle' is found on every table.  You can check it out on his website. 

outdoor seating and the fire pit area

During the weekdays, we waited 10-20 minutes for a table, but on Saturday night, we waited over an hour and they do not take reservations for parties of less than 8 people...but you can meander over to Fashion Island, visit Barnes and Noble, or find a seat outside or near the fire pit and order a drink...maybe some fresh squeezed kale juice or an organic red wine.

There is valet parking for $6.00 and some pretty 'snazzy' cars line up in front!

Yes, it's what you think it is....and green, too! 

We also tried the side of steamed vegetables--very nice---not as much as I would have liked, but it was $5.00, so not bad.  We also tried to the steak tacos.  This was delicious but a small portion.  I have to be honest that I'm not a big beef fan, but we tried it to say we did---lots of yummy flavors and the side of beans was quite good as well.  

Desserts are incredible as well!

For dessert, True Food Kitchen offers some very tasty choices.  We had the lemon olive oil cake with pomegranate sauce ( which was excellent )and we also tried an olivello 'ice cream' - not really an ice cream but tasted rich enough to be...both of these desserts were extremely flavorful.  The chocolate cake recipe is also available online but we 'heard' it was unremarkable, but then we did not taste it ourselves. Check out the 'medicine man' elixir that also contains the olivello juice, which is derived from sea buckthorn berries and quite difficult to find.

If you want to know more about Dr. Weil's restaurants, his philosophy, or learn more about his recipes, visit his website @ http://www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/common/recipe.html  There, you'll find everything from pie crust to clam chowder! I will definitely be trying more of these and I hope to visit one of his restaurants again in the near future.  Two more are being planned--one in Phoenix and another in Santa Monica, Ca.  You go Dr. Weil----I give you a great big 'GREEN THUMB's' UP!!