On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of lunching at True Food Kitchen at the Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix. Many of you recommended it on the blog and on my Facebook page (thank you!), so we figured it was a safe bet. I later found out that the famous Dr. Andrew Weil (along with restaurateur Sam Fox) opened this first location of several, in 2008. The entire menu is based around Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet and food pyramid with an emphasis on local and organic food whenever possible.
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The weather was gorgeous and sunny, so we opted to sit out on the large patio. A quick peek inside the restaurant revealed a huge interior absolutely packed at 1:30pm on a Tuesday. That’s always a good sign!
We soon deemed the weather beer worthy.
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I tried the organic Eel River Acai Berry Wheat Ale. Loved it. Light and fruity, but not overly so.
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For an appetizer, my mom and I shared the Shiitake and Tofu Lettuce Cups with Ginger, Cashew, and Garlic.
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The lettuce cups are filled primarily with cashews, teeny-tiny bits of tofu, and shredded carrot all coated in a lovely Teriyaki-like glaze. Very fun to roll up and make a huge mess!
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For my main, I ordered the Teriyaki Brown Rice Bowl with Asian vegetables, sesame, and avocado. I also added big chunks of tofu.
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Oh my gosh was this ever amazing. Easily, one of my favourite meals in a long time. It’s so simple, but not lacking in any way. I also loved the huge sliced avocado half on top. Not one single piece of rice was left behind.
Eric and John ordered the Turkey Burger with provolone, lettuce, tomato, avocado, mayo, on a flax seed bun. It came with sweet potato hash and a kale salad.
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They both gave it two thumbs up!
Mom ordered the Spaghetti Squash Casserole with mozzarella, organic tomato, and zucchini. She also really enjoyed it, but thought the cheese was a bit heavy.
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For dessert, Eric devoured the warm & pudding-like Flourless Chocolate Cake. No surprise there!
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My mom and I shared the Vegan Apple Crisp with Maple Ice Cream. John also had the apple crisp, but did not share with anyone. ;)
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Absolute perfection. The crispy, sweet crumble topping was the best part.
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I washed it down with a big glass of water when I realized that beer probably wasn’t the best idea before hiking a desert mountain!
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After lunch, Eric and I drove straight to Camelback Mountain to begin the hike of our lives, my dangly earrings and all.
All in all, it was a great experience at True Foods. The service was friendly and attentive, the atmosphere to die for, and the food fresh and satisfying. My only suggestion is that the restaurant adds more vegan options on their menu as there were only 2-3 vegan entrees indicated on their lunch menu.
As for that hike, my glutes and quads might recover some day. Just not today.
Tomorrow = Sedona and the promise of more hiking. Better rest up!
The lettuce cups look delicious! Great for a portable lunch or a cool appetizer for a party :P
Goodness, all I can think of is how can I replicate those lettuce wraps?!?!?!
I was thinking about that too. I don’t think it would be too hard…lettuce, cashews, teriyaki sauce, fresh ginger/garlic, shredded carrots, mini chopped tofu, onion?
I happen to have those ingredients in the fridge right now, I think that I might try it this weekend and let you know how it works out!
I would totally wear earrings on a hike ;)
Acai Beer sounds amazing! Get your antioxidants in with your booze. :)
Have you ever heard of Veev? It’s a vodka-like alcohol made from acai berries. Pretty tasty!
Hey Laura, I don’t think I have, but that sounds fun :)
Yum! I would love to see you recreate the lettuce cups…! I bet edamame would be good in those as well…
That place looks wonderful, especially because it looks sunny too! I kind of love the idea of kale salad and sweet potatoes as a side dish…and also, very jealous of the Maple ice cream that came with that flourless chocolate cake. Mmm.
That looks like a wonderful restaurant! There’s nothing like when almost everything you get is a score! I’ll take the desserts because well, I’m a girl and we’re kind of entitled like that. :)
The 9 months that I lived in AZ I never went to True Food. Now that I see these pics, WHAT the heck was I thinking??! To be honest, it wasn’t until about a month before I moved away that I realized this gem of a restaurant even existed. I guess I was living under a rock. That or was having desert-brain, i.e. can’t think in the heat :)
The Vegan Apple Crisp with Maple Ice Cream looks to die for; really all of it does!
Enjoy Sedona! It’s so beautiful! :)
You are going to LOVE Sedona. It is my favorite place on earth! I grew up in a tiny town about fifteen minutes away. I never tired of cresting the hill on my way to Sedona and seeing a breathtaking view of the Red Rocks. Geez, it makes me tear up just thinking about it. I’m gaga for Cathedral Rock. Please do whatever you can to make it to Oak Creek Canyon. If you have time, follow it all the way to Flagstaff. I PROMISE you won’t regret the drive.
Have fun!
Thanks Michelle! That sounds incredible. We’re def hitting up Cathedral Rock today…can’t wait!
Ok I just looked up Cathedral rock a bit more and some parts seem really steep. Do you think it’s on par with Camelback or more difficult?
It’s definitely easier than Camelback! I’m sure you’ll be able to do it no problem!
Ange they can make lots of modifications for vegans. My mon is vegan and loooves it at True Food! Next time, order farro instead of rice in the teryaki bowl ;). Oh my!! My fav there is the farmers market salad. Yes, agree with ur mon, i was astonished at the cheese that came out on my spaghetti squash casserole. Next time ill order easy cheese…….. Or NO cheese! :D
I was wondering about that…so good that they are flexible! Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t know that at the time or I wouldn’t be able to decide. ;)
So funny… I wrote a post very similar to yours!
Ah, I was hoping True Foods was going to be more vegan friendly. Well…now I know not to make a trip to the Easty valley just to eat there. Thanks for the post!
Apparently they can make more vegan modifications (see comment above)
Sedona is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been!
Definitely check out Chocolatree Cafe. The Palatki ruins are very cool, and there is an old mining ghost town called Jerome near by that is the epitome of eclectic.
You’ll fall in love with the red rocks! :-) enjoy!
Thanks Lana. Have you ever dined at D’lish as well?
I unfortunately did not make it there but I’ve heard good things! I’m not sure how long you’ll be there for, but the mountain biking is unreal. It’s a great way to see Sedona. There are tons of trails that range from beginner to expert. It’s a real thrill physically and mentally. I’m much like you with anxiety, and mountain biking demands metal focus and confidence.
Well, mental focus, not metal focus. But metal focus sounds pretty badass :-) haha
Greetings from a fellow (former) New Brunswicker! This is my first post, as I discovered your wonderful website through the PPK’s top 100 list of 2011 so I would like to say hi and congratulate you on such a great blog! I’ve tried a few of your recipes so far and they are great (my husband insists that I make your chocolate chip cookie dough balls on an industrial scale from now on).
We also hiked in Arizona last year for our honeymoon and it was one of the most memorable experiences of our lives so I am happy to see that you are enjoying yourselves as well. We enver made it to True Foods kitchen so it’s nice to hear your perspective. I am a bit surprised that they have so few vegan options, as Dr Weil sits on the advisory board for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (who, as you probably know. promote vegan diets). I can sympathise with finding good vegan options whilst travelling or eating out. Finding vegan-friendly places to eat here in meat- and dairy-centric Holland is quite often a struggle.
Enjoy the rest of your trip!
Thanks for your comment Monique! Love meeting fellow NB’ers :) Glad to hear that you enjoyed a great honeymoon here…I bet it was lovely! Nothing like this sunshine.
Except that Dr. Weil is anything but vegan…. he is a big fish eater and he uses a lot oils (another no no by pcrm). Boards aren’t necessarily about having carbon copies on thinking but rather diversity and open thinking.
This looks like such a wonderful vacation so far! I must admit, I am quite jealous as I sit in gray, rainy England…but I am really happy you are getting some sunshine. :-) Thanks for sharing it with those of us stuck in wintry locations!
I’m sure you will come up with your own amazing recipe for tofu lettuce wraps once you are back home, but if you need a fix right away, Emily on Daily Garnish has a great recipe that my boyfriend and I love.
~Emily~
So glad you are coming to Sedona. I love it here! Check out Bell Rock or Catheral Rock (start at the Baldwin Trail, off of Verde Valley School Rd). You can actually see my house from this trail! How lucky am I. Food here is ok. Chocolat Tree is the only vegan/raw food place around. However, if you can eat at Elote’s. It is above the King Ranson Hotel and it is amazing!! Have fun and if you need anything call the Sedona Police Department and ask for me! (928-282-3100) Hopefully you won’t be needing to call the Police!!
haha thanks Victoria! Have you heard of D’lsih restaurant?
D’lsih closed several months ago. Now there is a bad pizza place in there spot!
Wow! I actually just heard about this restaurant via something mentioned in one of my Institute of Integrative Nutrition lectures, and googled the website right away. I can’t believe you got to eat there, that’s amazing!! The food looks so so good. Hope you get a chance to give those legs a stretch! ;)
Those desserts look great! Have fun in AZ!
Sedona is easily my favorite place in all of Arizona and I was born there and lived there for the first 18 years of my life. You will LOVE IT.
Make sure you get to Sunset Point in time to check out an Arizona Sunset, it’s worth it :-)
Migley bridge is a great view and of course you’ll want to check out Oak Creek Canyon and Slide Rock if it’s open.
I read the other comment about taking the drive all the way up to Flagstaff and I agree it’s a fantastic drive but it’s also a bit harrowing with it being up the side of a mountain in a really high elevation and a lot of switch backs. With your anxiety, I don’t want you being taken off guard, I believe you can do it, but it’s best that you are prepared for it.
Thanks Raven! I appreciate your help. Is the Sunset Point different from Airport Mesa trail? Eric said he heard that was a great spot to see the sunset.
So true, Raven! I totally didn’t think about that :) Maybe you might just want to go partway up the canyon, Angela?
That looks fabulously yummy! I love your sunglasses, too.