A few weeks later, I happened upon Thrive after my trip to Whole Foods, and I vaguely remembered someone telling me something about a place near here that sounded like it might be this one. Not overly compelling, but I WAS starving and the sign was mighty cheerful.
As we entered, the first thing I noticed was the smell....fresh, clean, lush and GREEN. I felt healthier just walking in.
The second thing I noticed was the extremely friendly service, which is an extremely rare thing to behold in Seattle. Yes, we have good service at times, but the general attitude around here ranges from anti-perky to morosely functional. Generally not HORRIBLE, but Seattleites harbor a mild distrust of anyone who smiles too much..."they must be from out of town." Which makes striking the balance a precarious tightrope for anyone working in any service industry here.
Anyway, the people at Thrive are inordinately confident, probably not native Seattleites anyway, and positively BEAM with enthusiasm while answering any questions about the menu. Our cashier was glowing with health, and made a point to tell us that he was Cuban, which implied Carnivore, and that he had lost 15 lbs in the last few weeks since he began working at Thrive. Imagine that?!? I also don't doubt that he was burning twice as many calories each day, bouncing with excitement, extolling the virtues of a healthier diet. Sounds like a win-win to me.
Anyway, we ordered a fresh juice (carrot, apple, beet, ginger), the Pastadoro (noodles made from raw zucchini with fresh tomato and garlic sauce...sounds weird, but oddly isn't), and the crown jewel of the meal, the Awaken Bowl (quinoa and red rice with avocado, marinated kale, toasted nori, a rainbow of raw veggies and sesame ginger sauce). This last dish is now literally my single favorite meal in Seattle, a savory and satisfying combination of flavors and textures, that will leave you utterly guilt-free with a slight spring to your step. Like the cashier!
I have now been back several times and each time worry that the quality will diminish or that they will hire young, angst-ridden employees. So far, so good. I will admit, the service is FRIENDLY, but not necessarily expedient. Hit it at a time with more than one seated table and the kitchen spirals out of control, sending dishes out one at a time, with the kids' dishes out last, leaving parties of 4 or more discomfited with the social awkwardness created by this random parade of food.
I'm ok with that, because the food at Thrive is truly amazing and healthy, and the staff, though erratic, is warm and welcoming.
Many people will be turned off at the prospect of eating at a raw, vegan cafe, but I guarantee that you will find something to love here. Thrive doesn't try to make conventional foods the raw way, which is an exercise in futility. Hello, have you tried raw, vegan lasagna, a dish that can only be associated with gooey melted cheese and more cheese? Or how about enchiladas? I don't want ersatz cheese and soy meat product in a vulgar attempt to desecrate perfectly good dishes. Sorry, that doesn't work for me.
What makes Thrive work is beautiful food, served with creative names that do not attempt to evoke any past food memories, but rather make the delicious combination of varied ingredients tempting in their own right.
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