Elixiria Cafe

My diet isn't exactly one that nutritionists approve of.  My idea of a perfect breakfast involves french toast, bread pudding, waffles, donuts, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, and the like.  I eat far more than my share of desserts and ice cream.  So, it is safe to say, that juice bars and smoothie places are not normally near the top of my list of places to check out.

But sometimes, a healthy option jumps out at me over and over again, and I finally check it out.

" Elixiria promotes food and beverages that deliver essential nutrients that help fuel the mind, body and soul."

Elixiria is a small cafe located near my home and office, open only on weekdays, only during the day.  I've seen great reviews of Elixiria basically since the day they opened, but, as my office provides me breakfast and lunch during the week, with multiple cafes and many options, I just don't ever get a chance to visit the local businesses.  I really wish Elixiria was open on weekends!

Anyway, one day, I pushed myself a little extra in Body Pump class, and I walked out wanting healthy food.  I had a lovely salad for lunch at the office, but I wanted something more.  Really, I wanted dessert, but our office desserts that day weren't exciting: fancy jello, cookies, banana cake, and plain tart froyo.  Rather than make a beeline for the closest froyo shop (which is normally what happens when I'm not interested in our office desserts), I decided to use this opportunity to try out Elixiria, specifically because they have a selection of "Guilt Free Frosty Shakes" that everyone raves about, and I was feeling a bit more healthy than normal.

The space was welcoming, and the merchant quite friendly.  I placed my order through delivery.com when I was a few blocks away, but he didn't receive it until I walked in and mentioned the order.  He apologized numerous times, and quickly ensured it got prepared immediately.  When I visited subsequent times, the staff was again remarkably friendly.  It made me feel good just going there, if that makes any sense.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of takeout and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes for free money!

• Allset ($5 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

I didn't sample much of the menu, but it really did seem like a place where care was put into the food, and, they are trying very hard to offer healthy options.  If you are in the neighborhood, and are into healthier options, particularly juices and smoothies, I recommend it.

Setting

Elixiria is located on Beale St, just a block off Market.  The storefront is fairly easy to miss, no outside signage nor tables.

The Layout.

Inside is long and narrow, with a counter running the entire length of the store.  There is a register to order, and well decorated chalkboard menus on the wall.

An hot beverage station is off to the side, serving organic fair trade coffee, iced coffee, and espresso beverages and teas.  No decaf is available, because the processes for treating decaf coffee doesn't meet the owner's standards.  While I really did want decaf, I can respect that reasoning.

A few seats along a window counter complete the space.  It seems like most get their food to go, and bring back to nearby offices.

Drinks and Baked Goods.

The front cooler is filled with housemade cold pressed juices in an array of vibrant colors, greek yogurt, and packaged Nourish muffins (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, no added-sugar, etc, which I've reviewed before).   On top is empanadas from local Nucha Empandas (including vegan options).

They also make acai bowls and young coconut parfaits to order.  Like I said, this is a health focused place.

Salad and Wrap Station.

To the left of the register is a salad prep area, a nicely laid out mise en place.  The menu includes several salads and wraps, including meat, seafood, vegetarian, and vegan options.

Hot Foods.

Beside that, the hot foods area, with lemon herb chicken, honey mustard salmon, brie stuffed almond meatballs, roasted potatoes, and daily farmer's market vegetables.

These items are all available as lunch entree plates, or the sides are offered a la carte.

Smoothie and Juice Station.

The smoothie and juice station is further back, with a huge juicer, and slew of ingredients for the extensive smoothie lineup.

The Drinks

The drink lineup is where I was most impressed by Elixiria, although reviews for their food are solid too.  The drink menu is broken into several categories: Organic Cold Pressed Juice Elixirs, Raw Superfood Smoothies, Rawking Nut Mik and Boba, Veggie Juices for Targeted Organ Cleanse, Guilt Free Frosty Shakes, and Organic Fair Trade Premium Coffee and Tea.

While the juices and cleanses aren't my style, the Rawking Nut Mik and Boba sounded fascinating (think, boba tea, but ... healthy?  The blueberry boba is made with cashew, pili nut, raw coconut blossom sugar, Himalayan salt, sunflower lecithin, blueberries, orange essential oils, and of course, tapioca pearls.  Isn't boba tea usually a random mix of powdered chemicals?  And of course, I wanted to try the Guilt Free Frosty Shakes, as they sounded the most like dessert.

Guilt Free Frosty Shakes

"Our cold-processed plant-based creamy concoctions taste "so bad for you"! But these RAW super food shakes don't go to your belly and buns unlike regular shakes full of denatured fats and sugar. ENJOY!"

I was of course drawn to the "shakes".  The shakes are all made from cashews and ice, with raw coconut blossom sugar as the sweetener.  Because these aren't standard milkshakes, don't expect flavors like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry exactly, but there are options for every mood.

The closest match to strawberry is probably the fruity "Amer - Asian Berry Perfection Shake", with strawberries and goji berries, plus vanilla and Himalyan salt.  Another fruity option is the "Sunshine Goddess", with papaya, lime, honey, and cinnamon, a combination I can't quite wrap my head around.  The chocolate option is the "Cocoa Paradise", with cocoa paste, vanilla powder, and Himalayan salt.  Even mint chocolate chip lovers can go for the "Last Samurai" with macha, cacoa nibs, peppermint essential oil, and vanilla powder.

Peruvian Mountain Shake. $7.25.

"Cashews, raw coconut blossom sugar, Himalayan salt, vanilla powder, maca powder and ice cubes."

I wasn't feeling in the mood for fruit, and it was too late in the day for caffeine, so I went pretty simple, with the vanilla option, the Peruvian Mountain Shake.

I really had no idea what to expect.  Even after a few sips, I still couldn't quite figure it out.  The taste was ... strange.  Was it the cashews?  The maca powder?  I'm really not sure.  I'm not accustomed to healthy drinks, and these were certainly not flavors that I am used to.  It was not bad, but, not particularly good either.

That said, the consistency was amazing.  Really thick, just like a milkshake, and perfectly blended.

When I got back to my office, I added some soy milk and some peppermint syrup, and I greatly enjoyed it that way, so, next time, I'd certainly opt for a flavor that had more, well, flavor.  The mint chocolate chip-esque drink certainly has my name on it, or perhaps even one of the fruity ones.

***.

Coffee

The coffee and espresso line up is also good, sourced from Bay Area based Mr. Espresso.  Standard espresso drinks, brewed medium roast, several choices for pour over drip, iced coffee, and even blended drinks.

Morning Condiment Station.

Condiments are self-serve, with assorted milks (almond included), half and half, and sugar (along with oatmeal toppings and sauces).  No artificial sweeteners.

Medium Roast Brewed Coffee, Small. $2.

One morning I swung by just to get coffee, easily ordering in advance online, so I literally just swung in and out.  I went for the simple brewed hot coffee, although I was tempted by the single original drip options.

The coffee was good.  Medium roast, bold, proper strength.  Not watered down, it didn't taste like it had been sitting around, etc.  Served nice and hot.

Quality coffee, properly brewed and stored, decent price at $2. ***+.

7 Bridges Iced Coffee. One Size. $3.

Iced coffee is available in one size only, 7 Bridges blend.

It was decent, a darker, stronger, more bitter roast than I generally prefer, but quality was evident.  Also bigger and more caffeinated than I normally drink, so, uh, gave me quite the zing.  I probably wouldn't get another, just because it isn't my preferred style of roast.

***.