I got the ‘bad’ word this past week. Casa de Luz in North Park Closed. Are Sustainable Restaurants on their way out?
Thoughtfully planned Plant-Based cuisine. Casa de Luz will forever be “The Food That Loves You Back”. Always 100% Organic, Gluten Free and Full of Flavor.
I feel like a ‘friend’ has died.
I mean how can you not love a place that has a sign like this posted? This was a place you could go and have a really clean meal. And they had a kitchen upstairs. A space … That they rented out for free to people that wanted to help others eat cleaner. And if you charged money? They asked for a small fee.
The people that worked there? Totally authentic. Believed in what they were doing. Created great food. Food that afterwards left you feeling nourished. And the level of love they put into every meal?
Unbelievable.
So why does a place like this go out?
Who Knows.
I was watching something on PBS. An interviewer, Peggy Pico was talking to Matt Gordon (Chef Urban Solace) and Catt White (San Diego’s Farmers Markets) about “Sustaining Economic Viability”. Yeah. That’s a good idea. Make it sound technical. lol
They talked about the fact that in North Park alone, 3 other ‘Farm to Table’ Restaurants have recently gone out. (We now add one more with Casa de Luz gone).
But the point came up that regular restaurants have gone out too… like Donovans and The Palms. And it’s probably more about people having a passion for food, but not really knowing how to manage the business.
Whew! That’s a relief. But it still makes me sad to see healthy options go out.
Catt’s comment about eating right and the expense that may go with it: ” Pay the farmer or pay the doctor”. And I agree with that. I have always said that food is your best medicine.
We know about quinoa, a perfect plant based food that has 5 grams of fiber per cup, in addition to being a protein. And that when in doubt for an animal protein, canned fish is pretty good with Omega 3’s for brain and heart health. But did you know Omega 3 can help with arthritis too?
I was watching ‘Katie’, the Katie Courics show. Not only did she talk about this with a nutritionist, but they also talked about Cayenne Pepper being an anti-inflammatory and cancer fighter…. Turmeric another good anti-inflammatory, which also helps with clear thinking and last, but not least, Cocoa Powder… the flavanols help with blood flow.
As I explore and research I find more and more info that supports ‘food is your best medicine’. If you have any tips, things you have found out through credible sources? Shoot me an email!
Happy Eating,
Chef Marian