Te Amo, Mi Pueblo

Friday evening, my dearest Kate and I met up in Sarasota for some hangings out. We had a delicious dinner at Mi Pueblo off University Parkway. I hadn't been there since I came down to visit for Kate's wedding in June 2010 (you can read about that first visit HERE.).

Mi Pueblo's vegan/organic menu is lovely. Appetizers, entrees, juices & organic drinks, and desserts. How does one choose? I went with the Tacos de Paz: two corn tortillas filled with spicy ground Brazil nuts, savory guacamole, lettuce, pico de gallo, and sunflower seed sour cream, garnished with lime. Served with a side of vegetable rice. This is what my friend Robin ordered when we were there last year and she STILL talks about that meal!

The lighting was troublesome in the restaurant, so bear with me.

I don't even know how to describe the amazing flavor and texture of the ground, spiced Brazil nut meat. They were phenomenal! And the just-slightly-tangy-and-a-little-sweet sunflower seed sour cream paired perfectly with it. The corn tortillas were tender, the guacamole fresh, and the vegetable rice on the side was crisp and bursting with fresh veggie flavors. 100% yum.

And even though that was plenty satisfying, we needed a sweet ending after all of that savory deliciousness. Kate and I split the Besitos de Chocolate: Superfood chocolate bites made with Brazil nuts, hemp seeds, agave, raw cacao, and dusted with mesquite. Served with the light and sweet and heavenly macadamia nut cream.

Kate and I LOOOOOVED these! They're perfect. And the orange slice really helped balance out the richness of the chocolate bites. We marveled over the magical powers of nuts while eating these. Seriously -- nuts are awesome!

If you find yourself in Sarasota, make it a priority to try out Mi Pueblo's vegan menu. So fresh, so flavorful, so colorful... These unique raw meals with a Mexican twist will leave you wanting more!

Raw Food at a Mexican Joint?!; Or "Life is Full of Surprises"

When researching vegan options around the Sarasota area, I was very surprised to find that one (and only one, currently) of the locations for Mi Pueblo now offers an "organic menu," featuring organic, raw, and vegan dishes. Of all places! I was eager to try it, and brought along a willing omnivorous friend to join me.


I ordered the "ensalada del sol." It's hard to get plenty of fresh, raw veggies while traveling, and a bed of sprouts with slices of avocado (and julienned summer squash, carrots, spinach, and Romaine) with a sunflower-lime dressing sounded too good to pass up, even if it was pretty overpriced. It certainly was gorgeous.



My friend ordered the Brazil nut burritos. She said she'd never eaten fancy, prepared raw foods like this before, and she really liked it.

Despite the steep prices, I couldn't pass up a raw dessert while in such close proximity. Behold! The raw chocolate torte:


Mmm... This torte had a cacao-coconut-crushed nut outer shell, which held in smooth, creamy, decadent cacao-avocado fudge. Drizzled over the torte was a light macadamia creme (always good) and sliced strawberries. The fudgey center was the best; I'd eat my way through a kiddie pool of that creamy, chocolatey goodness.

If you're in the north Sarasota area, and money is not a big concern, check out the "Organic Menu" at the Mi Pueblo location on University Parkway. The atmosphere is wonderful and the food is fresh!