What Are You Grateful For?

The other night we decided to try out the local vegetarian restaurant called Cafe Gratitude. We enticed young Jeffrey by telling him it would be like Seva in Ann Arbor, which he loves. Man, were we wrong. Some people may complain that Seva is too "crunchy"... Cafe Gratitude makes Seva look like McDonalds. It's the most "crunchy", politically correct, new agey place I've ever been too. My inner hippie loved it; my inner cynic wanted to puke.


Their whole philosophy is based on "the being of abundance" and being grateful for all that you have in the abundance and bounty of life. It actually started out as a board game called The Abounding River Board Game before it became a restaurant. The food is purely vegan and is all "live food", meaning it has been cooked, if at all, only at temperatures below 118 degrees. Each item on their menu is named something like "I am abundant", "I am accepting" or "I am whole" and as the server brings you your dish they say "you are divine" or "you are sublime" or whatever the name of your dish is. Throughout the experience I was simultaneously enchanted by how positive it all was and nauseated by how sickeningly new agey it was. The food was quite good, but not amazing. Although it was slightly on the bland side, I felt like I was eating about the healthiest I've ever eaten.

I would have been enthralled by this place 20 years ago. Now, perhaps I am a little too old & cynical to not smirk a bit at their over the top sincerity. And that, I realize, is probably my loss.

But I'll leave you with a few questions from their employment application. Tell me if I'm being too cynical.

"What inspires you about the possibility of sacred commerce?"

"What are your thoughts about service as an expression of spirit?"

"What can you say about your ability to love and be great with people?"

"What do you love about yourself?"

"In life, how do you get in your own way.what stops you?"