As a man’s man (insert primal animalistic scream) I have indulged in the fine arts of cooked meat for many, many years. 5 pound burgers, 26-inch pizzas, you name it. I have been to the promised land, I could never ever consider becoming a vegetarian, much less a vegan, even if the doctor demanded it from me:
Doctor: If you don’t stop eating meat you will die soon.
Me: So how much longer do I have?
However one of the recommended restaurants is not only devoid of meat, but its devoid of any sort of dairy. No animals are involved whatsoever in the entire menu of Café 118. As a matter of fact nothing is even cooked past 118 degrees. It is all organic. All natural. No soy, no milk. No preservatives. I am afraid. Very afraid.
I don’t think I can do this.
I am still very afraid.
But background before I continue this. Café 118 is a popular vegan restaurant located in the middle of the Park Avenue area of the beautiful and I-can’t-seem-to-find-a-single-parking-space section of Winter Park. It is in a nice confined space and consists of a few tables inside and outside and some nice artwork scattered in the building. Lastly, there is your indie music blasting in the background to set the scene.
After minutes of quivering in fear about what I might be indulging in, I decided to go with their version of ravioli. Their ravioli is a mesh of arugula, spinach, cashew, beets, and has a pear wine sauce. I also complimented that with lemonade that is mixed with agave and strawberry. My taste buds were going to head in a very unique direction far off my usual spectrum. This is much healthier than what I am used to.
The presentation was very nice, although I was anticipating less…salad….and more…..ravioli. It was a massive arugula salad surrounded by an assortment of ravioli pieces. The arugula was a tough sell but got better when I mixed it with the thick applesauce-textured sauce that was swimming on the bottom of the plate. The ravioli however was fantastic. The cashew ricotta was just as filling and creamy as your best of ricotta cheeses and mixed perfectly well with the mildly bitter and distinctly sharp arugula. They said the menu constantly changes; let’s hope the ravioli survives the shuffle.
Here is the other item that needs to remain a staple: their key lime pie. Also dairy-free. Also scary-sounding but the execution was absolutely perfect. I went with this because it was a special, as opposed to the almond milkshakes which have been on the menu since opening. Although it lacks the legitimate crust of your greatest of the Florida desserts, the filling was spectacular, even if it has avocado—a very odd choice for a pie filling if you ask me. Nonetheless, its mixture with lime and the cool texture made for a refreshing dessert success.
Café 118’s goal is to provide a tasty diverse palette of food that involves healthy options and opportunities to not need any animals in the process. In this aspect they definitely succeeded. Although I will forever stick to my carnivore ways, it is refreshing to see a restaurant in the area try something daring, unique, and take on the challenge of providing food through a means that is pricier, riskier, and tougher to appeal to the public. Argue all you want, key lime pie needs some milk involvement to be pure. But Café 118 proves that it’s not a hopeless case if there is no milk to be found.
Bottom Line: Café 118 is not an easy place to dine if you are accustomed to the lifestyle that doesn’t connect with this Winter Park gem. But if you are into the vegan lifestyle, or if you are trying to dine out and not take in too many calories or carbs, then this place is your answer. The price might be a bit higher than the norm, but that’s part of the sacrifice to deliver wholesome organic food. With an ever-changing menu, and a great assortment of food and drinks, there’s very little to gripe in terms of this place as long as you are fully aware of what you are about to enter.
Vegan is not my forte in the least bit, but Café 118 is still an enjoyable meal.
Final Verdict: Recommend
Café 118
153 E Morse Blvd
Winter Park, FL 32789
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