This afternoon, my friend called me up and asked if I wanted to meet up after her Pilates class and I figured that since she knows a lot of great places to eat and get coffee, anything she picked would be fine. She wanted me to meet her at a place called Erewhon (pronounced air-Juan) Natural Market and Cafe. She explained that it was like a Whole Foods or Sprouts but with a cafe as well. Organic and all natural food is what they are all about. Erewhon is located in that Lost Hills shopping center as well as the Pilates place my friend goes to.
We walked into this grocery store and what strikes me, right off the bat, it the long counter to one side of the building. The cafe is far larger then I expected with separate sections to order food and drinks. She shows me the counter where she usually orders her smoothies after a workout and hands me two menus, coffees and teas. I can barely focus on the drink lists because I'm staring at this huge pastry case in front of me. I refuse the urge to order 20 croissants and ask for a recommendation. Both my friend and the guy at the counter say that the Iced Tea Coolers are great and the guy points to the Pineapple Basil Green tea. I usually would avoid an iced tea recommendation but I love green tea and this mix sounded so perfect together.
The tea was light but had that green flavor I like about green tea, grassy and clean. The muddled basil and chunks is pineapple gave such a refreshing flavor. I felt all around healthier just having this drink wake up my senses. I would only change that they serve it with a regular straw but it should be served with a boba straw to get all the goodness out of it without giving yourself a popped eyeball every time some pineapple got stuck.
She showed me the other counter with was a long deli case filled with bright colors and organic food. Pizza, salads, vegetables, tofu, fish, and all combinations in between lined the case. She said she liked getting a combo meal because it was the best deal and you can mix the hot and cold options.
Before picking out her meal, she had said something I had never heard before. "Oh hey, the Sushi sample guy is working today". Wait, there's such a thing as a sushi sample guy?! There stood a guy with a table in front of him with about 8 different types of sushi. He offered me a spicy tuna sample. This was not the ordinary spicy tuna you would find in a sushi restaurant. It was a compressed piece of spicy tuna with toppings on it. It was delicious. A whole different texture then I was used to. Then he offered me a spicy crispy onion tuna roll sample. This was a spicy tuna roll coated in crispy fried onions. I was sold and picked up that roll for my lunch.
My friend ordered her food from the counter, two different types of quinoa salads and some baked tofu sticks. It looked amazing but my allergies wouldn't let me share with her. We found a nice spot to sit outside and dine. The weather was overcast but not too cold which, when matched with the beautiful hills, made for a perfect afternoon before work. I had no clue this market was here nor is it my typical go-to food idea. I can see the appeal for people trying to eat clean and take care of themselves but it's definitely foreign to me. I take my tea plain but my milkshakes large so I felt kind of outta place here. My friend was great at showing me things she knew I would enjoy so I felt more at ease.
She told me that this shopping center has a sushi restaurant and a brewery/restaurant. Also, this cafe makes some cold pressed coffees and bottles them in limited quantities. Expensive and sold out when we got there, I wasn't able to try any but I don't think this will be my last visit here. With all this new found information, I look forward to seeing what this little shopping center has to offer.
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