When my sister and I were infants, my mother referred to expulsions of natural gas as "blossoms." We'd be splashing away in the tub when a telltale stream of bubbles would spiral toward the surface of the water, and my mother would demand to know "who's blowing blossoms?"
Years later, my creative writing teacher embarrassed students into silence by referring to spontaneous vocal outbursts as brain farts. Let one of us interrupt his lecture with a flippant remark, and he'd turn a baleful eye on the offender, intoning, "Puh-lease, Mr. Neuman, spare us your brain farts." When I objected to this vulgarity, he feigned a Southern accent. "If my use of the phrase "brain fart' injures your delicate sensibilities, dear lady, then suggest an alternative," he challenged. "I think of them as consciousness blossoms," I replied, and the phrase stuck.
Which all goes to explain why I delayed visiting Consciousness Blossoms, the only entirely vegetarian restaurant in Tampa Bay. A friend described the place as "My refuge for breakfast and lunch. V-e-r-y peaceful." I could imagine myself shattering that peace, hooting like some hyped-up hyena as soon as I saw the name on their door. I overcame my — if you'll excuse the expression — gut response to Consciousness Blossoms only after a recent excursion through budget steakhouses left me feeling bloated with bovine and longing for light, healthy meals.
Tilvila Hurwit opened Consciousness Blossoms in October of 1999. Although employed (and still working) as an ultrasound technician, she felt a calling to do something more for the community. "I felt I could offer a place of refuge, a place that would nourish both body and spirit," she says. Inspired by the philosophy of meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy, whose laughing portrait shines down over the dining room, Tilvila created a small breakfast and lunch cafe that serves only very fresh vegetarian food. The first thing that caught my taste attention and told me this place was something special was the carrot and raisin salad. Tilvila gives it an extra level of flavor and texture by adding fresh, diced garlic. It's a surprising, and surprisingly delicious, twist on a standard dish. Like most of the restaurant's dishes, Tilvila designed this herself. She makes everything, including dressings, sauces and soups, fresh every day.
The carrot salad comes with all sandwiches. I had barbecued tempeh served on a multigrain bun with a slice of skinned tomato, red onion, lettuce and a mildly sweet barbecue sauce ($6.25). While this sandwich won't put Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q out of business, it's a well-flavored alternative to meat. Tempeh, much like tofu, is made of fermented soybeans pressed into a block. It can be fried, grilled or used as is. Tempeh is also at the heart of one of the shop's most popular sandwiches, the vegetarian Reuben ($6.50) made with grilled, marinated tempeh, Swiss cheese, grilled red onions, sauerkraut made with red onions and Russian dressing.
Other customer favorites are the portobello mushroom wrap, made with sauteed portobello mushrooms, red peppers, fresh spinach and mozzarella wrapped in a sun-dried tomato tortilla ($6.50) and the Neatloaf sandwich ($6.75). Tilvila says diners are amazed at this flavorful, high-protein dish, made with brown rice and other grains, tofu, ricotta cheese, eggs, onions and spices, then topped with barbecue sauce. You can also have Neatloaf served as an entree ($7.95) with creamy mashed potatoes, homemade mushroom gravy and choice of a side salad or soup.
For breakfast, people go for big, bountiful omelets. Mine was filled with mushrooms, garlic and kalamata olives, but you can create your own choosing from a list of fresh ingredients, and make substitutions, like using soy cheese or Egg Beaters for an additional $1. Omelets are served with European-style fried potatoes, cut in wedges and dusted with herbs, along with your choice of good multigrain toast or pancakes. I also added two strips of tofu bacon for $1.50 and found it an acceptable taste substitute for the real thing. I'd order it again, especially in the house BLT ($5). Big Belgium waffles made from buckwheat, or the home-style pancakes are other customer favorites for breakfast.
The restaurant offers a long list of beverages, ranging from juice, herbal teas, soy milk and ubiquitous soda pops to specialty drinks, like mango lhassie, a refreshing mango-yogurt drink, hot or iced chai tea and even old-fashioned milkshakes ($3.75). Or design your own fruit smoothie by choosing a juice, a fruit and additions like yogurt, protein powder, spirulina or vitamins.
True to the philosophy of her teacher, Tilvila has created a space that offers peaceful contemplation, dreamily decorated with blue tables and chairs, as well as the artwork and music of Sri Chinmoy. And true to her own commitment to feed both body and spirit, Tilvila makes the restaurant available for free meditation classes, on an ongoing basis. These classes are nondenominational, and all are welcomed. Call for a schedule. Better yet, stop in and ask over lunch.
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This article appears in Jun 5-11, 2002.