Four more great places for noodz that don’t need your labels, bro.
HEALTHY RAMEN NOODLE SOUP at LEAFY GREENS CAFE
1626 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-289-7087, leafygreenscafe.com.
Downtown St. Pete’s plant-based (and now gluten-free) mainstay, established in 2008 by longtime raw foodist Denise Rispoli before the solid concentration of local vegan restaurants built up around town, doesn’t exclusively serve raw vegan dishes any longer. And good thing, too, or else the Healthy Ramen Noodle Soup, a solid cooked selection on the menu, wouldn’t exist. A big photo of the indoor-outdoor Leafy Greens’ raw zucchini spaghetti is on display in the intimate, six-table dining room, tempting patrons with their choice of marinara and a sun-dried topping of lemon walnut pesto and Parmesan. However, how many vegan spots out there do you know that’re serving up ramen that tastes like the real deal? Made with organic millet and brown rice noodz from Lotus Foods, the soul-warming soup smells delicious when it arrives at your table — and feels even better going down. The noodles are stir-fried with the Grand Central District cafe’s house soy ginger sauce, red bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and cabbage to pull off a flavorful and totally winning bowl. —Meaghan Habuda
PAD THAI at THE CIDER PRESS CAFÉ
601 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-914-7222, ciderpresscafe.com.
Yeah, yeah — I know. We’ve covered this laid-back, Florida-inspired vegan cafe’s raw pad Thai a couple of times since its doors on the 600 Block opened in 2015, but only because the bowl is just that dang good. I mean, it is a Best of the Bay winner, after all. Rather than using the fiercely loved stir-fried street food specialty’s classic rice noodles, the plant-based interpretation available during lunch and dinner incorporates kelp and zucchini noodles. “When we initially opened The Cider Press Café as a raw vegan restaurant, we wanted to feature a variety of flavor profiles from around the world,” said owner Johan Everstijn. “A delicious pad Thai recipe seemed natural, so we developed our own sauce from scratch based on traditional recipes and ingredients because existing ones didn’t have the complexity and authenticity we were seeking.” Cider Press brought on cooked eats two years ago, but it’s no wonder the pad Thai remains so popular. The combination of noodz — zucchini provides some crispness, while kelp adds texture and acts like a sponge — serves as the perfect vehicle for a house-made tamarind sauce with some kick, plus the tangy-sweet shredded cabbage, squash, red pepper, pineapple and tamari almonds they sit atop. The spicy bowl is even beautifully presented — orchid embellishment and all. “Some prefer to eat the layers separately while others mix it together. But no matter how you eat it, your tongue will go wild from the crazy flavor combo,” Everstijn said. —MH
RAWGHETTI at RAWK STAR CAFE
740 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-440-6026, rawkstarcafestpete.com.
Oldsmar-based Rawk Star Cafe brought its plant-based menu to downtown St. Pete’s Central Avenue just over a month ago, with a cool, modern space below the new Publix. If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind vegan take on noodles, look no further than the Rawghetti, which tops zucchini noodles — zoodles! — with kelp, hemp pesto, diced veggies, crunchy kale chips and a crispy sprinkle for texture. Served cold, it’s a perfect, light lunch or dinner for the blistering summer months, tasty and surprisingly filling, too. —Scott Harrell
SWEET POTATO NOODLES at FRESH KITCHEN
1350 S. Howard Ave., Tampa. 813-280-0515, eatfreshkitchen.com.
I didn’t expect to like these noodles, much less love them. Sweet potato noodz? Isn’t being sentenced to a lifetime of gluten-free pasta and noodles bad enough without having orange noodles foisted upon me, too? Don’t get me wrong, I love me a good sweet potato, but I want my noodz to taste noodle-y. That’s why Fresh Kitchen’s sweet potato variety made for a delightful surprise. I discovered Ciccio Restaurant Group’s FK when I first embarked on my you-don’t-have-a-choice-because-you-have-celiac gluten-free adventure. First things first: The noodz aren’t orange, and second, they’re not made the same way one might make a zoodle. So, nope — no subjecting perfectly tasty sweet potatoes to the indignities of a spiralizer necessary. I’m not entirely certain how the quick-serve restaurant prepares sweet potato noodles that taste so real, but it does (our money’s on some kind of hoodoo). They taste like… well, like spicy Asian noodles, which is what I expect when I’m chowing down on some mushroom, broccoli and chicken in a bowl. I want my mouth to have a real Asian food experience, and that’s exactly how it feels when I chow down at FK. —Cathy Salustri
