Openings

Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan Raw-Food Chain Headed to Soho

Raw pad Thai.
Raw pad Thai. Photo: Courtesy of Rawlicious/Facebook

The story of a Toronto-based raw foods chainlet settling in New York goes something like this: An NYU-affiliated heart surgeon’s 16-year-old son convinced him to go vegan, and when the two visited Canada, their dining options were limited, until they discovered Rawlicious. After being impressed by things like dairy-free cheesecake and raw cashew pad Thai made with zucchini “noodles” for five straight days, the surgeon sought out Rawlicious owners Chelsea Clark and Angus Crawford to find out what it would take to open an outpost Stateside. This is the ticket, he surely thought. The result, says Crawford, should be open on the Soho–Little Italy border before the end of the month. Expect a 60-seat café, open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day. The menu is gluten-, dairy-, and sugar-free, but you won’t miss it, promises Crawford. “Our mandate is healthy, and delicious,” he says, adding that the restaurant plans to add an organic beer and wine list over the summer, which is all part of the fun. “We don’t hassle customers with our philosophy,” says Crawford. “We don’t evangelize.”

Rawlicious, 247-9 Centre St., nr. Broome St.

Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan Raw-Food Chain Headed to Soho