Borrowed Earth expands vegan options in the suburbs

Let me start by saying I'm no vegan. I want my meat, butter-laden veggies and cake -- and to eat them, too.

But I do eat sustainably when possible, buy local and organic produce (when it's available and I can afford it) and am mindful of the impact my choices make on the world around me. But give up all animal products? No can do.

That's not to say I don't respect those who practice what they preach.

It's a passion, too -- one that requires a great deal of discipline. That's why I was intrigued by the opening of Borrowed Earth Café, a proponent of the raw food movement. That means it serves food not cooked above 115 degrees. The reasoning behind this approach is simple: It preserves nutrients and enzymes found in food.

Borrowed Earth isn't the first establishment to do it locally (Karyn Calabrese has been doing it for years at her Chicago empire), but I'm sure health-conscious diners are ecstatic their options have increased.

The restaurant comes from Danny and Kathy Living, a couple who hosts a monthly raw food potluck in the Naperville area. When we dined, Kathy was up front, while Danny manned the knives in back.

Everything is made to order, although service is pretty speedy.

Having stated my dining preferences earlier, the idea of eating food that only mimics dishes I'd normally eat isn't necessarily my cup of tea. Still, I ordered the "cheese pierogies," which neither contained cheese nor were pierogi-like. In fact, they are described as bite-sized crescents of jicama wrapped around garlic, raw soy, lemon and red bell pepper-accented nut "cheese." The filling had a texture akin to peanut butter and a flavor that was more pronounced.

Then it was on to dolmas, another theoretically familiar dish. Here, the grape leaves coddled a flavorful, fresh, lemon-accented blend of pine nuts, "rice," currents and garlic and were scribbled with a creamy sauce. They actually were pretty good.

The hummus, in turn, was tasty and lightly spicy, but the flax seed crackers that came with for dipping left us cold. They resembled bark (and tasted the way we'd imagine bark to taste, too).

There are a handful of salads, including a mixed green and veggie compilation with house dressing, and a mock egg salad.

We instead tried the yellow bell pepper soup, which was exactly as it sounded -- a sweet pepper in liquid form, and it's hard to find fault with that.

For our main course, we chose the falafel wrap. The grainy balls were of the ground-nut variety, aggressively seasoned with exotic spices and sandwiched with romaine, tomatoes, red onion and a creamy, satisfying sauce. It was eminently fresh and a substitute for the original, for sure. We just found the seasoning to be a bit too in-your-face.

Other wraps on the menu include teriyaki-sauced veggies.

Entrees range from a tower of veggie "pizza" with marinara sauce to a garden "burger" and tacos with guacamole, mock sour cream, cheese, salsa, spicy sunflower seed "beans" and a salad.

In the "not just for kids" section, there are plenty of fun-sounding choices. We tried the PB &J to see what it was like. Smaller than the palm of a grown-up hand, it consisted of a spongy, circular "bun" spread with potent raw almond butter. The $5.95 price tag was a bitter pill.

"Ants on a log" with raw almond or hemp butter is among the other selections.

Dessert is not forgotten at this health-minded spot. Chocolate savoy truffles are dense (though a little gritty). Banana "ice cream" was pretty good, kind of like nicely spiced, pureed, frozen fruit.

How did we feel about dining here? Well, we certainly give these nouveau hippies props. It's a lot of work to walk the walk. Everything did taste just-plucked, but it's hard as an outsider to be sold on these dishes as replacements for their namesakes. In the end, dining here is a somewhat costly endeavor with small portions adding up to a surprising tally. That said, we do understand the cost of food -- and particularly the cost of food with a conscience.

Borrowed Earth Café

970 Warren Ave., Downers Grove, (630) 795-1729

Cuisine: Vegan raw food

Setting: Pleasant, eco-friendly storefront

Price range: Starters $6.95 to $7.95; soup and salad $4.95 to $12.95; wraps, etc. $5.95 to $8.95; entrees $12.95 to $14.95; desserts $1.95 to $6.95

Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

Accepts: Major credit cards