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by Chris Jones
Today’s "In Marin" blog at SFGate (clearly inspired by this article in East Bay Express) reports that a former employee of local semi-raw foods, vegan eatery, Café Gratitude, has accused the operation of being a front for the 1970’s cult EST descendant, Landmark Forums. Y’all know Landmark Forums, that’s the one where they lock you in a room for two days, scream at you over and over again, and won’t let you leave to pee until you admit that you are a powerless piece of human garbage, or similar. Good times.
This writer has to admit that he actually liked Café Gratitude in the Mission the one time he visited, even though the sole reason for being there was to torment some visiting Scottish friends who had just finished a triathlon. The food was good, although the part where they made everyone in the restaurant laugh heartily for 60 seconds was kind of bizarre and off-putting. Anyway, should it matter that this restaurant, infamous for forcing customers to order each dish by its full name, positive self affirmations like, I’m Hung Like a Moose or I’m Hot and All the Boys Want to Kiss Me, is a front for a relatively harmless, if annoying, alternative spiritual group? Even if the food is pretty good?
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I'd eat at Cafe Scientology if I loved their food.
Cafe Gratitude is always pretty good but not good enough for me to make it my first choice knowing I'm going to have a middle-aged woman in a peasant-skirt smelling of pathcouli asking me what I'm grateful for. To each their own I suppose.
Now, the Supreme Master's vegan places on the other hand...
Places I'd go if I liked their food:
- Café Opus Dei
- Café Latter Day Saints
- Café NeoCon
- Café Speaking in Tounges While Handling Snakes
- Café est
- Café Taliban (try the lamb kebabs!)
- Café Schutzstaffel
there should probably be some mention of the east bay express article at the root of this takedown. A takedown long overdue by the way.
I've been there a couple of times - the food is pretty good, but the (gr)attitude is highly annoying. No surprise that they're caught up in something weird like Landmark Forum.
A few years ago a bunch of my friends all did it at once and kept bugging me to go. I went to their intro session and immediately knew it wasn't for me - way too cultlike - but the calls kept coming for at least six months. They must offer discounts or bonuses for recruiting new members.
Thanks for the link to their menu, "I am grateful" for the good laugh I got at the absurdity within. They should add another: "I am an idiot" for spending $9.50 on a friggin' milkshake. Cult or no cult, it is quite the racket.
They should at least call it "My Milkshake Brings All The Boys To The Yard."
And it contains neither milk nor shake.
Hey Chris - thanks for admitting you just did it to fuck with us. Pretty obvious really. Funnily enough I think you were really messing more with Mrs Me than I. The European in me doesn't really mind weird places with really bad service. Kind of used to it.
Totally unsurprised that they have cult like things going on - and the laughing thing wasn't just off putting. It was downright bloody creepy.
So, apart from the no meat thing and the serial killer creepy atmosphere I would *totally* recommend it !
Oh - the restroom facilities also reminded me of Europe ... I guess that's what happens if you stuff everyone full of high fiber food.
If only they had Haggis!
I thought I was the only one who brought visitors to Cafe Gratitude to torture them.
I'm grateful for never going to this fucking place. I don't care how good the food is, not being in a cult is more important than cuisine.
I can't help but always remember Sam's post about Gratitude whenever I pass the joint, which is often as it's 2 blocks away from my house.
http://becksposhnosh.blogspot.com/2007/09/cafe-gratitudes-true-colours.html
Cults, man...
I just read Enidd's account of how she was treated at Cafe Gratitude after she and her husband were mugged. Not at all cool. Also, not at all surprising.
I guess I'm a little confused by the level of outrage at an indifferent at worst "treatment." The comment "I was so mad after reading that... almost more angry at the lack of compassion there than at the muggers themselves" kinda sums it up. Really? Really?
I'm not saying Cafe Gratitude's employees were at their best there, but it's a restaurant, not a police station or grief counselor.
The Landmark-Cafe Gratitude link was always explained to me as common knowledge. I didn't know an expose was necessary.
Yeah.
All the same, kinda sad. I'd prefer to think that these are just well-meaning hippies.
About a year ago my parents and I trekked up here from LA for some sort of graduation that my hippie brother (Cafe Gratitude server) was in. We weren't really sure what it was, he was very vague. But he said it was important to him that we be there, so we drove up. Seven long hours stuck in a car with my parents.
When we get there, it's the third day of a Landmark seminar. The day when you're supposed to bring all your family and friends so that they will sign up for the $500 three day class.
It would be an extreme understatement to say that we were unhappy with him.
Oh God, I've been to one of those, too. A friend was talking for weeks about this great communications class that she was taking, and then one day said, hey, want to tag along to one? And I did. Sure enough, as soon as we got there, all the newcomers were separated for a sales pitch. Eek.
Good food makes up for bad philosophy. Hell, I've had meals with the Hare Krishnas. That being said...
There's a simple yet surprisingly effective maxim in poker: "Weak means strong, strong means weak." That is, almost everyone over-acts, so when a poker player is acting as if he has a terrible hand, it's likely a very good one, and vice versa.
Likewise when someone (or in this case, a restaurant) is over-the-top with spirituality or positive attitude. When such things are laid on thick, you can bet that there's a shadow lurking behind.
Stuart
http://stuart-randomthoughts.blogspot.com/
"I am over" paying too much money for shitty food served with sanctimonious self righteousness.
I'm grateful it's been less than three hours since I've eaten meat. And grateful that I have the option of eating more meat in another three or four hours.
Oh gee, not only do I get to be overcharged for a plate full of uncooked shit that cost pennies to make, I also need to act barely interested in some bullshit semantics game?
Good luck with that little short lived project.
I look forward to eating at the rotisserie chicken place that will soon grace this nice storefront in a few months.
A good place to go once in a while.
"I AM SUING"
Relax people. The food is for raw-foodies and vegans and people with gluten and dairy allergies. Don't go there expecting a Big Mac. The shakes are mind-boggling good.
I like some of their biryani rice to go with the slice of pepperoni pizza I just got around the corner.
No one is enlisting you to join any group there, enjoy the food in a non judgmental way and leave the judgments upto God...errr. I mean the Evangelists and the Born again and agains...