Roots Gourmet, a new restaurant with Latin flair, just opened in Long Beach

Dec. 10, 2010 - PRLog -- Roots Gourmet, a new café in Long Beach, provides healthy fare & innovative espresso and tea based drinks with a jolt of Latin flavor. Owners Dalet Hamby and Norma Chavez, a Latina mother and daughter duo, have created a prolific culinary concept. They have integrated the flavors of the old world with the new. It was Hamby, a former competitive figure skater, who realized that had she consumed a healthier, cleaner diet, she may have gotten more out of her training and career. Upon moving back to Southern California after living on the East Coast, she decided to change her diet to vegetarian and gluten free.

This was quite an about-face, considering that she grew up eating her family's Mexican cooking, which was predominantly made using meat and often cooked with unhealthy ingredients. Norma, being a former gymnast, and rather active herself, was open to her daughter's new way of eating. The two spent time in the kitchen together tasting, laughing, gossiping and altering recipes. The twosome succeeded in celebrating the more healthy aspects of their cuisine, and improved upon some of the traits that weren’t conducive to their active lifestyle. This resulted in traditional fare like empanadas, once made with pork lard, being cooked in nothing but healthy vegetable oil.

With a deep fervor for gastronomy, they have made it their mission to offer healthy homemade fare without compromising the provocative flavors of their roots. With recipes passed down from four generations and delectable influences from Spain, Cuba, Argentina, Columbia and Brazil, a viable menu spurred by heart, passion and good health was created.

From the three different salad dressings to the signature turkey albondigas soup, everything is made from scratch with fresh, all-natural ingredients by hand daily with care. Most of the food is locally sourced, and no flavors are ever compromised to the harsh and dry conditions of a freezer.

The dynamic café offers enticing gluten free Spanish pastries, empanadas and tamales, all loaded with intense flavor. The delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes offered titillate the palate with a joyful jolt of spices. The premium coffee and loose leaf teas are all organic and fair trade. It doesn't stop there, even the soy milk, almond milk and coconut milk are organic and fair trade.

The bar drinks are ones you aren’t likely to find anywhere else. Roots Gourmet offers a Yerba Mate Chocolate Latte and a Chai Gitano, aka Gypsy Chai, which is an all-natural chai with a shot of espresso. Although the Mexican Mayan Mocha isn't quite a coffee shop anomaly, Roots Gourmet makes theirs with a nice kick of heat and real dark chocolate. You won’t find Pepsi or Sprite at this establishment, just all-natural sodas from around the world, Kombucha and freshly squeezed juices.

Norma's famous carrot cake - a recipe passed down from her mother - is studded with fresh bits of coconut, pineapple and pecan, and liberally smothered with a decadent cream cheese frosting. Most would scoff at the idea of this being healthy, but Roots Gourmet believes that by putting all-natural ingredients in your body such as real unsalted butter and raw sugar in smaller quantities you are in fact treating your body kindly. Consuming msg, aspertame, hydrogenated oils, etc. however, is on the ominous end of the dietary spectrum. The carrot cake is just one example that just because it’s healthy, it doesn’t mean it can’t taste absolutely sinful!

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About Roots Gourmet:

With a deep fervor for gastronomy, Roots Gourmet, a Long Beach restaurant, has made it their mission to offer healthy homemade fare and innovative espresso drinks without compromising the provocative flavors of their roots. The food is created from scratch with fresh, all-natural ingredients and is often locally sourced. Nothing is ever frozen. With recipes passed down from four generations in Mexico, and delectable influences from Spain, Cuba, Argentina, Columbia and Brazil, a viable menu spurred by heart, passion and good health is provided to hungry patrons.