A Q&A With Chef Dreux Ellis
In April 2012, Chef Dreux Ellis went to Venice, California to be Executive Chef of Cafe Gratitude, a vegan restaurant with multiple locations in Southern California, bringing his health-based, flavor-driven cuisine to a wider audience. As one of our long-standing partners, we caught up with Chef Dreux to talk about where he finds inspiration, his commitment to working with small, local farms, and how anyone can make plant-based meals a part of their daily diet.
1. You’ve been with Cafe Gratitude as head chef for over a decade. Where do you find inspiration for new meals, cuisines, and collaborations?
On a big picture level, travel is perhaps my greatest source of inspiration. Getting out and about in the world and diving into new cultural traditions and regional cuisines is invaluable. On a local level, I tap into what is happening seasonally. As a plant-based chef, each new season brings a wealth of new colors and flavors to play with and I love to take advantage of that. In terms of collaborations, I gravitate towards other individuals and organizations that are up to something interesting in the wellness arena. That usually grabs my interest!
2. It’s becoming increasingly apparent that eating a more plant-based diet is one path to a healthier lifestyle, and one that more people are choosing. How do you both educate and encourage more people to eat plant-based meals?
I think best way to both educate and encourage people to eat plant-based meals is to make delicious food! If our guests are eating food that is full of color and flavor AND they feel better after eating it, they are going to return again and again. I try to educate by offering dishes that are rich in a variety of whole foods that are minimally processed.
3. What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about eating plant-based?
The biggest misconceptions about eating plant-based is that it is difficult or complicated, or that it is hard to get all your nutrients. I think many people would be surprised to realize that they are already eating many plant-based foods without even thinking about it: grains, pastas, legumes, and of course, fruits and veggies are already a part of most diets. Small adjustments like cooking in extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter or using oat or nut milks in a sauce instead of cow’s milk in a recipe are examples of an easy way to make traditional recipes plant-based. Eating from the “rainbow,” a variety of plant-based foods, will ensure that you are meeting your nutritional requirements as well as providing vital components like fiber, phytochemicals, and micronutrients that are not present in animal products. It’s that simple!
4. What plant-based ingredients do you think are underrated and should be featured on our plates more?
Beans! There are literally hundreds of varieties with different flavor profiles that you can eat and an endless number of ways to eat them. They are present in most every cuisine throughout the world and are a nutritional powerhouse.
I would also advocate for more fruit. Many people have started to avoid fruit because of the sugars. However, glucose fuels our bodies, and when eaten in its whole form, I believe that fruit is nature’s perfect “fast food,” high in water-rich fiber that is easily digested and delicious to boot!
5. How does Cafe Gratitude support local farmers and sustainable agriculture?
Café Gratitude has always been a magnet for small farmers and artisan collaborators. Being based in California has afforded us the opportunity to work closely with local, organic farmers and products. Our earliest Café Gratitude locations were originally supplied from our founders’ “Be Love” farm in Northern California, and we have continued this tradition of working with small, organic, and regenerative farms when we moved to Southern California.
6. Which of your Mealogic meals would you recommend to someone who’s never tried your food?
It’s difficult to play favorites, but the “Whole” Macrobiotic Bowl and the “Smokin” Chili Bowl are both great examples of what we are committed to at Café Gratitude: Deep flavor profiles, rich colors and a wonderful variety of textures.
7. Why did you want to partner with Mealogic/How has Mealogic helped you and your business?
We have been in this relationship for 7 years, and I think it has been a very successful collaboration because we are both committed to bringing a high-quality product to as many people as possible. I often think back to the early days of the pandemic when Territory Foods was fundamental to keeping our business alive – our doors were closed, yet people were still able to get healthy organic food from Café Gratitude. Today we are still providing that service to so many people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to Café Gratitude and that is because of our ongoing partnership with Mealogic.