A few weeks ago I went to a bridal shower in Lowell, MA. It's been my experience that bridal shower food can be a bit . . . disappointing. With that in mind, before heading north on 95 I asked a friend who grew up in Lowell for a lunch recommendation.
As predicted, we most definitely needed a real meal after the party! Armed with my local recommendation, my friend and I headed to Life Alive Cafe.
Life Alive is in downtown Lowell, near the UMass Lowell bookstore. The town center is actually quite charming and has a very New England feel to it. The cafe is located in a red brick building.
The sign outside read "Delicious food," which I hoped would be true!
When you first enter the space there is a retail area where they sell bottled drinks, teas, art work and more.
The cafe was packed! The dining room space is painted with bright, vibrant colors and they play fun, upbeat, groovy music.
The front section of the dining room is more of a lounge space. It's on a raised platform and each chair is fluffed up with a rainbow of pillows.
We grabbed a paper menu and hopped into line.
At the counter there were glass jars of very tempting treats. They always get you at check out!
Our cashier was so friendly. It's nice when people genuinely enjoy their job!
After placing our order we found an open table in the center of the dining room. The table was decoupaged with images of fruits, vegetables and animals.
Each chair was decorated too. I felt bad sitting on this beautiful collage!
To start I ordered the Love Alive smoothie. It was blueberries, strawberries, banana, dates and chia-almond milk. The smoothie's ingredients were so fresh.
This is going to send very earthy crunchy, but I could actually feel my body being revitalized as I drank this. Those chia seeds really are magic!
For lunch my friend chose a dish called the Emperor. It was cheddar cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, dark greens, shredded carrots, sweet corn and tofu over brown rice and drizzled with miso sauce. She said the dish was very flavorful and delightfully cheesy.
I ordered a wrap called the Romantic. The whole wheat tortilla was stuffed with two of my favorite green produce items - avocado and broccoli, melted cheddar cheese and garlic. It's ironic they called this wrap the Romantic because no one would want to kiss you after this much garlic!
The wrap was awesome. It had a very strong garlic flavor, the veggies were super fresh and the melted cheese brought it all together and added a creamy richness. Home run!
During our lunch my friend went to use the bathroom. When she came back she said, "Before we go, you have to go in there and bring your camera!" I will never forget the first time I took a picture of a toilet for this blog. It was at Lolita in Back Bay and I thought, "Am I really doing this?" Well, Life Alive's bathroom was worth a photo! Check this out:
Yes, the Life Alive Cafe bathroom has a jungle growing out of the bathtub! I can honestly say I've never seen a restaurant bathroom that looked like this. Walking through the door felt like being transported to a meditation retreat.
We had a great experience at the Life Alive Cafe. Our cashier was a wonderful greeter, the food was fresh as can be and bursting with flavor and the vibe in the dining room was energizing.
If you find yourself on the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border, take a detour to Life Alive.
Visit Life Alive Cafe at 194 Middle Street in Lowell, MA.
