As I had previously said that I would, I went back to ChocolaTree when I returned to Sedona, AZ for vacation earlier this spring ... and I ended up going there so many times in the week-long stay that my coworker joked, "Is that like the only restaurant in Sedona?!"
No, there are plenty of restaurants in Sedona, but only a handful that have even a modest selection of vegan and gluten-free items on their menu. There were actually a couple of new places that I tried during this recent trip, but ChocolaTree got many more of my visits because I just couldn't get enough of their amazing gluten-free and vegan food!
Not everything is vegan. Everything is at least vegetarian, but there are some items that contain eggs, butter, milk, or honey. But everything IS gluten-free, which makes me so happy to not have to worry about leaving with abdominal pain from being accidentally "glutened" (a term a friend created). Their menu is labeled to identify which items are vegan, as well as "live" for those who like to eat raw (these items are not heated over 118 degrees F).
Visit #1
My first morning in Sedona, I went to ChocolaTree for a light breakfast before going on a hike. After agonizing over what to get first, I ended up getting the Banana Bread & Butter (which is "home-baked banana bread served with your choice of sprouted stone-ground heirloom almond butter or vegan macadamia butter") with the almond butter.
Wow, the bread was delicious! It was lightly toasted, so it was warm and just a bit crispy, and the almond butter counterbalanced that with some gooeyness and nuttiness. It was perfect for getting some complex carbohydrates and healthy fats to fuel my upcoming five-mile hike to Cathedral Rock, along Templeton Trail, and then around Baldwin Loop.
Visit #2
My next visit to ChocolaTree was the very next morning, where - again - I wanted a light breakfast for another hike ... well, two hikes actually. I knew they had an amazing waffle, but there was the urge to try something new before getting something I've had before. And since I wanted to get something to take with me to eat later on my hike, I decided to get the Chocolate Chip Brownie ("almond & coconut flour baked with coconut oil & maple syrup, filled with house-made chocolate chips") and one of the little Blueberry Blue Corn Muffins ("maple-sweetened, blueberry-filled blue corn & almond muffins baked with coconut oil") to go.
The brownie (which I guess really is more of a blondie) was so good, but pretty big, such that I could only eat half of it then. I ended up taking the rest of it to go along with the muffin, which I had had before. I love me some blueberries!
Visit #3
The next day, I forced myself to make alternative breakfast plans and saved ChocolaTree for an early dinner (or very late lunch) that was in between a long afternoon hike up the new Adobe Jack Trail and a late evening hike up to Chimney Rock. (Can you tell I like hiking?) Again, it took some agonizing over the menu because EVERYTHING sounded delicious, and I finally narrowed it down to one of the wraps. I asked my server for his opinion, and when he said that the Sedona 2012 Wrap was wildly popular, that sealed the deal. I even could get a half order for the wrap, so I decided to do that, just in case I might want something for dessert later.
And, man, was I glad to only get a half order, because even the half order was HUGE! This is what I would have expected for a regular whole order!
It's a "spicy tomato wrap filled with quinoa, stewed potato & carrot, wild rice, mushroom sauce, pico de gallo, onion, garlic, guacamole, mama's hot sauce, and creamy vegan cheddar." It was amazing and no wonder it's a popular favorite - and so filling! There was no room for dessert after this half order.
Visit #4
My final visit to ChocolaTree was two days later, the morning before I left Sedona to drive back to Phoenix. Finally, I would get that waffle that I'd gotten the previous year and LOVED. I was, however, very tempted to get the Savory Mushroom Waffle Stack, but I decided to save that for my next trip. So, Classic Waffle it was!
"Buckwheat waffle with dollop of macadamia nut butter & maple syrup." I could have also gotten one of the extra toppings (ice cream, coconut crème, chocolate syrup, almond butter, ghee, or seasonal fruit), but I knew the waffle by itself was going to be plenty.
And I ended up still not being able to finish the waffle. I mean, I could have if I forced myself, but there was no reason to do that, especially when you can take leftovers to go and enjoy your food all over again later in the day! The maple syrup was nice, but I actually quite enjoyed the waffle with just the macadamia nut butter (which actually does taste a bit like dairy butter!), and the waffle itself had a nice, hearty crunch to it. Yum!
I highly recommend sitting outside in the garden if the weather allows. It's beautiful with a wide variety of trees and flowers there. And somehow, it wasn't until my final day in Sedona that I realized that ChocolaTree has rigging for aerial equipment - mainly silks. I have only had a few silks classes in my life, otherwise I would have asked to play on them!
ChocolaTree has not disappointed me yet, and I definitely will be making it a huge part of my trip again next time I am in Sedona!