Fad diet at downtown diner is pretty tasty

EATING OUT

Posted: 12/18/2003 03:44 pm
Modified: 12/18/2003 03:45 pm

One of the hot trends in eating is raw foods, with restaurants devoted to it opening in New York and California. And Reno’s own Pneumatic Diner has a raw foods night on Wednesdays. I took some curious companions to check it out.

But first, some of you might be wondering what exactly raw foods are. A raw food diet basically features fruits, vegetables and nuts that aren’t cooked. Why? Adherents say that cooking destroys the food’s structure and kills enzymes, and that it’s more natural.

Scientists and nutritionists dispute many raw food claims. They point out that cooking foods often allows our bodies to absorb more nutrients. And they say it’s difficult (and can be dangerous, especially for kids) to get enough nutrition solely from a raw food diet because raw foods fill you up before you’ve gotten enough calories.

What I’ve found making raw food recipes at home is that they’re not cheap or easy to make. And the deal killer for me is that they don’t lend themselves to leftovers. Because they’re uncooked, they don’t last in the fridge in a plastic container for even a day without tasting weird. But they’re very tasty when fresh and are an interesting change of pace, which is why stopping by the Pneumatic is an excellent option for eating raw foods.

On Wednesdays, the Pneumatic keeps its regular (and fantastic) vegetarian menu intact and adds a raw entrée and dessert. When we went, the $8.50 special was “raw-violis.” What would normally be a pasta casing was thinly sliced eggplant. The stuffing was a pate made from almonds, sunflower seeds, fresh basil, garlic and herbs topped with a sun-dried tomato marinara sauce. A ginger-carrot soup came on the side.

For raw virgins, the first shock will be that the food is cold. Culturally, we’re used to warm or hot stuff and it can seem odd. But the Pneumatic cooks cleverly give the illusion of heat, thanks to garlic in the raviolis and ginger in the soup.

All four in my party loved the raviolis. They looked more like half-size manicottis. The eggplant felt just like pasta, and the herb-flecked white stuffing had a flavorful bite. The carrot-ginger soup didn’t work as well. It was decent, but plain.

True to raw food’s reputation, I was stuffed, although the portions weren’t as big as I normally tackle. Nonetheless, I tried the carob-blackberry pie for dessert, which was tasty and concealed a big surprise.

Remember, this pie wasn’t cooked. The crust was made from chopped brazil nuts and dates pressed into a pie tin. The filling recalled a chocolate pie, except the chocolate was carob and the creamy smooth texture came courtesy of avocado — not very noticeable unless you knew it was in there. Blackberries were sprinkled on top for tang, sweetness and camouflage.

It might not be worth converting to the raw food lifestyle. But with the clever cooks at Pneumatic, it’s a great diet to visit.
-- Mark Robison

The Pneumatic Diner's raw-violis, carrot-ginger soup and carob-blackberry pie certainly qualify as out-of-the-ordinary. The raw foods are served Wednesdays.


Pneumatic Diner
Address: 501 W. First St. (second story of the Truckee River Lodge
Phone: 786-8888, ext. 106
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday
Overall: 3 1/2 stars
Food: 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Prices: $5-$8.50
Kids menu: No

RATING GUIDE
5 stars: Outstanding
4 stars: Excellent
3 stars: Good
2 stars: Average
1 star: Poor