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| - I hate to be the party pooper but as someone who is a healthy cooking fanatic and always on the search for a lighter choice when I'm on the go, this place doesn't put me off the charts on my wow-meter. The portions are plentiful which is very nice considering the price. The ingredients do seem fresh as well and I very much like seeing the open kitchen. The staff has always been friendly, but when it comes to taste, texture and "health" I think there is room for improvement.
Most of the salads I have tried, whether potato, pasta or legume based, have been grossly overdressed. The adjective that comes to mind is "gloppy." The chana masala chickpeas had a pool of oil sitting in the middle and the batch was overly salted. The thai peanut vegetables were overly coated with a viscous dressing, though the flavor was decent. Each time I see a beautiful creation and order it, my lips feel coated chapstick after a few bites. The wraps have good flavor, but I don't see the point of stuffing them with rice. Carbs and carbs don't feel healthy to me when coated in a coconut sauce. To be fair, the chili I had last week was fantastic. Earlier this week however, when it was 60-some degrees outside, they had no soup. Seems like an odd special to be missing when the season finally turns.
I think there is terrific potential and I hope Desert Roots fares well. Local food that is fresh made, open and honest, is what I live to support. There is absolutely no doubt that this humble cafe provides better choices than most of the options on Mill. But I can't sing praises quite yet. A few tweaks to thin out the sauce, adjust the seasonings and maybe some better carb/protein combos and I'll be a regular.
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