| In the land of big hats and cattle, vegetarian and | | | | additional dollars for a bottled water or |
| vegan dining can be elusive. Casa de Luz, | | | | non-alcoholic beer. Depending on the day, you |
| however, is an unexpected oasis in the middle of | | | | may also get to savor a richly textured |
| a bustling city in the heart of the Carnivore State. | | | | whole-grain bread, and there will be a surprisingly |
| More than a restaurant, Casa de Luz is a | | | | tempting (considering that it's good for you) |
| full-fledged healthy living center. In addition to the | | | | selection of desserts for you to sample as well. |
| dining room, you'll find herb and flower gardens, | | | | The food is all vegetarian, and mostly vegan |
| meeting and event spaces, and regular classes in | | | | anything non-vegan will be noted on the menu. |
| Pilates and yoga. | | | | As might be expected in an atmosphere of such |
| The delicious macrobiotic food is reason enough to | | | | serenity, Casa de Luz is refreshingly quiet and |
| visit, though. Enter the airy, sun-flooded space, | | | | peaceful, especially for lunch in the middle of a |
| pay a flat fee for the day's meal, and collect the | | | | hectic day. You'll serve yourself and bus your own |
| wooden token that you'll trade for your napkin | | | | table; think of it as exercise and you'll be in the |
| and cutlery at the counter. Proceed to the buffet, | | | | proper spirit. |
| where you can start your meal with the soup du | | | | In the interest of promoting good health, all the |
| jour and some raw vegetables for munching, and | | | | food is prepared from scratch onsite, and the |
| feel free to liven up your appetizers with tekka (a | | | | meals are carefully constructed to be as salutary |
| miso condiment made with ground sesame seeds, | | | | as possible. Local and organic ingredients are |
| carrots, and lotus root) or gomasio (Japanese | | | | featured whenever they're available, and many of |
| sesame salt). | | | | the plants used in the cuisine come from the |
| Return to the buffet for the rest of the meal, | | | | gardens on the grounds. |
| which varies daily and is often organized around a | | | | Although you may not yet be able to hop in a |
| central theme (Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern, and | | | | saddle and ride a mechanical block of tofu at any |
| Italian are recent highlights). In addition to the | | | | restaurant in Texas, you can at least enjoy |
| soup, each day's meal features a bean dish, a | | | | delicious vegetarian cuisine right in the heart of |
| vegetable dish, cooked greens, a salad, a grain, | | | | cow country. Bring your meat-loving friends along; |
| and a pickle alongside. If you're thirsty, enjoy the | | | | you never know whom you may convert to a |
| filtered water or one of the two teas (hot twig | | | | healthier way of life. |
| tea and cold hibiscus tea), or spend a few | | | | |