From the When It All Falls To Hell It Must Be Time to Make A Stranger Happy Files, the Cafe Gratitude chain of living food restaurants is cha-cha-ing its qi and then some. Concerned that all be fed during winter's wet chill and the recession's damp heat, Cafe Gratitude outlets are offering an I Am Grateful bowl to customers for whatever price they can pay. (Cynics can keep their snickers to themselves when perusing Cafe Gratitude's menu, on which all items have first person affirmations ranging from I Am Abundant to I Am Worthy to I Am Succulent.)

The I Am Grateful bowl consists of either brown rice or quinoa, hearty servings of black kale and black beans, a goodly squirt of garlic tahini sauce and a full sprig of fresh sprouts. The meal would retail for $7 were it a fixed price on the menu, but Cafe Gratitude owners Matthew and Terces Engelhart really want to respond to the dreary combination of bad weather and worse news, so if only a dollar (or less exists) in your pockets, you may still eat a healthy, warming meal. In the North Bay, Cafe Gratitude has two outlets, in Marin (2200 Fourth St., San Rafael) and Healdsburg (206 Healdsburg Ave.); the main phone number for all stores is 415.824.4652.

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