It probably seems counter-intuitive to most diners that, on the nights when they aren't in the mood to cook, they can go to a restaurant and have someone else not cook for them, but that's exactly the idea behind Karyn's Fresh Corner. Well, maybe not exactly the idea, and to describe the chef's raw-food creations as simply "not cooked," is a bit flip, but the food here is raw, and that actually is the idea here: in fact, Karyn's Fresh Corner is the oldest raw-food restaurant in the United States.

Karyn Calabrese, longtime vegan and proponent of a raw diet of "living foods," is the brains behind the operation at Fresh Corner. Famously and continuously quoted as having said that people should "take care of their body, because where else are they going to live?" Calabrese opened her raw-food shop in the early 1980s. Since then, the restaurant has flourished as well as spawned Karyn's Cooked, where heat and food are allowed to mix, as well as a cafe and market addition to the Fresh Corner.

An open, adventurous mind helps when it comes to eating at Karyn's. Food that has been prepared but not cooked can take a little getting used to. Don't mistake a lack of cooking the food for a lax approach to its preparation, however. The presentation is amazing here, though the portions are a bit on the small side. The Pad Thai ($13) impresses nevertheless, as a small mountain of thinly sliced coconut noodles in a peanut cream sauce rise from the center of the plate, surrounded by a ring of cilantro oil drizzle.

In the cafe/market section, juices and smoothies are on offer, though these, too, are a bit pricey. Apple juice with a bit of kale comes in at $8, or you can opt for a toast to good health with a wheat grass shot for $2.

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: Bill Burman