BOSTON, MA — If you've been wishing you didn't have to go all the way to the other side of the river or, Lowell or up to Salem, to get the organic, whole foods non-GMO, plant-based restaurant prepped fresh food that is Life Alive, you're in luck.

Life Alive Organic Cafe opened quietly Wednesday on the border with Boston and Brookline, next to the Otto's Pizza on Commonwealth Avenue where there was once a Panera on the Boston University Campus. The plan was to open this past January but delays pushed the opening date back.



The mission of the locally based chain "to feed the vitality of a busy world... by providing healthy fantastic food for people on the go, while honoring and protecting our environment," is the same, at the Brookline/ Boston spot, but the vibe and a number of menu items are a bit different at the Brookline location. Whereas Cambridge's Central Square location is known for its hippie, colorful, but packed vibe, the Comm Ave spot is open and spacious with light streaming in from ceiling to floor windows. The dining room is full of light colors and is minimalist, and has a crisp look.

"There are no doors, here, except to the bathroom," said Hema Narayanan managing partner at Life Alive Organic Cafes. Narayan said the different vibe was purposeful.

"As much as we love the vibe of the Central Square space, it did put some people off. We wanted to make sure we were as accessible and as transparent as possible," she told Patch pointing to the kitchen where the staff assembled the food in the middle of the room with only a counter area separating them from the customers.

Narayan said she hadn't even announced the opening on her social media accounts as she hoped to let the staff get on their feet and figure out the ropes.

The menu features a mix of old familiars and new items in the form of Grain bowls, salad "Greens" bowls or wraps, and "Broths" and "Soups" as well as hot drinks and then Kombucha and Nitro Coffee on tap. From the old menu you'll find the "Adventurer" (a mix of quinoa, cheddar rice, sprouted legumes, tofu, beets, broccoli, kale, corn and almonds with tamari and sesame ginger sauces) and the "Green Goddess" (a mix of lemon garlic brown rice, broccoli, kale, tofu, sprouted legumes, avocado and ginger tamari sauce) but you'll also find new items like "Avocado Sol" or "Hot Seasame Noodles" a street inspired spicy rice noodle with bok choy, broccoli, golden beets, roasted garlic and sesame crunch. The menu lists the grain bowls, the Greens and the Broth bowls for $9.75 and does not appear to offer the "demi" smaller size as is offered at the Central Square location.