Native Food’s  founder Chef Tanya Petrovna dared to create a restaurant that reflected her inner truth and passion.

The story goes that many years ago vegan Chef Tanya met a dairy cow that she formed a bond with. The surprising connection led her to become a vegetarian. In 1994, she dared to open up her first Native Food’s restaurant in Palm Springs, California. This was at a time in which the vegan food movement had barely begun to make its mark on society. Thus, Chef Tanya took a leap of faith and became a trendsetter.

Just today, a couple of us itsBOLD-ers headed to the Aliso Viejo, California restaurant and enjoyed some Scorpion Burgers (Homemade blackened Tempeh, chipotle sauce, romaine, carrots, avocado and onions) and sweet potato fries sprinkled with a dash of salt, cinnamon, and sugar. The burgers were so delicious, even the carnivorous Swede at our table decided that she may even want to give vegetarianism a try.

The beauty of Native Foods lays in the fact that a being with vision/passion had enough gumption to share it with the world. It’s been said many times…”Build it and they will come.” This is certainly true for Chef Tanya as she now has stores in 13 spots around the United States.

If you are skeptical about the vegan lifestyle, you will be amazed to find out that there are numerous things to splurge on. The Native Food’s menu offers so many options that it is hard to know which item to choose.

There are a few bold lessons to learn from Chef Tanya and Native Foods. First and foremost, listen to your truth…it may be trying to tell you something and lead you to create something of lasting value. Second, jump in and live your passion. Finally, eating healthy can be a lot more fun than any of us think!