BOSTON -- Diets can be vegetarian, organic or even vegan. Now, a restaurant opening this week in Boston's North End is offering all raw foods, but there's certainly more on the menu than just carrots and celery sticks.

Gnocci with fresh peas, mushroom lasagna and even decadent chocolate cake: these are just some of the items being offered at Grezzo, a new restaurant opening in Boston's famous North End. But this restaurant does not cook a thing.

"The concept of Grezzo is fresh whole live foods," said Alissa Cohen, the restaurant's owner and author of the cookbook, "Living On Live Food." "Everything is made from fruits, vegetables, nuts and sprouted grains," she said.

Grezzo will feature upscale entrees, appetizers, salads and smoothies, all made without cooking. Everything is organic and vegan, so there are no meat, fish or animal ingredients. Nothing is heated above 112 degrees. The crackers are not baked, but rather made crunchy using a special dehydration process, said Cohen. The cheese in a caprese salad has no dairy, but is made with a creamy blend of macadamia nuts and cashews.

"We make pretty much anything you can imagine out of raw food. (We make) anything to mimic your favorite cooked food," Cohen said.

Cohen said raw foods are cleansing and have healed her of fibromyalgia. She said people she works with have lost weight and been cured of headaches, skin conditions and diabetes.

Dr. George Blackburn, associate director of nutrition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said the healing powers of raw foods have not been proved. However, he said he thinks Grezzo will offer a good way to learn about healthy eating.

"I'd hold off on the medical claims and concentrate on the fun, the good taste and the novelty of eating healthy," said Blackburn.

Cohen said the restaurant was booked for reservations, even before opening. She also said it's generating interest from people who are not strictly following a raw-food diet.

"I think it's a lot of people who have heard about it, who are health conscious and want to go out for a really nice dinner, but they still want to be healthy," said Cohen.