Dreaming of...Acai Bowls

Have you ever had an acai bowl? I had one for the first time in Hawaii years ago and have been in love with them ever since. I rarely see them on menus in the mainland, but they magically happen to have them at our favorite local coffee shop here in San Luis Obispo, Sally Loo's.

I always assumed the acai bowl was a Hawaiian dish, but I learned that it actually originates from Brazil.  It's basically a smooth-slash-parfait made with a base of frozen and mashed acai, a fruit that grows in the Amazon. I really like this colorful description of the Acai Bowl from the Huffington Post:

Acai bowls are parfaits on tropical, chilled steroids. First, frozen acai pulp is blended with various fruits and coconut, soy, or almond milk. Next, the thick, creamy smoothie is topped with homemade granola and sliced nuts and lovingly adorned with fresh cut strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and, for the truly opulent, coconut shavings. A delicate drizzle of honey adds a certain luster to the whole affair.

Lucky for us, Stuart and I will be traveling to Hawaii in just one month, for his spring break! I can't wait to have these every day for breakfast if possible...

Have you ever had an acai bowl before? I would be interested to know if these are more common than I thought, or if you are lucky enough to have them on a menu near you!