I admit that I have a special bowl at home that I really enjoy eating out of. It's a ceramic bowl made by a friend and it makes me feel good when I eat out of that bowl, even though there a couple of small chips, now, on the rim. Before that, in my typical 50s childhood, I had my special Hopalong Cassidy bowl. Donna has a special fork, at home, that she always eats with: a rather art-deco piece with a fluted end. So, here we are at the Native Cafˇ. Having just ordered from the colorful menu board we are getting napkins, condiments and silverware from the counter to take to our table when Donna reaches into a basket for a fork and pulls up an exact duplicate to her "special" fork. Cool, I think. Positively eerie, Donna thinks. Naturally enough, she takes it as an omen that the food is going to be terrific. After all, she has the comfort of her "special" fork, how can she be expected to think the food would be less than grand. Knowing Donna, I believe her. She's usually right about these things.Besides, I have other clues that tell me to expect great things from this place. Several friends whose opinions I highly respect- Kit Estes and Kathy Budway, Thomas and Marilyn Twintrees- have told me repeatedly, "you gotta try this place." Though I can't quite recall everything they had told me, a few words stuck firmly in the dense thickness of my mind: "fresh" and "organic." Hmmm, certainly sounds good.
As we stood at the counter placing our order (service is comfortably informal), Michael Elliott ("two l's, two t's"), our order-taker/waiter/advisor, warmly and efficiently helped us through the maze of fluorescent art that is their menu board. We took his suggestions and ordered (to share) the bruschetta salad with sun-dried tomato dressing and, from the daily specials, a falafel chapati. Donna opted for a fruit smoothie- yogurt-pineapple-strawberry-banana-ginger, I believe - that she enjoyed very much. I ordered a long time favorite juice- carrot/apple/beet and ginger (they call it a Red Hot here). A list of the organic ingredients tacked up next to the menu board is very reassuring and I hope other restaurants take their cue and begin using more organic ingredients in their dishes. It's an idea whose time has surely come!
We found a nice little table in the back and enjoyed our juice and conversation while we waited for the salad and chapati. The dˇcor is relaxing- wood and plants and there's a nice patio in front.
The food came after a reasonable wait and was, truly, out-of-this-world exceptional. (Thanks, Michael, for the suggestions.) The bruschetta salad was huge, very fresh and colorfully presented. Several tender greens but, thankfully, not a shred of iceberg lettuce in sight, red onion rings, carrot matchsticks, julienned red bell pepper, sunflower sprouts, cucumber slices, very sweet tomatoes- what a beautiful salad! Nestled on top were two large slices of Italian bread covered with pesto, fresh tomatoes, onions and melted provolone and parmesan cheese. The dressing was tangy and loaded with Balsamic vinegar and garlic. There was far more than two people could eat and we took home quite a bit of salad for later.
The falafel chapati consisted of a pair of rectangular falafel patties, each wrapped in a whole wheat chapati or tortilla, with a creamy, slightly tangy, yogurt sauce. The falafel was, perhaps, baked instead of fried, as it was not at all greasy (or very crispy), but light and pleasantly seasoned. Served with blue corn tortilla chips and a half-dozen kalamata olives, this was a large portion also.
The menu is pretty extensive and includes several vegetarian and vegan options that we're sure to try on future visits. Gourmet sandwiches served on Focaccia, Italian sourdough, whole wheat or wheat-free spelt bread include the Corfu (basil pesto, kalamata olive and French Goat cheese on Italian sourdough with fresh tomatoes, cucumber and sunflower sprouts) and the In The Raw (lightly toasted bread piled high with grated carrot, red peppers, avocado, tomatoes, toasted pumpkin seeds, lettuce and lemon tahini. Several really nice salads, including the Zen Approach (organic brown rice, adzuki beans, hijiki, and ginger-tamari dressing tossed with mixed greens, tomatoes, avocado, red pepper, red cabbage, red onion, carrot and sprouts) and the Asian Influence (salad veggies tossed with bean thread noodles and a spicy peanut dressing) each make a complete meal in themselves, or you can order a half salad. There are also some tempting choices of veggie burgers and hot sandwiches. Aahhh, next time.
Fresh baked cookies and treats vary daily. Many are vegan. Native Cafˇ, of course, serves a wide selection of coffees, espressos and teas, smoothies, juices and natural sodas. They're open for lunch and dinner daily and for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.
Located at 3073 N. Campbell Avenue; call 881-8881 for more information or the latest specials.
Robert Oser is a local chef, teacher and author of "Flavors of the Southwest" and an upcoming vegetarian chili cookbook. He currently works at the Food Conspiracy Co-op.