THUNDER BAY – Ok, I first off let me tell you that I am a true lover of meat and wasn’t a fan of vegetarian food. I’ve decided to try to understand why so many people like being vegetarian, so I have set aside the entire month of February to only eat vegetarian foods.  

Today, I ventured into the Organic Garden Café. It is located inside the wine-making store on 415 Fort William Road.

Organic Garden Café a treat not to be missed! 

Inside the Café there is seating for 18 people. The owner Shelly is the cook, and her husband Patrick is the waiter along with Alison another worker/waitress.
 
When I first sat down I thought wow, its so small inside and I didn’t think I would enjoy the place.

When Patrick came to our table it was like he had known us for years, he made us feel very welcome and he explained the menu. On each table there is a menu along with a pen and some paper, you write down your table number. As you select from the numbers on the menu which item you would like, and how many, and if you have any comments such as no onions, or no sauce, you simply write it on the paper.
 

The menu at the Organic Garden Café has something for everyone; from TLT’s (Tofu, Lettuce, Tomato) sandwich to wraps, to pizzas and soup. They also have organic brownies and parfaits for dessert. Their hot beverages are from other local businesses, The Great Northwest Coffee Company and tea from the International House of Tea.

They pride themselves on serving many organic products as well, such as organic orange juice as well as organic sodas from Santa Cruz (ginger-ale & root beer).
 
We took a few minutes to look over the menu and decided on the Veggie Burger as it is usually only offered on Fridays, but if you are really lucky sometimes they have some on Tuesdays as well. I must admit, Patrick brought us out a small bowl of soup to try and for a non-vegetarian I must say I really enjoyed it, it was called the Triple Red. It almost reminded me of a chili dish but in a soup form.
 
Our lunch arrived within minutes and it looked very delicious, in fact, the veggie burger was quite large was loaded with all fresh toppings, the spinach salad was very tasty.

My lunch guest had never heard of this place yet it has been in business for 10 years!!!

If you are a vegetarian and haven’t tried the Organic Garden Café, you simply must, if you’re like me and really haven’t embraced a vegetarian lifestyle, please give this place a try.

Patrick told us in the summer months they grow most of their own produce to use in the café, in the other months they source out to local places that are as fresh as they can get.
 
Patrick is a real life hippy, a back yard gardener who admits to owning goats to cut his grass and he laughs about it. Patrick is so open and will answer any questions you have, I laughed about him having a cow running on a stone mill to give them power and he said yeah that’s about right and laughed. His personality will surely bring me back to eat again, both Shelly and Patrick are very personable. After lunch I had the pleasure of talking to Shelly his wife, she is a vegetarian and loves cooking healthy for people to enjoy.
 
Patrick has been a vegetarian for 40 years, and hasn’t looked back since, he said he doesn’t miss eating meat, and I have to agree, its been 20 days and I don’t miss the meat in my diet, I’ve lost 14 lbs to date and I’m eating more then ever. For me, this vegetarian adventure is a simple experiment and I will share the outcome and results in March.
 
I used to be one of those people who when seeing vegetarian places would always say no to dining there because I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it. I will admit, I was wrong, I have been enjoying each and every item I have tried at these local vegetarian places.

So please if you haven’t tried Organic Garden Café, please do as I’m sure you will find something you will love! If you have no time to dine in, you can always call ahead and place your order.

Kim Berly