Saw an ad for a new restaurant, the World Peace Cafe, and got hooked by the triple-whammy--vegetarian, organic and locally grown. What's more, the World Peace Cafe is located in that very interesting new loft-style shopping center across the street from Whole Foods in Sandy Springs. Not far. Well within my FoodShed.
I went to the World Peace Cafe for lunch yesterday and I have to tell you, it was one of the best restaurant meals I've had in a while. I got the Peace Burger on a field of mixed mesclun. Advice to the chef--rename the Peace Burger. It so far beyond anything your mind would conjure up when thinking of a burger. It was crispy and can't-stop-eating delicious--more like a latke than a burger. Dipped in the creamy lemon dressing, it was a completely new taste sensation for this getting-tired-of-beans-and-seeds vegetarian!
But dare I talk about the cake? We had the vegan three-layer chocolate almond cake. From the thin layer of chocolate ganache to the extraordinarily moist cake packed with little chocolate bits as veritable surprises in every forkful, to the almond cream frosting between the layers, each bite tasted as if it were the first.
The cafe was quite busy when we were there, yet people do seem to buy in to the vibe of the place and try to help keep a peaceful environment while there. Enormous paper lanterns sway soothingly from the two-story ceiling, and music so low you can barely hear it lilts in the air.
With an extensive all-dayparts-menu, a casual environment and affordable prices, the World Peace Cafe is an everyday kind of place. My only complaint? The menu did not identify from which farms the cafe sources local produce, and the staff was not able to answer my question. I emailed the manager but have not heard back yet. My fingers are crossed that the locally-grown part of this cafe's formula is authentic. I'll report back once I find out.
But this raises an interesting question--with the current popularity of locally-grown food, has anyone found a business that claims to support local farmers but in reality doesn't?
UPDATE! June 6, 2007
Heard from Mayra Cuevas at the World Peace Cafe:
Thank you for your support to the World Peace Café. As our mission states, we strive to use as much organic and locally grown products. As you may know, the term "locally grown" refers to any produce/food product that travels less than a day; this is an industry standard.
Here are some examples of local produce that we carry and local food artisans that we support:
-Our eggs come from cage free, grain fed, steroid free chicken farms in North Carolina
-The peaches and pecans are from Georgia organic farms
-The tomatoes from Florida organic farms
-The kale comes from South Carolina organic farms
-The tofu & corn tortillas are produced locally in metro Atlanta
-The Natural Juices come from Ardens Garden in East Point
-Vegan Cake is made by Southern Sweets in Atlanta
-Gourmet Cakes are made by Cecilia Villaviches in Athens
-All of our bread is made by local artisan BreadGarden using flour from east of the Mississippi
-Our onions are from Vidalia in Tifton County
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