Journal-- Veritable Vegetarian Eden

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Your table is bathed in sunshine. You’re surrounded by lush green foliage. A rich melange of aromas envelops you as you peruse a mouth­watering menu: Grilled Sage Polenta, Portabella Wellington, Curry Pizza, Oaxaca Tacos, Persimmon Pudding, Mexican Chocolate torte with coconut custard sauce. Is this vegetarian heaven? Yes, but only if you’re less than sleepless in Seattle.

Since opening its doors in 1991, Café Flora has been the gourmet vegetarian restaurant in Seattle. Dedicated to nurturing the plates and palates of its discriminating clientele, Café Flora also is committed to sustaining the earth’s resources, supporting local farmers, and giving back to the community.

Café Flora offers gourmets and gourmands a rich variety of vegetarian dishes, incorporating flavors from around the world. Because both chefs and kitchen staff work diligently to assure that each dish is appealing to both the eye and palate, they give great attention to color and texture as well as flavor. And in serving the freshest and healthiest produce available, the café supports local and organic farmers.

Supporting sustainable architecture is as important as supporting sensational food fare, so Café Flora management kept the health of our planet in mind when constructing their restaurant. They worked with environmentally friendly architectural and construction companies to retrofit an existing building with energy-conserving, earth-sustaining materials and products. In their day-to-day operations, Café Flora staff strives to purchase recycled products and recycle restaurant ware. For their efforts, they have earned three awards from the City of Seattle: the Environmental Excellence Award, the Green Works Award for Outstanding Efforts to Reduce Waste, Recycle, and Buy Recycled Products, and the Com­mitment to Excellence Award for Enviro­nmentally Responsible Leadership.