The Honeymoon Grille from
Jegunda’s list turned out to be pretty good and there are only two
more places on the list we have not been to so we find ourselves
crossing off another. I have been near the Mustard Seed market but
have not wandered inside. I have nothing against organic food (which
legally doesn’t mean much) and am not averse to eating healthy
(sometimes). |
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What worries me about places like these are the people. It’s a good thing I didn’t check the website before we went to see the enormous quote, “Together, We’ll save the world, one bite at a time.”. I don’t know if I could have brooked such a grandiose sales pitch turned sanctimonious sermon, but hey, the only way to ruin stereotypes is to spend some time with different people. Fortunately, we weren’t scanned for verboten substances like anti-biotics, hydronated oils, aspartame, bleached flour or high fructose corn syrup having been previously ingested and we were allowed inside.
The café sits above the rows of organic this
and that and is better put together than I had expected. Our server
actually did a fair job during our lunch but a side note to the
hostess. If you are going to spend all day long telling me the
harmful things they won’t allow in your food, I don’t need to watch
you pick your teeth for five minutes and then fondle the menus and
glasses. Mmmmm…Healthy & Delicious! Onward with eating to live
forever. |
We were delivered a basket of thinly sliced
multigrain bread and real butter (yeah for organic living). The
bread was unbelievably fantastic with notes from seeds to nuts to
crispy brown crust and there is little better on the planet than
butter, much of which isn’t allowed here. The first plate out was a
bowl of their Thai Peanut Carrot Bisque. Constructed from organic
carrots, peanut butter, coconut milk, ginger, crushed red chili
flakes and fresh cilantro, this is a signature dish for a reason.
The not quite smooth “bisque” starts sweet from the carrots and
quickly turns nutty then spicy. Bite after bite the procession
continues, the spice never overcomes the next spoonful of sweet to
nuts. |
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The Bakery Makes Some Beautiful Bread |
The Thai Soup Is An Expertly Crafted Experience |
Steph ordered the Thai Peanut Bowl with squash, zucchini, snow peas, cauliflower, napa cabbage, peppers, carrots, onions and broccoli in their house Thai peanut sauce served over brown rice. Where the soup had fabulous layers of spice the bowl lacked everything from salt to peppery spice. The vegetables were done well but the bowl was lacking past those.
She added a risotto cake which the menu said
was filled with mozzarella and served with oven roasted plum
tomatoes, artichokes and a smoked garlic fresh herb cashew creams
sauce. Outside of the cheese, none of that happened. This hockey
puck was shrieking for texture or acid to cut the mushy richness and
there was a load of herbage reminiscent of dill, which didn’t help
the texture and same unremitting richness. |
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What Happened To The Flavors From The Soup? Good Veg Though. |
1. Rich-Ehhh, 2. Rich-Cloying...I Dare You To Take More Than Two Bites. |
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I ordered the Bison Meatloaf with mashed
potatoes, steamed broccoli and a mushroom gravy. To start with the
simple the mash was stone cold and had leached the heat from the now
gloppy gravy. Booo. The broccoli was nicely steamed but I was really
looking forward to the lightly gamey but beefy bison. I’m not sure
what the preparation is for the meatloaf but the result is a
textureless and weirdly sweet cake. I certainly wouldn’t bother
again. |
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Looked Great... |
But Failed On Multiple Levels |
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There was one more signature dish on the menu
and we had to give it a go. A wedge of their bakery’s carrot cake
with carrots, pineapple, walnuts the mandatory cream cheese icing
arrived and it appears signature is the way to go at the Seed. Less
frosting than Primo’s but easily the
most moist and stupidly delicious carrot cake I have ever had in a
restaurant. Just how healthy it is remains up for debate but stick
to the signature dishes at The Mustard Seed Café and you might get
out alright. |
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All Hail The Good For You, Natural Soda Fresh Harvested From The Loads Of Sugar Bush |
But Some Of The "Healthy" Stuff Is Delicious |
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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C+ | C | C+ | A- | D- | C | ||
Signature Bread, Soup, Cake |
All Entrees |