Malden eatery offers vegan, organic fare in homey café

[Guest guest]

no, peter is the sheep at the bottom.

echolike Aug 8, 2008 1:16 PM Re: Malden eatery offers vegan, organic fare in homey café

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is the photo YOU?--- On Fri, 8/8/08, Peter VV <swpgh01 (AT) talk21 (DOT) com> wrote:

Peter VV <swpgh01 (AT) talk21 (DOT) com>Re: Malden eatery offers vegan, organic fare in homey café Date: Friday, August 8, 2008, 3:08 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Google “Vegan restaurant Boston,” and the results probably aren’t too surprising: a venue in Allston, a few links for Pan-Asian cuisine, and suggestions to visit CitySearch.com or BostonVegan. org for more guidance. It’s easy to assume Boston isn’t very Vegan-friendly, at least not for anyone hoping to dine out.

This month, one couple in Malden is hoping to change all that.

Lisa and Bob Bouley, owners of the new Vej Naturals juice bar and café on Washington Street, opened the vegan-organic eatery with one goal in mind: to show diners that vegan fare can be delicious, nutritious, inexpensive — and even fun to eat.

“We knew Boston needed this kind of restaurant,” said Lisa, a vegan who met her husband while working in a local health food store. “I felt like the vegan community needed a restaurant that serves organic food at reasonable prices.”

The Bouleys, who live in Medford, pride themselves on offering a menu that includes all-vegan options at affordable prices, with meals that wonÂ’t turn away carnivores, children or picky eaters.

Bob, a Salem native, is an experienced chef with 25 years working in restaurants behind him; Lisa is a nutritionist boasting a master’s of science degree in nutrition. The two have combined their expertise to craft a menu that is appealing to both vegans and omnivores — and with meat and dairy substitutes such as silken tofu, tempeh, pine-nut “sour cream” and cashew “cheese,” the results are often surprisingly hearty and authentic tasting.

“We wanted to do something that’s not sticking to any typical cuisine. We wanted to be very diverse. We put lots of flavors into our foods,” said Bob, who wrote the menu and continually tweaks it. “We wanted to do something not only for vegetarians or vegans, but also for blue-collar, meat-eating construction workers. We wanted to make it tasty and visually appealing.”

Their menu changes weekly, with a few core items — including the customizable juice and smoothie selections — making up the mainstays. The veggie burger, nachos, barbecue platter and reuben are some of the most commonly-requested menu items, and are almost always available; seasonal fruit salads, daily raw food specials, soups of the day and other rotating specials are ever-changing.

But the most popular offering at Vej Naturals, in the month theyÂ’ve been open, has been weekend brunch.

From bagels with vegan “cream cheese” to tofu scrambles, pancakes and fruit-topped French toast, the Sunday brunch offers breakfast classics with the side dishes diners expect — hash browns, grits —without animal-derived ingredients.

“It’s very hard to find a vegan brunch, never mind a vegan-organic one. I often find it really hard to find a place I want to go out to eat, so we tried to create a place that we’d like to go,” said Lisa. “I get really excited about the menu. And people seem really happy with the food.”

And, like the menu, the hours at Vej Naturals have evolved since the restaurantÂ’s opening.

After some customers complained the restaurant wasnÂ’t open late enough, the hours were expanded. Now, theyÂ’re open Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 9 p.m., and Sundays for brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. TheyÂ’re also offering catering, takeout and private in-house events.

Right now, the restaurant is a true mom-and-pop operation: with Bob as chef/cook and Lisa the lone waitress, the pair can just about handle the tiny seating area on a busy lunch hour. And with their 5-year-old daughter Caelee playing hostess most afternoons, itÂ’s no wonder that customer reviews of the restaurant tout it as welcoming, fresh and family-oriented.

“We love it, and we’ve sent a lot of our friends here. There’s a huge buzz about the place right now,” said Melrose resident Mary Frances Josephson, a stay-at-home mother who stopped in at Vej Naturals to pick up a takeaway order last week. “We have a 2 1/2-year-old (and a 10-month-old) , and the food is very kid-friendly. It’s hard to find local businesses these days … everything is a chain. Eating here supports trying to buy local.”

Web reviews on BostonVegan. org reflect JosephsonÂ’s sentiments.

Though some members lamented the Malden location — “It’ll allow Vej Naturals to really hone their craft before moving things to Cambridge or Boston,” said one user, “plantivore” — others lauded the Bouleys for “not messing around with fake meats” and for having “reasonable prices” and “immaculate presentation.”

“Lisa and Bob Bouley are both very kind people, and Lisa, especially, has a lovely warmth and wisdom to her,” said BostonVegan. org user Erika. “I hope that their fledgling business survives and thrives, because Bob is certainly a talented chef who puts care into what he makes, and the world needs more vegan restaurants.”

Lisa and Bob both said theyÂ’ve done exhaustive research into the sources and suppliers of their ingredients, so customers who are strictly vegan wonÂ’t have to.

“I always call to check, because I have received products that were supposed to be vegan and then discovered they used dairy or something,” Lisa said. “You want to practice what you preach.”

Vej Naturals also sells a small selection of organic and vegan products, from usable tote bags to bath tissue, cleaning products, lip balm and dietary supplements.

“Everything here has a purpose,” said Lisa. “Everything is also vegan, and I know because I’ve done the research.”

Future plans may include expansion beyond their current 17-seat capacity, which could mean a move out of Oak Grove. But the Bouleys said theyÂ’re taking the business one day at a time.

“Ideally, we wanted to be in a large space to start out, but the rent here was right, and we wanted to be near the T, even though we’re not attracting people who are jumping off the T yet,” said Lisa. “Boston and Cambridge is where most of the Vegan community lives. But many of the people who come here are very immersed in the lifestyle, and they’re telling us ‘good for you.’ We’ve had many repeat customers already, and we’ve only been open four weeks. So we’re still working it all out.”

 

For more information on Vej Naturals, including menus, nutritional information, hours and directions, visit vejnaturals. com. Call the café at 781-388-0990.

 

Peter vv

 

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[Guest guest]

hello fatou and welcome

fatou loume Aug 9, 2008 3:03 PM Re: Malden eatery offers vegan, organic fare in homey café

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hi my name is fatou and im from africa 29 years old and im a hapy girl and free--- En date de : Ven 8.8.08, Peter VV <swpgh01 (AT) talk21 (DOT) com> a écrit :

De: Peter VV <swpgh01 (AT) talk21 (DOT) com>Objet: Re: Malden eatery offers vegan, organic fare in homey caféÀ: Date: Vendredi 8 Août 2008, 22h16

 

 

 

So give us a review next time your there!

 

 

Peter vv

 

 

Blue Rose <bluerose156@ gmail.com>@gro ups.comFriday, 8 August, 2008 9:09:27 PMRe: Malden eatery offers vegan, organic fare in homey café

 

 

I've eaten there--it's AWESOME!

On Fri, Aug 8, 2008 at 4:08 PM, Peter VV <swpgh01 (AT) talk21 (DOT) com> wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

Google "Vegan restaurant Boston," and the results probably aren't too surprising: a venue in Allston, a few links for Pan-Asian cuisine, and suggestions to visit CitySearch.com or BostonVegan. org for more guidance. It's easy to assume Boston isn't very Vegan-friendly, at least not for anyone hoping to dine out.

This month, one couple in Malden is hoping to change all that.

Lisa and Bob Bouley, owners of the new Vej Naturals juice bar and café on Washington Street, opened the vegan-organic eatery with one goal in mind: to show diners that vegan fare can be delicious, nutritious, inexpensive — and even fun to eat.

"We knew Boston needed this kind of restaurant," said Lisa, a vegan who met her husband while working in a local health food store. "I felt like the vegan community needed a restaurant that serves organic food at reasonable prices."

The Bouleys, who live in Medford, pride themselves on offering a menu that includes all-vegan options at affordable prices, with meals that won't turn away carnivores, children or picky eaters.

Bob, a Salem native, is an experienced chef with 25 years working in restaurants behind him; Lisa is a nutritionist boasting a master's of science degree in nutrition. The two have combined their expertise to craft a menu that is appealing to both vegans and omnivores — and with meat and dairy substitutes such as silken tofu, tempeh, pine-nut "sour cream" and cashew "cheese," the results are often surprisingly hearty and authentic tasting.

"We wanted to do something that's not sticking to any typical cuisine. We wanted to be very diverse. We put lots of flavors into our foods," said Bob, who wrote the menu and continually tweaks it. "We wanted to do something not only for vegetarians or vegans, but also for blue-collar, meat-eating construction workers. We wanted to make it tasty and visually appealing."

Their menu changes weekly, with a few core items — including the customizable juice and smoothie selections — making up the mainstays. The veggie burger, nachos, barbecue platter and reuben are some of the most commonly-requested menu items, and are almost always available; seasonal fruit salads, daily raw food specials, soups of the day and other rotating specials are ever-changing.

But the most popular offering at Vej Naturals, in the month they've been open, has been weekend brunch.

From bagels with vegan "cream cheese" to tofu scrambles, pancakes and fruit-topped French toast, the Sunday brunch offers breakfast classics with the side dishes diners expect — hash browns, grits —without animal-derived ingredients.

"It's very hard to find a vegan brunch, never mind a vegan-organic one. I often find it really hard to find a place I want to go out to eat, so we tried to create a place that we'd like to go," said Lisa. "I get really excited about the menu. And people seem really happy with the food."

And, like the menu, the hours at Vej Naturals have evolved since the restaurant's opening.

After some customers complained the restaurant wasn't open late enough, the hours were expanded. Now, they're open Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 9 p.m., and Sundays for brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. They're also offering catering, takeout and private in-house events.

Right now, the restaurant is a true mom-and-pop operation: with Bob as chef/cook and Lisa the lone waitress, the pair can just about handle the tiny seating area on a busy lunch hour. And with their 5-year-old daughter Caelee playing hostess most afternoons, it's no wonder that customer reviews of the restaurant tout it as welcoming, fresh and family-oriented.

"We love it, and we've sent a lot of our friends here. There's a huge buzz about the place right now," said Melrose resident Mary Frances Josephson, a stay-at-home mother who stopped in at Vej Naturals to pick up a takeaway order last week. "We have a 2 1/2-year-old (and a 10-month-old) , and the food is very kid-friendly. It's hard to find local businesses these days Â… everything is a chain. Eating here supports trying to buy local."

Web reviews on BostonVegan. org reflect Josephson's sentiments.

Though some members lamented the Malden location — "It'll allow Vej Naturals to really hone their craft before moving things to Cambridge or Boston," said one user, "plantivore" — others lauded the Bouleys for "not messing around with fake meats" and for having "reasonable prices" and "immaculate presentation. "

"Lisa and Bob Bouley are both very kind people, and Lisa, especially, has a lovely warmth and wisdom to her," said BostonVegan. org user Erika. "I hope that their fledgling business survives and thrives, because Bob is certainly a talented chef who puts care into what he makes, and the world needs more vegan restaurants. "

Lisa and Bob both said they've done exhaustive research into the sources and suppliers of their ingredients, so customers who are strictly vegan won't have to.

"I always call to check, because I have received products that were supposed to be vegan and then discovered they used dairy or something," Lisa said. "You want to practice what you preach."

Vej Naturals also sells a small selection of organic and vegan products, from usable tote bags to bath tissue, cleaning products, lip balm and dietary supplements.

"Everything here has a purpose," said Lisa. "Everything is also vegan, and I know because I've done the research."

Future plans may include expansion beyond their current 17-seat capacity, which could mean a move out of Oak Grove. But the Bouleys said they're taking the business one day at a time.

"Ideally, we wanted to be in a large space to start out, but the rent here was right, and we wanted to be near the T, even though we're not attracting people who are jumping off the T yet," said Lisa. "Boston and Cambridge is where most of the Vegan community lives. But many of the people who come here are very immersed in the lifestyle, and they're telling us 'good for you.' We've had many repeat customers already, and we've only been open four weeks. So we're still working it all out."

 

For more information on Vej Naturals, including menus, nutritional information, hours and directions, visit vejnaturals. com. Call the café at 781-388-0990.

 

Peter vv

 

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With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.