A Vegetarian Treasure
Written: Jun 18 '04 (Updated Jun 19 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Food and Presentation: |
 |
|
| Ambiance and Decor: |
|
|
| Quality of Service: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Excellent food, great eye-candy!
Cons: None for me
The Bottom Line: This is vegetarian heaven in the Midwest
|
|
|
| ed_grover's Full Review: Beans & Barley Market & Cafe |
Some Saturday mornings instead of walking the two blocks to the green market in my neighborhood, I get on the bus and go to East North Avenue and the open-air market that runs from the beginning of June through October. Sometimes I need to return a book at the East Side Branch of the Public Library, and while I'm in the neighborhood, one of my favorite places to stop for breakfast or a bowl of soup is Beans & Barley Market & Café.
B&B as I fondly refer to the place, started up as a small neighborhood health-food store in the 60s. There were a half dozen crocks for bulk goods and two coolers full of chilled merchandise. Soon, the owners added to their list of products and became a favorite meeting place in the hippie-dippy days of Milwaukee. In 1979 they started serving food and people stopped by to shop and eat. During the summer of 1993, there was a spectacular fire that drove everyone out on the street to watch as the place went up in flames leaving only the foundation and one wall standing.
By the fall of 1994 there was a spiffy new 80-seat restaurant standing where the old building stood. Ten years later in 2004, it has settled into its new environment and is busier than ever. In the entryway you will find all kinds of free publications that deal with the type of products and the lifestyle they promote. To the left as you enter is the deli with homemade soups, desserts and vegetarian specialties. Here, you can find are imported items like shortbread to organic frozen dinners, and from wine to fresh-squeezed carrot juice! The aisles are filed with everything from fresh produce to sassy greeting cards. It's also a health food store with hundreds of vitamins, homeopathies, bath and body-care items, books, a wonderful selection of sassy cards and a very friendly staff.
They're open seven days a week and they're always busy. The restaurant is in a large, airy glass walled (and roofed) structure that's filled with greenery and has local art for sale on the walls. There are booths to the left and right and a sea of tables with comfortable chairs in the center section. There are no reservations so plan on a wait if you get there at peak eating hours; you can always browse the deli and gift shop.
If you're there early for breakfast, there are a myriad of pancakes including one of Orange and Pumpkin with Orange butter and Wisconsin Maple Syrup ($4.50). You might like to try the Almond French Toast made of thick-sliced Challah bread, again with that good Wisconsin maple syrup. For a change of pace try the Tofu Scrambler, firm tofu scrambled with tomatoes, mushrooms and scallions, served with parsley shallot potatoes and your choice of bread ($5).
You can have eggs any way you want them from $3.25 to $6.25 (with two links of chicken sausage). On the Mexican side of things you will find a range of Breakfast Burritos, Huevos Rancheros and Fritattas. Everything comes with potatoes and your choice of bread. Add to that Granolas, Yogurts, Morning Rolls, Bagels, Toast, Scones and a variety of healthful fresh-squeezed juices (one called an Orange Rabbit is a blend of orange and carrot juices for $2 (small) and $2.75 (large). Coffees, Cappuccino (some made with soymilk) and 12 different teas give you an idea of the beverages and I haven't even mentioned the various sodas and the beers and wines that are available at lunch and dinner.
The tables for four have a clump of seasonal flowers in the center and there's a container with all kinds of natural sugars and substitutes next to the S&P. A table tent announces the soups of the day, one vegetarian and one not . . . usually something with chicken. There is always a wonderful homemade vegetarian chili (red beans and Bulgur wheat, tomato, onion, celery, peppers, and enough seasoning to give it some zip) you can have it topped with grated cheese and diced onion. For an extra $1 you can add Avocado and for 50¢ some rice (natural, of course). Soup or Chili is $2.75 a cup or $3.50 a bowl.
I was at Beans & Barley Market & Café recently testing the waters with a friend from SAGE. Would this place make it for the Dining Our Group? I thought there were enough choices to please everyone, but who knows with that bunch of old red meat eaters. If you want, there are chips 'n' dips galore: Hummus Dip & Pita ($3.50), Chips & Salsa ($2.25), Guacamole & Chips ($4.50), a Black Bean Dip With Cheese Quesadilla ($3.50) and on to Parmesan Artichokes with Pita Bread or a plate of Brie to have with a glass of wine.
There's an endless sandwich menu with prices ranging from Turkey and Tuna Melts ($5.75 & $6.25) served on Rye and whole wheat, respectively and a Cajun Grilled Chicken ($5.95) that's served open-faced on a crusty bun, with roasted red peppers, lettuce, tomato and scallions. Do mushrooms turn you on? Then have a Grilled Portobello sandwich ($5.95) on a bun with more of those good roasted peppers. Other than all that goodness, there are scads of Burritos and Quesadillas of all descriptions. They're all made with all made of flour tortillas and range in price from $3.75 to $6.25.
I had the day's vegetarian soup. It was an earthy split pea with carrots, barley and potatoes (all good carbs except for the potato) swimming in it. Along with soup (or chili) you get a sourdough roll and a slab of good Wisconsin butter. Amazingly sourdough is allowed on my South Beach Diet, so I ate everything with gusto. I had a small Garden Salad ($3.50) of leaf lettuce, red cabbage, carrot, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, tomato, broccoli, green pepper, cauliflower, sunflower seeds and cashews. If I had wanted to add Feta cheese on top of all this, it would have been an extra $1.25 whether I wanted large or small salad. For salad dressings I was given a choice of Creamy Garlic Parmesan, Garden Ginger, Herbal Vinaigrette or Tahini. I chose the vinaigrette and took the other sourdough roll home with me.
Other salads include Greek ($5.50), Tuna ($7.50) Mesclun with Grilled Vegetables ($4.95) and others. You can add Grilled Chicken or Grilled Tofu to any salad for an extra $3. My companion, the new Executive Director of SAGE/Milwaukee had a slice of vegetarian Quiche ($6.50) that came with a small side salad of mixed greens, a cup of fresh fruit and that same sourdough roll.
It's understandable that this place is among the most popular restaurants on Milwaukee's very gay East Side. If you want great food in a laid back atmosphere that won't leave you penniless and may help to clean out your arteries, this is it. This is the place for you. I have yet to meet a dish here I didn't like.
And, speaking of dishes . . . the good-looking waiters from the nearby University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus are delightful bits of eye-candy who know exactly what they're about as they serve their stations in tight jeans or khaki shorts and a form-fitting T-shirts, all covered with a white butcher's apron. The day we were there, there were more than a few gay muscle types who had come in to have a look at them while they had a vegetarian meal. Do you blame me for loving this place? Maybe I won't tell the SAGE boys, but I bet they already know.
Ed Grover – 2004
Beans & Barley Market & Café
1901 E. North Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone: (414) 278-7878
Related reviews:
Maria's Pizza: http://www.epinions.com/content_136863780484
Mykonos (Greek): http://www.epinions.com/content_111943847556
Southwoods: http://www.epinions.com/content_132754804356
Oriental Coast (Chinese): http://www.epinions.com/content_112129707652
Old Country Buffet: http://www.epinions.com/content_83547754116
Old Town Serbian Restaurant: http://www.epinions.com/content_129653182084
Palermo Villa: http://www.epinions.com/content_143296335492
Polonez Polish Restaurant: http://www.epinions.com/content_127665999492
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations It''s all wonderful and fresh
Best Suited For: Friends
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
ed_grover
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Member: Ed Grover
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Reviews written: 332
Trusted by: 400 members
About Me:
Ed's last words for Epinions members and links to tributes are on his page.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.