Moving from a small town in Iowa to the city of Omaha, Nebraska has been a bit of a transition for me. However, this transition has been positive and exciting. One of the most fun parts about exploring my new home has been researching and dining out at new restaurants. Living in a larger city certainly has its perks. The abundance of organic, natural, healthy, vegetarian, and vegan restaurants is far greater than what I am used to back home (in fact, they are practically nonexistent where I am from). So far, I have found several great restaurants that I have been beyond impressed with. My experience at McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe was no different.
McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe is a natural restaurant that prides itself in serving healthy, mostly organic dishes that cater to vegetarian and vegan restaurant-goers. But don’t worry meat-eaters, they also serve chicken and seafood dishes!
McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe has a great, casual atmosphere. It is simple and not too fancy shmancy, which is generally what I look for in a restaurant. I parked myself in a booth near the back of the restaurant and proceeded to look over the menu.
I actually had a very difficult time deciding what to order. There were so many vegetarian and vegan options that I kept wavering back and forth between several dishes (this is definitely a refreshing and good problem to have! ;)). I finally decided on the Veggie Melt Sandwich.
The Veggie Melt Sandwich contained zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant, carrots, peppers, onions, and sweet potatoes that had been rubbed with vegan butter and garlic and charbroiled to perfection. The vegetables were then topped with fresh basil and vegan mozzarella cheese. This was all served atop a toasted whole wheat bun and came with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and pickles.
The side options to accompany the sandwich included soup, salad, french fries, and custom veggies. I chose the custom veggies which I had steamed, and included broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, onions, and peppers seasoned with Italian seasonings, spices, fresh garlic, and basil.
Each piece of the bun was stacked high with vegetables, so I did not even attempt to put it together into one sandwich. Instead, I ate both pieces open-faced. I dipped the Veggie Melt Sandwich in a Miso dressing (vegan mayonnaise, organic white miso, lime juice, sesame oil, tamari, ginger, and garlic), which the waitress kindly suggested would accompany the sandwich well. She was so right! It really gave the whole meal that little something extra that I truly appreciate when dining out.
Something else that I truly appreciate was the service. My waitress was very friendly and accommodating, and even apologized when it was “taking awhile” for the food to come out. Little did she know that I did not think that it took that long at all! My only complaint about McFoster’s would be that the prices seemed a bit steep, however, this is somewhat understandable due to the quality of ingredients that they serve.
I will absolutely be visiting McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe again, and cannot wait to try some of their other sandwiches and entrees, including the Blackened Tempeh Sandwich, the B.L.T. (with tempeh bacon), the Charbroiled Eggplant Sandwich, the Avocado Deluxe Sandwich, the Curried Greens with Blackened Tempeh, and the Veggie Enchiladas (trust me, I could continue on with more ;)).
I’d say I got my fill of vegetables for the day in just this one meal! 😉
