Cafe Flora: Eating Vegetarian in Seattle

This year is all about new changes. I moved across the country, started a new job and decided to see if all this hype about vegetarianism really amounted to anything. I assigned myself a 40-day challenge – no matter how much I wanted that shredded pork taco or slice of bacon, I would resist. The first few weeks went well enough. Chickpea burgers, hummus, veggie stir-fries…I was starting to think I could really get used to this. I felt healthier and dare I say it, superior, to my former self for resisting my carnivorous cravings.

And then I hit a wall.

The smell of the hot dog carts taunted me, new restaurants boasting artisan meats popped up from seemingly nowhere and my neighbor casually mentioned that he’d made a large pot of beef stew that was mine if I just said the word. Heck, even McDonald’s, my prior worst enemy, sounded like a valid option.

Luckily, just as I thought I’d hit my breaking point, my sister arrived in town and accompanied me to Cafe Flora on E. Madison. Talk about vegetarian heaven. Even the artsy, airy interior screamed of a health food haven. I felt as though I’d gone through the equivalent of culinary yoga just walking through the door.

We ordered the vegetable pakora with amazing cayenne aioli and falafel with red quinoa salad (all gluten-free!) and settled in for a nutritious and satisfying vegetarian meal. Was it the best meal I’ve ever eaten? No, but it was deeply soothing to realize that I didn’t have to dig through pages of meat-filled entrees to find the one dish that was safe to eat. And it was good.

Well…as good as you can get without duck fat or pork belly…

The menus at Cafe Flora change according to season. The restaurant offers a wide range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with a happy hour from 2 – 6 on weekdays.